Suzi Quatro Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
"I'm back!" Kicking off her first collection of all new material in over a decade with one of the most unequivocal declarations in her entire catalog, the Divine Miss Q is clearly out for blood. Titled for one of the most self-defining singles of the '70s, the raw roar of "Devilgate Drive," Back to the Drive serves up a dozen tracks that might look back to the Chinnichap era for energy and enthusiasm (Mike Chapman is among her collaborators here), but are eyeing the future too. Too many of her contemporaries, after all, are content to simply spin out the old hits again and again, until you cannot move for all the re-recordings. Back to the Drive is all new -- as she proves with her assault upon its one cover, Neil Young's "Rocking in the Free World." Guitars on stun, vocals on 11, Back to the Drive rocks as hard as any of Quatro's '70s discs, but -- more importantly than that -- it sounds as fresh as any of them as well. More than three decades have elapsed since "Can the Can" ushered her into view, but Back to the Drive is the sound of her starting all over again. And it's up there with the best records she's ever made. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
From a German budget-label, Then & Now is a generously stuffed but musically unfulfilling roundup of 26 songs that dips through both Quatro's own songbook and a selection of choice covers. Recording details are kept to a minimum, which adds to the disappointment, but spread across two vinyl picture discs (as the release originally was), it at least looks a lot better than it sounds. For die-hard collectors only! ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of those odd collections that flags its contents with a vague "greatest and latest" subtitle, but it's only when you get it home that you really discover what you have. Which, in this case, isn't too bad...at least if you don't mind not having the original versions of the best-known songs. All 18 tracks here are relatively recent (1995) recordings, whether they are the brand new numbers that point to the renaissance that Quatro was undergoing, or new takes on old hits -- most of the album draws from Quatro's back catalog, and her latest band does have a great time trying to recapture the manic energy of the original recordings, which may or may not do it for the casual listener. More fun, though, are the title track and her excellent revision of Springsteen's "Born to Run," both of which would deserve pride of place on any future all-consuming Quatro box set. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded live in Tokyo, Japan, in June 1977, Live & Kickin' is the closest we have yet got to vintage live Quatro. True, it's still two or three years too late for fans of the classic Suzi Q, but the full 14-song set is here, complete with between-song chatter, and a closing blast that rounds up "Can the Can" and "Devilgate Drive" (the only major hits on display), "Roxy Roller" and "Tear Me Apart" before ripping into a phenomenal "Keep A-Knocking." Elsewhere, her take on Steve Harley's "Make Me Smile" reminds us just what a terrific interpreter she is, while "Heartbreak Hotel" is as atmospheric as it ought to be. A great album, then, despite any reservations you might have about its original timing, and a reminder of just what a powerful performer Quatro was. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although glam had long slipped off the radar by 1981, that year found Suzi Quatro releasing one of her finest albums. With Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman (the producers behind her biggest hits) at the controls, Quatro and her band craft a series of songs that blend the hard rock power that fueled her glam rock era hits with a new soundscape that tarts up the songs with some ear attracting new wave hooks. The tone is set by the title track, which starts the album with a blast thanks to its effective combination chugging guitar riffs, a stomping beat, and a shout-along chorus that praises the song's tough female heroine. Other hard rocking highlights include "Glad All Over," a cover of the Dave Clark Five classic that uses a backbeat reminiscent of a squad of rolling tanks on its chorus, and "Lipstick," a kiss-off to a cheating lover that pits power chords against bubblegum-styled handclaps to create a beguiling fusion of pop hooks and rock & roll muscle. Even the quieter numbers manage to rock in their own way: a good example is "Love Is Ready," a mid-tempo invitation to romance that swings with authority over some soaring guitar riffs. Although it lacks the kind of single that would have put it over the top commercially, Rock Hard is so consistent and likable that it is tough to argue with. In short, Rock Hard is a necessity and a solid listen for anyone interested in what female-oriented rock was like before the advent of grrl rockers like L7 and Hole. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
'Suzi...And Other Four Letter Words'
Release Date 1/1/1979
Tracks 10
Label Rak
