Although James' life may have been in rough shape outside of the studio (rehab), on the studio she delivered a fairly strong set that fused forceful '70s soul arrangements with some rock, jazz, and New Orleans R&B. The opening track 'Come A Little Closer' is a raw recording, delightfully intense. On Etta's favorite track of the album, Randy Newman's 'Let's Burn Down The Cornfield' producer Gabriel Meckler's (Janis Joplin, Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night) restrained production sets her sulfurous voice against Lowell George's (Little Feat) slide guitar, which takes center-stage for a piercing solo that ends with a gorgeous dying fall. 'Power Play' is a funky blast penned by Steppenwolf's John Kay. Every cut is very believable; she sounds like she feels and believes everything she's singing.
