Customer Reviews

Forever Dusty: A Tribute to Dusty Springfield

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It's quite an uphill project to attempt to create a tribute album for a singer who was so unique and who so clearly put her original vocal stamp on every song she touched...and yet, this tribute album succeeds (most of the time) in keeping Dusty's legacy and spirit alive.

I say most of the time, because with the exception of a few dull tracks (The Indigo Girls' take on "Broken Blossom" seems listless and uninspired), most of the takes on the White Queen of Soul's music, while very different, succeed in their own way.

Jill Sobule's "Just A Little Lovin'" is cute and perky, and although it lacks the depth of the original Dusty record, it has an airy quality that works just as well. Vicki Randle's reggae version of "Wishin' & Hopin" changes the mood of the song intirely and its a joy to hear. It's my favorite track on the CD. Laura Love and her band do an acceptable cover of "Son of A Preacher Man" and it's intriguing to hear Carole Pope's version of her own song "Soft Core" that she wrote about her own affair with Dusty. While not as perfectly interpreted as Dusty's version which was sort of like half Dietrich, half Minnelli, with a wink to herself, Pope's version is interesting if for no other reason that it shows you the other side of the romantic story.

Overall I recommend this CD, it's not the best tribute CD ever made, that's for sure, but it definitely succeeds for the most part at a very difficult task: paying homage to a singer who's most outstanding feature was her own vocal abilities and interpretations of other people's music.

This is a truly inspired compilation of performers paying homage to Dusty Springfield, the British chanteuse who passed away in 1999 after a several-year battle with breast cancer. The genius of this album is that it seamlessly integrates a wide variety of musical genres and personalities into a cohesive and stunning collage. All of the albums 17 artists and musical groups `channel' Dusty in their own way, without pretending to be Dusty. From the Indigo Girls to Vickie Randall to Zrazy, there is something for all music lovers to appreciate and enjoy. Their intent, to give tribute to a legend, succeeds and is marvelous to hear. It is obvious that all of these artists were awed and inspired by Dusty's unique voice and interpretive style, and each one brings a personalized touch to her rendition. Listening to the album gave me a much greater sense of Dusty, the legend. It is a necessary addition to any Dusty collection, and I highly recommend it.

With Shelby Lynne set to release her Dusty Springfield tribute disc Just A Little Lovin', I wanted to revisit this homage disc. The main calling card for me was North Dakota to Austin TX singer Ana Egge's version of "Breakfast in Bed." Egge has a new set of covers on her CD Lazy Days. Joan Osborne also released the track as the title tune on her Breakfast in Bed CD. Penned by Donnie Fritts and Eddie Hinton, Egge's version is a laid back gem with Egge's vocals aching with lament, "No one needs to know you come here again; darling it will be like it's always been before." It's been years since I bought a disc by Gail Ann Dorsey, but her version of "Losing You" pumps with a great soulful feeling, reminding us of the best of Springfield. The Indigo Girls contribute a sweet folk reading of an early Dusty song "Broken Blossoms." Jill Sobule records "Just a Little Lovin'," a Cynthia Weil/Barry Mann song that Dusty slam dunked. The Rascles' song "How Can I Be Sure" marries a lovely melody with an emotional lyric that Zrazy sings with an austere arrangement that is haunting. Marti Jones gets to sing Dusty's blockbuster "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" with husband Don Dixon providing capable backing on a song that stays strong on this tribute set. Michelle Malone with Karyn Malone Folmar sings Dusty's classic "The Look of Love" and turns in an excellent performance, "I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you, how long I have waited." While Dionne Warwick is most associated with the Burt Bacharach classic "Wishin' & Hopin'," Dusty did an excellent version. Vicki Randle gives the track a reggae beat with a delightful female choir that makes the track memorable. There are a couple tracks like Carole Pope's "Soft Core" and Jennifer Kimball's "Chained to a Memory" that may leave you scratching your head and reaching for a Dusty compilation. While uneven, many gems on this tribute make it worth the search. Enjoy!

For longtime Dusty lovers, this CD offers a fresh take on some of Dusty's signature tunes. Certainly a tough act to follow, the 17 artists succeed not by mimicking Dusty, but by performing these songs in their own style.

With talented women from a range of styles, this CD crosses musical genres (punk, folk, singer/songwriter, new wave, etc.) and geographic boundaries (US, Canada, England, Ireland) to serve as a great introduction to the music of Dusty.

While Dusty was known as a performer with an artistic temperament (Google Dusty and crockery), she also was keenly aware of the world around her, opinionated and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. It's a shame her death, precluded the opportunity for Dusty to offer an opinion on this collection.

In these recordings, the songs tend to take on a slightly more overt subversiveness. Vicki Randle (Tonight Show with Jay Leno) offers a knowing cover of "Wishin' & Hopin'" and although recorded towards the end of a too brief lull between Bush Co. wars, "Broken Blossoms" gets new life as a poignant anti-war anthem by Indigo Girls.

There are many other swell nuggets on the disc. The new wave '80s "It Girl" Marti Jones, always compared to Dusty, checks in with a stellar subdued version of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me."

Laura Love is absolutely credible singing "Son of a Preacher Man" (with Babs Lamb's smoking fiddle that holds its own against Memphis horns).

The now disbanded Butchies put some punk pizazz into "What's It Gonna Be" and, in what may be their only recording as Lord Douglas Phillips, this brief Austin supergroup (Terri Lord: Meat Joy, Darcee Douglas and Gretchen Phillips: Two Nice Girls) offer a world-weary reading of "Yesterday, When I Was Young" that rivals Dusty's own nearly camp version.

Even Manchester scenester, rising new wave/electronica starlet and veteran music writer Cath Carroll (who once interviewed Dusty at some length for an NME feature) makes a rare appearance performing "No Easy Way Down."

Not to be outdone, bigtime bass sidewomen Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie) and Sara Lee (B-52s, Indigo Girls, Gang of 4) show off their lead chops on "Losing You" and "I Only Want To Be With You," respectively.

And the others also excel at their songs, but space prevents a song-by-song review. Suffice it to say that this collection stays fresh and entertaining years after its release.

The music of Dusty Springfield, butchered. I am not a huge Dusty fan, I like her stuff, but I am not a die hard fan. I bought the album because I like her music, and I like the artists who contributed to this tribute. I am throwing it away because the artists who contributed to this album have simply murdered Dusty's music and done a poor job of singing. The album isn't worth the plastic it is made of.