Female Trouble (album)
| Female Trouble | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Producer | Dan Hartman, Nona Hendryx | |||
| Nona Hendryx chronology | ||||
| ||||
Female Trouble is an album by the American musician Nona Hendryx, released in 1987.[1][2] It was her first album for EMI America.[3] The album is dedicated to Winnie Mandela.[4] "Why Should I Cry?" was the first single.[5] Female Trouble peaked at No. 96 on the Billboard 200.[6]
Production
[edit]Female Trouble was produced mostly by Dan Hartman and Hendryx; Hendryx was unable to find a producer to helm the entire album.[7][8] Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jellybean Johnson, and the System also contributed to the album.[9][7][10] "Baby Go-Go" was written by Prince; it contains backing vocals from George Clinton and Mavis Staples.[5] "Winds of Change (Mandela to Mandela)", a duet with Peter Gabriel, was inspired by letters sent to Nelson Mandela by Winnie.[5] Bass player T. M. Stevens raps on "Big Fun".[11]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Los Angeles Times | [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
Trouser Press wrote that "Hendryx's irrepressible full-throttle approach makes this an invigorating blast, a tough-minded party record about sex and sexual politics."[4] The Washington Post stated: "Smarter than the average dance tracks, the nine sonically intriguing songs give up new details after repeated listening."[15] The Los Angeles Times opined that, "grossly over-produced by a revolving crew of knob-twirlers, Female Trouble is a textbook example of a funk-rock style best described as Thunderdome Pop."[13]
The St. Petersburg Times deemed "Rhythm of Change" "a hearty heavy metal tune that could match hooks and guts with most any of rock radio's staple songs."[11] The Star Tribune called the album "long on glittery form and short on substance."[7] USA Today determined that Hendryx "is too old and too smart to settle on playing the funky ingenue... Instead, she alternately—and comfortably—plays sexy and serious."[16] The Sydney Morning Herald concluded that, "ballads excepted, it's Hendryx's most impressive album for years."[17]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Know What You Need (Pygmy's Confession)" | |
| 2. | "Big Fun" | |
| 3. | "Baby Go-Go" | |
| 4. | "Rhythm of Change" | |
| 5. | "Why Should I Cry?" | |
| 6. | "Too Hot to Handle" | |
| 7. | "Winds of Change (Mandela to Mandela)" | |
| 8. | "Female Trouble" | |
| 9. | "Drive Me Wild" |
References
[edit]- ^ "Nona Hendryx Biography by John Dougan". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ "People Are Talking About...". Jet. Vol. 72, no. 8. May 18, 1987. p. 56.
- ^ Okamoto, Shari (May 1, 1987). "Nona Hendryx's new album...". Daily Breeze. p. E12.
- ^ a b "Nona Hendryx". Trouser Press. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ a b c Goldstein, Patrick (1 Mar 1987). "Pop Eye". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 81.
- ^ "Nona Hendryx". Billboard. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ a b c Bream, Jon (29 May 1987). "Nona Hendryx, 'Female Trouble'". Star Tribune. p. 3C.
- ^ Snyder, Michael (August 30, 1987). "A Princely Gathering Gave Hendryx Her Boost". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 65.
- ^ Hunt, Dennis (28 Apr 1987). "Hendryx's Star Riding on 'Female Trouble'". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 3.
- ^ "Fortune might also smile on ex-LaBelle vocalist...". L.A. Life. Los Angeles Daily News. May 1, 1987. p. 26.
- ^ a b Snider, Eric (24 May 1987). "Appealing, even if not commercially". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2E.
- ^ "Female Trouble Nona Hendryx". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ a b McKenna, Kristine (3 May 1987). "Thunderdome Pop". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 57.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 324.
- ^ Brown, Joe (1 May 1987). "Chairwomen of the Boards". The Washington Post. p. N19.
- ^ Milward, John (3 June 1987). "Nona Hendryx: Female Trouble". USA Today. p. 5D.
- ^ Barber, Lynden (May 25, 1987). "The Studio Is the Instrument". The Guide. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 5.