Day 17: Suzi Quatro, “Suzi Quatro”

When: Released October 1, 1973

Why? Quatro is considered highly influential by such bands as The Runaways, Blondie, The Go-Gos, as well as K.T. Tunstall and members of Talking Heads. Prior to this listen, the only Suzi Quatro song I’d ever heard was 1978’s single “Stumblin’ In.”

What? Initially released in the UK as a 12-song, 46-minute LP, the actual track listing was altered for various countries and over the course of numerous re-pressings. The original UK album did not include the hit single “Can the Can,” but I am including it in this listen due to the fact that it did appear on subsequent pressings, tacked on at the end of Side Two.

First Impressions: This is straightforward, raw rock and roll performed with energy, hampered by some inconsistent mixing/production choices.

Producer Mike Chapman would go on to write (or co-write) a long list of hits for many well-known acts. He was also involved in a number of important and influential albums in the late Seventies and early Eighties (including some of my favorites). In 1973, though, he was both inexperienced and, apparently, strongly opinionated when it came to mixing and production. That’s not an ideal combination, and I think this album suffers because of it. Recording quality varies from track to track. Basic mixing and production choices are inconsistent as well, with opener “48 Crash” sounding particularly poorly recorded and mixed, while “Skin Tight Skin” (a strong track) sounds so polished and multilayered it feels like it came from a future album.

Quatro’s bass playing is well represented and occasionally showcased. I wish her vocals had been treated with as much respect. Not to pick on “48 Crash,” which was a hit, but the key is so far out of Quatro’s range that she seems to be shouting/screaming most of the song. “Shakin’ All Over” is also too high for her to sing comfortably, and one of her biggest hits, “Can the Can,” comes close. I know from watching interviews that Quatro wasn’t comfortable singing in this range; these keys weren’t her choice. She says it was done at Chapman’s insistence.

Favorite tracks for me include “Shine My Machine” (although it missed some lyrical opportunities for sly innuendo), “Primitive Love,” “Sticks & Stones,” “Skin Tight Skin,” and her very fun (and unexpected) cover of the Lennon-McCartney song “I Wanna Be Your Man.” Overlooking the vocal performance, I also enjoyed “Can the Can,” though I can’t say I have any clue what it’s about—assuming it’s about anything.

The least successful tracks for me were “48 Crash” (surprise!), “Get Back Mamma,” and “Rockin’ Moonbeam.” The latter two are pure filler. Part of me wants to include “Official Suburbian Superman” in this group as well, but I can’t help feeling that there are the bones of a really good song here; it just wasn’t fully realized.

So? Quatro would go on to release over 18 albums and dozens of hit singles, becoming an international rock star and an icon for young women. I wish this had been a better showcase for her talents. Even so, I’ll listen to this album again.

Day 12: Halestorm, “Back from the Dead”

When: Released May 6, 2022

Why? Although this is the band’s fifth album—and they’re Grammy winners—I’ve only been introduced to Halestorm this year, through a series of feature articles in Classic Rock, Total Guitar, etc. promoting this new release. I was curious to see what they brought to the modern-rock table.

What? Eleven songs—38 minutes—of hard rock exploring personal empowerment and self-acceptance in a world turned upside down by politics, a pandemic, and prejudice.

First Impressions: Wow. Maybe I have particular appreciation for female rockers, having grown up on the Runaways, Blondie, Joan Jett, and Heart. Maybe, having recently heard albums that I thought were overlong or meandering, I welcomed this album’s compact, visceral punch. Whatever. This won me over from the very first track, “Back from the Dead,” and kept me riveted until the end.

This is tight, well-produced hard rock, played by people who know what they’re doing. The drumming by Arejay Hale is propulsive, explosive. Lead and support guitars from Joe Hottinger are perfectly fit to the songs, with no time wasted on soloing for soloing’s sake. Bassist Josh Smith underpins the chords perfectly, even if he may be a tiny bit low in the mix. (Or maybe I’m saying that because I’ve just come from a Flea record!)

And then there’s guitarist and vocalist Lzzy Hale herself. Again: Wow. My throat hurts just listening to her full-throttle vocals. (There is a moment about two-thirds of the way through “Psycho Crazy” when Hale not only turns it up to 11, she somehow finds 12. My jaw literally dropped.) To my ear, she showcases vocal qualities that remind me of Joan Jett, Grace Potter, Brian Johnson, and James Hetfield—all delivered in a dynamic performance that can shift from a shout to a whisper, from gravel-rough to Amy Lee clarity. (For a sample of what I mean, compare the anthemic “The Steeple” with the piano-driven “Raise Your Horns.”)

There was not a weak or superfluous track on the album. Every song brought something new to the table. And while experienced listeners will be able to anticipate some moments (e.g., a full-out chorus that drops to a stripped-down verse), I think they’ll also find plenty of unexpected nuance and even restraint (again, “Raise Your Horns”).

The unexpected also carries over to the lyrics. Most songs were written by Lzzy Hale and Scott Stevens, and they display a refreshing blend of attitude, point of view, intention, and smarts. Above all, though, these songs sound like they were written for fans. I don’t mean they were designed for fans to sing along to (although that’s clearly true for some of them); I mean they were designed to speak to fans, as if Lzzy herself were sitting down with them, face to face, to tell them what’s on her heart. When I can come to these tracks for the first time, with no Halestorm history, and feel that sentiment through the songs… Well, I think that’s remarkable.

So? There were a couple of moments during my listen when the combination of emotionally raw lyrics and Hale’s vocal performance actually brought tears to my eyes. Who expects that from hard rock?

I loved this album.