Joan Armatrading

I listen to all these albums without context unless I previously have context, and while I enjoyed this album, I feel like it could really benefit from being in the time and place it came from. Water with the Wine really hit a 'timeless' feel for me. Love and Affection isn't quite my jam, but it's definitely a jam.

I feel like this was a good album to just sit and relax to. It was honestly really nice to put on to wind down after work for me.

folk feels 👍

This is one that I will need to listen to again. Have a feeling it’ll be better second time around.

"Help Yourself" and "Tall in the Saddle" are my favorites. Overall great listen. Amazing voice. 7/10.

The exceptional album, love the mixed genre feel of the album.

This was familiar and lovely

Never listened to Joan's less famous stuff before. Nice, but verging on too easy listening for me today.

Friday 24th at Shakeeb’s farm. I miss Jenna

I like her voice. The songs are not bad, but not very memorable. Favorite song: people

This was a nice surprise. Chill blend of folk and acoustic blues. Finished very strong with the last two tracks, made me wish the entire album had more of the same energy. Still great overall. 3.5 stars

“Groovy” I guess, really wish for a 2.5 score

Really enjoyed listening. I’ve heard her name a thousand times but never actually listened to her. She is clearly influence for many, more modern female singer -songwriters that I love, specifically Tracey Chapman must have drawn inspo from Joan. This album, and lonely Others by Joan Armatrading are going into rotation on my playlists!

Zvuči ko neka preteča tracy champman

Great singer, but all songs felt too much the same

on mielekästä musiikkia. albumi alkaa paremmin kuin päättyy. hyvä äänenkäyttö sekä mikstuuri akustista hipeltämistä ja funk tyyppistä rompsuttelua... tykkäsin water with wine

All the hits and more...

3.5/5 Best: Join the Boys Worst: Like Fire Fairly enjoyable

What a wonderful album. Armatrading feels like the unappreciated Tracy Chapman of her generation. These songs are so thoughtfully written and composed, drawing from old musical traditions while still staying current and fresh for the time. Joan's vocal performances are deeply passionate and heartfelt. It's not an album of bangers but there's no duds either. Strong 4, almost a 5.

This had elements of something I would like, but a lot of it sounded a bit too, I don't know, generic for me? There were definitely interesting parts, but they were bogged down by stuff that was just okay. It was frustrating to hear. Some of the guitar work was nice. Her voice can do some nice things as well. I wish the piano was used a bit more on here. Regardless, I could see the appeal of this. My favourite song was Water With The Wine.

This was mellow and good.

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.

A lovely listen.

Damn good. Great voice, great playing and songwriting and lovely blend of genres

Yet another artist I've never listened to! Nice discovery, I'd listen to more More like 3.5

10 stars. What an amazing record.

Good music. Nice lyrics that actually mean something. Nothing stuck out for me personally though.

Not my thing

Joan Armatrading is one of those artists that im vaugely familiar with from my Mum being a fan and playing her in the car when I was young but hasn't made her way into my regular listening roataion in the decades since. How I have been missing out all these years. It took about 18 seconds into 'Down to Zero' before I added that to my spotify favourites, such a wonderful lush intro to an album. Armatrading has such a wonderful voice and style as well. Her lyrics are so honest and her delivery has a really interesting rythmic style to it that I really love. The instrumentation on this whole record is also brilliant, often sparse with this wonderful interplay of keys and guitars. Definitely the opener 'Down to Zero' is an amazing track but I also adored 'Save me' so those are my 2 standouts. I'm going to give this the rare honour of a 5 which I usually reserve for my inner cicrle of favourites, thats how much I love it.

good vibes

realistically a 2.5/5

It's easy to hear that this one comes from the heart. Joan is obviously passionate about the music she makes and th emessage she wishes to deliver. That being said, it still sounds like generic 70's folk rock that is heavily polished. Not for me.

Great vocals, great vibes, but I don't think I'll ever feel the need to return to this one.

I was in a good mood when I listen to it so it help this album achieve 3 stars, but I don't think I'll ever listen to it.

Joan Armatrading is obviously a great artist, passionate and soulful, but also very generic. It's sadly an average album from the 70s and I can't see why it's supposed to be a monument of this era.

It was a nice listen. I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the second. It’s a bit of folk and rock, two genres that generally appeal to me. It’s nothing special, but it wasn’t a bad listen-through. Favorite track: Help Yourself

To me, this album was fine. Nothing egregious, but also nothing really memorable about it either. I don't think it belongs on this list as something truly groundbreaking because I think other albums that were made around or before this time had more influence on the folk rock sound.

I knew the hits of this album from the radio but have never listened to Joan Armatrading - I'm sold, this album was great and she has a beautiful voice. It's to hear albums like this that I joined the project

Really liked this one. Great diversity in lyrics and sounds.

Me gustó el instrumental, pero nada resaltó demasiado para mi

listened to it twice, simply loved the tone of her voice. Musically was ok, not much to get you jumping up and down but vocally I loved it

Fun tunes

I was familiar with the name but had never listened to the album in full before. Really enjoyed it.

