Rock Star Benatar Weds
PRESS RELEASE
LA TIMES 11/28/82
Benatar Blasts Spectrum fans
Billboard, 4/9/83
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Rock Star Benatar Weds PRESS RELEASE LA TIMES 11/28/82 Benatar Blasts Spectrum fans Billboard, 4/9/83 |
Pat and Neil married Feb. 20th, 1982 in Maui.
CASE: Get Nervous
INSTITUTION: Chrysalis Records
ATTENDING PHYSICIANS: Produced by Neil Geraldo & Peter Coleman
PERSONNEL HISTORY:
Pat Benatar-Lead Vocals
Neil Geraldo-Lead Guitar
Myron Grombacher-drums
Roger Capps-bass
Charlie Giordano-keyboards
PRESENT CONDITION: "Get Nervous"
Shadows of the Night Little Too Late
Looking for a Stranger I'll Do It
Anxiety (Get Nervous) I Want Out
Fight It Out Tell It To Her
The Victim Silent Partner
PAST HISTORY:
In The Heat Of The Night
Crimes of Passion
Precious Time
REMARKS: Grammy Awards
1980-Best Rock Vocal Performance
1981-Best Rock Vocal Performance
CONSULTATION: Management-Rising Star Enterprises
REMARKS:
"PRECIOUS TIME DID EXACTLY THAT FOR THE BAND. IT ALLOWED US THE FREEDOM TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM RECORDING, FROM THE ROAD AND TO BE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. IT GAVE US TIME TO WORK ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS SUCH AS NEIL PRODUCING JOHN WAITE'S FIRST SOLO ALBUM AND MYRON PLAYING ON FREDDIE SALEM'S ALBUM. WE APPRECIATED EACH OTHER MORE WHICH RESULTED IN BRINGING US CLOSER AND WANTING TO GET BACK TO WORK.
WHICH BRINGS US TO GET NERVOUS. WE WANTED TO BE TOGETHER, TO WORK TOGETHER AGAIN, WE HAD NEW IDEAS, A NEW PLAYER (CHARLIE GIORDANO) AND WITH NEIL AND I MARRIED, THE ATMOSPHERE DURING RECORDING WAS A JOY. EVERYONE WAS RELAXED AND HAPPY TO BE WITH EACH OTHER.
NEIL AND BILLY STEINBERG WERE ON A ROLL. THEY WROTE 'ANXIETY' (GET NERVOUS), 'FIGHT IT OUT', 'THE VICTIM' AND 'I WANT OUT'. THE ADDITIONAL FOUR SONGS WERE PICKED FROM HUNDREDS OF TAPES BY OUTSIDE SONG WRITERS (KNOWNS AND UNKNOWNS). THEY ARE ALL GREAT LIVE PERFORMANCE NUMBERS.
THIS BRINGS US TO THE TOUR-- AFTER NOT PLAYING FOR 11 MONTHS WE DID A SURPRISE CLUB DATE AT THE COUNTRY CLUB IN LOS ANGELES, AND A FEW NIGHTS LATER WITH A BRIGHT FULL MOON ABOVE WE PLAYED TO OVER 200,000 PEOPLE AT THE US FESTIVAL. THE PERFECT WAY TO BEGIN A 4 MONTH WORLD WIDE TOUR."
GET READY, GET SET, GET NERVOUS.
Poor Pat. Just look at her. Strait-jacketed in a padded cell, her hair askew and a zombie gaze on her face. Such is the rock 'n' roll life. Don't worry, though, fans. She's only posing for the cover of her new album, and inside she sounds just fine.
In fact, Benatar's fourth LP can challenge her first as her best record. Her versatile voice seldom goes for the sweet and high realms that occasionally graced the debut album. But since she's become entrenched in rock, fighting for ground with the opposite sex, this talented ex-bank clerk has reinforced her position. Her singing has never been more forceful.
