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 & Tape 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. It is an amalgamation of several music genres, including folk, blues, R&B, and soft rock. The other seven songs are covers of songs by musicians like Chris Smither, Jackson Browne, and Joel Zoss. Lyrically, Give It Up revolves around Raitt's femininity, relationships, and being comfortable with herself.
|rev3= Entertainment Weekly
|rev3score = B+
|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide
|rev2Score = A
|rev4 = MusicHound Rock
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|rev5 = The New Rolling Stone Record Guide
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Give It Up received positive reviews upon release. A critic for Billboard 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." 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." 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.
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. 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."
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".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 1972 release. Each number denotes which track features the musician and instrument.
Musicians
- Bonnie Raitt lead vocals, steel guitar (1, 3), acoustic guitar (2, 4–8, 10), backing vocals (3, 7), 12-string guitar (6), electric rhythm guitar (9), acoustic piano (10)
- Jack Viertel steel guitar (1)
- T.J. Tindall electric guitar (3, 7)
- Kal David electric guitar (4)
- Lou Terriciano acoustic piano (1, 8)
- Mark Jordan acoustic piano (3), vibraphone (3), electric piano (7)
- Merl Saunders acoustic piano (4)
- Dave Holland acoustic bass (1, 2, 8)
- Chris Parker drums (1, 4, 8)
- Wells Kelly congas (2, 3, 9), drums (3, 6, 7, 9), cowbell (3, 7), backing vocals (3)
- Dennis Whitted drums (5)
- Eric Kaz vibraphone (2), acoustic piano (6), horn arrangement (9)
- Peter Ecklund cornet (1, 3)
- Amos Garrett trombone (1)
- Freebo tuba (1), 12-string rhythm guitar (2), fretless bass (3–7, 9, 10), backing vocals (3)
- John Payne tenor saxophone (2), clarinet (8), soprano saxophone (9), sax solo (9)
- Marty Grebb tenor saxophone (4), alto saxophone (9)
- Terry Eaton tenor saxophone (9)
- Gene Boris Stashuk cello (6)
- Paul Butterfield harmonica (7)
- John Hall backing vocals (3), electric guitar (6, 9), "steel drum" guitar (9)
- Jackie Lomax backing vocals (3)
- Tim Moore backing vocals (7)
Production
- Producer, liner Notes Michael Cuscuna
- Engineer Kendall Pacios
- Remixing Nick Jameson and Kendall Pacios
- Mastering Lee Hulko
- Art Direction Ed Thrasher
- Photography Michael Dobo
Charts and certifications
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!Chart (1972)
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