Betty Davis: Crashin’ from Passion

For over 15 years, Light In the Attic has been devoted to reissuing the formerly hard-to-find albums by the late funk pioneer and fashion icon, Betty Davis. Albums including Betty Davis (1973) and They Say I’m Different (1974) cemented her as a bold performer with a distinctive vocal delivery of arresting growls, howls, and belts. This first official release of Crashin’ from Passion (1979) presents an angle of the singer that is silky and cool as opposed to her previous blazing approach. This shift is clearest on “She’s a Woman,” a disco-inflected track that recalls the moody groove of Blondie’s “Rapture.” “No Good at Falling in Love,” “Quintessence of Hip,” and the title track capture Davis’ unmistakable kinetic vigor with restless bass lines and her unfettered vocal permutations. However, some of the record’s instrumentals include predictable disco, boogie, and funk musical gestures of the time, such as the undoubtedly catchy “All I Do Is Think of You,” which diminish some of the personality prevalent elsewhere on the album. Overall, Crashin’ from Passion is a fun listen that demonstrates Davis exploring the breadth of her vocal style, but at times lacks the energy and individuality of her previous work.