The seeds for the album were sown when Mike Chapman, Quatro's original producer and composer of most of her hits, approached her with plans to take her back to her roots. Their reunion resulted in this modern take on Quatro's original attitude, which shows the influence she has had on modern female artists. "Strict Machine", a song originally performed by Goldfrapp, even contains a two line teaser from Quatro's number one hit "Can the Can", to show the similarities of the two tracks.[3]
When the album was released, it received many positive reviews—Mojo rated the album three stars, while AllMusic rated it three-and-half stars out of five, commenting that except for one track, "In the Spotlight is an impressive comeback, which admirably doesn't rely solely on nostalgia to make itself heard."[3] In September and October 2011, soon after the album was released, Quatro embarked on the 21-date sold-out Rocks the Spotlight Tour of Australia, also with great reviews.
Release, promotion, marketing
In the Spotlight was first released in Australia on August 5, 2011.[4]
Then the album was released in Germany on August 19, 2011.[5]
It was released in the rest of the world (including the US) on August 29, 2011.[6]
Victory Tischler-Blue produced the official music video for Suzi Quatro's "Strict Machine", a track from the album. This track is a cover of Goldfrapp's "Strict Machine", but Quatro's version of the song contains two extra lines from her own number one hit "Can the Can" (to show the similarity of the two songs' tunes).[3]
On November 16, 2011 the official music video was released via the official Suzi Quatro YouTube channel. It includes live footage from Quatro's September/October 2011 Rocks the Spotlight Tour of Australia and the extra two lines from "Can the Can".[7]
Ulf Kubanke reviewed the album for laut.de. He rated the album four out of stars.[9] Constantin Aravanlis reviewed the album favorably for Monsters and Critics.de.[10] Gerald C. Stocker reviewed the album for The Gap. He rated the album two out of five stars.[8]
Alan Pedder of Wears the Trousers magazine reviewed the single "Whatever Love Is" and went on to comment about some other album tracks. Rhian Jones for the same publication reviewed the album itself. Pedder commented favorably on two tracks, unfavorably on two tracks, and did not comment on seven tracks. Jones commented favorably (directly or indirectly) on eight tracks, unfavorably on one track, and did not comment on two tracks.[11][12]
Reviewing the single, Pedder wrote that Quatro's "Whatever Love Is" "is squarely aimed at her existing fans", and described "Strict Machine" and "Breaking Dishes" as "ropey covers" but concluded that "Hard Headed Woman" "is a much better fit for Quatro's seasoned, raspy vocals".[11] By contrast, reviewing the album, Jones wrote that "Breaking Dishes" "yield[s] surprisingly well to a fundamentalist glam treatment and the gutsiness of Quatro's vocal approach". She also wrote that Quatro "has a decent stab at the wistful rock splendour of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Turn Into'" and concluded that "despite one or two shaky moments then, In The Spotlight is a warm and triumphant slice of retro-rock".[12]
Jon O'Brien of AllMusic commented favorably on nine tracks, unfavorably on one track, and did not comment on one track. He wrote that Quatro's "Strict Machine" is "a guitar-chugging mash-up of Goldfrapp's electro-pop reinvention in "Strict Machine"; [with] her own 1973 U.K. chart-topper "Can the Can," cleverly referencing the subtle similarities between the two". O'Brien concluded that "a misguided attempt at cod-reggae aside ("Hurt with You"), In the Spotlight is an impressive comeback, which admirably doesn't rely solely on nostalgia to make itself heard". He rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five.[3]
Track listing
In the Spotlight
The musicians Nat Allison, Jez Davies, Owen Martin, and Mike Chapman contributed to all of the tracks except "Singing with Angels".[1]: 11
Note 1 — according to the In the Spotlight CD booklet, "Morse/Lewis/Walters/Womack" wrote "Hot Kiss".[1]: 10
According to AllMusic, the only composers were "Lewis, Morse".[21]
Note 2 — it is generally accepted that Elvis Presley is the original artist for "Hard Headed Woman".[3] Wears the Trousers Magazine (in its reviews of the album and of the associated single "Whatever Love Is") refers to "Wanda Jackson’s ‘Hard Headed Woman’".[11][12]
In the Dark
Victory Tischler-Blue produced both of the bonus enhanced video tracks.[22]: 9
^"WJO Distribution, Suzi Quatro – Spotlight". www.wjodistribution.com. NSW, Australia: WJO Distribution – distributor of independent music and merchandise. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
^Victory Tischler-Blue, Suzi Quatro, Mike Chapman et al. (November 16, 2011). Suzi Quatro Strict Machine Official Video.mp4 (Trailer). Suzi Quatro Official YouTube channel. Retrieved November 23, 2011. From the studios of the brilliant Victory Tischler Blue – here is the official video for Suzi Quatro's Strict Machine. It includes live footage from Suzi's recent Rocks the Spotlight Tour (Sept/Oct 2011) of Australia. Suzi's version of the Goldfrapp song is on her new album In the Spotlight.
^Aravanlis, Constantin. "Monsters and Critics.de review". www.monstersandcritics.de. Jork, Germany: Monsters and Critics.de, WOTR Ltd. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
