Sunday Morning Music
| Sunday Morning Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Studio | White Room | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Label | Sub Pop[1] | |||
| Producer | Al Sutton, Mike Danner, Phil Durr, Matt O'Brien | |||
| Thornetta Davis chronology | ||||
| ||||
Sunday Morning Music is the debut album by the American singer Thornetta Davis, released in 1996.[2][3] Davis was the first Black artist signed to Sub Pop, a label initially known for its grunge releases.[4]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Al Sutton, Mike Danner, Phil Durr, and Matt O'Brien.[5] Davis was backed by members of Big Chief, for whom she previously sang.[6] Eddie Harsch played keyboards on Sunday Morning Music.[7]
Inspired by life in her downtown Detroit neighborhood, Davis wrote or cowrote all of the lyrics, aside from "You Haven't Done Nothin'", a cover of the Stevie Wonder song; Big Chief provided the music.[8][9][10]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Calgary Herald | [12] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [5] |
The Calgary Herald stated: "Going for a bare bones backup of bass, drums and guitar (with occasional keyboards, congas or horns), Davis delivers a raw, riveting blend of funk, R & B, rock, blues and sweet soul music."[12] Entertainment Weekly deemed the album "a knockout compendium of the sounds of her Detroit hometown."[13] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that it "sounds like '70s Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart—if they let the backup singers take over."[14]
The Gazette wrote: "Crucially, the trad, tried and true musical vocabulary never slips into a lazy replay of '60s/'70s antecedents. Her choice of a Stevie Wonder cover, 'You Haven't Done Nothin'', seals it, placing the music in context without cementing it in cliché."[15] The Toronto Star concluded that "the combination of the band's slightly skewed vision of funk and Davis' straight-up blues delivery makes for an unusual, wide-ranging but completely satisfying album."[16]
AllMusic wrote that "Davis' singing is just wonderful—she's got a rich, warm voice that she doesn't show off with, avoiding pointless vocal high jumps and wails for confident, often soaring delivery."[11] The Chicago Reader called Sunday Morning Music "a harrowing album full of desire and outrage."[17]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cry" | |
| 2. | "Helpless" | |
| 3. | "Try to Remember" | |
| 4. | "Sunset" | |
| 5. | "Only One" | |
| 6. | "You Haven't Done Nothin'" | |
| 7. | "Box of Memories" | |
| 8. | "Sunday Morning" | |
| 9. | "The Deal" | |
| 10. | "And I Spin" | |
| 11. | "Come Go with Me" |
References
[edit]- ^ Seedorff, George (13 Aug 1997). "Koko Taylor stays true to the blues; Thornetta Davis goes experimental". Michigan Chronicle. Vol. 60, no. 46. p. 3B.
- ^ "Thornetta Davis Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (15 Nov 1996). "This week's pop cd releases". The Guardian. p. T16.
- ^ Grant, Kieran (January 23, 1997). "Don't Pigeon-Hole Thornetta or Her Music". Entertainment. Toronto Sun. p. 60.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. pp. 312–313.
- ^ Booth, Philip (18 Apr 1997). "Thornetta Davis Defies Easy Categorization". Ticket. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 10.
- ^ Johnson, Kevin C. (March 13, 1997). "Wilbert's Hits Right Note". Akron Beacon Journal. p. F2.
- ^ Ross, Curtis (April 18, 1997). "No grunge in her groove – Thornetta Davis brings soulful rock to the home of the Seattle sound". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 18.
- ^ Zink, Nell (Jan 1997). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 41. p. 36.
- ^ Norman, Michael (January 16, 1997). "Rocker Loves to Sing the Blues". The Plain Dealer. p. 6E.
- ^ a b "Sunday Morning Music". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Muretich, James (3 Nov 1996). "New Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ a b "Sunday Morning Music". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Sherr, Sara (28 Feb 1997). "Thornetta Davis". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 17.
- ^ Lepage, Mark (18 Jan 1997). "Sub Pop gets religion thanks to Thornetta". The Gazette. p. E7.
- ^ Punter, Jennifer (25 Jan 1997). "Thornetta Davis Sunday Morning Music". Toronto Star. p. J10.
- ^ Whiteis, David (May 5, 2005). "Thornetta Davis". Chicago Reader.
