Girlschool - Hit And Run (Bronze) 1981

SIDE ONE
1.   C'mon Let's Go
2.   The Hunter
3.   (I'm Your) Victim
4.   Kick It Down
5.   Following The Crowd

SIDE TWO
6.   Tush
7.   Hit And Run
8.   Watch Your Step
9.   Back To Start
10. Yeah Right
11. Future Flash

I always looked at Girlschool as the all-female rock and roll counterpart to Motorhead. "Hit and Run" was the band's sophomore release and continues in a similar mode to the debut. This is raw heavy metal played by four 'lases' who are just having a good time and providing the soundtrack to that good time. The songs are simple and memorable with a slight punk edge. Despite being lumped in with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, of which Girlschool were definitely a part, they had more in common with the punk movement and Motorhead than they did bands like Iron Maiden and Venom or the more pop oriented bands like Def Leppard. "Hit and Run" is Girlschool at its most raw, rude, intense, heaviest and fastest. Songs like "Yeah Right", "Come on Let's Go" and the punk-ish "Watch Your Step" were utterly heavy for their time. By modern standards (and metal history revisionists) this style of hard hitting rock and roll wouldn't even be considered heavy metal. However in 1981, this was cutting edge heavy metal. "Tush" is a cover version of the popular ZZ Top song.

Own an original vinyl copy. Looking to snag a remastered CD version of this album as well.

Girlschool - Screaming Blue Murder (Bronze) 1982

SIDE ONE
1. Screaming Blue Murder (3:34)
2. Live With Me (3:20)
3. Take It From Me (2:51)
4. Wildlife (2:48)
5. It Turns Your Head Around (3:08)

SIDE TWO
6. Don't Call It Love (3:42)
7. Hellrazor (2:38)
8. When Your Blood Runs Cold (3:23)
9. You Got Me (3:16)
10. Flesh & Blood (2:27)

Third album from the queens of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. There was a lineup change when bassist Enid Williams was replaced by The Killjoy’s Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston. The album features one of the Girlschool's heaviest tracks to date, the title "Screaming Blue Murder". The song boasts a raging chorus and vicious guitar riffs. "Live With Me" is a Stones cover, given the Girlschool heavy metal treatement. "Take It From Me" has an infectious chorus and a nice lead break. There is much to like about "Screaming Blue Murder". It's hard to believe that fans of Girlschool would be disappointed. However, as I recall, the album is considered a disappointment following the bands awesome "Hit and Run". Frankly I don't get it. All the ingredients are here; biting guitar riffs, hooky choruses, punk attitude, denim, leather and lipstick! What more does anyone want? 

Girlschool - Play Dirty (Bronze) 1983

1. Going Under (4:16)
2. High n Dry (3:09)
3. Play Dirty (5:03)
4. 20th Century Boy (3:28)
5. Breaking All the Rules (3:02)
6. Burning in the Heat (3:19)
7. Surrender (3:23)
8. Rock Me Shock Me (4:28)
9. Running for Cover (3:11)
10. Breakout (Knob in the Media) (3:23)
BONUS TRACKS
11. 1 2 3 4 Rock n Roll (3:32)
12. Don't Call It Love (new version) (3:23)
13. Tush (new version) (2:13)
14. Like It Like That (3:28)
15. 1 2 3 4 Rock n Roll (12" extended version) (4:32)

Play Dirty is the fourth studio album by New Wave of British heavy metal band, Girlschool, produced by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea from the seminal English band Slade.

As much as I am a huge fan of this band, "Play Dirty" is easily the worst that Girlschool had to offer. Girlschool always had that heavy edge and punk-attitude. For the most part that vibe is completely gone here and replaced by a clean pop-metal sound. Unfortunately the songs aren't even all that memorable and some are downright hard to listen to. The first two tracks alone sound more like something Vixen might have recorded than the mighty Girlschool. "Going Under" is a fairly riff-driven metal song but is drug down by the glossy production that robs the song of it's heavy edge. "Burning in the Heat" was one of the singles off this album and one of  the more memorable songs on the album. It was written by Noddy Holder. The title track was the other single for the album and it isn't bad in it's own cheesy way. "Surrender" is a synth-soaked 80s "power" ballad and is easily one of the worst songs on the album. It is horribly cheesy 80's pop. The album ends with a couple rockers that are all but ruined by the production, which again robs the songs of the heavy edge they should have had. "Breakout" is easily the best of the bunch and one of the most enjoyable songs on the album. Apparently guitarist Kelly Johnson didn't care for the direction the band took here either and split not long after, moving to the United States. 

