PAT BENATAR
GET NERVOUS
NOVEMBER 1982
This band is rolling right along, year after year, pumping out full-length albums in record time while meeting the quota set forth in the deal with Chrysalis Records. The song "Shadows Of The Night", along with the video, crept up the charts and dominated the rotation. MTV logged quite a bit of time for the video that saw Benatar do a bit of acting as this was the first full production project. The concept was a WWII woman stuck in a job that she filled due to the men being off at war. She dreams of what life would be like if she was in the trenches of espionage against the Germans. Judge Reinhold and Bill Paxon, hot off the heels of Stripes, make quick appearances.
There is not one bad song on this album, but with all the overly catchy hooks and sing-alongs, the band is in a much needed state of rest. They break away from some of the more rock-oriented themes that existed on the first three releases and format what makes top 40 thrive. It takes a few spins to feel comfortable singing along, but once it grabs it just does not let go.
"The Victim" is a brutal assault that is a welcome relief for those of us who have been accustomed to Giraldo’s grinding guitars blasting over Grombacher’s heart stopping beats. This track could have been placed anywhere on the previous releases and been a better fit. The song is amazing alone or along with some of Benatar’s past songs but seems like a conciliation prize to those who love the power rock of the past. After a closer, more thorough examination, "The Victim" starts with a closely similar guitar line as U2's "I Will Follow" but quickly treads its own path.
Pat Benatar may have wanted to give her vocal chords a bit of a breather as the constant touring takes a toll on them, which is evident in some of her interviews. The songs are pure and she delivers every note impeccably, never smothering or overcompensating. Always a pro even though some of the songs do not live up to some from the past, she produces at the top of her game.
The bass line in "Anxiety (Get Nervous)" sets the pace at excitement for the band to play over, blitzing the speed that works perfectly in conjunction with the theme of the song. Making the listener feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety, it conveys the message the band is aiming for.
After several spins, it is as if the songs have been in the disc jockey rotation for years. It is easy to become seduced and drawn in to their master plan when, before you know it, you are shouting out the title songs along with Pat. ("Fight It Out", "Ill Do It" And "I Want Out.") It is unclear if this was the intention, but it surely is the result.
Myron Grombacher’s "Silent Partner" has so many alternative paths that it could have been written from, it is hard to say if it is a love story or a reflection of how the band is feeling after years of recording and touring under the name Pat Benatar. This is in no way a reflection of Benatar herself, as she has always wanted to be a part of a band not a solo artist.
Whether it was a conscious decision for Pat to step away from the lyric writing process is unclear but in doing so, the rock edginess of past albums is a bit lost in the final product. Neil Giraldo has been a constant figure in the recording studio, delegating the direction and production, so without him most of the past and present releases would be murky, destructive pop creatures that would never venture into the top 100 let alone the top 20.
Contributing five songs may have been too much responsibility adding to the immense amount of work he undertakes to get the best from the band. Forming a partnership with Billy Steinberg, who penned "Precious Time", was a great collaboration but it would be better scattered throughout Benatar’s discography. Too much of a good thing often results in repetition, and in this case, over-the-top theatrical rock masterpiece gone awry.
There are still enough good tunes to recommend a few spins before you make up your own mind. Do not disregard until you have thoroughly exhausted every possible song, because it is then you will find out how good it really is. Fans who have been attracted to some of the more pop-oriented songs sprinkled throughout the past albums will find this a pleasurable treat.
11/29/10
11/82