She’s one of the greatest guitar players alive today. Her career started as early as 16. She’s one of the most successful of the Runaways. The rocker of the band through and through. And it translated into a fairly successful career in the 80’s. As she was one of the biggest names in guitar playing period. With her eclectic collection of guitars. I’m talking of course, about the legendary Lita Ford. The REAL QUEEN of Rock!
Ford started her mainstream career as the lead guitar player of an all female rock group called The Runaways. A group that legendary producer and manager Kim Fowley put together. The band lasted from ’76-’79 due to artistic differences. The main one being a split between punk and traditional hard rock/metal. Ford favored the latter whist fellow member Joan Jett the former.
In 1983 her first album ‘Out for Blood’ was released. And it’s very clear that she was listening to a lot of Motley Crue at time. As the album cover clearly indicates. It’s not a copy cat album or anything. Either way, it’s a great album. An extremely underrated gem in my opinion. Of course, we could get into some of the politics of the musical direction Ford took as to why she didn’t explode right out of the gate with her solo career. But that’s for later. The title track for ‘Out for Blood’ opens the album with a classic 80’s hard rock ripper. And the following track ‘Stay with Me Baby’ has some excellent vocal hooks and harmonies. As good as anyone at the time without a doubt. Maybe superior to a lot of her more successful peers. Don’t get me wrong, Ford wasn’t a failure by any means. But I just feel that she got a little snubbed at the beginning of her solo career. But then again, so did many others in the 80’s. The ballad ‘Just A Feeling’ is a classic 80’s ballad. And really, it was released before the whole monster ballad craze happened. Which would make her a pioneer.
‘Die for Me Only (Black Widow)’ has a really bad ass breakdown moment in it. Ford just throws it down hard!
Ford’s solo career soldiered on despite poor album sales for ‘Out for Blood’. Her second album ‘Dancin’ on the Edge’ still wasn’t the blockbuster is should have been. But it did perform much better than ‘Out for Blood’. It contained the hits ‘Fire in My Heart’ and ‘Gotta Let Go’. The latter of which got to number one on the rock mainstream charts. And it’s no wonder why. It’s a perfectly tailored song for the time. Super anthem chorus, solid hard rock riff, phat ass drums, great vocal melodies and harmonies. It’s the formula. And Ford is a master at it. But ‘Dancing On the Edge’ also contains some awesome awesome deep cut tracks. ‘Dressed to Kill’ is a monster riff. With that funky hard rock beat and 80’s melody. It’s so tasty. ‘Hit ‘N Run’ is just so 80’s! And it’s great. The big catchy riff. The power chords during the verses. And the ballads are also excellent. ‘Still Waiting’ is a ballad that packs punch whilst ‘Don’t Let Me Down Tonight’ sounds like a heavy metal version of Stevie Nicks. And of course, there’s guitar solo’s abound.
And of course, we all know what happened after ‘Dancin’ On The Edge’. Ford singed with Sharon Osbourne Management and then released her most successful album. It’s what you think it would be for someone who’s signed to Sharon Osbourne Management in 1988. A heavily glossed, mega produced 80’s pop metal album. Simply entitled ‘Lita’, it contained her most successful single. A duet with Ozzy Osbourne (surprise!!) called ‘Close My Eyes Forever’. The music video was a smash and the song reached number eight on the US hot 100. Now, just because the album is super duper polished and typical of it’s time that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Yes, it doesn’t hit quite as hard as her previous two albums. But it has it’s moments. ‘Back to the Cave’ is a great opener. And the following ‘Can’t Catch Me’ really turns up the heat in an unexpected way. ‘Blueberry’ is a majorly catchy pop/hard rock song. Really in league with Stevie Nicks. The album is certainly more in that direction as a whole. Lots of keyboards. Again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Most of the keys are very effective. Such as on tracks like ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ and the rocker ‘Fatal Passion’. But sometimes they’re unnecessary such as on the track ‘Falling In and Out of Love’. That song would be totally bad ass without the annoying keyboard overtones. Either way it’s a solid album and is without a doubt her most recognized and successful.
