Joan Armatrading

"One more time with feeling," said no one to Joan Armatrading, ever.

What in the name of the 1970's Tracy Chapman is this album? I have never heard a single song by this artist but this album feels like the precursor to many 1990's female singer-songwriters. I can't understand how she is not spoken in the same breath as many other singer-songwriters in the 70's. It could be because she never had that huge hit song. Armatrading has a unique voice (both figuratively and literally) and I'm ready to explore some of her back catalog to see if I can see what other artists she influenced. If you had told me this album came out in the late 80's or 90's then I would have believed you. Even if you don't love the music, this album is a must-hear.

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never heard of her. Such an amazing voice and love the borderline country/funk sound. Love and Affection made its way to my hits playlist.

This might be my favorite album we've drawn so far. I really liked it, all the way through. I even started listening to her next album. Also, this is an artist whose name rang a bell but that, to my knowledge, I've never listened to before.

I feel bad giving this such a low score because there is nothing wrong with this, it's just simply not for me. Give this a listen if you like folky and mellow songs, but a 2/5 from me, somebody who finds this kind of music really boring.

1 - Electric guitar coming in adds a lot. Love the core of acoustic guitar and piano. STEEL GUITAR SOLO. Sounds like folksy Elton John. 2 - Love this more laid back and bluesy turn. OO. Drums and electric guitar coming in is super cool. Strings in background add a lot of texture. Love how she lays the groove back down after the up section. Delivery reminds me of Joni Mitchell. 3 - GROOVY. FUNKY. Maintains that bluesy feel. Weird upper harmonies super cool. 4 - LOVE this slowdown. Arpeggiations on guitar super cool and are slightly off balance throughout song. Love how strings and drums layer in with low voice. SAX SOLO. This song is awesome. 5 - Now THIS is super Joni Mitchell. Cool rock ballad. Little acoustic flurries super cool with electric riffs underneath. Queen loves strings and they do her well. You could make a very cool sample from this hook. 6 - Great transition to something more rhythmic. Almost jazzy intro, still very blues-centered. YES BITCH. Jam vibes. Very jazzy guitar feature into piano feature, playing with left and right speakers builds into another verse. 7 - Catchy!! Love the main riff. Love her vocals. Love the hook. More vocal harmony stuff in this song. Rock vibes with this one. 8 - Gentler yet upbeat folksy ballad. Very happy sounding and nice. Guitar parts are very cool too. 9 - Awesome opening acoustic guitar intro. Can confidently say this song rocks. Sexy vocals, driving rhythm. The acoustic solo in the middle is dope as well, love how everything else drops out for so long. 10 - “You don’t leave my down-hearted, but I'm sorry you had to go, because we had fun while it lasted.” Reflective and somber blues closing, powerful vocal performance. LOVE the upbeat switch at the end, mirrors the uplifting disappointment of the lyrics. Love this for a closing track, really sums up the album musically and thematically. Summary - Great album. I thought the instrumentation was awesome. That combined with the vocal talent of Joan Armatrading allow for a full exploration of the bluesy, jazzy, singer-songwriter sound she creates. You can blast most of this album and dance your ass off, but it also rewards a more focused listening.

So happy to have discovered Joan. Soulful, deep voice doing that classic 60's/70's singer/songwriter thing. Closest thing I can think of melodically is early Elton John, but with a richer voice. She dips into a Motown sound from time to time, but never as much as you'd think considering the era (I guess it was on the other side of the pond). Secret little gems like this are what keep me coming back to this challenge even after an entire year.

Wow, that was great. Last couple songs weren't as good as the ones before it, but it overall was still SUPER solid. I'd never heard of Joan Armatrading before this, but I will certainly remember her name. I think I'll be going back to this a fair amount in the future, and I'll honestly probably even check out more of her stuff.

Things I'd trade in a left arm for

This whole album was awesome. Incredible vocal range and style from song to song carried by an eclectic compilation of instrumentals.

