In the Spotlight
In the Spotlight is the fifteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and bass guitar player Suzi Quatro.
Mike Chapman, her original producer and composer of most of her hits, approached Quatro with plans to take her back to her roots. They made this album which is a modern take on Quatro's original attitude and shows the influence she has had on modern female artists. "Strict Machine", a song originally performed by Goldfrapp, 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 rated the album.
Allmusic rated it, commenting that : "...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 on 29 August 2011.
Victory Tischler-Blue produced the official music video for Suzi Quatro's "Strict Machine", a track from the album. This track is a cover of Goldfrapp's "Strict Machine", but Quatro's version of the song contains two extra lines from her own number one hit "Can the Can".
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.de.
Austria
Gerald C. Stocker reviewed the album for The Gap. He rated the album.United Kingdom
Mojo 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 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 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 Allmusic 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"; 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 aside, 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 Mike Chapman contributed to all of the tracks except "Singing with Angels".| Track | Title | Writer | Guest musician | Original artist | Length |
| 1. | "A Girl Like Me" | Mike Chapman | 4:31 | ||
| 2. | "Whatever Love Is" | Chapman. Holly Knight | 4:44 | ||
| 3. | "Spotlight" | Chapman | 3:21 | ||
| 4. | "Strict Machine" | Allison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory, Nick Batt | The Neighborhood Bullys | Goldfrapp | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Breaking Dishes" | Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash | The Neighborhood Bullys | Rihanna | 4:01 |
| 6. | "Rosie Rose" | Chapman | 4:04 | ||
| 7. | "Hurt with You" | Suzi Quatro | Ray Bevis, Toby Gucklhorn, Dick Hanson | 4:18 | |
| 8. | "Hot Kiss" | Todd Morse, Juliette Lewis, Kemble Walters, Jason Womack See Note 1 below. | The Neighborhood Bullys | Juliette and the Licks | 2:47 |
| 9. | "Turn Into" | Brian Chase, Nicholas Zinner, Karen Orzolek | The Neighborhood Bullys | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 3:48 |
| 10. | "Hard Headed Woman" | Claude Demetrius | Elvis Presley See Note 2 below. | 2:02 | |
| 11. | "Singing with Angels" | Quatro | James Burton, The Jordanaires | 3:54 |
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 refers to "Wanda Jackson’s ‘Hard Headed Woman’".
''In the Dark''
Victory Tischler-Blue produced both of the bonus enhanced video tracks.| Track | Title | Writer | Guest musician | Original artist | Length |
| 1. | "Empty Rooms" | Suzi Quatro | 3:36 | ||
| 2. | "Make Love to Me" | Quatro | 4:06 | ||
| 3. | "Why Do Rainbows Die" | Quatro | 3:53 | ||
| 4. | "Truck Stop" | Quatro | 3:31 | ||
| 5. | "If Ever There Was a Reason" | Quatro | 4:20 | ||
| 6. | "Touch the Child in Me" | Quatro | 3:17 | ||
| 7. | "Three Time Loser" | Quatro | 3:09 | ||
| 8. | "One Dance Too Long" | Quatro | 3:25 | ||
| 9. | "Singing with Angels" | Quatro | James Burton, The Jordanaires | 6:00 | |
| 10. | "Strict Machine" | Allison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory, Nick Batt | The Neighborhood Bullys | Goldfrapp | 3:08 |
Personnel
- Nat Allison guitars, backing vocals
- Ray Beavis saxophone
- David Bianco recording
- Mike Chapman production, backing vocals
- Jez Davies keyboards
- Pat Doonan official website
- Joey Galvan The neighborhood Bullys
- Toby Gucklhorn trombone
- Rainer Haas worldwide booking
- Dick Hanson trumpet
- Michael Hays The neighborhood Bullys
- Steve Kitchen artwork
- Owen Martin drums
- Davey Meshell production, The neighborhood Bullys
- Tex Mosley The neighborhood Bullys
- Simon Pilton "support and inspiration"
- Suzi Quatro vocals, bass
- Daryl Smith artwork
- Nick Trepka engineering
- James Burton guitar
- Steve Grant production
- The Jordanaires backing vocals
- Suzi Quatro vocals, bass
- Andy Scott production
Release history