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Lita Ford: The Bitch Is Back Live

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal

4.0/5.0

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SPV/Steamhammer Records
Words by Craig Hartranft
10.12.2013

On the strength of her comeback album, last year's Living Like A Runaway, Lita Ford hit the road running to tour in support of it. The Bitch Is Back Live, recorded in October 2012 at Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California, is one audio record of her show. But the first big question, for label SPV/Steamhammer, about this album is, in the day of DVDs, high definition, and surround sound, why didn't they cough up the cash for a visual record? But I digress.

Lita Ford: kicking out the jams.

The Bitch Is Back Live is an hour long set with a good selection of songs from Ford's catalog, and thankfully not including any from the awful Wicked Wonderland. She starts the set with a cover of the Elton John hit, giving it a raw metal edge (included as a bonus track in the Living Like A Runaway digipak). What follows are hits from past to present like Hungry, Can't Catch Me (penned with Lemmy), Out For Blood, and Dancing on the Edge.

Of course, being out in support of a new album, Ford delivers some of the best from Living Like A Runaway including the autobiographical title track, Relentless, a personal favorite of mine, Devil in My Head, and the always creepy Hate about a teen killer. She saves her most popular songs for last, the Ozzy duet Close My Eyes Forever and Kiss Me Deadly, getting the audience involved.

And that's one of the highlights of the show as well, Ford chatting up and encouraging the audience. At first I thought the mix was going to rather shabby at the start; something didn't sound right in the first two songs. But it improved and the album sounds good. Fundamentally, however, even for someone who grew up with the great live albums of 70's and 80's, we should have been treated to both an audio and visual performance. It would have been great to see the 50-something Lita Ford kicking out the jams. Easily recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

The Bitch Is Back Live is an hour long set with a good selection of songs from Lita Ford's catalog, including past and present hits.

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