Clean Up Woman

AMG Review of Clean Up Woman

Stephen Cook
All Music Guide

Even though it only contains half of the selections found on Betty Wright's more democratic Rhino retrospective, Golden Classics: Clean Up Woman is nevertheless a worthwhile collection. This is especially true if you are more interested in Wright's soul-driven '70s material than her glossier, more subdued '80s output. Along with fellow Southern soul chanteuses Denise LaSalle and Millie Jackson, Wright favored a Stax-inspired, horn/guitar-heavy sound on her early sides, sidestepping the slicker and more popular Philadelphia sound of the Stylistics and O'Jays. Above the gritty mix, Wright shows off her vocal flexibility using a smooth, Dionne Warwick-inspired delivery on the decidedly non-feminist hit "Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do" and a more raspy tone on "Outside Woman." If you want a thorough overview of Wright's work, get the Rhino collection, but if you are just curious, this is a great introduction.