This album really carries me back in my memories hanging out, cruising about enjoying the pleasure of rockin’ metal music, and this was her second record since leaving the mighty Runaways long ago in 1979. As I recall it had a short-lived drummer Randy Castillo who later joined up with Ozzy and some research stated his fair amount of success but would be her final album with Mercury Records. I found her attitude just my thing in a long list of why I like her style, establish the foot in the door and knee to the groin to show that women rockers were not just airheads, rather skilled musicians. ‘Dancin’ on the Edge’ sounds a lot better than ‘Out for Blood’ (1983) and she really toured to support her efforts gaining better sales and created two music videos, this was back when MTV did what their channel intended.
Here’s the video for the single “Gotta Let Go”
Let’s start at the top “Gotta Let Go” really kicks the album into gear, and the accompanying video sells her image very well, it has the end of the workweek vibe. I found the groove in “Dressed to Kill” really ramps the energy level and keeps a good mood with her wailing on the vocals, yeah some of the lyrics ain’t knock you over into some sort thought provoking just go along with the sound of hard rock meets metal. “Hit n Run” is all about love, well face it, sex, giving, teasing, and using all of it to get rockin’ sexy feel to the music. Another favorite is “Lady Killer” some say the saw sound in the end is a chain-saw, but since listening to Jackyl’s “Lumberjack” track I think it’s a circular saw, either way the song’s lyrics are very interesting. I will agree with other critics that “Fire in My Heart” extended guitar holding note is a terrible finish of the song and “Don’t Let Me Down Tonight” carries on too may choruses, feels like the damn energizer bunny just goes on and on, stop the singing and just use the music without another 12-second guitar wailing hold note, ugh.
Track Listing:
Gotta Let Go
Dancin’ on the Edge
Dressed to Kill
Hit ‘n Run
Lady Killer
Still Waitin’
Fire in My Heart
Don’t Let Me Down Tonight
Run with the $
Band Members:
Lita Ford – guitars, vocals
Hugh McDonald – bass guitar
Randy Castillo – drums
Additional musicians:
Geoff Leib – synthesizer, backing vocals
Robbie Kondor, Aldo Nova – synthesizer
Overall, I found the album simply fun, for fun’s sake nothing in it is moody, depressing or even controversial, hard rocking good ‘ol time. This Icon showed she had the claws to deliver the goods with style and only propel her career forward and growing fan base.
Vincent’s Rating: 4.0/5.0
Band Links:
https://www.instagram.com/litafordofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/litaofficial/
Another single “Dressed to Kill”