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of her before. I’ve been listening to this all weekend. The album feels like a singer songwriter record but depending on the song, she does folk rock, country rock, funk and soul. And somehow it all still sounds like one cohesive style. Her vocals tie everything together. She has such a strong, distinct voice and she’s a mesmerizing performer. The songwriting is fantastic too. She writes about love and relationships with depth and maturity, touching on issues of vulnerability, power and confidence. I know I just heard it for the first time a few days ago but I could find room for “Tall in the Saddle” on my top 100 rock songs of all time. What a song! It starts with Pink Floyd style guitar and adds her deeply soulful singing before pausing for a guitar solo that would be at home on “Dark Side of the Moon.” Then it builds to a climax and tears into a funky breakdown followed by an insanely danceable refrain. Even the phrase “tall in the saddle” is great. The song is a takedown of a womanizer in his prime but even post-breakup she concedes how much fun he was. (I love the way she sings, “Fun, fun, fun, fuuun!”) I can’t wait to listen to more of her. Easily my favorite new discovery from this list. 💯

Inventive, beautiful, and poetic. There's so much energy and soul in these tracks, it's incredible front to back.

Some groovy tracks, but seems a little too mellow towards the beginning. Too acoustic to jive, too much presence to vibe? Folk background and later jazz, rock, and blues influences. Later songs more guitar and bass, groovier riffs and drums. Listening to Love and Affection again, almost like an acoustic, very light rock/jazz ballad. Like it more now. Maybe I’m a hater first time through. Save Me: only song I’m not a fan of completely, I think due to the register/timbre of the long “save me” lines. Doesn’t feel full like the rest.

Groovy shit, kinda like a non depressed tracy chapman

Thought this ponderous at first, utterly convinced by the second listen. Had never knowingly listened to Armatrading, a couple of songs in something in her voice and the record-feel expecting the "lover woo-hoo" song, and sure enough "Love and Affection" comes on like a magic trick. Her voice is surprisingly curt, often percussive; forgive me, I haven't quite worked out what's so distinctive about it that had me recognise it from a song I hadn't heard in decades. (I don't listen to much radio.) The lyrics are introspective, spiralling into themselves, and for a while I felt the record lacked memorable refrains, before I realised it was doing something else. The band sound is astonishingly good; no finer-recorded album has hit this list during our march through. Need to listen to it more, but might be a juggernaut.

Honestly really liked this album. I'll definitely listen to "Down to Zero" and "Love and Affection" again. Joan has the vocal range contraito, which is the lowest female register I guess. This is probably her best known album, but she has a 50-year career with 19 studio albums! She's never been super well known, but has played alongside some big acts like Bob Dylan.

Some personal chronicles about the dynamics of relationships. Nothing overtly amazing, but nothing skippable either. Very accurate cover art, the focus here is a girl and her guitar. For this being made almost 50 years ago, it holds up surprisingly well. Feels like it coulda been on the radio with Lenny Kravitz in the 90's. An even 3 stars

This got me thinking (via Kelafa Sanneh's excellent book about genre and music) about shortcuts, approximations, and the slippery slope that ends in shouts of cultural appropriation etc. The temptation is to place an artist in a box – commercial considerations, fear of the unknown, if-you-liked-that-then-you'll-like-this, etc. In this case, my first instinct was to think of Armatrading as proto-Tracy Chapman. Two things about this (1) Astonishingly lazy thinking on my part. They're nothing alike (2) I bet you Armatrading came up in an early marketing meeting for Ms C. it is what it is, I suppose. Creativity and imagination do exist in the sausage factory. My task is to enjoy the former without becoming a hostage to the latter "Love and Affection" is an amazing song, by the way.

