The “roar of the guitars are so badass,” Lita Ford claims two songs into this live album recorded at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California in early October of 2012 — and she’s right. All of Lita’s studio albums should be as roaringly raw as The Bitch Is Back Live. Too often, her studio endeavors have the dirt under the fingernails cleaned (read: over-produced). In this case, songs like “Hungry,” off of 1990′s Stiletto and the mega-hit “Kiss me Deadly,” off 1988′s Lita, previously unlistenable fluff becomes enjoyably solid.
But the songs that are approached with a fast and furious intensity win out. The Lemmy-induced “Can’t Catch Me” and the pissy “Out For Blood” are fantastic rock feasts, for instance. And Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back” — previously released by Lita as a bonus track on the album Living Like a Runaway — never had such balls.
However, “Back to the Cave” is the best here – rhythmically paced, it is as heavy as a bulldozer — proving once again that songs don’t need speed to blow you away,
Even the played out “Close Your Eyes Forever” scores bigger. On The Bitch Is Back Live it is a power ballad that is so much better with — and without. Better with beefier guitars and better without Ozzy whining like a petulant child throughout.
Label: Steamhammer / SPV
