Suzi Quatro
– The Girl From Detroit City (Cherry Red Records)
Deluxe CD
Box Set
20 October
2014
Rock Legend
celebrates 50 years in music with the release of a new box set.
As a 6 year
old in 1974 I was madly in love with Suzi Quatro. I think it was love, or maybe it was the
leather cat suit? Whatever, I loved her.
An
astonishing career spanning six decades is now represented in a lavish
book-bound boxed set of four cds containing singles, b-sides, rarities and
unreleased tracks which celebrates 50 years in music. Suzi without doubt paved the way for Debbie
Harry, Joan Jett and others like them.
Playing the seemingly huge bass guitar which almost towered over her,
she brought the profile of women in music to the fore.
Beginning in
the 60s with Sister Patti, The Pleasure Seekers had a brief relationship with
Mercury Records releasing soul inspired tracks.
In 1971, the legendary Mickie Most came across Cradle (the renamed Pleasure
Seekers), and not particularly liking the band he did love the bass
player.
Releasing
her debut solo single, Rolling Stone in 1972 met with little interest, but the
following year saw not one but two UK number single with Can The Can and 48 Crash
written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.
The songwriters extraordinaire of the era also had big hits for The
Sweet and Mud and helped create the sound for which Suzi would become known.
The Top 20
hits followed for the next two years including another number 1 in the form of
Devil Gate Drive. When the hits
floundered slightly in the UK, they blossomed in Australia until a return to
the Top 5 with ballad If You Can’t Give Me Love and She’s In Love With You.
Often labelled
as part of the Glam rock movement, she wasn’t.
Suzi was good old rock ‘n’ roll, the nearest she came to Glam was wearing
a trademark catsuit in silver. What she
was, was definitely a revolution.
What is
interesting in this collection is watching Suzi’s trek through styles of music over
the years. Her venture into mainstream
pop (including the very average cover of Wild Thing) and into the West End with
her starring role in Annie Get Your Gun showing what an amazing voice she has.
There other
cover versions too – Glad All Over (The Dave Clark Five), Does Your Mama Know
(Abba) and Breaking Dishes (Rihanna), the most impressive though is her take on
Strict Machine where the pumping bass is key and the song fits Suzi like a
metaphorical glove. The insertion of
lyrics from Can The Can perhaps also referencing the similarity of the guitar
riff on which the Goldfrapp hit is based.
The fourth cd features
unreleased tracks, rarities and demo’s many released for the first time
including a version of The Normal’s Warm Leatherette where an outtake from
1980s Rock Hard album is giving its first outing. Grace Jones would have a huge hit with it later
the same year.
With well over four hours of music, the collection if
fascinating. One of music’s true legends
finally acknowledged in a career spanning release. The collective also contains the new single
of the same name which lyrically is a clever summary of the beginning of Suzi’s
career and there’s no real reason why it couldn’t be a success for her. Maybe if she sports a 5” Blitz Club quiff and
wears the arse of her jeans round her knees it will be.
PS I still love you Suzi.
9/10
Links
Published on Louder Than War 18/10/14 - here
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