She walked so Tracy Chapman could vroom vroom in her fast car

So I had heard of Joan back in the day, but never listened to one of her albums, or even heard one of her songs - so this was all new to me... I found the songs to have quite an original sound, and for the most part - the playing on the album was fairly good... The lyrical content seemed to be pretty pedestrian, and all along the same lines, and there is just something about Joan's voice that sorta turns me off in a way... Kind of like I have to put up with the vocals, just to get through the song, and I just don't want to work that hard when listening to music... Was worried as I was halfway through the album - probably side 1 back during record days, and there wasn't a song that even remotely grabbed me... The last half was better, as I found a bit of goodness in "Join The Boys", "People", "Like Fire", & "Tall In Saddle"... It's not that I thought these were excellent songs, but there were moments in each that I thought were pretty well-done... So I was listening on Tidal, and after the last song on the Joan album, Tidal gave me another track - so it sounded like there was one last track on Joan's album to listen to... After a few minutes into the song I said - wow - this is the best track on the album hands down... When I clicked back to Tidal, the Joan album had indeed finished, and Tidal decided that I should listen to Joni Mitchell's "Harry's House/Centerpiece" track after the Joan album... Got a good laugh out of that... : ) This is definitely better than some of the drab albums that I have found here - which I gave 1's to... If we had some gradation in the star ratings, I'd probably have given this a 1.50 - but I can't, and this is better than a 1 - so I'll give it a 2... At least now I can place the music to the name...

The music is good and reasonably varied but that’s it …. Don’t like her voice or how she uses it ….

I've always liked Joan Armatrading but I pretty much have only heard what has been played on the radio and the one album I do have (Track Record). Two of those songs come from this album, which I didn't know. Both Down to Zero and Love and Affection are great and everything else is really good or better. She's a great singer-songwriter, but the backing band on this are terrific. This is a close call -- would have gone 4.5 but I'm rounding her up!

Such a beautifully cool record

Poetic love songs 🤩

fabulous blues singer/songwriter, great songs - later albums are also 5* she is great live, an ace electric guitar player !

🎧Fantastic, and one I’d never heard before. In fact Joan Armatrading’s name was completely unfamiliar to me. What a voice. Did not care for Join The Boys but otherwise this is great. Favorite track: Down To Zero

This was a pleasant surprise. Never heard of Joan Armatrading but I think she's great. A+ vocal work. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Smooth, jazzy but also funky. Great arrangements and a great, powerful voice.

Sublime songwriter, incredible voice and range. Ahead of her time too - this music still resonates. Happy to play this over and over.

Wow. Although I'd certainly heard of Joan Armatrading, I somehow had never heard her music before today. Too bad for me, for this was killer. Great songwriting and musicianship, a nice variety of styles, some gorgeous harmonies, and influential to boot. I may be overrating it with a 5—it's possible it'll settle down in 4-star territory with more listens—but when an album sweeps you away, you gotta go with your gut.

Wow! What a start to the US Bicentennial Year. This album is like looking at the ground and finding a diamond. Down to Zero is my fav

5/5. This is truly the perfect mix of singer songwriter pop and soul. The instrumentation is truly wonderful. Big and loud while still being quiet and in the background. The production elevates this to another level. And I haven't gotten to the lyrics and her vocal expertise. It feels so natural and beautiful. Like Joni Mitchell with Aretha Franklin. I never was bored throughout the whole album and each song hits just right. Sometimes it's somber, other times it's so funky and awesome. Crazy I never heard this one but so glad this one showed up, a classic for me for sure. Best Song: Love And Affection, Join The Boys, Down To Zero

bdb album. 1976 british folk rock/pop

somehow lowkey one of the best produced albums ive ever heard...the amount of precision on display without sacrificing an ounce of warmth is astonishing! obviously a lot of it is going to come down to joan herself, who is magnetic and powerful without ever once overplaying anything. i dont mind things that are cold or overplayed, but the discipline here in all directions is impressive, and creates something shockingly enveloping in ways that i dont even think i can articulate after just one listen. the start of every new track pulled me in all over again...great melodic ideas and expressive song structures, arranged tastefully and performed magically. what i caught of the lyrics (not typically my focus on a first listen) are also incredible. i cant believe ive never heard about her before even a little, this deserves way more canonization!

This was way better than I initially expected. At the beginning, it sounded kinda like a Nick-Drake-meets-Chrissy-Hynde sound, great guitar-playing, wonderful melodic lines and chord progressions. But then the funky guitar licks came in and I found myself humming along and really enjoying it. I listened to the album twice. Five stars.

