Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Pretty Reckless - Hit Me Like A Man EP

I've already mentioned how my daughter Ashlee got me into the Pretty Reckless. I heard her play a couple of tracks on Youtube, and was impressed enough to go looking for some of their CDs for her, for Christmas. I came across three discs in my search. The first was the album Light Me Up, then there was two EPs. I opted for Hit Me Like A Man, since the title sounded so Hard Rock.

The album opens with a live version of Make Me Wanna Die. I can think of other tracks from Light Me Up I would rather have heard live, but this is really good. The energy is positive, the playing is good, and the vibe is rockin'. I can easily picture the place bopping up and down.

Then is the EP's title track. Musically it sounds pretty close to My Medicine from their full length album. But with a bit more swagger and back alley kick assery. Lyrically it's everything Good Hard Rock should be. I really would love to see this band on tour with Motorhead. "I am strong, love is evil / It's a version of perversion that is only for the lucky people / Take your time and do with me what you will / I won't mind, you know I'm ill, you know I'm ill / So hit me like a man and love me like a woman / Buried and sad, look me in the eyes, I want it / One will give you hell, one will give you heaven / Hit me like a man, love me like a woman / Love me like a woman / Love is strong, but I am evil / You are wrong, about me / Take your time, ah, play with me until / You can hear the children scream, like their stuck inside a dream / That you, ah, will / So hit me like a man, love me like a woman / Bury me alive, I can see it in your eyes, you want it / Some will give you pain, some will give you pleasure / Hit me like a man, love me like a woman / Love me like a woman / Don't you run away, run away from me, I will run away from you / Don't you run away, run away from me, I will run away from you / Hit me like a man, love me like a woman / From the devil deep inside, can't you see what I'm wanting? / Some will give you hell, some will give you heaven / So hit me like a man, love me like a woman / Love me like a woman / Love me like a woman / Love me like a woman, ow!" Also Taylor Momsen's vocal performance on this track is so kick ass. She's no Ann Wilson, but can blow most of the Pop tarts out of the water.

After only two listens I'm still on the fence about Under The Water. It reminds me a bit too much of Evenescence, but not as over produced and atypical sounding. This is one of those tracks that I think would sound better on a Pink album.

Since You're Gone (Live In London) let's me know that the band can perform just as well live as they can on the album. Once again, not one of the songs I would have wanted to hear live, but it works all the same for me.

The EP finishes with Cold Blooded. This is a mighty dark and dingy Blues track. It sounds like it just slithered out of a bar right before the next night's opening. I want to say imagine AC/DC's Night Prowler, mixed with Alice Cooper's Might As Well Be On Mars, with a little of ZZ Top's Blue Jean Blues, and then dueted.

I would have liked to have heard more new material and less live material, or at least live material that wasn't on the Light Me Up album. I should also mention that the band's other EP is a self titled album, that contains four of the better songs from the Light Me Up album.

This album is once again produced by Kato Khandwala, who also plays guitar on the studio tracks, and takes care of the programming for the live tracks. I guess that he pretty much is the band's unofficial fifth member. I will say that he does a really good job, and as time moves on his production gets better. The three studio tracks on this album sound better than the last album did. To the point of reminding me a lot of Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid or Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears.

Basically if it weren't for the live tracks this EP would have scored higher.

7/10 - content

7/10 - production

8/10 - personal bias

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