Give It Up (Bonnie Raitt album)

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Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: September 1972 | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Bonnie Raitt1971Takin' My Time1973AlbumGive It UpBonnie Raitt - Give It Up.jpgThe album cover for Give It Up. It features a photo of Bonnie Raitt with her arms crossed. The photo is atop a purple background. The words "BONNIE RAITT" and "GIVE IT UP" are written in cursive, and are positioned at a slanted angle in the top-left and bottom-right corners of the cover respectively.Bonnie RaittSeptember 1972June 1972Bearsville, Woodstock, New York*Folk

Give It Up is the second studio album by American musician Bonnie Raitt. Released in 1972 by Warner Bros. Records, Give It Up is an amalgamation of various genres, including folk, blues, R&B, and soft rock. Seven of the ten tracks on the album are covers, and the tracks range from soft sentimental ballads to fast-paced folk rock pieces. Lyrically, Give It Up revolves around Raitt's femininity, relationships, and being comfortable with herself. Raitt recorded the album at Bearsville Studios with producer Michael Cuscuna.

Give It Up was Raitt's first album to reach the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it peaked at number 138. The initial reception was positive, as critics liked the vocals and the musicianship throughout the album. Contemporary reviews are also positive, with some critics calling Give It Up a stand-out album within Raitt's discography. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked Give It Up at number 495 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Composition

Give It Up was recorded in June 1972 at Bearsville Studios in New York, with producer Michael Cuscuna.Template:Sfn It is an amalgamation of several music genres, including folk, blues, R&B, and soft rock.<ref name="AM"/> The ten tracks on the album are a mix of soft sentimental ballads and fast-paced folk rock pieces.<ref name="EW"/><ref name="No Depression"/> Some of the faster tracks are accompanied by brass instrumentation, which is played in the style of a New Orleans brass band. This sound is demonstrated on the opening track "Give It Up or Let Me Go". It begins with an acoustic guitar, but then transitions into an explosive sound of a brass band, reminiscent of Dixieland music.<ref name="EW"/> Give It Up features many guest musicians, most of which were from the area around Woodstock, New York. Among these are future politician John Hall, multi-instrumentalist Freebo, and blues singer Paul Butterfield.Template:Sfn Overall, Give It Up has a smoother, more polished sound than its predecessor Bonnie Raitt.Template:Sfn

Raitt wrote three songs for the album.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The other seven songs are covers of songs by musicians like Chris Smither, Jackson Browne, and Joel Zoss.<ref name="No Depression">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Lyrically, Give It Up revolves around Raitt's femininity, relationships, and being comfortable with herself.<ref name="No Depression"/> According to biographer Mark Bego, Raitt sounds more confident while singing on this album when compared to her vocal performance on Bonnie Raitt.Template:Sfn Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: "Raitt can be earthy and sexy, but she balances it with an inviting sensuality that makes the record glow".<ref name="AM"/> Raitt herself would later criticize the vocals, stating: "I sound like Mickey Mouse!"Template:Sfn

Release and reception

Template:Music ratings Give It Up was released in September 1972 by Warner Bros. Records.<ref name="AM"/> It sold moderately well, and was Raitt's first album to reach the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it peaked at number 138.Template:Sfn<ref name="BB200"/> It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1985, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies.<ref name="RIAA"/> The song "Too Long at the Fair" was released as a promotional single to radio stations, although it did not reach any music charts.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Give It Up received positive reviews upon release. A critic for Billboard magazine wrote: "Bonnie Raitt is presented in her second album for the label and it should be a big one. Her unique vocal treatments and guitar style on 'Stayed [sic] Too Long at the Fair' and the title song should do a lot to sell the album."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Record World described Give It Up as "an exceptional effort. The choice of material, from the self-penned numbers to a stunning Jackson Browne tune, is excellent and the musicianship and production could hardly be better."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau also praised the album, writing that "the best thing about Bonnie Raitt is her singing, and the best thing about Give It Up is that she sings great from beginning to end; in doing so, she successfully handles a far greater range of styles and material than on her first album and has produced a more interesting and satisfying record in the process." Landau highlighted the three original songs, and called "Love Has No Pride" the perfect summation of Raitt's musical abilities.<ref name=RSreview>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Retrospective appraisals have also been positive. In The New Rolling Stone Record Guide, critic Bart Testa wrote: "Give It Up [comes] closest to perfecting her approach: she [mingles] her blues resources with a variety of contemporary and folk-oriented songs, coming up with classics in 'Been Too Long at the Fair' and Eric Kaz & Libby Titus' Love Has No Pride. <ref name="Marsh">Template:Cite book</ref> Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted how singers like Sheryl Crow and Shelby Lynne were likely inspired by Give It Up, and ultimately described it as "one of the great Southern California records."<ref name="AM"/> In a review published for Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau commended Raitt's maturity and intelligence in both her style of play as well as her lyrics.<ref name="CG"/> Christgau later ranked Give It Up at number 31 on his decade-end list of the best albums of the 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked Give It Up at number 495 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, calling it "gorgeous folksy blues".<ref>Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone – Special Collectors Issue – The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. Template:ISBN</ref>

Track listing

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Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 1972 release. Each number denotes which track features the musician and instrument.<ref name="Liner Notes">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2

Musicians

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Production

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Charts and certifications

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Chart (1972) Peak
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References

Citations

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Book sources

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