Like joni Mitchell, van morrison and Peter Gabriel combined but with some nice flavor

I've never heard of Joan Armatrading. This set me off... I'm at a beach house for the week. Scored an invite from a friend of a friend. I don't know most of the people here, but they're cool so far. It's Tuesday late morning and I just started my coffee, lazed out in the living room to ponder the day ahead. This album starts playing and it's all cool and chill, blazing sun outside, cool a/c and music inside. I will never play this album, but whoever did done good. Perfect for the moment. I especially enjoyed Like Fire and Tall In The Saddle. I was good and high by then.

Fresco y sublime

Couldn’t get into this … maybe not in the right mood at the time.

Nice groove on Join The Boys. 3.5/5

Some really great tracks, some that don't hook me - 3.5 stars

Started strong but didn't leave an impression

never heard, a lot of artists owe their style to her.

Not a singer songwriter fan in general, but I enjoyed this album.

I think this is another Tracy Chapman situation where I'm going to need to listen to this another time or two in order to really appreciate this for what it has, but this was just a passive listen

Solid album. Guitar, vocals, and lyrics are great

Fuck, THIS was a surprise. I'd heard of her since I was a kid in the 1980's but never heard her until 41 years old. A stellar musician and what a great collection of songs and lyrics!

Better than I was expecting.

I wanted to like this one and accept that maybe I didn’t listen enough to give it a real chance.

Really solid folky pop album with some cool funk stuff thrown in. Smooth production too. Never heard of this artist before.

I remember having this album back in college. Joan Armatrading is superb, and this is a great album.

Fantastic album, what a great voice, great songs and music. Really great album

Ser ok ut på papperet men gör mig bara nervös.

Varket hackat eller maletare får man leta efter. Kanske skulle växa efter ett par tre tusen lyssningar men det tror jag inte.

How the hell had I never heard of her before? Her soulful vocals intertwined with a mix of soul, disco, folk, blues, and a little poppiness of the 70s is incredible. I ended up adding five of the ten songs on the album to my "liked songs" on Spotify, and I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid any of the other five. This is a really stellar album!

Joan is het type vrouw dat niets toevoegt aan je leven en eigenlijk alleen maar energie uit je zuigt. Ze is niet echt vervelend, maar blijft heel constant klagen en zeveren, als een griepje in oktober.

Mjah, werd er niet warm of koud van

Dit beviel me wel eigenlijk!

Ik vond dit een aangename verrassing.

Algjörlega vanmetin sem lagahöfundur og tónlistarkona. Frábær plata!

I adore 1970s rock and pop: most of my top albums so far have been from this decade, and I like to think of it as an area I’m quite knowledgeable on. That said, I wasn’t familiar with any of Joan Armatrading’s work, and immediately felt guilty about it after hearing this album. She’s undoubtedly a hero of the 1970’s singer-songwriter crowd in Britain, with a tremendous voice, lovely guitar work and an honest, direct songwriting style. “Joan Armatrading”, her third album, is a solid demonstration of all these areas. Producer Glyn Johns called it the best album he’d worked on… and he worked with The Beatles! I’ll start with the heart. “Love and Affection” is the key track here: the album’s centrepiece and Armatrading’s most famous and most successful song. I’d never heard it before, and was imperceptibly transported from a sparse, wandering folk prelude to a grand romantic ballad, to a saxophone solo revelling in pure pop. After several listens, I was absolutely hooked. The most remarkable thing about the song is that it’s difficult to distinguish much of a hook or central melody in the freestyle vocal line, but it hardly matters. “Love and Affection” is about the power of a feeling, of emotion and love overriding everything else. It knocked me out. Elsewhere, there’s a blend of meaty, muddy grooves and tender balladry. “People” is a real standout, a hard-edged soul track finished off with an immensely satisfying key change and a saturated fuzzy guitar solo. “Join the Boys” is a sleazy, bluesy number to strut through a seedy bar to, “Like Fire” has a rhythmic acoustic guitar motif to die for, and “Water with the Wine” bears one of the album’s stand-out melodies, casting Armatrading in a lighter, playful light (real echoes of Joni Mitchell). At the album’s close, “Tall in the Saddle” marries both the album’s key styles, with a seamless last-minute switch into fifth gear. On the ballad side, I loved “Someone Who Loves You” for its backing vocals, and the warmth emanating through “Down to Zero”’s earthy production. There’s a lot of great material here and I really wanted to absolutely love this album, but on the whole it isn’t completely doing it for me yet. Despite some really great songs, there were some tracks that felt a bit unfocused and meandering: “Save Me” and “Help Yourself” haven’t made much of a connection with me on the first few plays, and it would have been nice to hear some more of the tight grooves in the mould of “People”, or the apex reached in “Love and Affection.” Armatrading’s performance, though, is superb.

