Fit To Be Tied: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (Bonus Enhanced Footage)

Comments

1. Guest

   July 19, 2015 at 12:00 am

   I bought this a) to get out of one of those "get 12 free if you buy 3" deals. Plus, at the time, b) I had a wife 20 y/o younger than me and well, OK….Anyway, I knew that THE Mick Taylor played "lead" on Joanie’s "I Hate Myself For Lovin’ You." so, well, again, OK. The package arrived; the cover pic (URRP) of Joan looked like she was goin’ thru "chemo," the cancer-variety, not the Rock ‘n Roll variety. And when I had my bass, amp, and battery of pawn shop synths out, all ready to learn the song & jam along with the lady and the great man – I read the liner notes ("BEEN THERE/DONE THAT" RULE #1: ALWAYS READ LINER NOTES), which stated "Hate Myself" was a "remix." UH…oh, I thought. I played it and there was this thin, eerie syntheizer in the background, going "EEEEEEE" all the way thru the song. Uh oh AGAIN – the eighties. And then when the solo was to come up, the "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" went stratospheric, and the solo..totally .non-existent. I fired off an angry email to Polygram, who simply responded, "Well, we said it was a remix." In short – look for a "Greatest Hits" package with a more attractive pic of Joanie on the cover. I see where some scab-merchandisers are offering this for 99 cents. That’s about right. CAVEAT EMPTOR.

2. Guest

   April 13, 2015 at 12:00 am

   Fun high energy rock n roll

3. Guest

   August 7, 2014 at 12:00 am

   EXCELLENT CD. JOAN JETT ROCKS HARD AS EVER. SHE’S THE QUEEN OF ROCK AND ROLL!!!

4. Guest

   June 11, 2013 at 12:00 am

   Joan Jett is the perfect rock’n’roll name–short, clipped, almost blunt. I know her birth name was Joan Marie Larkin, but it was nothing short of genius on young Joan’s part (or whichever handler it might have been) to come up with a name for a girl rocker that wasn’t too cute, too sweet or prissy. Face it, \\”Melissa Etheridge\\” sounds like a folk singer–or a library director. That’s a moniker a woman rocker has to struggle to overcome. But \\”Joan Jett,\\” heck, that’s about as good a rock name as, say, \\”Grace Slick.\\” And it’s alliterative, to boot.

   Speaking of alliteration, I was tempted to entitle this review, \\”Joan Jett, Journeyman Rocker,\\” but then, I couldn’t be sure if \\”JourneyWOMAN\\” wasn’t the more correct term. That seems to be the general critical assessment of her work (i.e. very competant, not always all that inspired). It’s not fair, exactly, but whaddya gonna do? Fans will point out that her (bad)reputation for \\”samey-ness\\” is unfounded. Amid the array of three-chord changes and screechy vocal, are some surprises (three chord changes, with SWEETER vocals, at least–like \\”World of Denial\\”).

   Like most true rockers, Joan Jett has her vocal limitations. She’s not a belter, like Janis, Ann or the above cited Grace. On the other hand, fans of punk, power pop or grunge might be quick to point out that you might more appropriately compare her to Jagger, Iggy or David Johansen. If I were to compare her vocal style and range to any other (more critically acclaimed) woman rocker, it might be Patti Smith. Joan is Patti without the poetry (OR the pretensions). But,admittedly, also without the variety. And while diction in rock music is always a questionable –and quite iffy–matter. you can hardly be faulted for wanting to be able to make out the lyrics a bit better. They sound like they could be kinda interesting.

   Wben you get right down to it though, there’s scarcely a better rock’n’roll anthem on the planet than \\”I Love Rock’n’Roll,\\” and that’s ALL Joan. Whereas Patti Smith might poeticize rock music, Joan Jett just thrashes it out and devil take the hindmost. There’s something to be said for that–actually, quite a lot!

5. Guest

   December 13, 2012 at 12:00 am

   Another one of my favorite rockers. Listened to it over and over. Also love her Roadrunner rendition. Great collection of her stuff.

6. Guest

   October 2, 2007 at 12:00 am

   Really good CD. I loved the first half right away – Joan Rocks! The second half isn’t quite as good but still rocks. I’m going to buy some more CD’s…

7. Guest

   June 4, 2007 at 12:00 am

   Now that Joan Jett is getting her due as a seminal rock and roll influence, it’s about time a decent hits set appeared. Sadly, this isn’t it. While the music on \\”Fit To Be Tied\\” certainly merits the four star rating, I am going to have to assume contractual issues with CBS forced Jett to either omit or substitute alternative versions of well-known songs.

