Nick of Time

[https://tenor.com/view/jonah-jameson-crap-mega-crap-j-jonah-jameson-spider-man1-gif-23760846,no u]

I get the reproach. Believe me, I do. But… it’s not terrible, now is it? And it’s truly relevant to music. I also don’t want to call it bad, because so much of the hate it’s garnered has clearly come from some sort of misogynistic attitude.

The obvious high point- and the only moment in the entire album that is truly mind-blowing- is the eponymous opener. Rhythmic, hopeful, hints of suspense and stakes, it’s a really great song. Everything else is riding on the afterglow of that, and the only song that really reaches anywhere near the same peaks as that song is the driving, beautiful, incredible “I Will Not Be Denied.”

The great thing about this album, obviously, is Raitt’s voice. She isn’t a voice that is too far out of the ordinary, but DAMN can she sing. A hint of rasp in there, lots of soul, incredibly easy to listen to. The lyrics are also consistently pretty good, even though there’s more than a few corny lines sprinkled across the album’s pleasantly manageable 42-minute runtime.

The album’s biggest heels are, to put it simply, the ballads. I can take a good ballad or two, but this not only overdoes it, but it features a consistent supply of not-very-impressive adult contemporary ballads, whether the lack of enjoyment be in the underwhelming lyrics that they can tend to feature, or the cheesy to the point of saccharine instrumentation.

The album is patchy; patchy but good. Few highs that reach a true “height,” but no songs that stoop to a low that can be measured as unforgivable. Very pleasant personality all-around, and a couple of songs that really, truly hit.
6.8/10
DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: YES
REASON: a couple of incredible songs, paired with a large helping of accolades makes this a listen that is all but necessary.

svim zagriženim hejterima ovog albuma na ovoj stranici poručio bih da mnogo serendaju, da zalaze u nevažne detalje i da su u konačnici nebitni dečkići puni gorčine. ovaj je album prije svega izrazito zabavan. i šta ako ima hrpu klišeja osamdesetih? neke stvari od toga ipak odudaraju. dođe mi da dam četvorku iz inata, premda mi je realno bilo za trojku. slatko i kratko, nije izvanredno, ali zabavno

[odslušao i napisao 16/10/26]

I'm aware of this album, and I think I recognize a few of these tracks by title, but I've never listened to this album start-to-finish.

The songs aren't terrible, but the production feels really cheesy. It kind of feels like this would greatly benefit from just a fresh re-recording.

Well, I like her hairdo and the swoopy B-R. Otherwise... they're calling this "heartland rock", which really means "Adult Contemporary", the likes of which you'd hear on 101.3 The Rose, aka if I'm hearing this I'm surely at the dentist. At least Steely Dan aren't the only ones! All genders can make boring music for me to hate while my mouth hurts! (Actually, this is very similar to Shania Twain's best-selling album "Come On Over", which I listened to quite a lot... but I submit that this album is a less interesting version of that one, which isn't even *that* interesting in retrospect!)

Whatever, it's unobjectionable, so Bonnie "The Road" Raitt, I Raitt you a Middle-of-"The Road" 3.

Herbie Hancock is on this album, also. He's famous.

Line that left me pondering: "I ain't no porcupine, take off your kid gloves."

It makes sense that her biggest hit is a cover, she’s not much of a songwriter. These songs were all dull.

Not what I was expecting at all. Really enjoyed the start but soon got bored

What a beautiful voice though, wow

3 ⭐️

Except for one or two tracks and against my expectations, I actually liked the album quite a bit. Still, I don't feel the urge to listen to it more often. It was okay. 3/5

It is able to maximize Bonnie Raitt's prowess as a singer by having a flawless production which really helps to send through the poignant message of the album.

7/10 [KEEP]

Side quest!

Dear Reader, I humbly submit this album for your perusal:

Laura Cantrell - Humming By The Flowered Vine

https://open.spotify.com/album/43dKr7Tf76jBKXrGa6dWl5

talkin bout love here people

They're really putting anything in the National Recording Registry, huh?

Immediately hit with 80s production. Why is this on here? It's fine, not worthy of a list. 1*

Whilst I appreciate this, it's not really ticking my boxes. The very '80s production doesn't help here.

nice of a time

This is so meh. It literraly did nothing to me. All the tracks sound the same. I couldn't tell them apart

There is something particularly bland and meaningless about Nick of Time. The closer attention I pay Bonnie Raitt’s performance the less it delivers, faring best when I let it fade into the background as a pleasant, unfocused blur. It feels like the quintessential adult contemporary record - a mass market product intended to offend no one and inspire no one. For the right audience it will help pass the time or create the right atmosphere, for me it makes time slow down and bores me to tears.

I'm a little let down after that very lovely first song! This 2 feels harsher than it should, but while I had a pretty enjoyable time with the album, none of it's very remarkable. In in one ear and out the other, it's Default Music. Sorry Bonnie!

Standouts: Nick Of Time • Too Soon To Tell • I Will Not Be Denied

A fun pop album, an enjoyable listen. Not groundbreaking but doesn't need to be. Also breath of fresh air amounts all the rock.

I'm not sure if Bonnie Raitt needs much of an introduction as an acclaimed singer-songwriter. But the period of time leading up to this particular record deserves an explanation. After getting dropped by Warner Bros. Records after poor commercial performances for two albums in a row, Bonnie was in a spiral - she dissolved her backing band when she could no longer afford them, she promoted a record that she had no control over, she split profits with the label that just dropped her, she excessively dranked and partied, and she was hospitalized for two months after a skiing accident. It came to a point where she had to stop and reflect on her choices. After attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and sobering up, she resorted to playing acoustic versions of her songs for solo performances. At that point, she crossed paths with musician Don Was of the band Was (Not Was) and started collaborating with him. After they finally found a label willing to work with them, Bonnie and Don got to work on that next record. That record, Nick of Time, would go on to be Bonnie Raitt's commercial breakthrough, after nearly twenty years in the business.

I think the magic of this record lies in Bonnie's impressive contralto voice, loving yet firm with the kind of worldly experience that lets her take command of these rootsy blues-rock tunes. Her presence is established on the opening title track, as she reflects on the people around her aging with such earnestness in her observations. That song and the closing drifter tune, "The Road's My Middle Name", feel like genuinely well-written tracks with her wisened expertise, while the songs from other writers in the middle of the record were nicely picked to match her vibe with warm guitar tones throughout.

If I had to complain, I'd admit that this album sounds dated in a few places, such as the keyboard tones used on "Love Letter", "Cry On My Shoulder", and "Have a Heart". Don Was did a fine enough job on production; the album can't help but feel a tad schmaltzy as commercially viable music in 1989. It still sounds good for coming out of that time, though.

All in all, Nick of Time proved to be a really good comeback record for Bonnie Raitt, and her star would continue to burn bright from this point onward.