"Joan Armatrading" is the third studio album from British singer-songwriter and musician Joan Armatrading. This was her first self-penned album. It was produced by Glyn Johns who said this was the best album he had ever been associated with and he had worked with The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. The music is classified as folk rock and pop but also has elements of jazz, soul, funk, blues, country and R&B. Some of the backing bands members included those of Faiport Convention and Kenney Jones. An acoustic guitar and piano begin "Down to Zero." Joan's searing souful voice. A steel guitar comes in giving a country feel. The song actually sounds a little like one of her musucal influences, Van Morrison. A break-up song. Strings added to "Love and Affection" giving it a gorgeous and beautiful majestic atmosphere. Joan's emotional voice. The great backing vocals-gospel. Alto sax as the music builds. Outstanding lyrics: "I am not in love but I'm open to persuasion." "Join the Boys" swings between jazz with the piano and funk with the beat and organ. She wants someone but tells them to go the boys. Joan goes to a higher voice register on "Somebody Who Loves You." Acoustic guitar. Slow. At times almost easy jazz. A love song, sultry lyrics. The album ends with "Tall in the Saddle." A song which is jazzy and slow goes bluesy with a great guitar solo and finishes funky as the pace picks up. She had fun, fun, fun, with her lover but her lover needs to go. Another great song. This is an outstanding album. No weak songs and some songs transition within to different styles. Joan's great vocals and lyrics. The lyrics are more general and big pictures than storytelling. Great production. A tight band. A very high recommendation.

Joan Armatrading works as an equally as talented 1970’s bridge between Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman. Matching both in vocal tonality and songwriting prowess.

Good, lacked interest in the second half as it felt a little repetitive with the instrumentals

some of the songs are amazing, but I wouldn't listen to the whole album. Clearly a great talent

Bluesy. Folksy. Fun. I loved it.

Really bland. Pleasant enough to start off with but got really bored by about halfway through. And the Clapton-esque sign off finished me off, too. Would not recommend.

This album has fantastic production from Glyn Johns. Love and Perfection is a bit of a moment, especially hen the sax solo kicks. There is no specific style or genre. Joan Armatrading makes it all sound so simple. Songs, music, performance. Quality listening.

lame

Girlie slaps

I enjoyed this more on my second listen, still not quite enough to reach 4 stars but hey, maybe next time

Good. This seems to be the blueprint for the likes of Tracy Chapman and others. The first few tracks are really good, but it somewhat fizzles out towards the end. Still, 3/5

Una muy buena voz, tranquilo de escuchar y con un ritmo fácil de llevar. Con no mucho acompañamiento, canciones buenas.

Fabulous

Leuk album. Niets bijzonders

This feels like maybe it was a Very Important Album once upon a time. Not to me. Best track: Love and Affection

I'm shocked that I had never heard of Joan Armatrading before and also how much this album ripped. 4/5

I wouldn’t call myself a fan after listening to this album. However, I did pull a couple of songs away that I like, Down to The Ground being my favorite. A lot of the songs I just didn’t find catchy enough to make me want to listen to them again. There isn’t really anything wrong with this record, or any things that I would change, rather it just isn’t my preference.

Pretty expected to be less soft because it is labelled as rock. Good background music while working

Mid-70's singer songwriter but a cut above all the rest. Some called her a British Joni Mitchell. She's not at that level but she's not far off. Best Tracks: Down To Zero; Water With The Wine; Love and Affection

Cool folky sound. Reminds me of Tracy chapman

77/100: An enjoyable album to listen to. I've never heard of Joan Armatrading before (by the way, that has to be a fake last name right?), but this definitely sounded like something I would listen to regularly. Nothing hits like good acoustic guitar rock. The song "Like Fire" really stuck out to me. The opening riff sounds like Eric Clapton covering the opening riff of "Neon," which is obviously high praise. On that note, to me, this album sounded like if you took Eric Clapton and substituted his blues influence with soul. That's a pretty cool combination, and definitely not a fusion I can say I've ever heard before.

Yawn

Loved this album. Great old school voice

-"Water With The Wine" has like a funky groove and solid drums going on -A couple of okay tunes, nothing mind-blowing. Probably riding between a 2 and a 3

I enjoyed this album while listening, but can't really remember it afterwards. Not the most attention-grabbing, although I don't see that as a bad thing - it was a nice accompaniment to a stormy morning. It perhaps deserves another more attentive listen.

An absolute gem. This is the first album I got here that I had never heard at all, but I absolutely loved. Great songwriting, production, and performances. It has depth and soul and grooves.

Really good guitar playing and lovely voice, gonna check out more of her stuff!

Nice nice, it drags for a bit but it’s soulful af

the intermittent deep-voice snippet on "Love and Affection" is a wonderful easter egg. this song builds really well, not surprising that it looks like this was the standout single from the record. overall pleasant album

Tall in the saddle is a gem

joan armatrading has a marvelous voice! what a treat to listen to her self-titled album. the songs here are soothing, as if she literally reached out of spotify, patted my hand, and told me everything will be okay. every song contains such unique, colorful lyrics, proving her ability as a songwriter. she bounces between heartbreaking ("down to zero") and desperately optimistic ("somebody who loves you") while requesting help ("save me") and remaining realistic ("help yourself"). while so many songs on this album are good, "join the boys" shows armatrading didn't shy away from a protest song. it's uplifting yet the opening lyric (or rather, rallying cry) asks, "are you for or against us?"