   For instance, her huge hit \\”I Hate Myself For Loving You\\” is an alternate take from the \\”[[ASIN:B0000026IJ Up Your Alley]]\\” version, and \\”Little Liar\\” is a live version. I am not sure how many versions of \\”Roadrunner\\” Joan has recorded so far, but the take here is previously unreleased and kicks butt. So does the new recording of the signature Runaways song, \\”Cherry Bomb.\\” MIA are such well known Jett tunes as \\”Good Music\\” and her version of \\”Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.\\” The albums she recorded for Warner Brothers are bypassed entirely.

   Nonetheless, you still get some of the great proto-grrll rock from \\”Bad Reputation\\” to the terrific new \\”World of Denial.\\” Joan Jett also was queen of the perfect cover choice, as her hit versions of \\”Everyday People,\\” \\”Crimson and Clover\\” and – of course – \\”I Love Rock and Roll\\” prove. She also had that glam bam done like few before or since. The BOOM/whack/BOOM/whack that explodes from her cover of Gary Glitter’s \\”Do You Wanna Touch\\” and her own \\”I Hate Myself For Loving You\\” made both songs burst from whatever radio played them some eight years apart. You’d be hard pressed to know that much time had passed between these songs…which proves that Joan Jett is a timeless artist.

   But she deserves better. There is a good Japanese compilation that covers all the albums up to \\”[[ASIN:B0001N1NUM Naked]]\\” (which eventually formed the base of \\”[[ASIN:B000FKP40G Sinner]]\\”), called \\”[[ASIN:B0000BHMHX Jett Rock: Greatest Hits of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts]].\\” It boasts a pretty hefty price tag, so if you’re just a casual fan looking for \\”I Love Rock and Roll,\\” this will do. If not, hit that link.k and Roll,\\” this will do. If not, hit that link.

8. Guest

   October 12, 2006 at 12:00 am

   Joan Jett still remains one of the sexiest and most original women in the wide world of rock.

   While he career has had it’s fair share of ups and downs, this collection of music shows how electrifying this woman can be when she’s \\”on\\”.

   My only gripe is that the CD itself is only a little over 47 minutes long. They could’ve filled out the rest of the CD with album cuts, but as a greatest hits CD, it does what it’s supposed to do. But I’ve got to knock off a star as it really bugs me when I buy a greatest hits CD and it’s not coming close to being 80 minutes long in some way.

   Plus, the sound is remastered to crystal clear clarity. To the best of my knowledge, her back catalog has still yet to be remastered in any form. So people wanting a great sampler of the sexy Joan Jett that covers all of the bases in a quick amount of time, this CD comes highly recommended.

9. Guest

   August 15, 2005 at 12:00 am

   Tonight we have, nostalgically speaking, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and she can rock. I love the way she sings \\”you.\\” She just bites it off. She makes you believe she loves you and hates you just by the way she sings it: \\”I still dream ’bout JYOU.\\” She of the black boots, chains and the junior high school lyrics, e.g., \\”Fake Friends – you don’t lose nothin when you lose fake friends.\\” (Listen closely to the lyrics and you will hear the SAT word, \\”sycophants.\\”)

   This album has most of her big hits including \\”I Love Rock and Roll\\” with the oh so apropos lyric, \\”I said what’s your name? He said it doesn’t matter, cause it’s all the same…He musta been about seventeen…and he was with me, me, yeah ME!\\”). It also has \\”That’s Why I Hate Myself for Loving You\\” which is just perfect. \\”You want in and I want out, and that’s what love is all about\\” is also just right and lyrically interesting.

   It doesn’t have \\”I Wanna Be Your Dog\\” which is pure six-pack rock, or the bland, but kind of interesting, \\”Ridin’ With James Dean\\”: \\”…Rebel without a cause/You got so much to say…Tell me how you feel/Tell me what you see/Ridin with James Dean.\\” Too bad. But it does have \\”Hey, little liar, I believe in you\\” which is sooo cute.

