Additional information
The Donnas: Donna A. (vocals); Donna R. (guitar, background vocals); Donna F. (bass, background vocals); Donna C. (drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel: Danny Sullivan (tambourine). Recorded at Toast, San Francisco, California. The Donnas may be older on 2001's TURN 21, but--if their lyrics and image are any indication--they're still the same vampy, rocked-out cherry bombs they were three albums earlier. Such is the vibe of the Donnas' music, which channels the spirit of glammy 1970s hard rock through late-'90s riot grrl feminism. There is the vague sense that much of this image and sound is manufactured, and that the Donnas are putting on the act for fun, but make no mistake, these girls not only love a crunchy power chord and a bubblegum hook, they know how to use them to great effect. Although songs like "Drivin' Thru My Heart" have an obviously Ramones-like thump, the quartet owe less to the punk legacy they are sometimes associated with than they do to the Sweet, Kiss, the Runaways, and heavy metal bands like Judas Priest (they even cover "Living After Midnight" here), but that's no slight, especially if you're just looking to pop open a Schlitz, crank up the stereo, and get sleazy, which is definitely the best way to enjoy DONNAS TURN 21.
Reviews
Rolling Stone (2/01/01, pp.58-9) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Maintains the pop polish that made GET SKINTIGHT a sugar-buzz classic....those bong-hugging caballeros got nothing on singer Donna A., who lights it up like there's no tomorrow..." Spin (2/01, p.108) - 6 out of 10 - "...Like all good concept bands, the Donnas have a cute one, a funny one, an ambitious one, and a musical genius....[these] gurls can take you home and make you like it..." Entertainment Weekly (1/19/01, p.86) - "...Another dose of Ramones-style dope. Donna A.'s whip-smart words alternate between crude overtures...and prideful boasts..." - Rating: A- Q (3/01, p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Mischievous pouty anthems reminiscent of Joan Jett and early Kiss, and a fine tradition of ironic heavy metal covers...continues with a romp through Judas Priest's 'Living After Midnight'. Funny girls." Magnet (1-2/01, p.85) - "...The Donnas have matured. They've tempered the cheerleader quality of their vocals, and the breakneck pace has slowed down just enough to discover that...they learned to play and sing..." NME (Magazine) (2/3/01, p.34) - 7 out of 10 - "...The Donnas are utterly convincing, whether appropriating the prehistoric on-the-road attitudes of '40 Boys in 40 Nights' or the fabulous stalker-crushing 'You Got A Crush On Me'....if girls can love Eminem, boys can dig this. Righteous, sisters."