You know, I was aware of Joan Armtrading, and I knew a few of her songs, but had never heard one of her albums. I am here to tell you that this album in particular is outstanding and alone is worthy of her getting more recognition than she does. I would describe Joan as having a Joni Mitchell quality mixed with Tracy Chapman. Her singer-songwriter style from the lyrics and instrumentation down to the topics and vocalizations resonate just as much as theirs do, and yet, she is lesser known than both of these other artists. Joan Armtrading is full of such richness, warmth, and passion on every track; there is something incredibly tangible about her emotions. This is an album I will want to hear again and again.

Funky, bluesy en soulful, met nog een beetje country invloeden. Goed album

3/10, 30%

I would probably listen to this album again, there are some great songs!

Wasn't familiar with it, it wasn't bad, something I could listen to in the background

Ok.

really good! i love her voice and that cool kinda 60’s ish feeling guitar

Pretty good shit

Getting a lot of "early Tracy Chapman" crossover. Nice funk vibes, too.

Nice melodic tunes, but it's not grabbing me.

A surprise album that I didn’t expect much from, but was packed with nuance and thoughtfully done throughout. Water with the Wine was my standout.

Just a girl and her guitar. This is an album I would not listen otherwise, I'm glad I did, loved it. The pitches and the lyric deliveries for certain parts really convey her emotions My favourite was https://youtu.be/IqtsKkd4zoQ

8/10

Good voice

Cool, folk but with a tiny bit of funk (nice bass work)

Oh how I love Joan Armatrading!

Great!!

Decent songwriting and musicianship for sure but not my taste at all. It just feels too coffee house contemporary, easy listening. I stuck with most of it but skipped around a little bit. My score is more reflective of how well it fits with what I like rather than the quality of the album. I don't think there's a song I'd come back to or add to a playlist ever.

Heard Save Me as theme for Atlanta child murders doc, love it

A beautiful and honest album that sounds fantastic. Great songs with great arrangements and Joan's sultry vocal adding some earthyness that gives each song a nice warm quality. I do have to mention the production and the sound quality of my vinyl copy. Deep dynamic and tastefully arranged the production helps to bring out the best in each song. A & M pressings rarely disappoint in this department. 4.5 stars for over all quality.

Kinda slow, wasn’t bad tho

That was awesome. What a great, distinctive voice and vocal style. I've never heard of her before but she had me grooving the whole time. Reminds me of my dad's music collection, which for me is good praise. Fresh and nostalgic at once, since I don't tend to listen to the genre often. The slower, sweeter love songs aren't my jam but that's fine, they're still fine. Highlights: Down to Zero, Join the Boys, Love and Affection Lowlights: Somebody Who Loves You, Save Me

6/10

Je ne la connaissais pas du tout. J’ai aimé toutes les chansons, j’adore la voix.

Not bad at all. Nice and easy listening. Would listen again.

Talented singer/songwriter I've never heard of before. Some of these songs could be mistaken for being a part of the late 80s/ early 90s Lilith Fair crop of female singer/songwriters. Doesn't necessarily all feel like it's from the mid-70s.

Really good

Surprise find! Liked it!

Very nice album but not really my vibe.

Someone I hadn’t heard of before, and really enjoyed within this kind of pop chanteuse genre (which is not really something I seek out but I liked this better than most). Nothing really to complain about here - the songs are well chosen for her voice, nicely arranged with skilled but not distracting instrumentation, beautifully sung.

Fine

Definitely an interesting album with some powerful options, but nothing that makes me want to go back.

Good album different sound than im used to but it’s fits together so well

Wow, what an incredible album. I'm shocked that I'd never heard of Joan Armatrading until today, but she will certainly be in the regular rotation going forward. Her voice is so powerful and dulcet at the same time on this record--I can't get enough of it. Really glad I got to listen to this. Favorite track: Join the Boys

Wow. Never heard of this album before, but was a real treat. Love the folk sound and not surprised to find out it was well produced by Glyn Johns. Fav song: Down To Zero

Not really any bad songs but there was some forgettable/skippable ones. Pretty decent album though I liked this lady

Interesting album, saved one.

Amazingly surprised by this album. Unknown for me before. The assemble is sometimes a bit bombastic. A la Dave Matthews. But still very enjoyable.

3.5. Quite good. never heard of her before.

This is the kind of album I want out of the project. I wasn't aware of the artist or this record. Overall sounds of the era. Well done.

Excellent songwriting, gorgeous voice.

One of my favorite albums in college. To my great surprise, it sounds better now. A range of genres with incredible musicianship yield a tremendous listening adventure.

Such a distinctive voice - easy listening. I've always loved 'Love and Affection' and listened to it a lot in my early teens. Some definite 'album songs' on here, though. 2.5/5

enfinnnnnnnnnnn

l'enfant cachee de tracy chapman et joni mitchell jai raison ou pas la team

Chill

Favorite Songs: Down To Zero, Help Yourself, Love And Affection, Join The Boys, People Least Favorite Songs: Somebody Who Loves You Joan was a completely new artist to me, and was really a treat to spend 40 minutes with. Her voice is tender, flexible, strong and comforting while avoiding typical pitfalls of other singer-songwriters. The guitar skills and poetic lyrics on display are also standouts that make this album an enjoyable listen. The production was clearly handled by someone who knew what they were doing, and everything sounds crisp and mixed very well. For a mid 70's album, there are alot of timeless sounds and themes here. The occasional electric guitar lick, drum hit, saxophone wail, or background voices add some much needed excitement and texture while still letting Joan have her moment. Some of the tracks here might have more appeal to one person than another depending on what genres you tend to fall back on; but, with an album showing off slow-moving love songs, funk you can dance to, blues riffs... it's just amazing it blends together at all.