   \\”Hello, Mama, Hello Daddy/Cherry Bomb!\\”

   Some of the songs appeared on the earlier albums, \\”Album,\\” \\”Bad Reputation,\\” \\”I Love Rock and Roll\\” and \\”Up Your Alley.\\” All of this seems right since I suspect that her managers thought she had a kind of back street sex appeal similar to the Billy Joel of \\”Uptown Girl.\\” I think they were right. Joan Jett is the kind of girl who would appeal to the uptown boy from Harvard Yard, I suppose. She is kind of interesting. I recall when she was really big in the eighties that rebelling junior high school girls imitated her slavishly the way their rapacious sisters imitated Madonna. Jett was the spiritual sister, musically-speaking, of bad-girl actress Kristy McNichols. Her fan club (mentioned on the label) is Bad Reputation Nation–\\”Bad Reputation\\” is also a lyric from the song, \\”Victim of Circumstance\\” (included). The teeny boppers really made her, but she was good anyway, ironic and almost innocent despite the boots and the chains.

   \\”Hey jack it’s a fact they’re talking in town/I turn my back and you’re messing around…I hate myself for loving you/Can’t break free from the things that you do.\\” These last two lines pounded out in a Pink Floyd Storm Trooper-rally tempo (as with a megaphone). I can see the fans on their feet, waving their arms.

   She’s billed on the CD blurb as \\”the female Chuck Berry\\” and \\”the last rock and roll star.\\” The last track is \\”Love Is All Around,\\” the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore TV show, done up tempo and in a hurry. \\”Everyday People\\” is another song on this album that sounds a little like it should have been from a TV sit com.

   Joan Jett punches it out, but I thought, she’s really just a sweet kid pretending to be bad.risty McNichols. Her fan club (mentioned on the label) is Bad Reputation Nation–\\”Bad Reputation\\” is also a lyric from the song, \\”Victim of Circumstance\\” (included). The teeny boppers really made her, but she was good anyway, ironic and almost innocent despite the boots and the chains.

   \\”Hey jack it’s a fact they’re talking in town/I turn my back and you’re messing around…I hate myself for loving you/Can’t break free from the things that you do.\\” These last two lines pounded out in a Pink Floyd Storm Trooper-rally tempo (as with a megaphone). I can see the fans on their feet, waving their arms.

   She’s billed on the CD blurb as \\”the female Chuck Berry\\” and \\”the last rock and roll star.\\” The last track is \\”Love Is All Around,\\” the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore TV show, done up tempo and in a hurry. \\”Everyday People\\” is another song on this album that sounds a little like it should have been from a TV sit com.

   Joan Jett punches it out, but I thought, she’s really just a sweet kid pretending to be bad.

10. Guest

    November 24, 2004 at 12:00 am

    Most people, when they think of Joan Jett will think of the song I Love Rock And Roll. That is a great song, but it’s also not her only great song. This greatest hits package prooves it without a doubt. I love all the songs on the cd, especially Make Believe. Whether she’s doing fast songs, ballads, or remakes, she’s great! Listening to her, you can tell that the girl rocker groups of today like The Donnas were influenced by her music. The remake of the Mary Tyler Moore song is too short. It’s only one minute long!! But only Joan Jett could take a theme song like that and turn it into something incredible. I can’t wait to search out and get all of Joan’s early cds. Her voice is very unique and excellent for this genre of music. I wish she was still on the charts today. She is a very under-rated talent. Those who wrote her off in the 80s as a one-hit wonder are so wrong. The cd is chock full of great songs. This greatest hits cd is an absolute must-have! My one big question is why was Britney Spears allowed to re-do the song I Love Rock And Roll? WHY?! Did Joan give permission? I hope not, and i hope she sues Britney. Then again, with Britney doing that song, it might make younger listeners want to hear the original version, and that would mean a renewed interest in Joan’s music. I hope so. The world needs a Joan Jett comeback. Of all the female rockers from the 80s that i can think of, Joan Jett definitely is at the top of my list for someone i’d love to see on the charts again with a new cd. In the meantime, try and find a copy of this greatest hits cd. It’s a hidden treasure.

11. Guest

    October 19, 2003 at 12:00 am

    This has to be a long awaited Greatest Hits, the always porky pine hair Joan Jett, has deliver one of the finest cuts of Rock ‘N Roll of the 80’s, her music and hair faded into history in the 90’s, but this album is totally one of the essential for those rockabillies cravers of the hairsprays and neon years of human history, the best singles cuts are included here, even the none charted and totally classic Jett song "Bad Reputation", something must have happen to the music of Joan Jett that made her fall into the oblivion of music, maybe because one thing that join her best to tracks or "most famous ones", I Hate Myself For Loving You and I Love Rock N Roll, is that the first is carbon copy of the last, don’t you think, but after all Joan Jett music will stand in time for being enjoyable rock arena anthems!….this greatest hits is an essential for any 80’s craver.