The CD features several b-side bonus tracks including 2 versions of "1 2 3 4 Rock n Roll". This track sounds more like something Joan Jett would have recorded in the 80's with the clap box and hooky gang chorus. I'm fairly sure the song is a cover and was not written by Girlschool. Regardless it is an incredibly catchy song. In fact, I wonder if Joan had recorded this song in 1983 if it might have been a hit. Of course, "Tush" is a cover a classic ZZ Top song. 

Girlschool - Take a Bite (GWR/Enigma) 1988

1.   Action (3:05)
2.   Fox on the Run (3:54)
3.   Girls on Top (3:51)
4.   Tear It Up (3:54)
5.   Love at First Bite (3:48)
6.   Head Over Heels (3:34)
7.   Up All Night (3:13)
8.   This Time (3:22)
9.   Don't Walk Away (4:04)
10. Too Hot to Handle (3:49)

"Take A Bite" is Girlschool's seventh album and at this point there are only two original members left, guitarist Kim McAulliffe and drummer Denise Dufort. The album follows on the heels of the excellent "Nightmare at Maple Cross" in which the band attempted a returned to their classic, early 80's sound. While I would not say "Take A Bite" is a complete return to the biker metal of the first two or three records, what  this album offers is a compelling mix of Sweet, Slade, perhaps some Runaways and of course, Motörhead. As a matter of fact, it's been said that the song "Head over Heels" contains a portion of lyrics written by Motörhead bassist Lemmy on a napkin during a night out in a pub with McAuliffe. Raw, biting British heavy metal with a punk-like delivery. The album is packed full of tight grooves, catchy riffs and super hooky songs. Album opener "Action" should have been a hit single for the band. The album contains also the cover of The Sweet's single "Fox on the Run", which apparently was chosen as a single for the album. If "Action" wasn't chosen as a single, it should have been. "Girls on Top" and "Head Over Heels" are two other standout tracks with biting guitars and big hooks. The album ends with "Too Hot To Handle", which is not a cover of the classic UFO song, though that would have been cool. Rather it's another upbeat pop-laden metal number. "Take A Bite" is far from a fan favorite from Girlschool, but I personally think it's one of their best. It doesn't top the first couple records, but it comes close. 

Girlschool (Progressive) 1992 1. "My Ambition" (4:27) 2. "One More" (3:12) 3. "Can't Say No" (3:48) 4. "Wild at Heart" (3:49) 5. "Can't Do That" (4:31) 6. "We Came" (3:49) 7. "Can't Keep a Good Girl Down" (3:51) 8. "Sitting Pretty" (4:00) 9. "On My Way" (4:20) 10. "Take Me I'm Yours" (3:27)

Girlschool Guitarists Jackie Chambers and Kim McAuliffe

My first exposure to Girlschool was the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" EP, which was a collaboration between Motorhead and Girlschool. Soon after I discovered albums like "Hit & Run" and "Demolition". However, over time, as I sold off my old vinyl collection and began collecting CDs, I had sort of forgotten about this classic NWOBHM band. When I stumbled upon this CD in the used bins for a mere $3.99, I snatched it up. My expectations weren't real high, being that this was a "newer" album by Girlschool and somehow I expected something less than what they were in the 80's. To my delight, this disc is pretty darn good. Essentially it sounds like classic Girlschool, which has always been a mixture of punk and metal, not unlike Motorhead. Album opener "My Ambition", "Cant Do That", "We Came" and album closer "Take Me I'm Yours" could very well be considered classic Girlschool. Had any of these tracks been released during the rise of the NWOBHM, I am sure they would have been fan favorites. Both songs are heavy and aggressive. There are some less aggressive moments such as "Sitting Pretty" which has a slight Southern rock vibe, due to some slide guitar work. "On My Way" is a mid-paced hard rock song with a melodic chorus. Girlschool's self titled CD is a solid slab of metal and one of their more underrated albums in their catalog.

