Doug's 10 Favorite Albums With All Female Vocals
Time to salute the girls! Some qualifiers are in order. This is not a list of the “best” female albums or artists ever. Aretha, Barbra, Diana, Janis, Gladys, Joni, Nina, Carole, Linda, Pat, Kate, Donna, Madonna, En Vogue, Gaga and Tina aren’t on this list. This also isn’t a list of great albums that have some female vocals - no Fleetwood Mac, no B-52’s, no Midnight Star (even though No Parking On The Dance Floor is one of my faves hehe…). There were a couple others that were close but were a just a hair below and felt like tier two from my absolute faves. These are the albums I love the most through and through. Some for many years and some for not very long, but they are all masterpieces in my opinion and while I’m tempted to “rank” them I’m not going to because this one isn’t really about a “ranking”. I just love them all and I’ll tell you why… Let’s do this.
Doug’s 10 Favorite Albums With All Female Vocals
King Princess - Cheap Queen (2019) I’m putting King Princess and H.E.R. first because I want to be clear that my fellow Gen Xers and upwards need to be checking out these brilliant new artists. I may respect Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish for example but this is the girl in my opinion. She is a true rock star. Her real name is Mikaela Straus, she grew up around her dad’s studio and learned how to make records, to record, to write and play music and held out for years on a contract until she got one that gave her control over her art. How bad ass is that? Meanwhile this album has something about it…. it’s not just some by the numbers pop album. Do You Wanna See Me Crying? is just downright eerie, sexy, vulnerable and otherworldly all at the same time in just one minute and 46 seconds and leaves you wanting more, and Useless Phrases is even shorter at 1:16 and has a classic carnival-like intro before launching into the front of the mix with a biting line like “You say you want me back, and I don’t usually entertain such useless phrases” - OUCH! This girl who was just 21 when this album dropped does not have time for tired rock clichés. Just as comfortable dancing around the stage, flashing - yes flashing her audience, and jamming on guitar, she’s a game changer. With songs like Pussy Is God (not on this album) and Hit The Back she’s loud and proud for the LGBTQ+ community, but her music doesn’t seem to be specifically made for them if that makes sense and I want to be clear that she’s gay and non-binary but I’ve seen where she doesn’t necessarily commit to certain pronouns. I would certainly refer to her in whatever way she says. Back to the music though, there isn’t a dud on this album and other standouts include the title track which is my favorite song on the album, as well as Prophet, You Destroyed My Heart and Ain’t Together - but as I said the whole thing is fantastic.
H.E.R. - I Used To Know Her (2018 / 2019) Okay so I’m cheating a little here because I Used To Know Her is actually the combination of two EPs re-released together as a compilation in 2019. But the two EPs seem of a piece as I Used To Know Her “Prelude” and “Part 2” released just 3 months apart in 2018. For me there are parallels between H.E.R. and King Princess in that (fair or not) I’m drawn to them both because they play guitar. H.E.R. started out young going by her real name Gabi Wilson but reemerged with a new persona of H.E.R. (Having Everything Revealed) at 19 and I Used To Know Her (the second compilation in her discography) is loaded. My jam is Carried Away but not just because it’s the funkiest jam on the album - I’m fine with the slow burners too where she shows off incredible vocal chops and control on a tune like Can’t Help Me and 21 where she mixes in a little rap and reflection on where she is in life at the age of 21 - way ahead of her years in sophisticated songcraft like the first album on this list. Other standout tracks include the contemplative Something Keeps Pulling Me Back and the gorgeous and aching Hard Place.