12. Guest

    August 15, 2003 at 12:00 am

    I really enjoyed this cd cllection of Joan Jetts hits. It is the only one I could find. I hope they will come out with a larger collection someday but this is good.

13. Guest

    September 17, 2002 at 12:00 am

    Overachieving is defined as doing better than you are capable of. Of course this always flies in the face of the person judging the overachiever, as it’s their fault they UNDERestimated the person in the first place. I mention all of this babble because I just saw Joan Jett perform a few days ago, dusted off this cd, and because of both events, had a pretty good weekend.
    I mention overachieving because who wudda thunk that she would have produced such a good body of work in her career. This is someone who emerged in the music scene as part of an all-girl band (The Runaways) that was famous more for their looks than rocking ability. She goes off on her own, with no high expecatations, writes a bona fide rock-and-roll anthem, becomes the darling of bikers everywhere, and the rest is history.
    But unlike, say, Don McClean, who also wrote his bonafide anthem, and not that much more, Jett has a handful of other songs besides "I Love Rock N Roll" that are just as delightful to hear. "Bad Reputation", Do You Wanna Touch…", and "I Hate Myself For Loving You" are all numbers that sound great over and over again. These are not complex songs (back to that overachieving again), and they get your attention more my banging you over the head more than their musical virtuosity, but that’s what rock and roll is all about.
    Finally, throw in a couple of great covers, and you’ve got a gal who can live off her body of work for many years to come. "Crimson and Clover" is ok, "Everyday People" is fabulous, and who would have thought somebody could make a great rocker out of the theme from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ("Love is all Around").
    More artists should overachieve this well.

14. Guest

    March 2, 2002 at 12:00 am

    She deserves better. Leaves out hit versions of LITTLE LIAR & I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU for for inferior live version and demo version respectively.

15. Guest

    January 18, 2002 at 12:00 am

    The most irrattating piece of music I’ve purchased in a long time. I was glad to sell it . The phrasing made previous favorites annoying. I don’t think I’ll be buying any more of her music unless it’s for resale on the web.

16. Guest

    June 27, 2001 at 12:00 am

    Oh, boy…I’m scared to think of what Joanie’s been up to lately…whew, that haircut…and \\”WARNING: EXPLICIT LYRICS\\” on, ahem, \\”Fetish?\\” Oh well, regardless, I’ve been greedily awaiting a Joan Jett Greatest Hits sort of thing, and I’m just now aware that this’s been available since ’97. So guess what I’m gonna do with my next bit of \\”disposable income.\\” PRIMO stuff here folks: rock and roll for grownups. \\”Fake Friends\\” is better mental hygiene than an hour with a shrink; \\”Cherry Bomb\\” here is, believe it or not, even BETTER than the Runaways’ version; \\”I Love Rock And Roll\\” is easily as definitive a statement as my beloved Stones’ \\”(I Know) It’s Only Rock And Roll.\\” But, hey, speaking OF the Stones, I guess you knew already that their best guitarist, Mick Taylor, plays on \\”I Hate Myself For Loving You.\\” Yeah, Joan’s a champ….

17. Guest

    June 11, 2001 at 12:00 am

    This cd seems to very difficult to find in stores, but it is a great collection of Joan Jett’s hits. I wish they had included her cover version of AC/DC’s "Dirty Deeds," but that’s my only minor criticism.

18. Guest

    April 10, 2001 at 12:00 am

    The liner notes proclaim Joan Jett to be "the female Chuck Berry." True in one sense, but overall, I reject the comparison because Joan Jett stands on her own. Joan Jett’s songs are percussion driven; the hard driving drums set the beat and the guitars fall fast into line, so in one sense, most of her songs are alike. "Bad Reputation," "I Love Rock & Roll," "Roadrunner," and "I Hate Myself For Loving You" all showcase the intense drums and the hard edge in Joan Jett’s vocals. Critics might argue Joan Jett is in this respect a one trick pony, but if she is, what a trick it is, and a trick she does so well. The selection on this CD does, however, give some variety. Joan Jett’s version of "Crimson & Clover" is a livlier version of the original, and her staying true to the gender pronouns gives the song a naughty edge.

19. Guest

    July 26, 2000 at 12:00 am

    Joan Jett makes a comeback with a huge collection of hits that show that she is here to stay. An awesome album from the sexy and leather-clad woman that makes you LOVE rock and roll. Every song on here is very passionate and very articulate. Joan Jett is a classic rocker that won’t give up. This CD is definitly at home with your classic rock collection. You’ll love every second of this CD. Its fun, it moves, and its what you would expect from one of the top women in rock n’ roll history.