Two perfect albums in a row! First Richard and Linda Thompson, now this one. Maybe it's just the duds on this list giving me a healthy perspective on quality music, but wow. Just wow. Can't believe I've never even heard of her. Every track was a standout, but certainly the big single "Love and Affection" deserves every bit of praise it's gotten. Armatrading has one of those classic voices that brings every song to life. There's the old saying about "She could sing the phone book", and that's certainly true here. Put her up there with the greats.

Wow what a surprise. I only knew of Joan from her 80's hit Drop The Pilot so I wasn't really ready for this. There's lots of different styles that come into play and blend seamlessly - folk, country, funk, rock etc. Her voice is amazing and carries emotion. What a treat this album is.

This is a very good album. Has a Tracy Chapman vibe

Joan Armatrading would have absolutely killed the festival circuit. I want to hear her play with every great guitarist who’s ever lived. Great discovery, unbelievable album.

Never heard of her, not even a little bit. With such a unique name I think I would’ve remembered her, especially with this sound. This was incredible. From a quiet, soulful folk sound to a more hard, bluesy sound, it’s all here. Her voice is perfect for the music she produces, and she’s got a hell of a band behind her (future Keith Moon replacement Kenney Jones on drums!). This all makes me wonder where she was before this, and where she went after. I know enough about music of the decade that I feel like I would’ve heard of her. But she was really a bolt from the blue here and that enchanted the entire experience for me. I’m much more excited when I discover a “new” artist like this through this project. I enjoy hearing classics from heavy hitters, and hearing albums I know by heart already. But this album is an example of why I’m doing this in the first place. Five stars. (This was probably a four and a half star album but “Tall in the Saddle” pushed it over the edge for me.) Standout Tracks: Down to Zero, Love and Affection, Join the Boys, People, Like Fire, Tall in the Saddle

Excellent singer/songwriter

this is lovely

I knew a lot of these songs from a best of album but really enjoyed the ones I'd never heard. Armatrading deserves to be much more widely known, which is explored in the recent documentary 'Joan Armatrading: Me Myself I' (worth watching if you can get it). The song 'People' was a surprising, Zappa-esque highlight!

Wowwowow. Just when i was losing hope.

This album was amazing. I had never heard of her before. The songs were cool, her voice was awesome and the mixing and producing really shined through. This was such a good listen.

Who came first? Tracy Chapman or Joan Armatrading? Don’t care. Love them both. Loved this album!

Great mix of a classic rock album with a lot of funk and great guitar work.

Brummie legend. Really enjoyed this album. I've only really seen her live performances on things like The Old Grey Whistle Test, so was pleasantly surprised to hear how diverse this album was. Not just folk guitar and piano, but also funk, soul, and blues. Great stuff.

Such a wonderfully nostalgic soft spot for Joan Armatrading -- more music from my childhood.

Didn't finish fully but great motown album

Wow I never would have listened to this and am so glad I did. Beautiful sounding album and I love her voice.

One of my favorites that has popped up yet. This was excellent, soulful, folksy and fun.

Yessss. Big JArma fan. Folky and soulful. Simple and powerful. Just makes me feel good. Very positive force.

I've never heard any of these before and I loved this music. Her voice is amazing.

Had no idea this was going to be so good. A little folk, a little blues, a dash of jazz and just some fantastic songwriting. Don't know how this one got by me for so long. I was tangentially aware of her name -- she got lumped in my mind with Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez and the like. But she's unique. Lovely.

Excellent. Never heard this album before, but its great! 5/5

Lively and well put together. Great guitar. Album is nearly 50 years old but sounds fresh to my ears! 4.5

I've had this on rotation for days and it's an absolute beauty. Sometimes it feels like a folk-rock album with some brilliant electric guitar and bass, but it's also so much more. The soul in her voice and gentle forays into jazz and blues make for an incredibly rounded and varied, yet consistent album. I didn't know this one before but I am so glad to have discovered it. The songwriting is first rate and she executes time and time again.

LOVED this album. Felt like another Rumours or something. A couple of awkward transitions between great songs though.

