Joan Armatrading - do i ever need to listen to her?

they are great

talk to any lesbian who came of age in the UK in the 1970s

s/t, to the limit, show some emotion are the albums I heard a lot growing up (glyn johns once said something to the effect of the latter being his favourite project ever or something) and I know them inside out but there's a lot more that I'm missing probably

rock critics have tended to "respect" her more than champion her and she's constantly been compared to tracy chapman which must be infuriating - joan is less of a folkie and much more of an auteur (though still sort of a folkie sometimes) but it would be nice if she had the chapman-esque renaissance she deserves because she's been slept on for too long

years before I knew about the whole gay sitting trope I used go through my mother's LPs and just stare at the album art for to the limit and if an album cover can change your life maybe this one did. I wasn't that impressed with the naked version of electric ladyland which my mum was proudest of owning but I just couldn't get enough of whatever joan was doing on that cover

Joan is definitely in my all time favourite artists. Such a pure talent. Walk under ladders is perfection.

I picked up a secondhand but perfect condition copy of Secret Secrets from 1985 for £1. Her voice sounds amazing on this one. Fewer spikey, rocky songs more straight up pop instrumentation and ballads. Friend no lovers is in my top ten JA songs now.

'Friends not lovers'

I thought you'd come to post this first-rate essay:

https://natepatrin.substack.com/p/album-of-the-year-1981-joan-armatrading

Not seen that. Thanks for sharing :)