RICH MAN'S WOMAN (1975)


MELODY MAKER (November, 1975)

For more years than it would be polite to recall, Elkie
Brooks has been too much of an underground heroine
among students of lady rock singers. Now, at long last, she has delivered the album which can shoot her to international acclaim, and establish her, finally, as perhaps the finest rock singer Britain has produced.

Long before Vinegar Joe, itself a fine band, Elkie paid her dues as a jazz singer in various bands, and now the years of experience, together with her unique  power, reaches fruition with a simply stunning album.

But power, so often the only asset of lady rockers, is not played up by Elkie to the detriment of her intrinsic
bluesy feeling. She has always displayed taste, even
as a bawdy rocker, and taste is the hallmark of this immaculately-produced album.

To make it, Elkie went to Los Angeles and received  accompaniment from some inspired musicians, and some immensely careful production by Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, who have been closely connected    with Gladys Knight's records. The result: nine tracks without one duff moment.

The opener, "Where Do We Go From Here (Rich Man's Woman)", is one of five written by Elkie - another aspect of her progression - and gets the album off to a startling momentum. It's a rock track with fine control, and never goes over the top, which could easily have happened; it also has a fine hook-line. 

"Roll Me Over" is an example of Elkie's  jazz leanings, and "One Step On The Ladder" is a bright commentary on what is happening to her at this
moment. "Try A Little Loving" shows her tender songwriting capabilities, as well as her imaginative sense of delivery. 

But "Jigsaw Baby" is the absolute high spot on this album. The aforementioned Brooks-written songs come nowhere near this gem - a richly-experienced  piece, again autobiographical, with a delightful melody line. Her singing is superb here, and contains the sort of inflections that could only come from an artist grounded in jazz, because the pace of the song is so hard to control.

Leo Sayer's "Tomorrow" gets a vital new treatment, and she has a stab at "He's A Rebel" - an unfortunate choice, but we'll let that one pass. The vocal backings are excellent, and include Clydie King and Venetta   Fields plus Jim Gilstrap.

The track record of female rock singers through
the years has been fairly bleak, but this goes a long
way to redress the balance. It will stand as one of the
finest albums of the year. Patriotism, I know, is the
last refuge of the scoundrel, but this time, go and buy
British. At least it was made in the States. Seriously - an exceptional album.


Ray Coleman