Pat Benatar - Crimes Of Passion

Released in 1980

The world was first introduced to rocker Pat Benatar in 1979 with her debut album, In the Heat of the Night, and she was quickly embraced for her blend of new wave rock. But it was in 1980 that Pat Benatar proved she was more than an accomplished artist; she was a rarity.

The world of hard rock and metal have always been dominated by men since there are far fewer female singers capable of emitting the powerful vocals required to carry the aggressive music. In Crimes of Passion, Pat Benatar's sophomore release, she showed the world that she was able to play with the big boys and even beat them at their own game.

While her debut album contained some sturdy rockers such as the smash hit Heartbreaker, with Crimes of Passion Pat Benatar upped the ante significantly by pushing aside her previous new wave influences, cranking up the electric guitars and belting out powerful vocals that few female artists could hope to match. Pat Benatar became a radio (and soon MTV) favorite due to her commercial appeal, and the rock arenas embraced her due to her intensity.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Hit Me With Your Best Shot – A wonderfully defiant rock gem that showed the world this was one woman you weren't going to push around.
• Hell Is For Children – This track takes a break from the fun and rebellion of her other songs to make a statement about the dark world of child abuse.
• Prisoner Of Love – A mid-tempo rocker that demonstrates Benatar's ability to weave melody into her work when the mood strikes.

As with most artists and albums, there are a few songs that fail to make a real impression on the listener, though they are solid enough rockers to avoid being brushed with the "filler" condemnation. Pat Benatar's Crimes of Passion rang in the 80's with a fury, and set the groundwork for her domination of the female arena rock world for the first half of the decade.

Rating: 7 stars

Track List Treat Me Right You Better Run Never Wanna Leave You Hit Me With Your Best Shot Hell Is for Children Little Paradise I'm Gonna Follow You Wuthering Heights Prisoner of Love Out of Touch

CD

DVD

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