Main Attraction (album)

This article is about Suzi Quatro's album. For Grant Green's album, see The Main Attraction (album). For other uses, see The Main Attraction.

Main Attraction
File:Main Attraction.jpg
Studio album by Suzi Quatro
Released	November 1982
Recorded	December 1981 - March 1982
Studio	The Studio Toppersfield, Essex, England
Genre	Rock country rock pop rock glam rock hard rock new wave
Length	34:38
Label	Polydor
Producer	Chris Andrews Len Tuckey
Suzi Quatro chronology
Rock Hard (1980)Rock Hard1980 Main Attraction (1982) Annie Get Your Gun - 1986 London Cast (1986)Annie Get Your Gun - 1986 London Cast1986
Singles from Main Attraction
"Heart of Stone" Released: 1982 "Main Attraction" Released: 1983

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

Main Attraction is the eighth solo studio album by the American rock singer-songwriter and bass guitarist Suzi Quatro. It was originally released in November 1982, and was her first and only release by the record label, Polydor. The album was recorded over a period of four months at The Studio Toppersfield, in Essex, England with the sessions starting in late 1981, and ending in early 1982. The album is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of Quatro's later work. The album is notably Quatro's only studio album not to contain any cover versions of songs by other artists. However, she did have a hand in composing each track, with the exception of the sixth track "Two Miles Out of Georgia", which was solely written by Chris Andrews. The album was her last recording of original material for four years, until she released Annie Get Your Gun – 1986 London Cast, and it was her last studio album of the 1980s and her last studio album for eight years, until she released Oh Suzi Q., in 1990.

It was released at the height of the popularity of the new wave music movement. "Heart of Stone" received some airplay on Album-oriented rock radio, and was released as a lead single from the album and became a moderate success, peaking at number 60 on the UK charts. And the title track was also released as a single, but unlike the aforementioned single it failed to chart. The album was received negatively by the majority of music critics, with most of the criticism being directed towards its musical direction being too commercial from her hard rock roots. The album went largely unnoticed by the public, being a commercial disappointment, and even missed the album charts worldwide (her first studio album to do so).

The album was re-released in 2008, and was the first of several remastered reissues by Cherry Red Records on Compact Disc. It contained the single version of "Heart of Stone" as a bonus track. Cherry Red have since released other Quatro remasters, as well as releasing her latest studio album, In the Spotlight.

Background

By late 1981, Suzi Quatro found herself with neither a record deal nor any of her regular production team. She spotted an opportunity to record her next album more locally to her Essex home, at a studio newly built by Chris Andrews - an old friend of her then-husband and guitarist Len Tuckey. Andrews was a veteran of the music business with a handful of 1960s hits as both a songwriter and solo artist to his credit, including "Yesterday Man". Without the usual songs and guidance of Mike Chapman, songwriting duties fell entirely to Quatro, Len Tuckey, and Chris Andrews. And while during the recording sessions, Quatro became pregnant, and gave birth to her daughter Laura on the 23rd September 1982.

While half of the album mostly contains county-rock songs, Quatro decided that it was time for a change of pace in her solo career, and that meant that there was a sudden move towards a more contemporary production as Quatro chose to utilize drum machines instead of live drums on the other half of the tracks. And those tracks also prominently used more synthesizers but fewer keyboards and electric piano. She commented in an article in Kerrang! during 1983, after playing a successful live show at Reading Festival on 27 August, that she did not care about being in the sale charts, but was more interested releasing what she wanted to do; commenting that she started in 1964, and that she did not become famous for nine years "I would never accept having my career molded by other people... I've kept working consistently even though I've not been in the charts."

Critical reception

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Jim Allen wrote of the album "a few tracks are melodic, acoustic-based, Juice Newton-sounding tunes; a few explore new wave/electro-dance production touches; and for the faithful, there are a couple of rockers in the classic Quatro mode." And they added that "[the album is] Clearly a portrait of an artist in motion."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Suzi Quatro and Len Tuckey, except where noted. 

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Heart of Stone"	Chris Andrews Suzi Quatro	4:07
2.	"Cheap Shot"		3:39
3.	"She Knows"		3:11
4.	"Main Attraction"	Andrews Quatro	3:15
5.	"Two Miles Out of Georgia"	Andrews	3:30

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Candy Man"	Andrews Quatro	3:13
7.	"Remote Control"		3:21
8.	"Fantasy in Stereo"	Andrews Quatro	3:11
9.	"Transparent"		3:18
10.	"Oh Baby"		3:53
Total length:			34:38

Bonus track on Cherry Red reissue
No.	Title	Length
11.	"Heart of Stone (Single Version)"	3:25

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

• Suzi Quatro - lead vocals, bass guitar, backing vocals
• Len Tuckey - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, backing vocals, producer
• Dave Neal - drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Chris Andrews - keyboards, backing vocals, producer
• Jimmy Martin - steel guitar on "Two Miles Out of Georgia"
• Wendy Roberts - backing vocals on "Heart of Stone"

External links

• Main Attraction at Discogs (list of releases)