Pat Benatar's first four albums, 1979-1982
Good hard rock and roll is more than screaming vocals, wailing guitars and a crunching bass beat – it’s passion, rebellion, courage, and fire. While it would be a stretch to suggest Pat Benetar is heavy metal, she was clearly one the biggest hard rock queens of the post-disco period where hard-edged guitar-driven rock was the mainstay of the long-lost AOR radio format, as well as the then-fledgling MTV.The next two Fridays, my album reviews will look at the first four of Benatar’s albums, in a two-part series:
Part 1: In the Heat of the Night (1979) and Crimes of Passion (1980)
Part 2: Precious Time (1981) and Get Nervous (1982)
In an era where most females in music fit into one of several music models: “divas”, bubblegum pop floozies, or kumbuya easy-listening crap (that’s what alternative has devolved into), listening to these albums was a refreshing trip back to a time when women were just as ready, willing, and able to rock as any guy out there. In a time where everyone wants to be like, or better than, someone else, the music scene would do well to follow the lead of those like Benatar, who charted their own course and went where nobody else had dared to go.Of course, the songs were devoid of the "good times and easy women" material that is commonplace in the male-dominated rock scene, but Benatar shoots straight from her perspective with no apologies or holding back, often with a "tough girl don't take no crap" attitude that earned her the respect of male rockers, and won over a lot of females as well.
While Benatar’s name and vocals were all over the music, it is important to note the strong contributions of her lead guitarist and husband, Neil Geraldo. Through all of these albums, Geraldo’s guitar work is hard-edged, strong, and makes solid and distinct contributions to many of the songs on these albums.
Her later albums softened somewhat and explored new directions, partly out of burnout from years of struggling to break out, and then trying to keep up the recording and touring that would support her booming music career. In fact, her seventh album, “Seven the Hard Way”, was titled as a back-handed slap at those in the music industry who had pushed her to the brink of a breakdown. Regardless of where she went later on, these four albums gave us rock fans many hours of great listening, helped put rock music back on track from the disco era, and proved that women could rock, helping to open the door for many who followed.If you haven’t heard of her, or these albums, you’re really missing out. Try one of the albums, and before long, I’m betting you’ll be looking for the rest of these four.
Stay tuned - there's some serious hard rockin' music, just up ahead ...
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