Bonnie
Raitt enjoyed critical success and blues/folk credentials with her self-titled
debut, Give It Up, and Takin' My Time. By 1975, Raitt's style began to be
defined by producer Paul Rothchild. Home Plate and Sweet Forgiveness were
uncomfortable overtures to commercial propositions where Raitt's persona and
sense of fun got lost. Produced by Peter Asher, The Glow was released in 1979
and includes great players like Danny Kortchmar, Bill Payne, and Waddy Wachtel.
During this time, sales might have been a consideration as well as Raitt's
tough image. If anything, Asher accentuated Raitt's rough edges and provided
his customary production polish. Like many Asher productions of the period, The
Glow gets its strength from its covers. Raitt takes on "I Thank You,"
"Your Good Thing (Is About to End)," and "Bye Bye Baby,"
and struts through them all with ease. "The Boy Can't Help It"
doesn't fare as well. Robert Palmer's "You're Gonna Get What's
Coming" makes for a great fit. Surprisingly, her take on Jackson Browne's
"Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate" doesn't dig as deep as the great
original. The Glow isn't a perfect album, but it's a great example of the music
she was doing during a make-or-break time in her career.
- Jason Elias. AllMusic.com
