Suzi Quatro has a new album out, 'In The Spotlight' and she's got her rock jacket on again, harder and edgier than she's been for a long time. I loved her last album, 'Back To The Drive', particularly the title track, a homage to 'Devil Gate Drive', that started off with her chuckling, 'I'm back!' before letting rip with guitars. The new record isn't as immediate as 'Back To The Drive' but if you like rock Suzi (and I do), she's all here for you.
Of the eleven songs on the record, ten are of a piece, spare production, with an almost 'live' feel to them and hard drums and guitars. It has classic Suzi vocals, dripping with attitude that take no prisoners. The bonus track is 'Singing With Angels', Suzi's hymn to Elvis that was released as a download single in 2010.
The immediate highlights for me are the opening track, 'A Girl Like Me', with driving guitars and Suzi telling us we want her. 'Strict Machine' (yes the Goldfrapp song) with a cheeky little riff from 'Can The Can' subtly telling us the origins of the song. 'Breaking Dishes' reminds me of Little Jacky or maybe Santogold - no, it doesn't sound like either of them but has hints. 'Rosie Rose' starts off with the refrain, 'Do you love me...' in its hard rocking thrash of drums and guitars and Suzi's bass notes thrumming and vocals drawling away. 'Rosie' might be my favourite. She then moves into a gentle reggae rhythm with brass in the background for 'Hurt With You' and back into adrenaline fueled rock with 'Hot Kiss'.
Suzi toured as support to SLADE in 1972 and had her first hit single in 1973 ('Can The Can'). She was in 'Happy Days' on telly and on stage in 'Annie Get Your Gun'. There's a portrait of her in the National Portrait Gallery collection. She will always be Suzi Quatro, the little lady in leathers with the big bass guitar who influenced loads of people and showed that women can rock just as well as men. She still tours the world and I saw her play at Wimbledon a few years back and met her afterwards. I met her again when I attended a talk when she launched her autobiography, 'Unzipped'.
This is a great album with Suzi at her rocking best. I hope it gets the press and radio coverage it deserves and shows the world that Suzi Q still has it long after others have slowed down. As Sir Noddy Holder would say, keep on rockin', Suzi!
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