=
In the heat of the night, when you know it ain't right
But you do what you wanna do
You do what you feel, no one can feel like you
Out in the summertime city, ain't it a pity
There's so much to tie you down
You're leaving tonight to somewhere you can't be found
While down at the edge of town
At a pool hall where they all hang around
You hear them talkin' about the girls they knew
And talk about what they're gonna do
Then you ask yourself, is this where you belong?
Is it right, or is it wrong?
Does it matter what's right
In the heat of the night?
=

Pat Benatar is 50% sweetheart, 50% bad-ass, and 100% woman. In the late-70s, Benatar was the last in a slew of female rock singers to make their marks on the charts. Following suit of Chrissy Hynde and Joan Jett, both of whom influenced by Deborah Harry, Pat brought her insane charisma to the table and paired it up with an octave-breaking voice that's just as powerful on disc as it is in person. Last night at the Bank of America Pavilion in my hometown of Boston, MA, I was treated to a night of female power-rock that kept me in the groove all night long. Starting off with opening act The Donnas, moving on to the ground-breaking Blondie, and finishing on Pat herself, it was a night of musical magic and aurgasms all over the damn place. I've always been a casual Pat fan that just needed her greatest hits but not much else-- that was until I got the chance to hear her blow my ears clear off my skull in person. Rocking right in the front, Pat took me and threw me on my head with her power-house vocals, which sound about 1,000 times better now than she did in the 80s. Though I got my tickets to see Deborah Harry, one of my all-time favorite musical icons, Pat stole the show and stole my heart. It's only appropriate that I delve into her long discography.

On stage, Pat and her husband/guitar, the amazing Neil "Spyder" Giraldo, told the story of how the band got their start-- as it turns out, Pat's debut In the Heat of the Night was recorded in about a month, which may explain the abundance of covers. But despite the fact that Pat only flexes her songwriting muscle only a few times on this record, its her new style of rock music that keeps me entertained. Particularly, her voice is crazy, and right from the get go you can hear that this chick meant business and wasn't gonna take your crap. Released in 1979, Pat was the last rocker chick to arrive to the scene, but she holds her own with her debut, which features her voice doing backflips all over the place. Heartbreaker, one of Pat's signature tracks, features her harder edge that makes her one of the coolest women in music today. Re-worked from a song based on British colloquial phrases, Pat takes it to the next level with her boot-stomping, wall-punching attitude. This is Pat's song, and nobody's gonna tell her otherwise: "Heartbreaker! Dream-maker! Love-taker, don't you mess around with me!" The bass at the concert may have coughed up my heart directly from my rib-cage, but the album version still holds a punch all its own. I've said before that rush-jobs can swing both ways, but I do tend to like their raw charm. You have to go by instinct and perform it like it's your last time in front of microphone. That's the vibe you get from In the Heat of the Night, which actually makes a John Mellancamp song (I Need a Lover) into something that's enjoyable! One of the best tracks on the record is by far the cover of Nick Gilder's sarcastically delicious Rated X, which pretty much sums up music at this time. I'd have to say that this album falls into my favorite category of experimental rock/pop music that started around this time and ended in '84. No You Don't is hot and bothered with some very angry and guttural vocals-- this is Pat showing how versatile her voice is. She can be this gritty girl that makes Courtney Love look like a fool, or she can be operatic and theatrical as displayed on We Live For Love.

One of the few times Pat puts pen to paper is on the absolutely catchy and urgent My Clone Sleeps Alone, which is clever and fun. She also lends her words to the rougher So Sincere, which kind of sounds like the band is just kind of jamming in their studio for fun. The slightly dusty sound on Pat's debut record is one that's endearing and captivating: it leaves you wanting more and more from this woman, who has the ability to change her character at the drop of a hat-- this is something that Deborah wasn't so good at. Pat has the chops to burn up a microphone, and this is rock n roll at its very best with bouncy drums mashed up with energetic guitars and an ass-kickin' attitude. Looking at a tracklist that's 40% other people's material can be a bit disappointing until you pop it in and listen to how powerful Benatar truly is as a bone-fide rock star. It's easy to be born with talent and sing-- it's better when you hone your skills and stretch it out to its limits. Pat worked on this album, and you can hear the effort. Early flashes of her future harmonizing are sprinkled throughout, and Pat established herself effectively with her debut record.

VERDICT
I was lucky enough to see this woman live-- I'm even lucky that I'm in love with music that's not just a bunch of singles hits. This album freaking rocks.

01. Heartbreaker [5 Stars]
02. I Need a Lover [4 Stars]
03. If You Think You Know How to Love Me [3 Stars]
04. In the Heat of the Night [5 Stars]
05. My Clone Sleeps Alone [5 Stars]
06. We Live for Love [5 Stars]
07. Rated X [5 Stars]
08. Don't Let It Show [4 Stars]
09. No You Don't [5 Stars]
10. So Sincere [4 Stars]

Best: Rated X and Heartbreaker
Worst: If You Think You Know How to Love Me

SCORE: 5 STARS (4.5+ )

Recommended: Yes