Home → Etta James → Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!
Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!
R&B / Soul · 1976

Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!

Etta James

Gritty 1970s funk and bluesy soul from a legend's final Chess session. Etta's gravelly belting cuts through thick, urban grooves.

1976 · Chess

Find on Amazon

Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! captures a legendary voice at a fascinating crossroads. Released in 1976, this isn't the polished orchestral soul of Etta's early career; instead, it is a tough, sweat-soaked record that leans heavily into the funk and disco trends of the mid-seventies. The production is dense and urban, characterized by driving basslines and aggressive horn sections that demand a more forceful vocal approach. Etta James rises to the challenge, delivering performances that feel both weathered and indestructible, her signature gravelly tone cutting through the thick arrangements like a serrated blade.

Moments Worth Listening For
the moment the bassline locks in on the opening track, signaling a harder funk direction than her earlier work
Etta's voice breaking into a raw, unscripted growl during the climax of a mid-tempo ballad
the sharp, syncopated horn stabs that punctuate the chorus of the more disco-inflected numbers
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Etta Is Betta Than Evvah! sound next to the rest of Etta James's catalogue?

Bass+1.3σ

The instrumentation foregrounds bass notably more than the catalogue usually does.

Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →