Search - Betty Blowtorch :: Are You Man Enough

Betty Blowtorch blows them away!

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 08/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If L7 or Hole had borrowed some of the Lunachicks' thunder on their later albums, they would have sounded like Betty Blowtorch. Fifteen songs about betrayal, drinking, rock and roll, and sex that would have Kittie scrambling to sharpen their claws and Babes In Toyland (if they were still around) a run for their money. Heck, I can see them going fifteen rounds with Kittie, L7, Courtney Love, even Sleater-Kinney at the same time(!) and come out bloody, but not bowed, in say, three rounds. I kid you not. So if you are a man who has betrayed or wronged them, prepared for A) instant death, B) instant castration, C) instant violence done to your person, D) a song written about you, or E) all of the above.They have no problem above shrieking the words "slut," "hooker," the F-word, or any other profanity multiple times. In fact, they thrive on it.The opening guitar riffs on "Hell On Wheels" and the eff off attitude against the law would make Motley Crue proud, even the way vocalist Bianca B***hole pronounces a** as "ay-yass." Her voice here sounds like but outdoes Courtney Love. Come to think of it, Bianaca sounds like a female Vince Neil here and on "Love/Hate."Vanilla Ice makes a guest appearance on "Size Queen," where he boasts the credentials of his reputed manhood.Bianca really sounds like Donita Sparks of L7 on "I Wanna Be Your Sucker." The tempo slows down a bit with the heartbreak story song, "I'm Ugly And I Don't Know Why." It's probably the angriest song here and is about the bitter growing pains of elementary school. The monologue involving a confrontation with a girl who steals away the narrator's boyfriend blazes with fury and builds to a crescendo to where the narrator calls her rival a little c***. Do I feel her pain and anger? Until it burns away my skin!The girls grew up on hair bands and they do a heartfelt mid-paced number here, naming Lita Ford, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, and Ratt, on "Big Hair, Broken Heart." I grew up with those hair bands too, and not many of them have survived the 1990's or 2000's.I can list more than a handful of people who deserve the lyrics of sing/chant "I Wish You'd Die" sung to them just to let'em know where they stand. Yes, I hate that many people. The CD sleeve contains not only the lyrics to the songs, but also Playboy-like vital statistic about each of the girls. For example, the heavily-tattoed Bianca describes her breasts as "2 Scoops of Whipped Cream & a Bowl of Cherries= 36-24-36" and lists her fantasy as Steve Tyler's lips around her bowl of cherries. Lead guitarist Blare N ... has the funniest list; her sign is "Radioactive Waste," measurements are "Long And Narrow," and her fantasy is "Car Insurance." Or how about guitarist Sharon Needles' fantasy, to have an all-girl bike gang called "The Menstrual Cycles"?Take my advice--these girls mean business! And whatever you do, don't mess with them, unless you have a death wish. They could go ten rounds with any world dictator and come out the champs. Oh yes, and they can put out a killer album, like this one! Thanks, and please don't kill me!"

Founder of Butt Trumpet here!

Thom Bone | Los Angeles, CA USA | 11/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always been proud of Bianca. As the founder of her first band, "Butt Trumpet" as well as someone who loves her very much, I can only say that I am grateful that she was able to document herself more fully with Betty Blowtorch than I was able to muster in Butt Trumpet due to stupid disputes that slowed down our ability to put out more records (at the time). If you're a fan of true, from the heart rock-n-roll, look no further than Bianca and her band, Betty Blowtorch! I'm here to tell you, Bianca was for real. And even in death, she still has an amazing power over people. Make no mistake, Bianca is a legend. Any Betty recording you can get your hands on, grab it, savor it, because there's much to learn from listening to it. It's how rock-n-roll is supposed to be made!



R.I.P. Bianca.



Thom Bone

Butt Trumpet"

FINALLY...something new to listen to that ROCKS!

frank vigliotti | Commack, NY United States | 12/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had no idea....It's been so long since a new band has been fearless and original. Betty Blowtorch is The Runaways, KISS, L7, AC/DC, Go-Gos' (on one track, anyway), Guns n Roses, and any other band you may love all in one. They're actually like 2 different bands sometimes. Two of the bands' members share lead vocals, and one is the rock priestess, sampling off of Donita Sparks, Paul Stanley, Joan Jett, Axl, etc...And the other leans towards a pop sound, but without the sad pop lyrics...For example, on a track called "No Integrity" she proposes: "We've got no integrity, but we sure do look good". This disc is just SO much FUN! I really could tell that these women were having a blast recording it, and as a result I did listening to it. They're funny, and they rock!"