Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: Fit To Be Tied

Proto-riot grrl/glam-rocker/crossover metal queen Joan Jett lurks in the gray area between guilty pleasure and true legend. Even people who place her in the "legend" category would be hard-pressed to defend all her material, but then, what legends have done no wrong Fit To Be Tied, a "great hits" compilation, covers her work with The Blackhearts, so don't look for Dancing French Liberals of '48, Evil Stig, or Runaways here. People who categorize Jett as a guilty pleasure will probably be surprised that she has had enough hits to warrant a compilation, but while the number of actual charting hits (including "Crimson And Clover," "I Love Rock N Roll" and "I Hate Myself For Loving You") isn't exactly daunting, Fit To Be Tied is filled with some of Jett's other high points. When one of the best bad-girl stances ever recorded, "Bad Reputation," kicks off the album, you know what you're in for. Jett snarls and yells most of her material, each word dripping with lust, or bile, or even good will, depending on her mood. She claims the album's numerous covers for her own, from Bruce Springsteen's "Light Of Day" to the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme "Love Is All Around." Jett has more genuine presence than most of the female bands who have followed in her wake: Even the mediocre material on Fit To Be Tied is forgivable, if only because even the most boring musical backdrop offers the opportunity to hear Jett holler like she means it.