Rock Archeologia

Genya Ravan - For Fans Only 2005 ItsAboutMusic

Band/Artist: Genya Ravan
Album: For Fans Only
Label: ® ItsAboutMusic.com
Released: 12 Apr 2005.
Country: USA
Genre: Pop/Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock
Duration: 00:57:36

• The album kicks off with pre-rock standard "Fly Me To The Moon," accompanied by piano and sax. I own two recordings of this song: local heroine Paula West imparts a more traditional treatment and the less said about Lorrie Morgan's the better. Genya gives the material a distinctive flavour. Some folks don't like variation. Take "Angel of the Morning" by Chip Taylor, one of my all-time favourite songs ever. Country babe Merrillee Rush was fantastic. A few years later, an all-out soul rendition by Thelma Jones, recognisable from the lyrics, blew me away. Then there's Chryssie Hynde's terrific Pretend version. Great music can always be rearranged, if it's done well, as is the case with Genya's "Fly Me To The Moon."
• A couple of tunes are Genya Ravan compositions. "202 Rivington Street" is autobiographical and tasty, recorded live at the Bottom Line. It's spontaneous. The other is called "Night Flight" and I love it. Beautiful!
• The only other composer with two contributions is the aforementioned Chip Taylor. What a coincidence! (And you thought my Angelic meanderings were irrelevant.) "Any Way That You Want Me" is from 1978, while "Take Me For A Little While" was recorded in 2001 without rehearsal. They are gems.
• Other highlights are "Easy Evil" and "Something's Got A Hold On Me," the latter with Long John Baldry. Two incredible vocals on one powerful song, backed by Thunder Thighs, legendary as "the coloured girls" on "Walk On The Wild Side."
• Lennon-McCartney's "Don't Let Me Down," is one of five covers recorded in 1989. Talk about teasing us... Truth be told, this is one of my least favourite Beatles songs. Even Randy Crawford couldn't resuscitate it. I like it now – at least with Genya.
• There's a great Blues song with piano accompaniment only and a nifty tune recorded for Urban Desire, except there was "no room on the record.

 • Tracklist

01. Fly Me to the Moon 04:44  
02. 202 Rivington Street 07:39
03. Don't Let Me Down 04:17
04. Rattle Snake Shake 05:21
05. To Keep You Satisfied 03:36
06. Anyway That You Want Me 04:11
07. Something's Got a Hold on Me 03:35
08. Two Steps from the Blues 02:28
09. Easy Evil 03:30
10. Night Flight 04:47
11. Carry Me, Carrie 05:14
12. Reconsider 04:42
13. Take Me for a Little While 03:32

Credits:

Long John Baldry - Engineer, Back Vocals
Dennis Dibrizzi, Charlie Giordano - Piano
Joe Droukas - Composer, Back Vocals
Steve Horton - Saxophone
Bart Howard - Composer, Performer
Paul Opalach, Peter Scance - Bass
Jerry Plotkin - Engineer, Mixing, Organ
Genya Ravan - Composer, Producer, Vocals
Conrad Taylor - Guitar
Mike Thorne - Arranger, Drums, Engineer, Keyboards
Thunderthighs - Back Vocals
Bobby Chen - Drums
Uptown Horns - Horn

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