Back to the Drive

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2006-05-02 rating:
Suzi's Phenomenal Return
Mike Chapman has done Suzi proud with the album title track "back to the drive".
What a fantastic, rip-roaring, full throttle rock song.
Earthshaking power chords, turntable scratching and "heavy mob" backing chants re-create all the energy and excitement of Suzi's early hits...but with a very contemporary twist.
Fantastic fun and an absolute blast!

"15 minutes of fame" is an anthem!
It's impossible not to sing along to this one, it's so damned catchy.
There's a lively Irish jig feel to this song, with pipes, fiddles and mandolins, all laid over a punchy, hard rocking beat.
The chorus is riotous, listen to it a couple of times and you'll never get it out of your head!
A potential smash hit.

"duality" opens with a sparkling sitar intro, which explodes into a euphoric, Indipop style sound.
Suzi has torn up the "Quatro" rule book with this fantastic, quirky song. It's a complete breakaway.
Obviously a huge amount of creative thought has been put to good use on this album.
Three songs into the album and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

Time for some good old fashioned, foot tapping, Elvis style rock & roll with "I don't do gentle".
Really nice boogie-woogie piano, which reminds me of some of Suzi's early album tracks like "Rockin' Moonbeam" and "The Honky Tonk Downstairs", coupled with a big band, swing style sound.
Terrific!

Up next the forthcoming single from Ms Q, the excellent melodic rock/pop song "I'll walk through the fire with you", performed as a duet on this album version with daughter Laura Tuckey, who co-wrote the track.
Although their voices and styles are poles apart, just like Suzi, Laura is an extremely talented singer with a big voice and together they compliment each other beautifully.

Suzi's collaboration with Sweet's Andy Scott and Steve Grant is most evident on the following track "wasted moments".
Choppy guitar and bass chug along under Suzi's moody vocal melody.
A ticking clock intro and brooding chord changes give the song an edgy, menacing quality.
Has shades of The Tubes "White Punks On Dope" towards the end.

I first heard Suzi's cover of "rockin' in the free world" on the radio and it absolutely blew me away!
Seriously meaty, hard rocking production with powerful, driving guitars and a solid, heavy drum beat thundering under Suzi's snarling vocals. Proof, if anyone should need it, that Suzi can, and still does rock harder than ever!
Ferocious!

Whenever I heard Suzi play "no choice" live, the chorus always grabbed my attention.
It's a verbal assault, with bolshy, defiant, "all guns blazing" vocals and adrenalin pumping brass horns.
It kind of reminds me of another great song, Elvis Costello's "Pump it up". I loved it instantly!
The verses are a complete contrast.
Acoustic guitars, soft piano, mellow vocals and a beautifully emotive, Celtic lead guitar, which weaves it's way in and out throughout the song , giving it a very melancholy feel.

Any self respecting Quatro aficionado will tell you, Suzi does, in fact, "do gentle" and does it beautifully!
"sometimes love is letting go" is a soulful ballad, steeped in Gospel music.
It reveals a sensitive, introspective side to Suzi's nature and showcases perfectly her versatility as a vocalist.
The backing vocal harmonies on this track, and throughout the entire album, are some of the best I've ever heard on Suzi's records.

Suzi and co-writer Shirley Roden's collaborative piece "dancing in the wind" turns up the heat and really gets things cooking!
At first impressions it's a nostalgic, high-spirited, explosive cocktail of glam rock and rockabilly,
taking us straight back to the golden age of rock 'n' roll.
That is, until the lyrics begin to sink in and you realise they are going in an entirely different direction!
Dynamite!

"free the butterfly" has a real "soft jazz" feel about it
Musically, it's the smoothest, smoochiest sounding track I've ever heard from Suzi.
Definitely one for when the lights are low...or on the car stereo, driving through the night.
The wistful, echoing saxophone is haunting.
Can't draw an exact comparison, but George Michael's "Careless Whisper"/Sade's "Your Love Is King" come to mind.
It's somewhere in that style.
The deeply personal subject matter/lyrical content of the song, concerning Suzi's yearning to be free from her first marriage, make it all the more poignant.
Beautiful song, straight from the heart.

