PAT BENATAR – In The Heat Of The Night [Culture Factory miniLP remastered] (2024), MP3+FLAC

Here’s in exclusive last year’s reissue of PAT BENATAR 1979’s rocking debut album ‘‘In The Heat Of The Night”, done by Culture Factory label, specialized in vinyl replica CD re-issues.

The remastering is excellent, respecting the original analog sound.
With her debut recording ”In The Heat Of The Night”, Pat Benatar wasted no time starting out of the gate with the furious leadoff track “Heartbreaker,” which solidified her place in a class of women who were taking the rock world by storm in the late ’70s.
The LP surprised both rock fans an critics, and also the music industry, peaking at No. 12 Billboard album chart and delivering Benatar’s breakthrough hit “Heartbreaker”, and the top-30 single “We Live for Love”. I still remember, in the early ’80s, hearing “Heartbreaker” all day in heavy radio rotation. The song was everywhere.
This remaster, coming 45 (!) years after its debut, sounds great. In a strange way the sound is beautifully raw and interesting, knowing now what superstar status lie just ahead. Fortunately Pat’s vocals are placed forward in the mix, and are located well in front of the music, like a hologram.

”In The Heat Of The Night” was an album that obviously had its share of filler (especially the sci-fi ’50s ballad “My Clone Sleeps Alone”) , but the one-two punch of “Heartbreaker” and the John Cougar Mellencamp tune “I Need a Lover” leading off the album made enough of a statement to put her on the Rock & pop charts.
The remainder of the LP packs enough grit and solid songwriting (especially the Blondie-esque “So Sincere”) that it remains an impressive debut and foreshadows a glimpse of great things to come.
Highly Recommended

01 – Heartbreaker
02 – I Need A Lover
03 – If You Think You Know How To Love Me
04 – In The Heat Of The Night
05 – My Clone Sleeps Alone
06 – We Live For Love
07 – Rated X
08 – Don’t Let It Show
09 – No You Don’t
10 – So Sincere

Pat Benatar – lead and backing vocals
Neil Giraldo – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Scott St. Clair Sheets – rhythm guitars
Roger Capps – bass, backing vocals
Glen Alexander Hamilton – drums

MP3 FLAC