SUZI QUATRO "No Control" Album Review
To be honest, my knowledge of Suzi Quatro starts and ends with knowing that she was the smoking hot, leather clad rocker Leather Tuscadero on the television show Happy Days. With that being said, when the new Suzi Quatro album made it's way across my desk I was a little unsure as to what to expect. Was it rock, pop, blues, soul ? Turns out it's a little bit of all of that and then some.
Kicking off her latest offering is "No Soul/No Control" it's a flat out rocker, and it's obvious from the get go that age in Suzi's case (69) is just a number. She sounds fantastic!
"Strings" now not knowing any of Suzi's previous work, I'm not sure if using a horn section is common place for her, but it sounds great here. It kinda reminds me of a song David Lee Roth would've released on some of his later solo material. "Love isn't Fair" takes an almost Jimmy Buffet turn, again with some great horn work. It's clear that not only is Suzi still in fighting form, but she has surrounded herself with some really great musicians. "Macho Man" brings us back to a more rockin' track. This is the type of music I always envisioned Leather Tuscadero would be playing, it's in your face take no shit rock n roll. "Don't Do Me Wrong" is a bluesy little number with a whole lot of boogie and just a bit of swing, some really cool harp work. "Heavy Duty" theres a hint of a Joan Jett and the Blackhearts vibe (or maybe Joan has just had a Suzi Quatro vibe all these years), and when the sax kicks in it takes this one over the top. "I Can Teach You To Fly" one of the best songs in a collection of really great tunes. Suzi's voice is strong and believable.
So is this a hard rock record, nope. Is it a pop album, nope. What is it then? It's an album of great songs from a life long rocker, who's more than just a rock musician or pop musician or whatever other category someone want to try and label her with. It's an album full of left turns and in todays paint it by numbers world, that's a wonderful thing.
