There was thought, long ago, and perhaps some still exist today with narrow-minded folks primarily record executives decided women couldn’t play hard rock or metal, they were soft and delicate flowers, completely sexist. I’ve always enjoyed musicians who express themselves freely allowing their art to speak for itself, regardless of race or sex, and honestly, I think for me it was artists like Heart and Bonnie Raitt, and later on The Runaways – they are wild and launched the careers of Joan Jett and Lita ford, Lita enter more into the metal genre first with ‘Out for Blood’ (1983) and would grace magazine covers in battle with Doro Pesch of Warlock fame. I really thought it was more of a fantasy play of executives trying to create a sexuality battle to appeal to overwhelming core audience of teens to early twenties of the boys/men. She made another solid album in 1984 and then go dormant for four years before a triumphant return with her self-titled Lita album.
Some always wonder when or what album truly establishes a star, and for Lita Ford (Former Runaways guitarist) that wicked fun moment was with this album, Lita from 1988 she gave a hard rocking and metal influenced mix to a legion of fans, establish the male teen market. Face it a lot of guys were in love with her and her music, even if was for a short period of time, it was primarily due to the whole grunge music sweeping and pushing metal out into the alley, of thanks for the memories. However, for this small achievement it was a new manager named Sharon Osbourne who helped her greatly; not just with production and image but with talent aiding in the writing process such as the legendary front man of Motorhead Lemmy on “Can’t Catch Me” and Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue fame on “Falling In And Out Of Love” but the ultimate thrill was a sincere duet with Ozzy for “Close My Eyes Forever”.
If one really listens to the whole album, it kicks off with great rocking song “Back to the Cave” with some curious lyrics something of a groove in the music enticing a trance to keep listening; then onto another hard rock meets metal with “Can’t Catch Me” and right off a reference to Grease (1978) namely Sandra Dee, the song motors along nicely before a landing into an instrumental session of intense drumming and wild wicked guitar playing. There are two emotional songs first “Falling In and Out of Love” and “Broken Dreams” (which sounds like something would have heard for a band called Vixen, of that eighties period) and closes out with a deep track “Close My Eyes Forever”, though honestly not a fan of “Under the Gun”; but d enjoy another solid track called “Fatal Passion”. However. There’s one killer song “Kiss Me Deadly” a powerful radio-friendly song and HOT music video; too, it was really hair-metal.
Track List:
Back To The Cave
Can’t Catch Me
Blueberry
Kiss Me Deadly
Falling In And Out Of Love
Fatal Passion
Under The Gun
Broken Dreams
Close My Eyes Forever [Feat. Ozzy Osbourne]
Band members
Lita Ford – guitar, vocals
David Ezrin – keyboards
Don Nossov – bass guitar
Myron Grombacher – drums
She, like Joan Jett, became leaders to many women and teenage girls of then showing their talents are not exclusive to men, rather they can and do rock hard, delivering the goods, her music is still powerful and a lot of fun to listen to in so many settings for me with a fine glass of whiskey or being carefree. The album defined her career – totally way cool moment, and now 35-years she still tours and releases an album here or there such as recently ‘Living Like a Runaway’ and the horror audience recalls that minor role in Highway to Hell [1991].
Vincent’s Rating: 4.5/5.0
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