I was surprised to read that this album came out in the 70s. To me it sounded like it was from the 90s, plucked from a Lilith Fair lineup. I listened more closely after learning of my error. It reminded me a lot of Tracy Chapman also. While I appreciate her talent and enjoyed the album, it’s doubtful I would listen to this again.

Really enjoyed the album, having never heard it or of Joan before. Down to Zero is a great jam!

Prefs: Down to Zero, Help Yourself, Join the Boys, Tall in the Saddle Moins pref: Save Me

Fun little Friday album that I listened to late Thursday night. Nothing to write home about but at least it felt different than all the other 3 star albums we’ve had recently.

Got excited for this one when I saw Apple Music describe Joan here as "West Indies-born," expecting something with a tropical flair. However, it's more of just singer-songwriter/pop type stuff. Still, it's not bad at all! Some great guitar work, and she's got a cool voice. It definitely sounds more modern than 1976, credit due for that. Nothing super memorable unfortunately, which is what I was hoping for, but it's solid. I'll keep a couple tracks. Favorite tracks: Like Fire, Down to Zero, Save Me. Album art: The cover here too had me expecting something out of our ordinary wheelhouse for this list. There's a cool '70s flair here, and I'm digging the death glare. 3.5/5

Really nice. Good vibe and at times it gave me Funkadelic vibes without the funk. Probably won’t listen to it again but it was nice.

too depressing…. there are 1001 albums but god when will it finally be my turn

fell asleep after the first song, but she has a nice voice

I was not previously aware of this artist but I did enjoy the album, especially the sax accompaniment. Save Me had serious Joni Mitchell vibes, Like Fire reminded me of Tom Waitts, People had very relatable lyrics, and I think my favorite was Join the Boys which had a great funk feel.

I went into this expecting to not like it based on the album description, but then the first song really caught me off guard. I ended up really enjoying it. Unfortunately, it was kind of downhill after that for me. The rest of the album wasn't particularly exciting to me.

Good!

Excellent

3.5 - A little different - sometimes good, sometimes strange. “Love and Affection” encapsulates some of what I like and dislike (dislike: the bass vocals, like: the saxophone solo). “Like Fire” sounds like Dave Matthews at his best, minus some wonky guitar noodling. “Water With the Wine” is funky until you consider the date rape.

Really enjoyed this one. Good easy-listening/classic sounding tunes. Smooth all the way through

When I started the album I liked it. By the time I got to the end I was kind of bored. It was all pretty similar and nothing really stuck out to me.

A fine album.

Enjoyable listen 6.9

Really strong voice. I liked the opening track a lot, saved to Spotify. Reminds me a little bit of Tracy Chapman with the guitar, lower voice and lyrics. This is they type of music you have on in the background while doing chores or something. I enjoyed it.

Beautifully voiced classic

This is why i joined this program, to find gems like these. Didnt know who she was, or what i was walking into, but so glad i did. This is an epic blend of blues and 70s rock, with Joans super smooth and calming vocals, thoroughly enjoyed this one.

"love and affection" es buenísima, todo el disco lo es, qué buenas composiciones, tan simple pero tan bello, es muy agradable estar escuchando esos sonidos fabricados a la medida; no tenía la dicha de conocer a esta artista pero se ganó un fan, incluso escuché más música de ella, es un concepto muy atractivo en una palabra: talento

Chulo

Had never heard of this and now I am a big fan. What a great sound. Steel guitar solos, electric guitar, soulful vocals. Just great music.

jag gillade detta! hon hade en fin röst och det var bra sånger. så gammalt album?? otippat!

Listened to while playing golf. Enjoyable

Never heard of Joan Armatrading before. Good album with some funky vibes. I don't feel like writing a long review right now. Good album but doesn't reach the top.

Mysigt

Pretty decent folk/blues album. Probably not something I would seek out to listen to, but apparently she has a deep catalogue.

She has a good voice and is a solid songwriter but this just doesn't do it for me.

another acoustic

Instrumentation and production adds a filmy 1970s residue that obscures the songs and performances a bit but not in a delicious Stevie Wonder kind of way. On subsequent listens it may fade away but hearing this recording for the first time, I can't help but get distracted by it. Fortunately that is the only criticism I have.

I liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to like it. Funky at times.

Just stunning. Was not on my radar. It's like Tracy Chapman but a decade prior. Massive voice. All the marks of a real classic.

Reminds me of a much more soulful Joni Mitchell. Can't believe I've never heard this album before, but that's what I'm here for.

Lovely voice but beyond that, not my thing.

Good stuff! This is new to me. Excellent mix of funk, soul, blues, folk… Somewhere Tracy Chapman and Sly and the Family Stone. I’ll definitely listen to this again.

3.5

Love and affection is brilliant. The rest was just okay.

7/10. Pretty good stuff.

The first half was super slow but it really picked up. People and Tall in the Saddle are great tunes. 7/10

I loved Joan Armatrading’s voice and most of the songs were great.

Not my go-to music of choice, but this album is very wholesome

..

Lots of talent, but a bit too mellow for my taste

Cette personne nous a très bien raconté sa vie.

Tout bonnement excellent, nous pouvons dès à présent aborder Napalm Death en toute sérénité.

Genre: Folk Rock 3/5 A rather generic folk album considering the not-too-generic source. Joan Armatrading, born and raised in the former British colonies in the West Indies, a woman who grew up wanting nothing more than to play guitar all day, occupies a space that is usually relegated to white men. While her appearance may not be the usual that you may see in this genre, the music itself is generally pretty flat and stale, which to me is the norm in most full-length takes on Folk/Folk Rock. As far as general highlights go, Down to Zero is a neat little folk ditty, probably the best sounding song on the whole record, but it doesn't do very much. Soon thereafter, the tracklist all eventually bleeds together into a calm and soft, yet tepid and bland, background mush. I enjoyed the outro, Tall in the Saddle, as well, but again it's not a track that does a whole lot. Glyn Johns, the album's producer, said this was the best album he was ever associated with (this is the guy who engineered Abbey Road, mind you...), and critics have made this their darling, but it all reeks of self-importance. Not to put down Joan, but for me, her music does little to add to the overall folk mix, and unfortunately music critics tend to focus on the artist's skin color rather than the content within sometimes, inflating these albums beyond what they actually are. Joan Armatrading seems like a very nice lady, but it doesn't make her music any less bland than the next fella's.

nice album from an often forgotten 70s talent. Probably stick to the Greatest Hits though

Pretty meh. Liked “Join the Boys” and the acoustic guitar segments on “Like Fire”

I recognize this can be good, but didn't hit me. A little too soft folky. Some fun guitar in places, I liked it in Tall in The Saddle.

Næs áttunda hljóðheimur, flott altrödd og ljúf lög og gott groove til skiptis. Svo er hún með háskólagráðu í sagnfræði líka.

I get the impression that this album was an important milestone in the glacial evolution of the culture of the music industry. Regardless of how accurate that assumption is, I am sure that this had a positive effect on the "If you can see it, you can be it" scales over the years since this album's release.

Gøy 🙂

ikkje nåke for meg

Highlights: Help Yourself Join The Boys Tall In The Saddle Artwork: 2,5 / 10 Rating: 4 / 10

Lovely album, spent a lot of time listening to this in my youth.

I love her voice so much

Has stood the test of time. Bill - 3.8 Shannah - 3 Conor - 3 (3.27/5)

Expected this to catch me more.

Folk-rock setentero. Está bien. Un 4.

Le daré un 4 porque canta muy bien. No conocía ninguna de sus canciones.

I like this album. It reminded me of Esperanza Spalding, somewhat, but less jazzy and more country. It was good and I'd listen to it again. 4/5

Some fine pop/country rock. Water With The Wine is great.

I liked the more rock oriented songs. Join the Boys, People, etc. This is nice but doesn't really stick in my mind very much.

Sounds more like something from the late 60s than 76, but it's pretty competent. Favourites: "Love And Affection", "Join The Boys", "Tall In The Saddle"

This one just never grabbed me, though I feel like I'm missing a boat here. I'll try it again, but this slipped right past me.

Joan Armatrading has produced some great, albeit inconsistent, albums down the years and can turn out memorable songs. 'Love and Affection', found here, is probably her most famous - deservedly so, it's gorgeous. There's a pleasing restlessness to the rest of the album, as Armatrading explores a range of moods and approaches. It may not always stick first time around but the songwriting is top notch and the proceedings are held together nicely by Armatrading's ringing guitar attack. One to sit with, but patience has its rewards.

Okay, now this I can get behind. I'm not familiar with Mrs. Armatrading, but first of all - that's a fun last name to say. Does she have a record called "Armatrading Places"? If not, she should. But also what a voice! It made me think of Joni Mitchell but in a different register. Lovely, warm production all around. I could be misreading this, but is "Water with the Wine" about date rape?? Kind of seems that way, but then I was watching I MAY DESTROY YOU last night, so maybe that's on me... Anyway, "Like Fire," "Down to Zero," etc. I liked most of it. Good stuff. Armatrading in some mediocre Britpop-electronica records on this list for more Joan Armatrading records, please.

Eh.

She has a great voice, but it gets a bit tedious until the last two songs.

Good album. Full of that late 70s folk / pop sound. You definitely need to be in a space for this, kinda like with Joni Mitchell's non 'Blue' work.

Dig this! Great jazz, good funk, great song writing. I'm thrilled to have found her. Want to hear more.

Some standout songs, ended uptempo. Some slower forgettable ones throughout the middle.

Nice and easy listening. I love her voice, deep and soft at the same time. What wonders me how she’s isn’t recognized.

I want to like this: Brummie ikon and all that, but really it's fairly dull seventies singer-songwriter stuff. Sorry Joan.

