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JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS "SINNER" (Blackheart)
from: transformonline.com
by Kimberly Rosenbauer
Rock 'n' roll still loves her, too.
JOAN JETT. A master in her own right as one of the premier femme rock artists of the late 20th Century. She has carved such a place for herself in music history with band after female band naming her as their influence over the years. This is why reviewing her newest album, SINNER, is a challenge on many levels. I can’t touch on her artistry and overwhelming musical presence with a 10’ pole. This is JOAN JETT! Once you’ve heard "I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll," you’ve heard the lady and know what she’s about: back in the ‘80s and today. Picking apart some individual songs seems to be my best bet.
The great thing is that JOAN JETT hasn’t lost sight of her signature style in the presence of this and her previous comebacks. She still has that same gritty rock-and-roll voice (like on "Fetish") and still knows how to do punk like on "Change the World." For once, I can say that hearing old school rock on a 2006 album is completely acceptable, because the singer is not trying to redo what has already been done: she was one of the creators and she continues to show others how it’s done.
Easily, "A.C.D.C." is one of the best on the album. It takes you back to the pure rock days of the ‘70s and ‘80s (as in AC/DC). On this song, Joan talks about a loose lady who’s got both girls and guys "all over the world." The guitars are nice and heavy on this one, with simple but strong riffs below the chorus vocals as Ms. Jett screams "AC! DC! She’s got some other lover as well as me." It’s a track with an abundance of energy: a surefire hit.
Unfortunately, though, Joan does try a little too heard to be hip, modern, and cool on "Riddles." Like in an avidly-seeking-new-young-fans kind of way. And this just seems so un-Joan. Here, Joan sings about present day political farces and riddles: "There’s bad stuff happening / and no one does a thing." The melody in the chorus is catchy with a good old "whoa whoa whoa," and the additional use of some hollow political speech clips in the background makes an even stronger statement. But... it just plays as cheesy and overdone. The ending of the song also has Bush’s infamous and erroneous tidbit about fooling him once and not being fooled again, which we’ve all heard a hundred times two years ago. I mean, I get the song – good point – just a little overcooked.
All in all though, JOAN JETT and her BLACKHEARTS have done their years proud. Like in a Rolling Stones kind of way. Joan created her own niche within rock and roll that spawned countless derivatives of styles we know and love today. And what is so great is that she hasn’t lost her touch. It wasn’t just some fluke mixture of sex, drugs, and you-know-what that made it all come together for her back then. Joan’s got rock and roll in her soul that's just not going away.
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