20. Guest

    July 18, 2000 at 12:00 am

    Of course everyone has heard "I Love Rock n Roll" which unfortuntly is what most people associate Joan Jett with…WRONG! This CD is just a highlights of her recordings over the years – each release she has just rocks! And if you get a chance see her live…she puts on a great show ! If the original theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show made you want to throw your beret up in te air Joans’ remake of "Love Is All Around" will make you want to throw your leather jacket off! If you dig this release check out "Fetish" it’s a lot rawer but incredible just the same

21. Guest

    June 8, 2000 at 12:00 am

    As "Fit To Be Tied" proves clearly, Joan Jett isamong the most quietly influential rockers, male or female, of thelast 20 years. What surprises is how, despite looking and dressing the punk part, how traditional her rock and roll was. She grabbed equally from Darlene Love, the Beach Boys, The Who, and Iggy Pop (all are thanked in the liner notes, along with Charles Bronson and the Baltimore Orioles) and created, with collaborator Kenny Laguna, a sound identitified only with her. Jett had song sense to spare. Her vocal on "Crimson and Clover" (she doesn’t change the gender protagonist) is true to Tommy James’ original but adds excitement and anticipation, paying off in the grinding rock that follows. Her versions of Sly Stone’s "Everyday People" and Wind’s obscure 1969 hit "Make Believe" add some guitar sting to what were pure pop hits. Her version of "Cherry Bomb," originally done with her band the Runaways, actually outslaps the original. The only trouble with her redoing the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" theme is that it’s too short. Speaking of originals, her chart anthems are here too: "Do You Wanna Touch Me," 1982’s #1 "I Love Rock n’ Roll," the acidic, excellent "Fake Friends," even Bruce Springsteen’s "Light Of Day" (Scott Litt’s production makes that one of the less effective tracks.) "Fit To Be Tied" is essential listening from a rock and roll survivor who loves,lives and breathes the music. (It can also be interesting viewing; its an enhanced CD that shows a Jett picture collage and links to her Web site.)

22. Guest

    February 8, 2000 at 12:00 am

    Joan Jett may be an old lady, but the Mary Tyler Moore song is fabulous, and well worth the price of this collection of otherwise mediocre tunes. If Joan Jett is planning a comeback, this is definitely the song with which to do it. Rock on, Joan!

23. Guest

    December 1, 1999 at 12:00 am

    I have been a fan of Joan Jett since 1976 and was thrilled when she finally broke through with "I Love Rock N Roll" in 1982, but there is much more to Joan than "that song" and this album features an excellent selection of tracks from her previous albums to prove it. I was disapointed in the remixes of "Roadrunner" and "I Hate Myself For Loving You"; I prefer the original versions, but all 15 of these tracks RRRRock!

24. Guest

    October 15, 1999 at 12:00 am

    This is definitely a CD for Rock-N-Roll fans. It has my favorites "I Love Rock-N-Roll" and "Touch Me There." For anyone that really wants to enjoy Rock-N-Roll buy "Fit To Be Tied." If you like diversity in music like me you will love this CD. Between my brother and myself we have over 150 CD’s ranging from Pop/Rock to R&B to Motown, 1960’s to present, and I can honeslty say I listen to "Fit To Be Tied" more often than any other CD we own. Joan Jett IS the best.

25. Guest

    August 26, 1999 at 12:00 am

    The comment I submitted yesterday is, it turns out, not entirely fair. By suppressing the autorun of the "mindengine" junk, or exitting from it after it starts, you can run the cdplayer.exe program from your system32 directory and it will "see" the tracks. I’ve seen other ECDs that didn’t require this bother, which is why I’d still deduct one star despite how much I like Joan Jett’s work.

26. Guest

    October 7, 1998 at 12:00 am

    I’d pretty much lost track of Joan after "I Love Rock ‘n Roll," so there were lots of songs here I’d never heard. It’s consistently enjoyable, but the highpoint is "World of Denial," a previously unreleased tune that’s beautifully angst-ridden. One of the better "greatest hits" albums in that it has some surprises–all of them good.

27. Guest

    September 8, 1998 at 12:00 am

    only complaint is the new version of Hate Myself For Loving You. I like the old version better.

28. Guest

    June 13, 1998 at 12:00 am

    Buy this one first, you’re going to like it; then you can pick up the rest of her cd’s. ENJOY