Music
20 Mar 01

Turn 21

Hey! Ho! Let's go (girls)! And so the band who named their debut album Teenage American Rock 'n' Roll Machine reach the ripe old age of twenty one, celebrating with a fourth record and a new, more mature sound.

The four Donnas (Donna A, Donna C, Donna R and Donna F) are to be found sipping cocktails on the cover, fixing the camera with a moody eye. Of course in their case, 'mature' means still singing about the joys of a rock n roll lifestyle but now being legally able to experience it. Otherwise, it's business as usual - one giant (post) teenage rampage.

Musically, Turn 21 is a dash through the annals of seventies punk and hard rock, predominantly that of the East Coast USA - the Ramones (naturally), New York Dolls, AC/DC, the Runaways and Kiss are written all over the fourteen tracks. The lyrics too are something of a throw-back, detailing sex in the toilet ("If you wanna get it on take it to the bathroom stall"), sex on a pinball table ("I'll let you flip my flipper if you let me unzip your zipper") and well, sex with policemen ("breakin' the law never felt so right").

Rage Against The Machine it may not be, but it is loud, brash, corny and huge fun. Few other releases this year will have you reaching for that air guitar with such regularity and yes, that is