Precious Time

by

Pat Benatar

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Pat Benatar's third album in three years definitely showed signs of the strain of her contractual obligations. While a couple of tracks are absolutely outstanding, it is mostly a poor cousin to her first two. The song-writing is often shakey and the lyrics, particularly, too often tend toward being naff.

Generally, it continues the stylistic approach of its predecessor, `Crimes of Passion', including having Keith Olsen at the production desk again. Though, he is joined this time by her very talented guitarist, co-writer and partner, Neil Geraldo. The triumvirate of Benatar, Geraldo and drummer Myron Grombacher again power the record, but despite its soaring high points, there is something limp about it in total.

This album screeches out of the gates with the savagery of its opener, `Promises in the Dark'. Benatar's vocals have possibly never been as screamingly hard rock as they are on this superb song. With its melodramatically threatening lyrics and searing guitar, it sets up the raw conviction with which she delivers all of the songs on this flawed record. It is followed by the slower paced, but equally dramatic and impressive `Fire and Ice'. The harshly handled cover of the 1967 Paul Revere and the Raiders hit, `Just Like Me', continues the pace and attack before things drop off with corporate songwriter, Bill Steinberg's mundane `Precious Time' - though Benatar's vocal performance rescues it from mediocrity. The first side/half finishes on another high with Neil Geraldo's bitchy hard rock reggae fusion, `It's A Tuff Life'. Unfortunately, other than a suitably aggressive closing cover of The Beatles' `Helter Skelter', the rest of the songs feel rushed and underwritten, verging on being downright poor at times (`Evil Genius', `Hard to Believe').

The cover art tended to indicate a disconnect between her music and her visual image as well - aggressive hard rock and slightly conservative high fashion? It was just a bit too off track to qualify as surprising. The 2006 remaster is strong and clear.