Really good album

So you’re telling me that this beautiful piece of art has been out here for damn near 50 years and I’m JUST now hearing it?? Gen X you’ve failed us once again. Lol but seriously this album is incredible!

I have never heard of or listened to Joan’s music and I think this was the best discovery yet since joining the album generator. I downloaded the album and excited to listen again!

Man, this is gold. I've heard of Joan Armatrading of course but can't say I've really listened. She's got vocal chops and songwriting talent that survives decades and crosses genres.

Glyn Johns produced! Joan GAY?! Favorite tracks: Help Yourself, Love and Affection

Loved it

I was a little underwhelmed at the start of this one but it kept getting better and never went backwards which was really cool, I'm a big fan of back loaded albums on a first listen. This was a mix of some really great elements of different songwriting, and while it may not be a style that moves me a particularly large amount, it's just such a unique blend of different ideas that it's just a joy to listen to and I didn't want it to stop

I have loved Joni Mitchell's music for years and this reminds me of it. Excellent songwriting and musicianship.

I had never heard of this person before. But I absolutely loved this album. I’m sorry I was on vacation and didn’t have time to listen more than once, but when I can I’m going to listen to this multiple times.

Amazing album and perfect to try and delay some recital nerves with a good boogie. Parents enjoyed too :)) discovered some lovely songs I didn't know before although I obviously know the big love and affection

A name I recognized but never really knew who she was. What a great album. I want to go back and re-explore this one a few more times.

Wow.. This is absolutely fantastic. The blending of American soul with British folk with a heavy dose of emotion. Also Glyn Johns production is just amazing on this, sounds great loud.

Funky female 70s jams - AWESOME

Where has Joan Armatrading been all my life? Relevance to this list: 5 Personal enjoyment: 5

Today's album is fantastic folk rock/blues rock/singer-songwriter. Reminds me of upbeat Joni Mitchell or Carole King/Tracy Chapman. I love finding someone completely new who you wouldn't necessarily have ever stumbled upon Normally. I enjoyed this album so much that I listened to more of her stuff afterwards Favourite songs: Join the Boys, People, Water With the Wine, Down to Zero, Like Fire, Love and Affection Least favourite songs: Save Me 5/5

This list needs more of stuff like this.

One of the biggest discoveries from this 1001 album project. Joan's harmonies are warm and colorful. The guitar work is fantastic and versatile, making each song unskippable. The production and instrumentation are flawless. Your jaw drops when you realize this album was released in 1976. Can you imagine how it would be to listen to this jewel back in the 70s? I mean, it's Nick Drake's level thing.

This is a really good album. I’ve never really listened to her before. The vocals, the incrementation everything was just really top-notch. I really enjoyed this album.

Loved this! What a voice! Beautiful writing. I’m never sure why JA wasn’t a bigger star than she is?

I've only been familiar with a few things by Joan Armatrading, but this album makes me want to actively seek out more of her work. The mid 1970s were the heyday of singer-songwriters, but her work, notably on this album, stands out for its varied tempos and themes. I hear some Springsteen storytelling and some British singer-songwriter, a la Richard Thompson, on this, but moreso uniquely Joan Armatrading. Definitely worth a close listen.

loved it so much, never heard of her.

Genuinely incredible

Fab

I did enjoy this, though Joan would go on to more commercially viable stuff later but also be a bit more adventurous. Terrific musicians with Hellecaster Jerry Donohue and ex faces and Who drummer Kenney Jones among others appearing. It does show the breadth of UK music in 1976 - Bowie, Queen, Bowie and Quatro don’t really fit here. Neither do the soon to be recorded pistols, clash or pretenders. She’s two to three years ahead of Costello (but then who isn’t?) and even Sting and the police are a bit behind. I’d probably compare her most closely to Kate Bush given both have unique voices and are women following their own vision, not the vision of male producers. I was going to give it three but it’s growing on me. 4.5.