Ford would never regain the amount of success that brought by her self titled album. The follow up, ‘Stiletto’ didn’t even come close to achieving the same amount of success. There’s still some decent songs on the record though. As there are with all of Lita Ford’s albums. It’s much more raw album than it’s predecessors. ‘Hungry’ has some keys but is mostly stripped of the 80’s reverb gloss. In fact, the keys on ‘Hungry’ are actually quite innovative for the 90’s. ‘Dedication’ is one of the most reverb moments on the album. But it’s a stand out track in the sense of how it’s produced. It doesn’t really sound like it belongs on the album. The title track is an excellent mid tempo rock track. The ballad ‘Lisa’ was a moderate hit. A song dedicated to her mother. The rest of the album is actually quite high quality. ‘The Ripper’ is a great palm mute riff. Her cover of ‘Only Women Bleed’ is hair raising.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzdku4HH3As
The next album ‘Dangerous Curves’ was more of a return to form. A slick, highly produced pop metal album. And it came out at the worse possible time, the year 1991. Ford brought in producer Tom Werman who produced Motley Crue’s ‘Girls Girls Girls’ album. Among other 80’s smash hit albums. But again, over produced doesn’t mean bad. The songs rip. And Ford really lets her guitar capabilities fly. It’s a very consistent record. ‘Larger than Life’ and ‘What Do Ya Know About Love’ are a one two hard rocking punch. Certainly the kind of songs that would have fared better had they been released five years prior. I mean, at the end of the day, the whole album would have fared better. ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Playin’ with Fire’ have the big sing along chorus anthems that were becoming seen as lame. ‘Hellbound Train’ is a good groovy hard rocker. ‘Tambourine Dream’ has a fantastic melody in the chorus before giving way to a bluesy, hard rocking verse. All in all a good album. But again, not the right time for it to be released. And the sales lacked greatly.
Ford would release one more album before her hiatus. 1995’s ‘Black’. And yes, it’s very grunge influenced. And the album really benefits from it. Because at the end of the day Lita Ford is just a great songwriter. And she doesn’t need all the gloss and production to show how bad ass she is. And this is the album that shows it. The opening title track is a perfect example. The following track ‘Fall’ sounds like it could belong on a Soundgarden album. ‘Loverman’ has that 90’s hard rock ballad twang to it. ‘Killin’ Kind’ is a more traditional ballad. But still has that 90’s sound to it. ‘Boilin’ Point’ maybe Ford’s heaviest moment. It’s a pretty heavy guitar tone. That thick distortion combined with a driving punkish metal drum beat. ‘White Lightin” is just bad ass. Nothing else to say about that track. There’s other great deep cuts as well. ‘Joe’ swings hard and cool at the same time. ‘Smokin’ Toads’ sounds like Kim Thayil came into the studio for a track. And the album closes with the funky rock jam ‘Spider Monkeys’. All in all this is my fave Lita Ford album. Just great, stripped down hard rock to it’s core.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h9N64uwGkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6zKZ1JyCWE
For from then on Ford we be on hiatus. Mostly helping raise her two boys and would not return with an album until 2009. ‘Wicked Wonderland’ is just classic Ford. She just went in not caring about what was popular and did what she does best, ROCK! Yes, there’s a pinch of Nu Metal in there. But all in all it’s a solid Lita Ford album. And since the release she’s been on an in and out streak. Releasing another album, 2012’s appropriately titled ‘Living Like a Runaway’. It’s one of many high quality hard rock releases from the veteran rockers of the 80’s that’s come out recently. ‘Branded’, ‘Hate’, ‘The Mask’. All pure Lita Ford through and through. ‘Devil in My Head’ kicks so much ass along with ‘Relentless’. The title track is very significant. A nod to making amends wither her former Runaway’s band mates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIADWtQEzQA
Ford is truly one of the greats in hard rock and metal. The REAL QUEEN of rock. None of that ‘I have to soften my sound because I’m a female’. Real hard rock and roll, no bones about it. And that’s what really makes her special. She became successful in an industry dominated by men. Particularly at a time when it was dominated by men. And she just did it and fit. Didn’t take any shit and rocked. Because she’s freakin’ talented and she relied on that and it worked. Also whilst being incredibly sexy. Hopefully Nita Strauss can keep the legacy going and growing. Salute to this Lady of metal: Lita Ford! TURN IT UP!
