The Donnas - Greatest Hits, Vol. 16 Review
Posted by Vanessa Willoughby on 08.15.2009
Who are The Donnas and more importantly, why are they releasing a greatest hits album?
TRACK LISTING:
1. Get Off
2. Perfect Stranger
3. We Own The Night
4. She’s Out Of Control
5. Take It Off
6. Fall Behind Me
7. Get You Alone
8. Play My Game
9. You Make Me Hot
10. Get Rid Of That Girl
11. Hey, I’m Gonna Be Your Girl
12. I Wanna Be With A Girl Like You
13. I Don’t Wanna Go To School
14. Teenage Rules
15. Don’t Wanna Break Your Head
16. High School Yum Yum
The Donnas, though not all really named Donna, are certainly all about girl-powered rock and roll. You may think that a greatest hits album is only reserved for well-established, big wig artists. However, the tracks on Greatest Hits, Vol. 16 do what any greatest hits compilation is supposed to do: highlight the best and most reflective cuts of a band’s sound and style. Most of the songs on the album revolve around the standard rock and roll concepts of seduction, hook ups, and rebellion. There’s nothing coy about the lyrics and the twisting guitar riffs amplify the old-school vibe of their sound. Some of the arrangements can feel somewhat similar, but the album as a whole is smart and filled with an overwhelming element that cannot be achieved unless all members are in tune and appreciative of each other. That element, of course, is fun.
I’d be lying if I said that whenever an all-girl or female-fronted rock band hits the airwaves, I don’t sit up and listen. What’s surprisingly refreshing about The Donnas is that they don’t spend the entire album defending their femininity or attempting to prove their rock and roll credibility. This is not to say that I think that bands of the female persuasion always use their music as a feminist mouthpiece. What I mean to say, in the most flattering way possible, is that The Donnas don’t take themselves too seriously. Just a quick glance at the names of the tracks can prove this: “Take It Off,” “You Make Me Hot,” “Get Rid of That Girl,” and “I Don’t Wanna Go To School,” just to name a few.
The Donnas, all natives of Palo Alto, California, have known each other since middle school, but officially formed the band while in high school. Towards the end of their high school days, while they were still known as "The Electrocutes," they decided to create another band (with the same members) that would play softer tunes without distorting the metal queen image of The Electrocutes. To help their fans distinguish between the two bands, they all took matching "Donna" monikers, where all of their names were Donna and their last names were the first initial of their last name (Brett Anderson became Donna A, etc.), which they used only when performing as "The Donnas." In 2001, the band signed with Atlantic Records and during the following year, they released Spend The Night.
Recently, the band has parted ways with Atlantic Records. Greatest Hits, Vol. 16 was released on their own label, Purple Feathers Records.
The first song, “Get Off,” is the perfect track to kick off the album. With heavy, layered guitar and bass arrangements, the sound is probably closer to a band like The Runaways, rather than a product of grunge or the Riot Girl movement of the 90s. In fact, the band has said to draw inspiration from bands such as AC/DC, Kiss, and The Ramones. The snarling guitar break around 1:40 proves to be a great preview of the musical skills of The Donnas, namely band members Allison Robertson and Maya Ford. Leader singer Brett Anderson has a voice that is just as aggressive and tenacious as the aforementioned track.
“Perfect Stranger,” the second track, opens with crisp guitar chords that could be the sister of a Guns and Roses song, rather than Hole or Bikini Kill. True to the simplified, no-pretense persona of The Donnas, the song is all about hunting down the ultimate one-night stand.
What was biting and hyper in “Get Off” has been slightly subdued in “Perfect Stranger.” The chorus is comfortably padded by the backup vocals of the rest of the band members. One thing that’s notable about The Donnas, as evident in this track, is that despite the bluntness and obvious sexuality of their songs’ subject matter, the execution is not sloppy or so purposefully crude in a way that it undermines the talent and art of the music itself.
The following song, “We Own The Night,” could easily provide the soundtrack to a raucous Friday night spent riding in a fast car and weaving through darkened city streets. Once again, the song is sandwiched by an ample guitar break. While the energy of “Perfect Stranger” was cooled down, this track easily picks up the slack. Torry Castellano’s drumming is also a key component, as it maintains the urgency that drives the guitar and overall atmosphere of the song.
“We Own The Night” smoothly transitions into “She’s Out Of Control,” which, if using the earlier Runaways comparison, could be the sequel to “Cherrybomb.” The song is all about a devil-may-care wild child who “is impossible to ignore and brings her own stash just in case.”
Tracks five and six, “Take It Off,” and “Fall Behind Me,” respectively, are both live versions that don’t disappoint. Both tracks showcase the teamwork and the established unison of the group. “Take It Off” was the breakthrough single that exposed the band to MTV’s minions, back when Carson Daly looked reigned as TRL’s overlord and the channel still played music videos. What’s interesting about this track is that apparently, it was played at the end of a long set, but doesn’t lack in the bite that makes the track so vigorous. The same goes for “Fall Behind Me,” in the sense that the live version doesn’t pale in comparison to the studio version.
The seventh track, “Get You Alone,” features an opening that uses the bass as the foundation for the guitar. It may seem a bit off to stick two live tracks in the middle of an album that is primarily studio-based, but considering the energy and musicianship of tracks five and six, the transition isn’t as haphazard or disorientating as one would think.
“Play My Game” adopts a sing-song, nursery-rhyme chorus with repetitive guitar riffs and sharp, fast-paced drumming. The lyrics, naturally, are full of tongue-in-cheek metaphors.
Anderson sings:
Let's play ball we don't need a court
Just you and me baby full contact sport
And there's no ref to tell us to stop
So we can play until we drop
I'll let you flip my flipper
If you let me unzip your zipper
Come on let's play ten more rounds
I wanna take you outta bounds
The musical style of “Play My Game” is somewhat mirrored in the tenth track, “Get Rid of That Girl.” Clocking in at 1:50, the song is a high-powered and frenzied mission of search and destroy. While lead singer Anderson vows to steal her man, the rest of the band provides ample encouragement, chanting “Kill, Kill, Kill!” like a private cheerleading squad. It’s one of the shortest tracks on the album, but its spunkiness is infectious.
The thirteenth track, “I Don’t Wanna Go To School,” seems to be an estranged child of The Ramones. Lamenting the mundane and the monotonous nature of academics, Anderson dismisses the predictability of science and math for the wonders of fast food.
“High School Yum Yum,” running at just under two minutes, adopts another Ramones-inspired vitality. It’s a fitting ending to an album that praises the undeniable joy in disrespecting authority, revolting against the status quo, and engaging in the pursuit of rock, rebellion, and obtaining your heart’s desire (or at least for the night).
Overall, The Donnas may not have yet reached superstardom, but Greatest Hits, Vol. 16 certainly delivers. Forget the distractions of feuding egos and pretentious lyrics. The Donnas are peppy, no-frills rock and roll without the drama. Although some of the songs can feel a tad repetitive, the album as a whole is a strong and solid effort.
The 411: The Donnas aren't just a band that champion girl-powered rock and roll. In fact, the aim of their music isn't about spouting hardcore ideology or complicated philosophies. Instead, the group celebrates the simple pleasure of rebellion and its guitar-heavy, rock and roll soundtrack. Looking to start an angry revolution? You won't find that here. The Donnas are having too much of a good time just rocking out.
