Hot Flash (album)
| Hot Flash | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio | Streeterville | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Alligator | |||
| Producer | Saffire, Bruce Iglauer | |||
| Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women chronology | ||||
| ||||
Hot Flash is an album by the American musical trio Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women, released in 1991.[1][2] It was their second album for Alligator Records and one of the label's best selling titles.[3][4] The trio supported the album with a North American tour.[5] Hot Flash also served as the title of a 2008 documentary about the trio.[6]
Production
The songs were written by the trio, with Gaye Adegbalola penning the more humorous ones.[7] Billy Branch contributed on harmonica.[8] "Sloppy Drunk" is a cover of the Lucille Bogan song.[9] "Why Don't You Do Right?" is a version of the song made famous by Lil Green.[10] "(No Need) Pissin' on a Skunk" lambasts a coworker.[9] "Dirty Sheets" is about the longings of women working in nursing homes and hotels.[11] "Torch Song #1 / Torch Song #2" is addressed to a dying friend.[12]
Critical reception
The Washington Post determined that "when the trio fails, it merely pushes the same naughty buttons it pushed last time around—buttons that, incidentally, work far better in concert than they do on record."[8] The Calgary Herald called the album "a roadhouse mentality urban blues collection."[14] The New York Times wrote that "Saffire's raunchy blues extol the virtues of gratifying sex, nights on the town and the benefits of nonmonogamous relationships; the group's songs are laced with double-entendres and bawdy language."[20] The Pittsburgh Press noted that "the blues are usually not offered in such fine harmonies."[21]
AllMusic wrote: "Racy and sassy—and to some tastes cutesy—the album is a fun, free-thinking update of classic female blues, performed with gusto and verve."[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Two in the Bush Is Better Than One in the Hand" | |
| 2. | "Sloppy Drunk" | |
| 3. | "One Good Man" | |
| 4. | "Dirty Sheets" | |
| 5. | "Tom Cat Blues" | |
| 6. | "Learn to Settle for Less" | |
| 7. | "You'll Never Get Me Out of Your Mind" | |
| 8. | "(Mr. Insurance Man) Take Out That Thing" | |
| 9. | "Hopin' It'll Be Alright" | |
| 10. | "A Little Bit of Your Loving Goes a Very Long Way" | |
| 11. | "Shopping for Love" | |
| 12. | "Elevator Man" | |
| 13. | "Torch Song #1 / Torch Song #2" | |
| 14. | "Why Don't You Do Right?" | |
| 15. | "Prove Me Wrong" | |
| 16. | "(No Need) Pissin' on a Skunk" |
References
- ^ Alkyer, Frank (September 1991). "Hot Flash by Saffire—Uppity Blues Women". DownBeat. Vol. 58, no. 9. p. 41.
- ^ Schoemer, Karen (August 1991). "Sound Advice — Hot Flash by Saffire—The Uppity Blues Women". Interview. Vol. 21, no. 8. p. 50.
- ^ Heim, Chris (April 26, 1991). "Alligator blues". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. P.
- ^ "Make plans for an Uppity farewell show". The Daily Progress. Charlottesville. February 20, 2009.
- ^ Lloyd, Jack (August 23, 1991). "Saffire, Three Gems, Unpolished". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D1.
- ^ Earnest, Mark (June 10, 2009). "Acoustic blueswomen go out on high note". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. G4.
- ^ Campbell, Rod (August 7, 1991). "Bold, bawdy and beguiling blues". Edmonton Journal. p. D12.
- ^ a b Joyce, Mike (May 3, 1991). "Saffire's Place: Naughty Settings". The Washington Post. p. N19.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (January 10, 1992). "Saffire Strikes a Chord with Blues Fans". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 13.
- ^ a b Litweiler, John (June 13, 1991). "Recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. 5.7.
- ^ Yasiejko, Christopher (August 10, 2007). "Some blues acts will be downright 'uppity'". The News Journal. p. Z12.
- ^ Goff, Paula H. (July 27, 1991). "Records". The Morning Call. p. A65.
- ^ a b "Hot Flash Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Wagamese, Richard (June 9, 1991). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. H5.
- ^ "Saffire". Robert Christgau. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 324.
- ^ Gallo, Mark (July 12, 1991). "New Releases". Preview. North County Blade-Citizen. p. 16.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. pp. 563, 564.
- ^ DeLuca, Dan (June 2, 1991). "Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 8L.
- ^ Schoemer, Karen (November 15, 1991). "3 Women Singing the Blues". The New York Times. p. C3.
- ^ White, Jim (June 23, 1991). "Blues". The Pittsburgh Press. p. E7.