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Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”

sfilzen — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:49:16 +0000

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” released on this date, November 18th, 1981. This worn and well-loved LP was the first record I ever bought with my own money when I was 10 years old and I still love it (and since it’s an original pressing, it has the track “Little Drummer Boy” included as the record was released for the holiday shopping season. I don’t like that Christmas song but Jett’s version is tolerable). Hard pop rock inspired by the late 50′s/early 60′s classic rock-n-roll sound, Jett’s second solo studio album (and her first with the backing band The Blackhearts) was a massive hit, hitting #2 in the US and #25 in the UK. The title track “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” was the first single from the album; originally recorded by the Arrows in 1975, Jett’s version went to #1 in the US and #4 in the UK. But the single and the version on I Love Rock ‘n Roll wasn’t her original take – she first recorded it with Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols in ‘79 as the b-side to “You Don’t Own Me” (which appears on her first solo LP Bad Reputation). Jett also released “Crimson and Clover” as a single, another cover song (by Tommy James & The Shondells), which hit #7 in the US and #60 in the UK. Jett’s version is so great, adding in a hard rocking beat to balance the sweetness of the original. Other notable covers that Jett recorded for I Love Rock ‘n Roll are “Bits and Pieces” originally by The Dave Clark Five, “Nag” by The Halos and “You’re Too Possessive” (she basically covers herself: it was on The Runaways’ album Waitin’ For the Night from 1977). The album isn’t all covers, though – I really love Jett’s “Love is Pain” and the Bo Diddley-inspired “Be Straight.”

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The Runaways “Queens of Noise”

sfilzen — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 15:28:23 +0000

The Runaways “Queens of Noise” 1977. Kicking it back 40 years for today March 8th, International Women’s Day, by spinning the hard rocking, female bad-assery music of The Runaways. Queens of Noise is their second studio album, full of heavy rockers, power chords and riffs. It charted at #172 on the Billboard album chart with one single, “Heartbeat,” (#110). With the exception of the lead track, “Queens of Noise,” all of the tracks were written by various combinations of Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, Lita Ford and Jackie Fox. Because of increasing tensions with their manager and producer, Kim Fowley, the band took over much of the production work for Queens of Noise, emphasizing bigger volume and more sophistication in the mix. My favorite tracks are the big ass-kickers: “Take It or Leave It,” “Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin,” and “I Love Playin’ With Fire.” I’ve never been a big fan of hair metal power ballads so tracks like “Midnight Music” make me cringe, a little. The final track, “Johnny Guitar” is really long, clocking in at over 7 minutes. Joan Jett called it a chance for “Lita to show off her lead guitar work,” while Jackie Fox described it as “without question the single worst song the Runaways ever did.” It’s really not that bad; Ford’s guitar work is truly impressive.

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Joan Jett “Bad Reputation”

sfilzen — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 18:57:06 +0000

Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1981. Boardwalk Records. Today, September 22nd, is Joan Jett’s birthday (b. Joan Marie Larkin, 1958). Jett originally self-released Bad Reputation in 1980 under the title Joan Jett, post-Runaways breakup and pre-Blackhearts formation, and sold them out of the trunk of producer Kenny Laguna’s car at concerts.

Bad Reputation is a 60′s flavored package of PopRocks swallowed with a massive gulp of punk mix of Jett originals, including the sprint-worthy title track and “Jezebel,” and covers like the defiant “You Don’t Own Me” (originally performed by Lesley Gore in ‘63), “Doing All Right With the Boys” (Gary Glitter) and “Wooly Bully” (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs). “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),” also a Glitter cover and a great stadium stomper, was released as a single after Jett’s crushing smash hit record I Love Rock ‘n Roll in ‘82, hitting #20 in the US.

The list of musician contributors to Bad Reputation is staggering: 23 including Jett. Notables are Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and Paul Cook and Blondie’s Clem Burke and Frank Infante. I have no idea who he is but my favorite credited name is Commander Goonwaddle, who plays tubular bells on Jett-original “Let Me Go.”

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