Years before Rolling Stone ran their first think piece about "Women in Rock,"
the Go-Go's had their first practice, or
Fanny had to explain for the first time that they really played their own instruments,
the Pleasure Seekers were a combo out of Detroit who proved the gals could rock just as hard as the guys. Led by future glam rock icon
Suzi Quatro on bass and her sister
Patti Quatro on lead guitar (with fellow siblings
Arlene Quatro and
Nancy Quatro joining the lineup at different times),
the Pleasure Seekers were a tough, versatile band with chops, personality, and attitude to spare.
The Pleasure Seekers never scored a hit record, and while they toured relentlessly, their novelty as an all-female rock band was a blessing and a curse, attracting an audience that often didn't take them seriously. But the sides they left behind leave no question that they had the goods, and
What a Way to Die is a thoroughly enjoyable 11-song collection that preserves
the Pleasure Seekers' finest moments. The title track has long been a favorite among garage rock collectors, and it's one of the wildest and funniest sides of the era, in which a young woman compares her boyfriend to a bottle of beer -- and finds the boyfriend a lot less satisfying. While there are other garage-centric tracks like "Never Thought You'd Leave Me" and "Gotta Get Away,"
the Pleasure Seekers also cut some potent blue-eyed soul, especially "Good Kind of Hurt" and "Locked in Your Love." And the latter-day live recordings on side two saw they were evolving into a smart, heavier outfit that fit right in at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit's home venue for
the MC5,
SRC, and
the Stooges. While
What a Way to Die only runs 38 minutes, it does include all the material the band released in its lifetime, along with some potent outtakes and live material, and the liner notes from
Mike and
Anja Stax tell the band's story in concise but well-detailed fashion. You don't have to be a garage rock junkie or obsessed with female-fronted bands to dig this collection -- just about anyone who goes for '60s-era rock & roll should find something here to like. ~ Mark Deming
