Search - Joan Jett & Blackhearts :: Notorious

Album buried by c'RAP revolution.

05/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Notorious contains all original material including a fuller version of 'I Want You'Her last MTV release was a cover song of AC/DC's 'Dirty Deeds' after that the Rap industry pretty much took a strangle-hold of MTV and let rock fall by the waist-side.A really up-lifting CD for the most part. A CD with songs like 'Backlash, The Only Good Thing (you ever said was goodbye), Don't Surrender, Good-Bye, and Treadin' Water are songs of getting out of bad situations and going on-ward and upward.'I Want You and Wait For Me' good new wave high paced love songs.'Ashes In The Wind and Lie to Me' ballads on love lost.'Machismo' a good song on ego-trips in typical Joan Jett style.1) BACKLASH
2) ASHES IN THE WIND
3) THE ONLY GOOD THING (YOU EVER SAID WAS GOODBYE)
4) LIE TO ME
5) DON'T SURRENDER
6) GOODBYE
7) MACHISMO
8) TREADIN' WATER
9) I WANT YOU
10) WAIT FOR MEIf you sample her other works, this CD is of the same quality standards as her other albums. It was just at the time the flux of the music market and Sony's discontinuing production left an otherwise great CD on Rock-N-Roll's backburner."

Mottorious

Kim Fletcher | Pattaya, Chonburi Thailand | 07/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anybody who dismisses Joan Jett and her band, the Blackhearts, as just some little pop band has either never met the lady, never heard one of her albums, never seen the band live, or does not know anything about music. Tommy Price, the bands drummer, has been with the band for over eighteen years, and you do not get a musician of that quality staying unless something is going on. Way before joining the Blackhearts Tommy was a top session drummer, who actually played on all of Joan's early work, but was never a Blackheart till later. Then he joined Blue Oyster Cult, Roger Daltrey, and was with Billy Idol for many years. Tommy finally accepted the gig with Joan after seeing them from backstage at some American festival. He concluded that the band was the equal of the Who live. There is no finer compliment than being compared to Shepherd Bush's finest. Many other fine musicians have been in the Blackhearts over the years, to name a few, Kenny Aaronson, ex Bob Dylan; Sammy Hagar, now with John Eddie; Ricky Byrd, ex Ian Hunter Band; Tommy Burns, now the axe player for Billie Joel; and of course long time friend, manager, and mentor Kenny Laguna, ex Martha and the Mandels, who had the original hit which Joan later covered and had another hit with 'Crimson and Clover.'But never let it occur to you that Joan Jett is anything less than a one-hundred percent rock 'n' roll star. There are the obvious early paying of dues. Joan Jett, together with Lita Ford, was originally a member of the all girl band `The Runaways', put together by Kim Fowler. When that finally imploded in 1978, Joan went across to London, England, to see what was happening. At first she hitched up with the remnants of the Sex Pistols, Steve Jones and Paul Cook (they actually made a demo of `I Love Rock 'n' Roll). But things were not really happening; the Sex Pistol boys had management hassles, and really were not that keen to get out on the road again after their last depressing experiences. So Joan came back to the American home of rock 'n' roll, New York, and hooked up with Kenny Laguna and his wife Meryl. While Joan was in England and on the final tour with the Runaways, she saw a little known band called the Arrows playing the B-side to their latest hit on a kid's T.V. Show lift off - that song was `I Love Rock `n' Roll'. They wouldn't let Joan record it with the Runaways. Once in the studio with the Lagunas, all that changed. An album was recorded, a red, hot, young band was put together to go out on the road, and, as they say, the rest is history. By the end of 1981 `I Love Rock 'n' Roll' had been a number one hit all over the world with an eight week stay at the top of the American charts. For the next eight years Joan toured the world to sell out audiences, each album charted, and the hit singles just kept on coming. She formed her own Record Label called Blackheart Records - naturally.
Until in 1988 she released the ultimate Joan Jett and the Blackhearts album and single. Both went top five across the world. The album 'Up Your Alley' is crammed full of Blackheart anthems, whilst the single `I Hate Myself For Loving You' is up there with `Brown Sugar' by the Stones to guarantee to get your party going.Three years after the release of `Up Your Alley' came this great collection of rock 'n' roll, `Notorious' (1991). It opens up with the first single from the album 'Backlash'. The guitars just jump out of your speakers and the music immediately makes you want to clap along with the band. The lyrics are a tribute to Joan's heroes of the past, perhaps herself admitting that it was time to take a less forward seat. The girl does have a wicked sense of humor though, when she dumps her man in `The Only Good Thing'. You can't help but feel a little sorry for the poor bloke being shown the door after a poor one night stand performance. Joan can show that she doesn't always want the truth herself. In 'Lie To Me' she pleads for someone to be kind to her just for one night. But Joan also shows her strong, serious minded side with the song 'Don't Surrender', a touching tribute to her friend Jill Ireland, who had succumbed to the dreaded cancer that year.Joan Jett and the Blackhearts still play over 150 concerts a year. Joan has also branched out into film work, starring in `Light of Day' with Michael J. Fox, and still finds time to write smash hit singles like `House Of Fire' for Alice Cooper. So do not be surprised if you suddenly see Joan Jett and the Blackhearts crashing back into the charts any day now, and if you have the chance to see them live in concert, do not miss it.Drooled by Mott The Dog
Freshened up by Ella Crew"