A fine collection of songs.

Overall good album. Very Joni Mitchell-ish

surprisingly good from my girl joan

A great listening experience from a very very talented songwriter.

Dit is mij iets te rustige muziek. De stem gaat me op den duur ook irriteren. Sorry. Het nummer "Love And Affection" maakt het wel een beetje goed.

Poetic, melodic, timeless

2, hmm I’m not sure, it’s not bad but also not that good

One of the albums I enjoyed most at first listen. Had a couple of songs I didn’t realise I knew, and I enjoyed her vibe and tones. 8/10

3/5, first listen. Very nice

This is a nice – even very nice – record to know, largely because I suspect few people who read this book / take on this project would know it well, if at all. It’s just my speed, really, pleasantly understated overall, and extraordinarily smooth in its genre-fusing. But it never reaches desert island disc territory, never quite sweeps one fully away. “Somebody Who Loves You” sounds both terrifically intricate and powerfully intimate. “Help Yourself” and “Water with the Wine” are other highlights, plus the lap steel flourishes on the opener. “Polished and professional” is right, as is the idea that she deserved more than a pigeonhole and much better sales and acknowledgement. I loved the voice and style from first hearing (“Drop the Pilot” of course, which is a great song) and I'm sufficiently inspired to listen to this one more than once and to go deeper in the catalog, too. 3.8 for 4.

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. 💯

She is so strong and confident in her delivery, it's a nice contrast to the typical ethereal/floaty/heady sound from female vocalists in the 70's. Now that I think of it, we might have this on vinyl...

Pros: - First time hearing this album (i think) and possibly artist too. Overall the sound is really nice and cohesive; by the time her voice comes in on the first track it was pretty much exactly what I was expecting and my ears wanted to hear to match the instrumentation. - The instrumentation and recording are all really well done. I love that first piano run up in the first song only seconds after the acoustic guitars set the tone. The second track also has some nice behind-the-scenes piano/keyboard lines. - Love the tempo / meter change in the second song about halfway in. Songs that change tempo/feel in pop music are kind of rare these days so it's nice to hear one here that is drastic but still within the overall vibe of the song - really nice flow to the album, the placement of the tracks are really great. that's usually a gripe of mine with any style of music but specifically with singer songwriter-y styles it can be pretty bad at times. Cons: - not a lot of memorability for me Misc: - While it's a nice album, it doesn't have a lot of standouts for me, and in context of 1001 albums you need to hear, I think it's probably in the lower 40% so I'm giving it a 2/5.

Really beautiful album

Her voice and acoustic accompaniment worked very well together, some of these songs were beautifully written and composed. I enjoyed what I heard a lot, as it reminded me of a few other songwriters from that era. I can see how she would get lost in the shuffle of that genre, but this album from start to finish was rather enjoyable.

It's a very nice album. Apart from the biggest hit and Down to Zero the rest are pleasant album fillers. Easy sounds and intelligent lyrics but's there's just something missing....

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Joan Armatrading before. Her music is a seamless mix of funk, country, and folk that is lush and driving. Her voice is versatile and her songs are well written.

A simply stunning collection of songs, Armatrading surely deserves more recognition for making quietly compelling, engaging music. There’s a breadth to her music - ballads, soul, funk, folk - and her artistry delivers them all expertly. The production is exquisite - lush strings are only added where required and you can hear the contribution of every musician. This is good stuff. Fun fact - The Wire’s Clarke Peters (Detective Lester Freamon, Pawn department hump who turned out to be good police) sings the bass backing vocals on Love and Affection!

Really nice. Expressive and emotive with soulful feminine drive. Lots of baby-making musics. I recall some reference to Miss Armatrading from the 80's but not the context from before. This record is certainly not dated to the mid 70's and stands as a cool human connection to whenever.

Loved this album. Such. Wide range of styles, full lush production and still sounding modern. A cracker

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.

My older brother was a big fan of Joan Armatrading. I gave her a quick listen back then and didn't really connect with her music. Now, with my older, more mature ears, I can see why he liked her so much. Great songwriting and range. Some of her singing reminds me of Joni Mitchell, which I'm not a fan of - that sort of jazz style melody - but overall I think this is really good. Planning to listen again to this and more of her music. 4 stars.

When I first heard this, a very long time ago, I loved it. But in my late fifties? For some reason it's lost its flavour. Still, added it to listen again another time.

her voice is very whiny to me… i’m sorry i tried to like it but it was like squeaky at times and it just made me mad. also this has never been my type of music so nothing really redeemed iteself

This is a slow-burn album - I wasn't sure over the first few songs ... it's inevitable that you try to make comparisons...Joni Mitchell? Laura Nyro? I don't know if either of those match. Way more than just the vocals on this one - the music and songs are each interesting/diverse. It's pop, it's folk, it's rock, bluesy... but at the same time nothing is so "out there" that makes any of it inaccessible. My highlights would be "Join the Boys" and "Like Fire" which is my favourite - this has such a crazy-cool acoustic guitar intro from Joan, and that last song "Tall In The Saddle" is a surprise; you think it's gonna be a slow jazzy tune to end it all and then about 2/3 through that changeup to uptempo was great. Really enjoyed this one. 8/10 4 stars

😍 Loved it! Very balanced

This is an interesting album, lots going on but it didn't fully grab me. Joan Armatrading sounds like if you had Cher's voice singing Joni Mitchell songs. You have a good mix here, some acoustic folk singer-songwriter type tunes, you have some operatic ballads, and you have some uptempo jazzy/funky numbers. Lots of variety in the instruments and styles from song to song. Overall well done, she seems to be a very good songwriter. I liked Join the Boys in particular. People was good too, that was a good one-two punch on the album.

