wasted no time staking out a solo career following ' 1983 breakup. She found a patron in ' tongue-wagging bassist , who'd taken her old band on tour as a support act. The result led to ' first production work outside of (while he credited his bass playing as , a pseudonym that didn't fool astute fans). felt that could succeed on her own terms, with better material and production. was half-right: his impressive production work stacks saber-toothed guitars on lush keyboards without burying ' two-fisted attitude. A solid supporting cast of former guitarist and drummer doesn't hurt. Neither do cameos by guitarists , , and late drummer . himself co-writes five tracks (which also carry the names of bassist and lead guitarist , who aren't actually on the album). sounds sturdy and self-assured on the raunchy romps of and although the standout track is the / anthem a thumping vow to "do what I like." Another highlight is the as close to a conventional vocal performance as ever managed. (The main riff went unused on ' own album [1982], until dusted it off for inclusion here.) In some ways, ' first solo venture amounts to a watered-down echo of ' own bid for mainstream success, (1982), minus the latter record's radical political bent. That's not surprising, with the ever-career-conscious manning the producer's chair. Despite his best efforts, however, would stay a quintessential cult artist. While not a remarkable record, offers a convincing enough glimpse of the stardom that should have been hers all along. ~ Ralph Heibutzki