Underrated Jett-needs reevaluation

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 03/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Given that I considered Joan Jett's all-covers album The Hit List to be one of her all-time best, what of the followup, Notorious? I got it A) for the sake of increasing my Jett collection, B) with a sense of trepidation given the bad reception it got. Nothing to worry about--she's still got the stuff, even if the heaviness from I Love Rock And Roll and Hit List are unmatched."Backlash" is something she doesn't have to worry about. This song, co-written with Paul Westerberg of the Replacements, could've been a B-side or song that missed the final cut from an earlier album.The melodic and moody "Ashes In The Wind" is one of few songs she gets with help from Desmond Child. It also shows Jett's including more heartfelt ballads laden with the usual guitar and drums accompaniment.The bitter rocker "The Only Good Thing (You Ever Said Was Goodbye)" is this song's "I Hate Myself For Loving You," with rhythmic overtones of "You Want It I Want Out." The protagonist seems glad to be rid of some rotter who takes her money and even uses money she got from her to get her presents. Desmond Child and Diane Warren co-wrote this.The vulnerability Jett expressed on "Little Liar" returns on the bluesy "Lie To Me," a mid-paced ballad on a sundering relationship where one just can't face the truth right now. The sense of pleading and resignation can be heard in "lie to me/even if it's just for tonight/make it feel like it used to be/you don't have to look in my eyes." "Don't Surrender" has a sound reminiscent of the 50's/60's alienation songs Joan loved covering. A song of encouragement about not giving up. Another lightweight song, more a ballad, is about knowing when to say "Goodbye" when things go bad. Both were co-written by Child.Jett never was one for macho BS, and "Machismo" is a song about that. She makes the observation that being macho is all for show, and when anyone's watching. It's not about ego, but having to make a point. A cogent and wise song on the insufferable male ego.Anthemic drums are joined by a nodding catchy guitar rhythm like "Spirit In The Sky" "Treadin' Water" is another deadend relationship song, with Gary Glitter-like "yeah yeahs."The racing "I Want You" is evidence that the Jett can rock and roll like old; think "You Really Got Me" done at a quicker tempo, with aural nods to Judas Priest, Turbo era. "Wait For Me" was a song recorded during the I Love Rock And Roll sessions that finally ended up on disc, and the sound is evidence of that.The energy matches or outdoes that on Up Your Alley. Kenny Laguna is still in the producer's seat, and Joan shows no signs of letting up. The ballads make a notable and welcome change of pace, and the songs from Desmond Child also make this album. The only thing notorious are the naysayers who don't know a good album when they hear one."