Girlschool - The Collection (Sanctuary) 1998

DISC ONE
1. Take It All Away [Single Version] (3:13)
2. It Could Be Better (2:55)
3. Emergency (2:50)
4. Furniture Fire (3:01)
5. Nothing To Lose (3:14)
6. Baby Doll (4:14)
7. Race With The Devil (2:52)
8. Take It All Away (3:45)
9. Yeah Right (3:21)
10. The Hunter (3:16)
11. Please Don't Touch (2:48)
12. Emergency [Motörhead feat. Denise Dufort] (2:59)
13. Bomber (3:36)
14. Hit And Run (3:04)
15. Tonight (2:34)
16. C'mon Let's Go (3:35)
17. Tonight [live] (2:33)
18. Demolition Boys [live] (3:38)
19. Don't Call It Love (3:23)
20. Wildlife (1:15)
21. Don't Stop (1:22)
22. 1-2-3-4 Rock 'n' Roll (4:32)
23. Tush (2:13)
24. 20th Century Boy (3:29)
25. Breaking The Rules (3:02)

DISC TWO
1. I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am) (3:53)
2. Burning In The Heat (3:20)
3. Surrender (3:24)
4. Never Too Late (3:22
5. Demolition Boys (3:41)
6. Kick It Down (3:04)
7. Screaming Blue Murder (3:22)
8. Flesh And Blood (2:17)
9. Play Dirty (5:05)
10. I Like It Like That (3:27)
11. Play With Fire (2:41)
12. Tiger Feet (4:33)
13. Fox On The Run (3:53)
14. Head Over Heels (3:33)
15. This Time (3:22)
16. Too Hot To Handle (3:50)
17. All Day All Night (3:08)
18. Up All Night [live] (3:11)
19. Action [live] (3:22)
20. Future Flash [live] (3:40)
21. Back For More [live] (3:08)
22. Yeah Right! [live] (3:33)

Girlschool were among the first all female heavy metal band's to emerge from the NWOBHM scene of the late 1970's and early 1980's. The band was originally formed in South London during 1977 by bassist Enid Williams and vocalist/guitarist Kim McAuliffe. While The Runaways preceded them by a few years, but there is not doubt that Girlschool rocked harder. Girlschool's "The Collection" combines some of the band's best work, including most of the band's early singles from 1979 and 1980. As a matter of fact, the first six tracks on disc one are those singles. This collection is about as comprehensive a collection as any fan could ask for. It features a 47 tracks collected on 2 discs. As might be expected, the band's first two albums are heavily represented. However, in addition to songs from the studio albums, "the Collection" includes b-sides, live tracks, and several covers (ZZ Top, Sweet, T.Rex, Slade, among others). It also includes the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre tracks that the band recorded with Motörhead. Their cover of "Bomber" has long been a favorite track of mine. The collaboration on "Shake So Much" is also an outstanding song from this EP. Fortunately Motörhead cover of "Emergency" is included as well.

Some of my other favorite tracks are "Race with the Devil", the original version of "Emergency", "Yeah Right"., "Hit and Run" and the covers of ZZ Top's "Tush" and T.Rex's "20th Century Boy". Something I was unaware of until this compilation is that "Race With the Devil" is actually a cover of The Gun, a psychadelic rock band from the late 60's. I had always assumed that it was an original song. I've always thought that early Girlschool had a slight punk edge to them. A track like "Yeah Right", "C'mon Let's Go", "Demolition Boys" or even "Emergency" would sound just as at home on a Ramones album as it does on Girlschool's "The Collection".

The material on "The Collection" has been digitally remastered and sounds great. Of course, nothing beats the warm sound of vinyl when it comes to these classic NWOBHM bands, but this compilation still delivers. The CD also features a nice booklet with tons of photos and info on the band.

List of cover songs:
"Race with the Devil" (The Gun cover)
"Bomber" (Motörhead cover)
"Tush" (ZZ Top Cover)
"20th Century Boy" (T. Rex Cover)
"Burning In The Heat" (Slade Cover)
"Tiger Feet" (Mud Cover)
"Fox On The Run" (Sweet Cover)

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