''In the Spotlight'' is the fifteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and bass guitar player

Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of hit singles that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, reaching No. 1 in th ...

. The seeds for the album were sown when

Mike Chapman Michael Donald Chapman (born 13 April 1947) is an Australian-American record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suzi ...

, Quatro's original producer and composer of most of her hits, approached her with plans to take her back to her roots. Their reunion resulted in this modern take on Quatro's original attitude, which shows the influence she has had on modern female artists. "

Strict Machine "Strict Machine" is an electronic dance song written by British electronic music duo Goldfrapp and Nick Batt for Goldfrapp's second studio album, ''Black Cherry (Goldfrapp album), Black Cherry'' (2003). It was produced by Goldfrapp and describes ...

", a song originally performed by

Goldfrapp Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesiser) and Will Gregory (synthesiser). Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize, their ...

, even contains a two line teaser from Quatro's number one hit " Can the Can", to show the similarities of the two tracks. When the album was released, it received many positive reviews—''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

'' rated the album .

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

rated it , commenting that (except for one track): "...''In the Spotlight'' is an impressive comeback, which admirably doesn't rely solely on nostalgia to make itself heard." In September and October 2011, soon after the album was released, Quatro made a 21 performance sold-out ''Rocks the Spotlight Tour'' of Australia, also with great reviews.

Release, promotion, marketing

''In the Spotlight'' was first released in Australia on 5 August 2011. Then the album was released in Germany on 19 August 2011. Finally, it was released in the rest of the world (including the USA) on 29 August 2011.

Victory Tischler-Blue Victory Tischler-Blue (born September 16, 1959) is an American film producer, director, writer, musician and photographer. She was born and raised in Newport Beach, California. Tischler-Blue began working in the entertainment industry at age 17, ...

produced the official music video for

's "

", a track from the album. This track is a cover of

's "Strict Machine", but Quatro's version of the song contains two extra lines from her own number one hit " Can the Can" (to show the similarity of the two songs' tunes). On 16 November 2011 the official music video was released via the ''SUZI QUATRO OFFICIAL'' YouTube channel. It includes live footage from Quatro's September/October 2011 ''Rocks the Spotlight Tour'' of Australia and the extra two lines from "Can the Can".

Critical reception

Germany

Ulf Kubanke reviewed the album for laut.de. He rated the album . Constantin Aravanlis reviewed the album favourably for

Monsters and Critics Monsters and Critics is an online entertainment news website focusing on TV, movies and celebrities. It publishes news, reviews, recaps, interviews, feature articles, explainers, blogs and commentary. The website has been owned by Digital Minefi ...

.de.

Austria

Gerald C. Stocker reviewed the album for ''

The Gap The Gap may refer to: Places Australia * The Gap, New South Wales, a locality near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales * The Gap, Northern Territory, a suburb of Alice Springs, Northern Territory * The Gap, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland ...

''. He rated the album .

United Kingdom

'' magazine rated the album . There were two reviews by Wears the Trousers Magazine. Alan Pedder reviewed the album's single "Whatever Love Is" and went on to comment about some other album tracks. Rhian Jones reviewed the album itself. Pedder commented favourably on two tracks, unfavourably on two tracks, and did not comment on seven tracks. Jones commented favourably (directly or indirectly) on eight tracks, unfavourably on one track, and did not comment on two tracks. Reviewing the single, Pedder wrote that Quatro's "Whatever Love Is"...

"is squarely aimed at her existing fans. ...".

He described "Strict Machine" and "Breaking Dishes" as "ropey covers" but concluded that "Hard Headed Woman"...

"is a much better fit for Quatro’s seasoned, raspy vocals".

By contrast (reviewing the album) Jones wrote about "Breaking Dishes"...

"yielding surprisingly well to a fundamentalist glam treatment and the gutsiness of Quatro’s vocal approach. ...".

She also wrote that Quatro...

"has a decent stab at the wistful rock splendour of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Turn Into’. ...".

Jones concludes that:

"...Despite one or two shaky moments then, ''In The Spotlight'' is a warm and triumphant slice of retro-rock".

United States

Jon O'Brien of

commented favourably on nine tracks, unfavourably on one track, and did not comment on one track. He wrote that Quatro's "Strict Machine" is...

"a guitar-chugging mash-up of Goldfrapp's electro-pop reinvention in "Strict Machine";
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is immediatel ...
her own 1973 U.K. chart-topper "Can the Can," cleverly referencing the subtle similarities between the two; ...".

O'Brien concluded that:

"...A misguided attempt at
cod-reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...
aside ("Hurt with You"), ''In the Spotlight'' is an impressive comeback, which admirably doesn't rely solely on nostalgia to make itself heard".

He rated the album .

Track listing

''In the Spotlight''

The musicians Nat Allison, Jez Davies, Owen Martin, and

contributed to all of the tracks except "Singing with Angels". Note 1 — according to the ''In the Spotlight'' CD booklet, "Morse/Lewis/Walters/Womack" wrote "Hot Kiss". According to AllMusic, the only composers were "Lewis, Morse".
Note 2 — it is generally accepted that Elvis Presley is the original artist for "Hard Headed Woman". Wears the Trousers Magazine (in its reviews of the album and of the associated single "Whatever Love Is") refers to "

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

’s ‘Hard Headed Woman’".

''In the Dark''

Victory Tischler-Blue produced both of the bonus enhanced video tracks.

Personnel

* Nat Allison guitars, backing vocals * Ray Beavis saxophone (on "Hurt with You") * David Bianco recording (of "Strict Machine", "Breaking Dishes", "Hot Kiss", "Turn Into") * Mike Chapman production, backing vocals * Jez Davies keyboards * Pat Doonan official website * Joey Galvan The neighborhood Bullys (on "Strict Machine", "Breaking Dishes", "Hot Kiss", "Turn Into") * Toby Gucklhorn trombone (on "Hurt with You") * Rainer Haas worldwide booking * Dick Hanson trumpet (on "Hurt with You") * Michael Hays The neighborhood Bullys (on "Strict Machine", "Breaking Dishes", "Hot Kiss", "Turn Into") * Steve Kitchen artwork * Owen Martin drums * Davey Meshell production, The neighborhood Bullys (on "Strict Machine", "Breaking Dishes", "Hot Kiss", "Turn Into") * Tex Mosley The neighborhood Bullys (on "Strict Machine", "Breaking Dishes", "Hot Kiss", "Turn Into") * Simon Pilton "support and inspiration" * Suzi Quatro vocals, bass * Daryl Smith artwork * Nick Trepka engineering ;"Singing with Angels" * James Burton guitar * Steve Grant production * The Jordanaires backing vocals * Suzi Quatro vocals, bass * Andy Scott production

Release history

References

External links

;Musicians * "Rock ‘n’ Roll is not just about the clothes you wear..." according t
Nat Allison's official web site
* Jez Davies and Owen Martin are members of The Nat Martin Band. Th
official web site of The Nat Martin Band
says that "collectively the musicians in the band offer a number of different musical influences including

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

Fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

Funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and Classical" ;Guest musicians
Ray Beavis' official website
describes him as a "saxophonist & teacher based in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, UK" * Th
official website of The Neighborhood Bullys
calls them "the best f%$King icrock & roll band in Los Angeles" {{Authority control Suzi Quatro albums 2011 albums 2012 albums Albums produced by Mike Chapman Cherry Red Records albums