Retro Spins: Pat Benatar - Get Nervous

Riding the waves of her first album to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 200, 1981's Precious Time, Pat Benatar went back to the studio to record the tracks which would become 1982's Get Nervous. Prior to things starting, a lineup change occurred when Scott St. Clair Sheets departed, and Charlie Giordano would join.

Led by the single, Shadows Of The Night, and Benatar's supporting music videos which would see steady rotation on the newly launched MTV, Nervous would reach number four on the Billboard Hot 200. The single would also Garner her a third Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Two additional singles would come from the album, Little Too Late (peaking at 20), and Looking For A Stranger (peaking at 39). However, neither would chart outside of the US.

A fun fact about the music video for Shadows Of The Night is the inclusion of the relatively unknown (at the time) Judge Reinhold, and Bill Paxton. Have a watch!

If you prefer your 80's stars covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks, you can also check out the episode, Court Action, from season three. Just be aware, it's quite a bit of nightmare fuel, which sees Alvin dreaming about being put in an old time judge's cloak and wig, only to be pushed through a mirror where his head is being dribbled like a basketball, culminating in him coming face to face with an eyeless David Saville, who ushers him through a door where he begins to fall.

High on my listening session for Precious Time, I was eager to jump into Get Nervous, and was ecstatic that it launched right into things with the hit single. Of course, I'm also leery of this strategy, because it worries me that the best has been dropped from the get go, and things tank from there.

A lot of the songs are punchy, fast paced, very hard rock driven, and often touching on a deep subject matter. Sadly, most of them are also pretty generic, and forgettable. The only two tracks which stood out for me were Anxiety (Get Nervous), and Fight It Out.

It doesn't derail me from wanting to hear more from Benatar, nor does it worry me that things will get worse. I do hope there are a bit more hidden gems to be found, such as was the case with Precious Time, but I suppose I'll find out tomorrow when I jump into 1984's Tropico.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
November 24, 1984