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Rating: Betty Davis, the sultry and lush embodiment of the dirtiest funk, is mainly known for being Miles Davis's second wife and, according to the genius himself, a great influence in his exploration of rock sounds (especially Hendrix), which later formed the foundation for the masterpiece "Bitches Brew".
With "Nasty Gal", dated 1975, Betty brought to the stage the instrumental representation of the Dionysian spirit, the musical personification of the orgiastic and vital impulse that makes funk the greatest sonic metaphor for the dirtiest, uninhibited, and carnal sexuality. "Nasty Gal" can be summed up in a few words as a purely material, dirty and exciting album, full of explicit references to the greatness of the sexual act, as an atavistic call to the animal origins of man. This is evident from the lyrics, true orgasmic gargles, and the instrumental parts, dominated by deep and bouncing bass and hysterical, violent, and dirty guitar riffs. The duets with Fred Mills in "Nasty Gal" and "Talkin Trash" open the album, immediately showing Davis's intention, with her gritty and schizophrenic voice, to involve the listener in a ménage à trois with the two performers, through rapid and pressing rhythms and lyrics that wink at blaxploitation, echoing stereotypes that would not look out of place in a '70s porn film made by African Americans. Davis ventures into purely soul sounds in the ballad "You And I", written by Miles Davis and orchestrated by Gil Evans. In tracks like "Dedicated To The Press", "Shut Off The Light", and "Gettin Kicked Off, Havin Fun", she seems to revel, in her vocal hints, in being the true "whore" of funk. Her energy seems eternal, and she proudly displays it in "F.U.N.K.": a brutal manifesto of the genre, where Betty spells out her musical creed, with the provocative intent of reminding the world that Funk means dirty, but above all authentic and pure. The piece closes with the rhythmic enumeration of the great artists who laid the foundations of the genre, including Hendrix, who is often cited in the guitar parts throughout the album, with simplicity and seductive cunning. The atmospheric "The Lone Ranger" wraps it all up: a sublime slow blues-inspired carpet on which Davis purrs with a husky voice, wholly summarizing her essence as a great interpreter of the orgasmic sounds of funk.
"Nasty Gal" places itself, unequivocally, among the masterpieces of funk: a real slice of black music, that plants its roots in Afro tribalism and makes the vital and carnal impulse, of dirty and essential rock, its reason for being. An album to surrender to without rationality, just to give a good kick in the ass to the Apollonian spirit.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
06 F.U.N.K. (04:25)
F.U.N.K.
Funk funk y'all funk
Ow help me nigga now help me
I was born with it
I will die with it
Because it's in my blood
And I can't I can't get enough so I so I
Danced to the music
And a sang a simple song
I was thankful and thooughtful
Sly Stone came along
Cause he took me higher
And he made me see
I had inner visions of a young man named Stevie
Stevie Wonder
Tina Turner
Al Green y'all
Ann Peebles
They were born with it
And they're gonna aah they're gonna leave here
With it because it's in their blood
And that's why I want you to help me nigga now
help me
Barry White
Larry Graham does it right
Isaac Hayes y'all
The O'Jays singin
Some people got to have it
Some people really need it
Some people will do anything
For the love for the love of that stuff called
money now
I'm gonna tell ya about a man
He had a lot of feelin in his hands
And his name was Jimi Hendrix y'all
Jimi Hendrix was his name
He could make that guitar walk
He could make that guitar talk now
He could make that guitar sing
Jimi yes he could make it do anything anything
He used to say Foxy Lady
He used to say ahh Betty Betty
I'm gonna getcha now ow
Aretha Franklin can't she sing it
I said Chaka Khan don't she swing it
The Funkadelics can't they do it
And when you hear Skin Tight you wanna get into it
F.U.N.K.
Funk funk y'all
Funk funk y'all
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