Is This Love or Desire [Vinyl]

Betty Davis | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (September 15, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sundazed Music Inc.
• ASIN: B002IVLWJ2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,775 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Is It Love or Desire

2. It's So Good

3. Whorey Angel

4. Crashin' From Passion

5. When Romance Says Goodbye

6. Bottom of the Barrel

7. Stars Starve, You Know

8. Let's Get Personal

9. Bar Hoppin'

10. For My Man

Editorial Reviews

Legendary '70s R&B diva Betty Davis is currently in the midst of a long-overdue resurgence, and with good reason. The charismatic funk/soul iconoclast's vintage work retains a timeless blend of sex and substance that establishes Davis as both a musical visionary and a world-class badass.

The current resurgence of interest in Davis' classic work makes Sundazed Music's vinyl release of Is It Love or Desire a timely one indeed. Recorded in 1976, following the artist's landmark albums Betty Davis, They Say I'm Different and Nasty Gal, Is It Love or Desire was unexpectedly shelved. The artist retreated from the spotlight soon after, and Is It Love or Desire remained unheard by the public for more than three decades. It has never been released--or even bootlegged--until now.

Finally available to Davis' still-growing fan base, Is It Love or Desire is a revelation. Recorded at Louisiana's remote Studio in the Country with Davis' skintight band Funk House, the ten-song album contains some of the most powerful and personal music of the artist's career, with such titles as "It's So Good," "Whorey Angel" and "Crashin' From Passion" ranking with Davis' most memorable work.

This first-ever vinyl edition of Is It Love or Desire maintains Sundazed's usual exacting quality standards. Mastered from the original analog tapes, the album is pressed on high-quality, high-definition 180 gram vinyl, and features new cover art and previously unseen photos.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The All-Time Funk Seductress, October 15, 2009

By 

Mike B. - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Is It Love or Desire (Audio CD)

Legendary 1970's funk goddess Betty Davis recorded her "Is It Love Or Desire" album in the summer of '76, but none of these tracks have been heard until now. The former Betty Mabry is mostly remembered as an ex-wife of jazz giant Miles Davis. Previously a prominent 60's fashion model, she introduced him to her friends Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone - and is widely credited with influencing Miles' "Bitches Brew" era.

She personally favored heavy funk mixed with rock, and her debut album "Betty Davis" (1973) set the standard for what would follow. That's where you want to start your collection. Backed by members of Sly and The Family Stone, the Tower of Power horns, Neal Schon on guitar, members of Santana, and the Pointer Sisters on backing vocals - "Betty Davis" is arguably the greatest funk/rock album ever made. The follow-up album "They Say I'm Different" was almost as good.

I've never been able to decide which is better - her first album, or the third one - "Nasty Gal" (1975). By the time she recorded "Nasty Gal", she had traded all-star backing for a band comprised of cousins and friends. At the same time, she took her raunchy sex kitten act to new lyrical heights. The title track, "Talkin Trash", and "Gettin Kicked Off, Havin Fun" are so cartoonishly oversexed that you can't help but laugh. Really great.

"Is It Love Or Desire" carried on with this family band. Let me say here that I'm giving it five stars in honor of her earlier body of work. The first 3 albums are a must-have for funk fans. Many thanks to the Light In The Attic record label for reissuing them with wonderful bonus tracks. So please don't come down too hard on me for saying a few critical things about this long-awaited fourth CD, which her previous labels kept in legal limbo.

The truth is, this is good - but could be better. Betty produced this recording herself back then, but mixed her own vocals too low. She's drowned out too often by her band, and her male and female backing vocalists are intrusively dominating to an unprecedented degree. On her first 3 albums I could clearly make out the lyrics - this is the only one where I had to consult the booklet. Everything is either over-the-top or undercooked. There's a few standouts, most notably "Stars Starve, You Know", and the amazing "Bar Hoppin" - but the rest of the material isn't up to her normally high standards. As always, Betty squeals, purrs, and growls with ferocity.

In 1979 she recorded another album, which her manager ran away with and bootlegged. It's available under the titles "Hangin' Out In Hollywood" or "Crashin' From Passion", and is pretty much along the lines of what's found here. Feeling burned by the record industry, Betty retired and became as reclusive as Greta Garbo. She lives somewhere outside her native Pittsburgh, but is otherwise incommunicado. I still hope she'll make music again, but I'm not holding my breath. As it stands, these Light In The Attic reissues are her first paydays in many years. You should buy them!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars pure raw true funk diva, October 23, 2009

By 

MagicMan1969 "Rock it" (Rock Capital) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Is It Love Or Desire (MP3 Download)

what can you say ...
so underrated as a artist
so ahead of her time
just for now (timeless music too)

So many owe there career to Betty
she broke down so many doors
for artist
some just imitate her (prince Madonna grace Jones endless list )listen that vocals and imagine prince as a lady sometimes ..
thou fall short -- (like Madonna )
she is the true fink diva goddess
her vocals and range and pure raw funk says it all
Must for true lovers of real funk ..
more later
been jamming on this since I got it
love you Betty
p.s one the tightest funk bands she assembled too
Funk house ..