Abusing Steers With George W. Bush
This week: A swig of Tonic and a Coachwhip to the booty
ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Candi Staton,Candi Staton (Astralwerks)She was married four times: once to an abuser, once to a womanizer, once to a hustler, and once to an addict. But when this Southern soul diva wails "Stand by Your Man" in a tone so fiery it could scorch off your eyebrows, you vehemently believe that everyone--even J. Lo--can and should experience the thrills of lifetime monogamy. A former gospel choirgirl, Staton cultivated her scratchy moan during her years at Muscle Shoals (1969-73, collected here for the first time on CD) by intentionally singing herself hoarse every night. Which is probably why her raspy, cocksure swagger often out-emotes the guys who made her covers famous, from Otis Redding ("That's How Strong My Love Is") to Elvis ("In the Ghetto"). Still, it's Staton's own country-funk classic "I'd Rather Be an Old Man's Sweetheart (Than a Young Man's Fool)" that lingers when the album ends. Someone who can make septuagenarian spit-swapping sound sexy--that's a real woman to me.
