Glow

The Glow is the seventh album by Bonnie Raitt, originally released in 1979. Bonnie Raitt has never looked sadder or more tired than she does on the cover of 1979's The Glow, and in many ways, the record is her tribute to late-night loneliness. The Glow is at once straightforward and highly insular; these are songs that sound perfect at about 1:30 in the morning, in the midst of a last round of beers and couple more cigarettes. There's a newfound edge in Raitt's voice - not quite a crack, but just a hint of well-earned wear, garnered over ten years on the club circuit. That voice is perfect for the album's trio of woozy, sorrowful ballads: "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)," "Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate" and "(Goin') Wild for You Baby." That's not to discredit the uptempo numbers. The Glow actually contains some of Raitt's finest covers, including a wily reworking of Little Richard's "The Girl Can't Help It" (Raitt changes "the girl" to "the boy"), and a reading of Sam and Dave's "I Thank You" that brings out new shades of spitefulness in a well-loved song. Best of all is the title song, a smoky jazz ballad that turns out to be the ideal home for Raitt's voice, and her weary emotional status.