Uncle G’s FUN Music Reviews: Lita Ford – Living Like A Runaway (2012)

Date Published: 20 September 2012

Uncle G’s New Music Reviews
Spotlight: Lita Ford – Living Like A Runaway (2012)

By Gary “Uncle G” Brown
American Correspondent for Classic Rock Radio (UK)
GaryBrown@garyunclegbrownarchives.com

Lita Ford’s new CD, Living Like A Runaway, marks the return to the Lita Ford we all kind of know. Her last CD, 2009’s Wicked Wonderland was more of a collaborated project with whom she used to call her husband. I liked it, but never got into that much after the newness kind of wore off. I have the CD cover framed on my wall; autographed. A promo opportunity I jumped on seeing how Lita was a Runaway and all. I have one other autographed CD (Stiletto) from Lita. It reads;

“To Greg, Love Lita Ford XX“.

Nice penmanship too. Too bad my first name is; Gary. I found it years ago in a used CD store near NASA (Webster – Clear Lake, TX). A cool item to find, and a steal as far as the price went. Say what you will…I’m loyal.

Wicked Wonderland didn’t totally suck. If it did, I would not have written how much I dug it on Lita’s official MySpace page. To which she replied that my comments made her day. It just wasn’t that much in the classic Lita mode. Almost like she was doing guest vocals on someone else’s release. My impression anyway. People reinvent themselves. I figured as much at the time. That was my guess.

I purchase certain musicians new releases, solely because I liked their past catalog. Yesterday my column was about Joan Jett. Both she and Lita Ford are outstanding female classic rockers. That being the case, I buy on the blind not knowing a damn thing about whatever it is. If it’s a new project by someone I dig, it’s an automatic purchase. Under twenty bucks as a rule. More than that and it has to be worth it. By doing this, you win and lose some. Lita on any record, is worth having.

The story goes divorce proceedings were nasty, to say the least. The guy she called her husband, Jim Gillette was also accused of abuse. So much so that Lita fled the island she called home for like a decade, without taking her two young boys. Whatever it took to survive. People face stuff like this. It’s the results that matter in the long run. One can look back and judge whether it worked. Was it worth the effort? When it’s that bad, there tends to be no choice. You just do what you have to do. It’s all included in the big game of life. Lucky for us fans, on the agenda back to getting her life back together, was making this album.

Helping Lita with Living Like A Runaway is; Gary Hoey. I got turned onto Gary when driving around Houston back in the early 1990’s. We had a rock station that played Gary’s version of Hocus Pocus, like all the time. I always liked the original by Focus. Hoey’s hard-rocking instrumental was a total jam that I sank right into. Stayed a causal fan all these years. Every Christmas I play Gary’s Ho Ho Hoey Christmas CD. A tradition in this house every year since its release.

Quick Lita Ford Trivia Fact

Lita was born in London England on the 19th of September in 1958.

“Uncle G” DISCUSSES…Lita Ford – Living Like A Runaway (2012)

Lita Ford’s Living Like A Runaway – rocks from the very first second it starts playing. Kicks off with a tune called; Branded. Awesome opener! Sets the tone for what you know is going to be a real rocking CD. It does just that. The music on the CD isn’t all balls to the wall, for it has its quieter moments as well. It’s a solid play. This means the whole CD from the first cut to the bonus songs, if you go that route (I did).

This is my new favorite Lita Ford CD. Hoey’s playing is classic metal. You can tell he’s paid attention to Lita’s catalog. Lita’s voice sounds awesome. Carries her feelings well. Has a nice vocal range. You hear the emotion. You can tell if she’s pissed. Hard not to know when Lita’s being sexy. Some of the lyrics are autobiographical. Lita drew from her recent pain. Different issues she’s been dealing with lately. Very much the centerpiece, a recent nasty divorce. I did that before. Akin to the death of a very close friend. An emotional roller coaster. Anger is one of them. Lita put all that into good use. She also shows wisdom and maturity in her lyrics. Her singing appears very natural. The woman’s a natural.

There are so many good songs I can just go on about everyone. One of my favorites is a cover tune. Elton John’s; The Bitch Is Back. By the end of the song, Lita makes it her own. That’s the secret of doing a good cover. Don’t just copy. If that’s the case, I would much prefer listening to the original. But on the other hand, don’t make it so different that I don’t recognize it. By me saying she made it her own, Lita keeps true but makes it more of a guitar song. Hoey must have studied The Elton John Band as well. You can hear a Johnstone influence. If you ask me, this song is a HIT. More than one on Lita’s latest effort. Let’s hope she’s steady from here out. Like a fine wine, I can only imagine Lita getting even better as she ages.

Note: This review was based on: Living Like A Runaway – Limited Edition Digipak Version. I played it over a dozen times.

1. Branded
2. Hate
3. The Mask
4. Living Like A Runaway
5. Relentless
6. Mother
7. Devil In My Head
8. Asylum
9. Love 2 Hate U
10. A Song To Slit Your Wrists By

Bonus Tracks

11. Bad Neighborhood
12. The Bitch Is Back

Lita’s touring this! On the road with DEF LEPPARD and POISON on the “Rock Of Ages Tour”. Arrive early. She’s the opening act. This lady is very much a part of classic rock and rock n roll history. Would suck through a long straw missing her because you arrived too late. PLUS….it’s cool to support classic rock artists. It’s what we do

Note: Update (20 Sept 2012)…the BIG concert tour that included Lita, is now over. On her Facebook, she thanked her fans for their support. Appeared to be successful for her.

Bonus – Lita Ford (Autograph_obtained through her official website)

End of Article

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