The intro to "born making noise" with the crowd going wild had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up!!
Another incredibly catchy, sing-a-long track.
This uproarious, fun packed, rock & roller brings the album to a close with a monumental bang!
This is Suzi in "wild one" mode, proving, undoubtedly, she is still very much a force to be reckoned with.
Paul Jones is credited with "fab harmonica" on the CD booklet.
"fab" it certainly is and this track is heavy with it.
It's used to full effect, particularly on a blistering harmonica solo.
Superb!

Many thanks to Suzi and all the gang who worked on this album.
For my money it's one of her finest.

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review by: date: 2006-04-07 rating:
back to the drive
absolutely fantastic, a must for any suzi Q fans. She has still got what it takes to get you where the memories count.The tracks are new and can compete with todays music with out any problem. Go girl, age doesnt matter if you have the talent dont deny the public of it. A whole new generation should enjoy.

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review by: date: 2006-03-24 rating:
suzi just sweet
Two of Glam rock finest have got together and relive the 70s in an up to date sound.Well done Andy Scott (Sweet) and Suzi Q .NOW DO A TOUR !!!

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review by: date: 2006-03-23 rating:
The undisputed Queen of rock'n'roll is back!
I've just purchased my copy of "Back To The Drive" from Toombul Music (one of the largest music retail stores in the Southern Hemisphere), and I thought I'd give you a track-by-track analysis on it:

Back To The Drive: Wow!! The intro to this track is electric with the cacophony and Suzi's screaming intro from "Devil Gate Drive" sampled. This track grabs you instantly and is designed to rock your head right into the floorboards. A shame that Nicky Chinn wasn't there to co-write it. But it's quite easily the best song that Suzi has done since "Lipstick". 10/10

15 Minutes Of Fame: There's a nice Greek folk sound to this track, and a very astute look at the disposability of the modern music scene of which Suzi has been one of the survivors. Nice track to sing along to in the pub waving a schooner about. 8/10

Duality: Suzi experiments with an Indian raga before taking it into a psychedelic stoner track. Her sibilant vocals add to the dark and intriguing ambience of this track. 9/10

I Don't Do Gentle: Showing a love for big-band jazz and blues, this reminds me a bit of "Brain Confusion" and "All Shook Up". Definitely one that you can throw your partner over your head and under your legs to on the dancefloor. I love this track! 10/10

I'll Walk Through The Fire With You: I think that Laura could have featured a lot more on lead vocals on this track, and she has a fantastic soulful voice. It's a rather standard 80's sounding track that sounds like it could have been from the "Oh, Suzi Q" album. 7/10

Wasted Moments: The chugging guitar intro to this song rocks, and it's definitely one of the stronger tracks even though it's lyrically sparse. 10/10

Rockin' In The Free World: A cover of the Neil Young song which rocks like the blazes the more you listen to it. I haven't heard the original but Suzi gives it an aggressive meaty treatment. 7/10

No Choice: It's one that needs repeated listening before you can decide whether you love it or hate it. I think it's okay 7/10

Sometimes Love Is Letting Go: One of the few tear-jerking moments from Suzi up there with "Catsize", "Lonely Is The Hardest", and "Starlight Lady". It has a hymn-like stillness to it, and sounds like Bette Midler's "the Rose" in some parts. It's not often we hear this side of Suzi, and I think it'd make a great single. 9/10

Dancing In The Wind: Apart from the intro, this track tends to drag on a bit. Not one of the better songs that she has come up with, but that's my opinion. 6/10

Free The Butterfly: Beautiful, and one of her most personal songs to date. 10/10

Born Making Noise: Great closer to the album, and I love the blues harp playing on it. It sounds a little bit like Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine", except a little faster. That's not a bad thing, since it was one of my favourite songs as a 17-year-old. 9/10

Thanks Suzi, Laura, Len, Andy, Steve, Mike and the others for bringing a smile to my face for the first time in a long time. I hope that this album will do the rounds for Suzi and get her back on the throne again!! :-D


review by: date: 2006-03-11 rating:
SUZI AT HER BEST
Very good album: very good songs, very good performance, very good voice...It's Suzi at her best!
Simply buy it!!

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