Joan Jett One of Rock and Roll's frontline soldiers has a new album and the same firm commitment to her music - May, 1990 by Jon Wedemeyer If I could choose what I wanted to come back in my next life as, one choice would be simple - Joan Jett's guitar. This girl has been driving me crazy for years. The way she plays guitar, the way she sounds, the way she looks and moves is just too hot to watch and not be totally seduced. But that's Joan Jett and that is what Rock & Roll is all about. Rock is honest, rock is passion, rock is sex, danger, rebellion, irreverance, the thrill of the chase, the thrill of surrender and the pain of losing. And underneath it all, relentlessly pushing it, pounding it, driving it, is that sound. Raw, screaming, pounding, unleashed, power. That sound. There are still some musicians out on the front lines playing live, that haven't forgotten this business was built on Rock & Roll. Before it was about business it was all about the attitude and the music. Joan Jett is one of those who haven't forgotten what this business was really built on. She personifies it and she is one of the few who are keeping it real, keeping it honest, exciting and alive. As well as sexy as hell. She takes that sound and makes it her own. Joan burst onto the scene in 1975 when she formed "The Runaways" - THE first all-girl band in Rock and Roll - and they totally blew away a lot of people at the time. "The Runaways" released six LPs and toured the world for three years. Joan developed a fierce guitar sound and wrote much of the group's material. After making their mark and opening the door for other female musicians, "The Runaways" disbanded in 1978. In 1979 Joan met Kenny and Meryl Laguna and together they produced her first solo album, 'Bad Reputation'. Kenny came from working with the "Ohio Express", "Tommy James and the Shondels", "Jay and the Americans" and "1910 Fruit Gum Co." and together they developed a sound that would set the tone for her future LPs. Joan formed a new band, "The Blackhearts" and they released 'Bad Reputation' on the Jett/Laguna label Blackheart Records. 'Bad Reputation' sold 20,000 copies even before it was picked up for distribution and the Philadelphia Inquirer called her "the toughest, grittiest, hardest-working woman in Rock and Roll". Damn straight. In 1981 came the pay-off with the release of 'I Love Rock and Roll'. This critically acclaimed multi-platinum album produced the monster double platinum title track which was a number one record for eight straight weeks. In 1983 Joan released 'Album' which kept the run going with gold sales, and two more hit singles 'Fake Friends' and 'Everyday People'. The next year she released 'Glorious Results of a Mis-spent Youth', again to critical acclaim. Critic Dave Marsh called it "devastating hard rock, as unrepentant as it's title". In September of 1986 Joan Jett released 'Good Music', which spun off 'Roadrunner' amoung other singles. In 1987 she drew critical raves for her performance with Micheal J Fox in the film 'Light of Day'. Time magazine called her "terrific... with her melodramatic dark eyes and mesmerising surliness, Jett has the attitude and gives the performance. Try watching someone else when she is on screen. Can't be done". In May of 1988 Joan released 'Up Your Alley' which spun off another Top Ten single 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' and again hit platinum sales level. That was also the year Joan received her first Grammy nomination in the category of 'Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal'. This year Joan released an album called 'The Hit List'. This is an album made up of covers of hit songs that Joan and the Blackhearts have redone, therein the name. This is an album of songs done the way they should have been done. There were a surprising number of songs on this album which sounded just as good and sometimes better to me than the original versions. Considering the tracks, that's a pretty neat trick. Try 'Love Me Two Times' by "The Doors", 'Up from the Skies' by Hendrix, 'Tush' by "ZZ Top", 'Time Has Come' by "The Chambers Brothers", to name a few. In trying to cover her recent show (which was up to her usual standards) I was disappointed to find out that Joan Jett gives out very few photo passes and keeps a tight lid on publicity. But after thinking about it, it made sense. This is a girl who never has, and never will, compromise her style or her image to go Hollywood for anyone. She tours relentlessly, and seems to prefer to open up for major acts and hold off the superstardom and all the bullshit that comes with it. That is Joan Jett. She is honest, passionate, raw, sexy as hell and more than a little bit dangerous. Joan Jett is Rock and Roll, pure and simple, the way it was and the way it's meant to be. And she plans to keep it just that way thank you.