More so than the last two albums, Benatar has songs and support to match her abilities. The consistent power of "Get Nervous" owes much to the increased role-- and increased inventiveness--of her husband, guitarist Neil Geraldo. He has written some strong, if not extraordinary, material, and produced an album whose sound is so spare and punchy that it compares well with the best power-pop.
Geraldo's guitar playing has reached a new dimension here, too. He adds several striking touches: The Zeppenlike drive of "The Victim," the lean rhythms of "Anxiety" (which comes closer to new wave than Benatar ever has before), and the European-siren effect on "Shadows of the Night" are among the album's chief pleasures.
Despite its strengths, "Get Nervous" is basically regular rock with most of its customary trademarks. Its most frustrating feature is the way it perpetuates Benatar's stance at the victimized and/or vengeful lover. It'd be interesting to hear her get hold of some lyrics as provoking as say, Chrissie Hynde's. But if this LP doesn't make any advances, it shows Benatar & Co. in full command of their territory.
Benatar Blasts Spectrum fans
by Dave Volpe
To support her fourth album entitled Get Nervous, Pat Benatar made her Spectrum debut last Friday night with a sold out show that left the audience totally satisfied.
Although without her customary one-piece, spandex suit, Benatar upheld her sexy image in a red-leather mini-skirt with a black danskin top.
Benatar's voice was surprisingly strong and smooth. She even hit the high notes in "Promises In the Dark" with relative ease.
Excellent performances were also turned in by drummer Myron Grombacher and guitarist Neil Geraldo who is one of the most stylistic guitarists in pop music today.
Benatar led her four-piece band through the hour and 45 minute show and delighted the young crowd with many of her top hits including "Treat Me Right," "Fire and Ice," "Precious Time," nad "You Better Run."
After a powerful finale consisting of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Promises In the Dark," and "Heartbreaker," the sexy pixie and her band were called back for the first encore (three songs) which ended with the classic "Hell is for Children." Benatar finished the night off with a second encore, "Litte Paradise."
It is easy to see how Pat Benatar has risen to the height of popularity. She has the right combination of talent, charisma, well-produced albums, and promotional packaging that takes full advantage of an appeal that extends to both sexes. Men find her orgasmic, while many women seem to find her adorable, but not threatening or offensive.
But, sex aside, it is very exciting to watch this tiny powerhouse give it all she's got and put it in overdrive as she takes command of the stage and the crowd.
Pat Benatar
Red Rider
Cow Palace, San Francisco
Tickets: $11.50 advance/ $13 day of show
Pixie powerhouse Benatar is the star of the act, but her concerts might well be subtitled "The Pat & Neil Show." Guitarist/husband/songwriter/producer/musical director NEIL!!! Giraldo is obviously the force which bonds the music and stage act together and propels it forward; he is also the idea man whose concepts, arrangements, tricks and turns provide the variety that keeps a Benatar concert from being just another rock anthem shoutfest.
To this end, Geraldo is is nobly assisted by the Benatar band's newest addition, keyboardist Charlie Giordano, who provides a good foil for Geraldo's histrionics and gives Benatar a somewhat more interesting space to romp around in vocally.
The 15-song, 75-minute performance to a sold-out crowd of zealots Mar. 19 covered just about every number a Benatar fan could want, and the all-out zest and fire of the show easily satisfied the lusty crowd.
While the finest moments of the show came when Benatar soared through the purity of her higher register on "We Live for Love," the most riveting moments were provided by the vocal/guitar/keyboard interplay and codas on numbers like "Anxiety," "Precious Time" and "Shadows of the Night," which climaxed with a near brutal cascade of sound.
Benatar's best-known song, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," followed "Shadows" as the set worked towards it's conclusion, and this was appropriate since those two songs represent the two sides of the Benatar coin--one the yearning romantic rocker, the other can't-miss calculation, both equally commercial. These were followed by "Promises in the Dark," "Heartbreaker," and the encores.
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