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After successfully toying with a more AOR-oriented sound on If You Knew Suzi, Suzi Quatro made a strong return to her hard-rocking roots on 1979's Suzi...And Other Four Letter Words. Although not a full-on hard rock album, this album sports plenty of driving, guitar-oriented tunes. Good examples include the lead-off track "I've Never Been in Love," which effectively juxtaposes rollicking, piano-driven verses in a Jerry Lee Lewis vein with a chorus full of power chords, and the dazzling "She's in Love with You," a set of instructions on how to court a nice girl set to a double-time backbeat and fueled by insistent guitar riffs. Bracing rockers like these are judiciously balanced with a string of tuneful, keyboard-based mid-tempo tunes: "Hollywood" effectively uses a sweet melody and a light vocal from Quatro to put across a gritty tale of how the titular city eats up young innocents, and "Four Letter Words" is an amusing put-down of a lying lover set to a pop-inflected reggae groove. The downside of Suzi...And Other Four Letter Words is that its emphasis on a consistent rock feel leads to a very similar sound from song to song (many of the songs recycle the same double-time backbeat), and some of the songs rely a little too heavily on the band's delivery to support them (the melody of "You Are My Lover," which is minimalist to the point of being repetitive). Despite these minor problems, Suzi...And Other Four Letter Words remains a solid slab of rock that is guaranteed to please the Suzi Quatro fanbase. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Suzi Quatro's fifth album took its title from one of her earliest U.K. press interviews, a mouth-agape appraisal of the leather-clad vixen whose headline, "If you knew Suzi...like the tattooist knew Suzi," seemed to sum up every ounce of the image that the glam scene's most glamorous newcomer exuded. Five years later, however, the second half of that statement wasn't simply forgotten, it was all but meaningless to the majority of her audience, so thoroughly had she reinvented herself. Gone was the leather, gone were the guts, gone was the violent threat that Quatro once posed to passing manhood, to be replaced -- as the album's cover made clear -- by a demure, cord-clad lass in a pastel blouse and a look of such winsome vulnerability that, when she sang "Don't Change My Luck," it was enough to break your heart. Five years earlier, she'd probably have cooked it. Still working alongside songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, of course, guaranteed Quatro a clutch of classic songs. Their own bodyswerve away from the glam trappings of old was just as remarkable as hers -- and, like hers, it was wholly successful. Indeed, of all the duo's attempts to "mature" musically, as they put it, Quatro remained their most convincing vehicle, and they rewarded her with two bona fide classics, "The Race Is On" and the hit "If You Can't Give Me Love." Quatro never left all her eggs in one songwriting basket, however. "Suicide" and "Non Citizen," written with longtime partner Len Tuckey, are hard-edged ballads that embrace the downtrodden side of life, while versions of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" and Rick Derringer's "Rock'n'Roll Hoochie Coo" are both comparable with the originals -- an achievement which is almost as surprising as the stripped-down, then smokily redesigned take on Ray Davies' "Tired of Waiting for You." A year later, Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders would earn a generation's undying gratitude for rediscovering the Kinks via "Stop Your Sobbing." Had "Tired of Waiting" only made it out as a single, how different history might have been. There are other moments, too, that make one wonder precisely what Ms. Hynde was listening to as she formulated her own band's debut album, a discovery that makes a mockery of the hip critical claims that, ultimately, Quatro had little impact on the future course of "women in rock." Joan Jett and the Runaways made no secret of their admiration -- add Hynde to that same equation, and the entire 1980s lay down at Quatro's feet. And so they should. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
By 1976, the glam rock that had made Suzi Quatro famous was on its last legs as disco overtook the airwaves and punk rock festered in the clubs. However, Quatro was not going to give up the fight easily, as proven by Aggro Phobia. This set, produced by British pop mastermind Mickie Most, is a lightweight but tuneful collection of pop/rock. Nothing here hits the manic heights of "Can the Can" or "Devil Gate Drive," but all the songs are solid and listenable. The big surprise this time out is the strong country-rock feel to a number of the songs: the cover of Steve Harley's "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" places barnstorming acoustic guitar hooks where fat power chords once existed on Quatro's past hits, and "American Lady" soulfully combines organ and acoustic guitar riffs in a manner reminiscent of Rod Stewart's earthy early hits. Another country-ish highlight is "The Honky Tonk Downstairs," a rollicking love lament worthy of Tanya Tucker. However, glam rock is not entirely abandoned on this album: "Tear Me Apart" works a series of rumbling power chords to create an effective mid-tempo rocker about a hard-loving woman. There is also a great remake of "Heartbreak Hotel," that recasts the song in a sultry power ballad style to create one of Suzi Quatro's finest non-hard rock moments. In the end, Aggro Phobia lacks the stellar songs that would win new fans to the Suzi Quatro cause but it is a well-crafted and tuneful release that the singer's fans will definitely want to hunt down. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Suzi Quatro returned to the studio in 1974 to record this blistering set of goodies that showcases her love of '50s and '60s rock & roll and R&B. From Little Richard's "Keep a Knockin'" to the Ray Charles favorite "Hit the Road Jack" and the classic "Trouble," Quatro thumps out the precision bassline and sings her heart out. Other choice selections include "Klondyke Kate" and "Wild One." ~ Michael B. Smith, All Music Guide