Pretenders - Pretenders (1980) This is probably my #1 favorite although it could be tied with Love Deluxe and In My Tribe… just hard to say. That VOICE - Chrissie Hynde is unmistakeable, and she’s just tough as hell. So much just not-giving-a-shit-attitude that you can’t help but be in awe, and yet some of the most tender and gorgeous songs all on the same debut album with a killer yet tragically short-lived band. A girl who says “fuck off” in the first track in a way that you wouldn’t dare not fuck off if you were on the receiving end of it? That’s how you serve notice on your debut with the song Precious. Every track on this album is incredible - even the instrumental Space Invaders complete with sound effects at the end from the original video game. The real classics are the mega hit Brass In Pocket with the hilarious video with Chrissie as a waitress in a diner longing to get the attention of the other band members, along with Tattooed Love Boys and The Wait - both with incredible riffs and a ton of energy. There’s the reggae flavored Private Life, and the gorgeous Lovers Of Today and Kid. The Kinks cover Stop Your Sobbing, Up The Neck, and the closer Mystery Achievement - all great. It’s the best female-led ROCK album of all time and it should be in everyone’s collection.
10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe (1987) Natalie Merchant’s voice is just sublime. 10,000 Maniacs are one of only three artists on this list I’ve seen live and I’m a huge fan. And while this band was loaded with fantastic musicians, for me it was always really about her. When she left and the band continued with another singer I lost interest fairly or not, and this album was their peak. It’s perfect. What’s also cool about Natalie’s lyrics is what a storyteller she is. The lyrics don’t read like lyrics - no rhyming cliches and yet it doesn’t matter with her. That’s not to say the songs don’t have structure, she’s just able to put things across with more weight than most and these songs get me in the feels starting with What’s The Matter Here about child abuse. I could break down each track here but they are all so good…. My Sister Rose is my wife Ally’s favorite but for me it’s impossible to say. When I saw them live she pulled a fan up on stage to sing the Michael Stipe lines for the little duet in the middle of A Campfire Song which was so cool. It’s just an album that feels good - it’s not edgy, it doesn’t really ROCK but that’s not to say it’s fluff. There are strong messages here about abuse, illiteracy, war - it’s a very socially conscious album and I still love everything about it.
Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight (1985) Annie Lennox was a badass in her day - right from the moment she busted onto the scene with the short red hair, the androgynous look and those piercing eyes in the Sweet Dreams video, but where she and her musical partner Dave Stewart really took a big step forward was with Be Yourself Tonight. “Watch me walking out the DOOR!!!” she yells in the opener Would I Lie To You? - another cannon shot opener to let you know she’s not here to mess around. My other favorites are There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart), Conditioned Soul (I love the xylophone on this one) and It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back). And okay so maybe Aretha does appear on this list as she joins Annie for the women’s anthem Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves and I also love Here Comes That Sinking Feeling. There’s not a bad Eurythmics LP and I could easily put Revenge or Savage on this list instead of this one - it’s pretty close.
Luscious Jackson - Natural Ingredients (1994) A lost gem? This all girl band should have been bigger than they were. Funky with a little hip-hop flavor in spots, these girls had a history with The Beastie Boys with the drummer Kate Schellenbach having been the B Boys original drummer. Jill Cunniff was basically the singer while Gabby Glaser was the rapper and I love the way they traded vocals. I discovered Luscious Jackson on the second stage of Lollapalooza in 1994 and let’s just say I had a moment. That set blew me away and I was obsessed instantly. My buddy Brian Schwartz was with me and for some reason he kept calling them “LOO-scious” which cracked me up and that’s how we referred to them to each other for some time. We were a little……altered you might say. The first EP In Search Of Manny sounded a bit low-fi and underproduced, but Natural Ingredients was a huge leap forward and City Song, Energy Sucker and Strongman still take me back to that day. Three of the coolest songs ever. I was able to see them one more time at Peabody’s in the Cleveland flats. Ben Harper opened and when Luscious Jackson came on I was so into it when I noticed Ben Harper jamming on the floor standing right next to me in the audience. Very cool. Here is a total banger too and was briefly featured in the movie Clueless. The other total jam here is Surprise but there are no bad tracks, and there are no “pretty” songs or ballads. The whole thing is just a vibe. Awesome.
