Joan Jett

Liberated from the Runaways -- the '70s all-girl teen rock group masterminded by impresario Kim Fowley -- lead guitarist Joan Jett brought her own punk attitude to the Gary Glitter school of glam-pop-metal. What you see is what you get with her first two albums: No, Jett doesn't give a damn 'bout her bad reputation and yes, she loves rock & roll. Both discs are lean rock machines, thanks to a mix of inspired covers ("Crimson and Clover") and po-faced, jackhammer-simple originals (the title tracks). Album finds Jett stretching her self-imposed boundaries a bit (see her cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Everyday People"). She retrenches on Good Music; the title track is a backward-gazing Beach Boys tribute. A cover of "Fun, Fun, Fun" fares better, though the best tracks are originals this time: "This Means War," "Just Lust." Up Your Alley brings the chartwise song doctor Desmond Child into the picture, and Jett connects with several of the renowned Bon Jovi collaborator's meaty hooks -- she turns a by-the-numbers heartbreak anthem ("I Hate Myself for Loving You") into a rocking therapy session. The Hit List is entirely composed of covers: newly recorded, if not exactly fresh. There are no surprises, and no letdowns; typical Joan Jett, in other words. Notorious -- a competent but dull set -- could use a few Hit List leftovers.

The '90s saw several Jett reinventions. Even during waning popularity, Jett's Blackheart Records label made small pressings for hard-core devotees, and this dedication to her tougher-than-leather music and fanbase would later pay off. Grungy guitars replaced the usual power chords on Pure and Simple, which witnessed the original riot-chick and Activity Grrrl teaming up with Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna and L7's Donita Sparks and Jennifer Finch. The grrrl-power movement undoubtedly led to a new generation of fans, with the release of retrospectives like Flashback, a collection of rarities, and Fit to Be Tied, a greatest-hits compilation. Radical feminism informed the badass babe's next incarnation: Fetish found a buff-and-butch Jett demanding latex and rough sex on the title track. But the inclusion of bawdier bubblegum covers like "Wooly Bully" and "Hanky Panky" demonstrated that when it comes to raunchy rock-writing, veiled sexuality trumps overt sleaze any day. (CARLA SPARTOS)

From the 2004 The New Rolling Stone Album Guide