I opened Scratches Record Shop on April 3rd 1982. Three days beforehand, even though we were flat out getting ready for opening day, we went to see Joan Armatrading on her first Australian tour at the Capitol Theatre. I remember a bunch of us hung around the stage door, hoping to see her, which we did, & a gay friend of mine was so thrilled that he got to touch her shoulder as she walked past. And I can put most of this down to this album, which was one of the highlights of 1976/77. For me it was driven by 2JJ pushing the album - I think the title track was the first song from it that I heard - one of the great album openers. Then Love & Affection was released as a single & she was on her way. It’s easily the most played song she’s performed live over the years. All 5 tracks on Side 1 are winners. The flip is not quite as stunning, but it does end with another of her great ones - Tall In The Saddle. Two of the best moments on this record occur in the opening track, when B.J. Cole’s steel guitar comes in & Jerry Donahue’s exquisite guitar solo on the closing track. A great record.

Great discovery, great voice rhythm and music. Love it!

4.9 - I’ve always had down to zero on my playlist, but never listened to more. So grateful this was on the list. So much emotion and just a stunning album

Liked this a lot, the whole album was beautiful. 4.7/5

Really liked this

Love Joan Armatrading, such beautiful songwriting and effortless way she plays her music. Love and Affection is an excellent song.

aaagghhhh i love it so much. im such a sucker for some orchestral 70s singer-songwriter stuff. the arrangements on this album are so beautiful, the songs are moving, and love and affection is one of my favorites ever i think. joan's voice is so rich and her range is insane, as is her guitar playing. 8.5/10, fav tracks: love and affection, down to zero, someone who loves you

Pretty rad.

First time hearing this album really enjoyed

I'll confess that my only knowledge of Joan Armatrading's music before this was "Drop the Pilot" and only because of a Mandy Moore cover. I'd definitely put her up there with the other classic singer songwriters of the time—Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, etc. Her storytelling is top notch. The musicianship is top notch as well, with some great guitar solos (like on the closing track). The sound oscillates between folky, almost country acoustic songs, funky blues numbers (with a bit of jazz), and harder bluesy rock. Fans of Joni Mitchell and Led Zeppelin (the album was produced by Glyn Johns) could both find songs to vibe to on this album. There aren't many missteps here, though the random bass vocal guy on "Love and Affection" kind of ruins an otherwise good song. It comes out of nowhere and sounds so out of place. Best tracks: "Down to Zero" "Save Me" "People" "Like Fire" 5/5

Incredible album. Every song is a banger. Her voice fits perfectly with the bluesy, funky guitar riffs. Can hear some inspiration from Floyd in Tall in the Saddle. Love how the album mixes slow acoustic songs with drippy electric guitar. This album flows seamlessly into itself.

Damn, how have I never heard of Joan Armatrading before? This is excellent! One of my favorite albums of all time is Linda Perry (of 4 Non Blondes fame)'s solo effort "In Flight" and this album could very well be the blueprint that Perry followed. I set it playing again as soon as the second play through had finished. Fave tracks - more listens definitely required, but for now "Love and Affection", "Save Me" and "Tall in the Saddle"

Lovely album

I’m aware of Joan Armstrong but never actually listened to her music intentionally. Ie only just realised it was her song sang love and affection today. Great album, hard to believe this came out in the 70’s sounds like it could be a modern singer song writer album. The music is rich and varied, featuring Armatrading’s guitar playing and vocals, as well as contributions from other musicians such as Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, and B. J. Cole. The album incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, and soul, creating a unique and original sound that is both timeless and modern. The album also demonstrates Armatrading’s ability to experiment and innovate, as she uses different instruments and arrangements, such as the saxophone on “Like Fire” and the strings on “Love and Affection”. In conclusion, Joan Armatrading is a classic and masterpiece album that deserves to be in every music lover’s collection. It is a testament to Armatrading’s skill and creativity as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, and a reflection of her personality and spirit as a woman and an artist. Immediately added to my permanent rotation. 5 stars.

Listen at 9/02/2024

Amazed I'd never heard her music. This was really enjoyable and refreshing. Second listen was even more enjoyable. Loved the mellow vibe.

LOVE