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"Back To The Cave" demonstrates Lita's fiery guitar-playing abilities and a sound that outdoes Slippery When Wet-era Bon Jovi, but then, she ups the mileage on the next song. "Can't Catch Me" with its express train guitar and organ keyboards is by far the best song here. Small wonder, as Motorhead's Lemmy wrote this. The sound more than makes Lita's point that she's no Sandra Dee, nobody to pushed around, and someone who appreciates a little taste.

The Chapman-penned "Blueberry" is a guitar rocker with Ron Nevison-like keyboard fills, but nothing that dilutes the metal in this song. With a refrain like "I'll be blue for you" and a line, "I take him hard, make it hard against the wall," well, figure it out.

Then comes the single that got Lita into the Top 40 for the first time. With metal guitar riffs and keyboards, but with pop sensibilities without diluting its power, "Kiss Me Deadly" seemed to be one exception to non-thrash groups that weren't churning out pop metal but still making it in the charts--I count Def Leppard, Cinderella and Motley Crue as other heavier than average charting groups, for example.

Which reminds me; "Falling In And Out Of Love" was co-written by Nikki Sixx of the Crue, where the protagonist does the title in her daydreams and fantasies after a real love yielded a cold winter.

"Fatal Passion" ends the heavy metal streak on this album, as things become more tempered soundwise and thematically for the next three songs, starting with the haunting keyboards and drums of "Under The Gun," soon to be accompanied by guitar.

Seeking some solace after the disillusionment of "Broken Dreams" and longing for a naive idealistic outlook of yesterday is underscored by a heavy guitar and keyboards.

The final song, "Close My Eyes Forever," a sobering and melancholy song of betrayal and regret that drove one to death was both sung and written by Lita and Ozzy, with terminal overtones: "And when we sleep, would you shelter me/in your warm and darkened grave." A tragic operatic aura of a final sleep is created by the synths in the last chorus repeat. Given what Ozzy went through with the "Suicide Solution" trials, I was surprised no-one went after him and Lita for this song.

In the early 80's, it was impossible for Lita Ford to get into the mainstream. In 1988, with groups like Bon Jovi, Europe, Poison, and Motley Crue having paved the way for hard rock/metal for mass acceptance, it was possible for Lita, and with results that outdid most male metal bands. Third time's the charm, with some deadly kissing metal.


Not a metal singer, THE metal singer!   September 10, 1999
 4 out of 6 found this review helpful

Think of any heavy metal band out there, then forget them. There is no-one like Lita. No other woman (except Bonnie Raitt) can play the guitar like this woman. "Lita" is better than any Metallica album, any Def Leppard album, and basically any metal album you can think of. The two greatest heavy rockers out there (Ford & Osbourne) even collaborate on the power ballad "Close My Eyes Forever." There just isn't metal like this anymore. Come back Lita! We miss you!


Kiss me once......   August 12, 1999
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Awesome album from an awesome singer and guitar player! On this album, Lita works with Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy from Motorhead and Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx. Of course this album kicks ass, like all of her records. This is another must add to collection!