Betty Davis - Hangin' Out In Hollywood (1996)

Listeners who haven't heard and loved Betty Davis' first two smokin' albums, Betty Davis (aka They Say I'm Different) and Nasty Girl, might appreciate this attempt to smooth the funky sister from Pittsburgh, PA. Those who have heard those releases might not be so inclined. Not only was BD hangin' out in Hollywood in 1979, she was Cadillac-ing it in the studios, forsaking the funk that made her a cult figure to wax these tracks that until recently were unreleased. Since she composed all the tunes you'd think she would be more into it, but she sounds disinterested. The front cover leads you to think this is similar to They Say I'm Different, since the same one graced that LP's back view, but the old adage about not judging a book by its cover rings true here. "Quintessence of Hip," "Crashin' From Passion," and "I Need a Whole Lotta Love" best represent the funk but the limp ballads are throwaways. These same tunes sequenced differently are also on a CD entitled Crashin' From Passion.