Chilled and soulful folk sound Strand of tracks - help yourself - love & affection - Join the boys

Pretty interesting album. I'd never heard of Joan Armatrading before this. It felt like every song was *almost* good. Definitely one of those albums where you know the Spotify suggestions afterward are going to be good.

Cool fusion of pop, Blues, and jazz. Joan has a wonderful voice which is accompanied by some banging instrumentals

An amazing voice. Lovely songs. A great album to get lost in or to use as background music.

“Showed that we now have a black artist in Britain with the same sort of vocal range, originality (in fact even greater originality in terms of musical influences) and lyrical sensitivity as Joni Mitchell.”

I really liked this album! Great voice and good instrumentals, liked certain parts of strings. A bit samey though but that’s ok.

Chill, good guitar. Nice voice.

Very nice voice. Very chill. Smooth jams. It was really well done. I respect it,. A few moments I liked, but it's not my style and resonate with me personally. songs: join the boys, people, like fire

Man, there are some fucking jams here man. And the slower cuts are good too! Great production and performances all around. This is a winner.

Tracy Chapman from Temu

Not quite cutting through

Ooo I am really liking this one! Brand new discovery for me. Down to the Ground reminds me a lot of Van Morrison's Into The Mystic, the progression of it, the cadence. And something about the second track Help Yourself reminds me a lot of Jeff Buckley, there's a quality to the vocals and musical arrangements that feels very Buckley. It's soulful and passionate, but edgy and deep too. Actually this whole album is reminiscent Buckley, but I know Joan came first. I'm so impressed by this groovy badass woman. I think Joan and Jeff might have been kindred musical spirits. I'm so into it!

Terrific album. I had never heard of Joan Armatrading. Folk rock, with an edge of r&b. Four of the songs are bangers. I really enjoyed "Love and Affection" and "Somebody Who Loves You."

This was fine, nothing special. I enjoyed listening to this, but I really don't feel compelled to listen again.

Individual songs on here I adored, but as a whole it didn't work as well for me. I think the ballads dragged it down a tad.

This is some stuff I can vibe with strongly. There is a ton of soul and it has a loving and cozy feel to it.

That was great!

unique sound, a little like a woman Bob Dylan

I see a lot of comparisons to Trace Chapman, and I can see why. The focus is on Joan. Instrumentals serve merely to back her up, but they sound relaxing and pleasant. Joan has such a powerful, emotional, and often beautiful voice that she should set an example for other singer-songwriters to follow. There's a few outstanding tracks but other than that it's fine and serves what I'm looking for.

det blandar och ger. inte helt överens med det här albumet

As if Tracy Chapman merged with Joni Mitchell. Love the funky tracks.

there is nothing in this album for me. couldn't even make myself sit through it.

this feels like being stuck in a dentists waiting room. one of those ones where they have a tv on the wall but its inexplicably tuned in to smooth radio. still better than having to watch this morning or loose women.

Chips, cheese and gravy

Just about above average singer songwriting. Hard for me to muster any strong feelings for this either way really.

I liked the album and it had its fair share of funky tunes, I felt it could have been more consistent though. I do hear the influence on like modern chamber pop even on this one which was really cool

Favourite tracks: love and affection, join the boys, tall in the saddle

Really enjoyed, nice easy listening

Love her voice. Good singing Joan

I enjoyed this. All rather similar but all good I guess.

Very much of its time.

do you want to go to turkey.

A good one.

This is one of these albums that I would not have picked myself but can very well understand why it is on the list. But it is a fine album, and probably the Joan Armatrading I have listened to the most. Also: it is not possible to give an album that contains "Love and Affection" anything less than 4 stars.

Of course I had heard of Joan Armatrading as a singer-songwriter, but never checked out her music. The band on this album sounds very good, but Armatrading's singing does not appeal to me very much. The only song that stood out for me was Like Fire.

Really enjoyed this one. Love some funky bluesy folky soup

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.

Its all very nice. But I didnt think it was any more than that and didnt do anything for me

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. There's some lovely stuff here and there but nothing too memorable

Boring

A classic I would ride to.

Had never heard of her and enjoyed listening through the album.

Kom mér virkilega á óvart. Þvílíkur snililngur. Hvar hefur þessi kona verið allt mitt líf.

So assured

Pretty surprising

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.

The best of this album IMO: - People I recognize the talent but this list made me realize that I don't enjoy folk music. 2.7/5

genius, strength, grace. 70's fun, emotional depth.

Awesome blend of folk and blues.

Fire, great stuff

Wonderful album, I love the mix of folk and blues present on many of the tracks