Sade - Love Deluxe (1992) This could also be my all time favorite as I mentioned earlier. The sexiest (even though these are not songs “about” sex), most soulful, sublime statement in R&B history for my money. Nobody sounded like Sade, and her band was incredible. This album was released shortly before I moved to Dayton, Ohio with my job for a year and it’s one of the albums that can transport me back to that time and place. For the record it was a pretty good year. Not the most desirable place to be on the planet, but not horrible either. Anyway, some of the stark arrangements on this album are really what make it. It gives the musicians and Sade herself the space to subtly improvise throughout - cooing and teasing you, keeping you riveted throughout the whole thing. The whole thing is incredible but my jam (and probably everyone’s who has heard this album) is Cherish The Day. Wow. A masterpiece. Kiss Of Life is completely gorgeous and so is I Couldn’t Love You More - my other two faves, but like pretty much every other entry on this list there are no duds right through to the beautiful instrumental closer Mermaid.
Bjork - Debut (1993) I’ve only ever spent time with three Bjork albums - this one, the second solo album Post, and the Sugarcubes album Life Is Good. This is clearly my favorite and it’s amazing. Whimsical, funky, and ethereal in equal measure throughout, Bjork is another who sounds like no one but Bjork. Her voice is such an insane instrument sounding like a little girl one second, and a wild banshee the next and she knows how to use it. But the songs are great too - it’s not just about the style - there’s plenty of substance starting with the hit Human Behavior. Such a cool song with an infectious tribal rhythm. There’s the raver There’s More To Life Than This where she literally invites you into a separate room to seemingly shut the door and tell you a little secret fantasy about an island, a boat and her ghetto blaster (but pronounced like the “gh” is a “j”). It’s just a fascinating moment - I’m not sure I’ve heard anything else quite like it. Big Time Sensuality, One Day, Aeroplane and Come To Me is an incredible 4 song run in the middle of the album and aside from the opener are my other faves here. A huge achievement for the debut of Bjork’s solo career.
Missing Persons - Spring Session M (1982) Post punk LA 1st wave album with plenty of punk attitude from the underrated and possibly-alien Dale Bozzio and husband at the time, legendary drummer Terry Bozzio. Dale’s voice and style is a guilty pleasure, singing in a faux accent that you can’t really pinpoint but it’s intoxicating all the same - it’s almost like she sneaks in a little squeal-like scatting here and there. Walking In L.A. was a big hit from this LP but it’s actually my least favorite song here. Destination Unknown is the gem here which was covered by Smashing Pumpkins. Life is so strange - indeed! Windows, Tears and Words are all fantastic as well but the jagged funky beats and riffage of U.S. Drag is a track that I’ve always been drawn to. A lost gem.
Deee-Lite - World Clique (1990) Yes I love this album - the whole thing. A fun house-dance-techno album that really grooves, and while Lady Miss Kier might not be a singer most would think of among the greats, I think she’s a fascinating character - she’s funny and sexy and who wasn’t obsessed with the Groove Is In The Heart video with Bootsy and Q-Tip? The thing is this wasn’t just some one hit wonder gimmick even though that track could easily be accused of being gimmicky. And frankly even if it is I still LOVE it, what can I say. Power Of Love was also played everywhere at the time and is a great jam. A great overall message and fantasy of a world clique and the power of love to tie us all together with funky beats, fun and even silly vocals and plenty of style. Good Beat, Try Me On…I’m Very You and Smile On are all great and the whole album is fun. I still break this one out every once in a while.
Thoughts? Do you know all of these? What are your faves? Let me know in the comments below!
M10 Social is owned by Doug Cohen in West Bloomfield, MI and provides social media training and digital marketing services from the Frameable Faces Photography studio Doug owns with his wife Ally. He can be reached there at tel:248-790-7317, by mobile at tel:248-346-4121 or via email at mailto:doug@frameablefaces.com. You can follow Doug’s band Vintage Playboy at their Facebook page here. You can also send your furry friend on vacation even if it’s just pretend at Doug’s www.VirtualPetcations.com!
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