Girlschool - Legacy (2008)

Girlschool, one of the first all-female heavy metal bands to find fame, debuted in 1978. Girlschool have toured with the likes of Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and many other influential rock bands during their illustrious career. 2008 brings about the 30th anniversary of Girlschool and they are commemorating it with the release of their 30th Anniversary album entitled Legacy. Featuring a plethora of special guests, including Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio), Lemmy and Phil Campbell from Motörhead, "Fast" Eddie Clarke (Fastway, ex-Motörhead) and members of Twisted Sister, this record will surely show the true Legacy that is Girlschool.

Girlschool's 2008 lineup has described Legacy as both a 30th anniversary recording and a tribute to Kelly Johnson, who was the band's lead guitarist from 1978-1984 and 1993-2000 before dying of spinal cancer in 2007 at the age of 49. It was in 1978 – 30 years before the release of Legacy – that the band changed its name from Painted Lady to Girlschool and provided its first single, "Take It All Away", and McAuliffe, Williams, and Dufort were all members of Girlschool back then (Chambers is a 2000 arrival). This 2008 release is definitely one of Girlschool's more consistent efforts; longtime fans will be glad to hear how focused and inspired they sound on melodic yet hard-driving tracks such as "Still Waters", "From the Other Side", "Everything's the Same", and "Zeitgeist", all of which are quite faithful to the classic Girlschool sound of the late '70s and '80s. Legacy, unlike most Girlschool albums, features its share of guests; former Motörhead guitarist Fast Eddie Clark is heard on a cover of Motörhead's "Metropolis", while longtime Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister appears on "Don't Talk to Me". Singer Ronnie James Dio and guitarist Tony Iommi (who performed together in Black Sabbath in the early 1980s) are reunited when they join Girlschool on one of two versions of "I Spy", and guitarist Jay Jay French (of Twisted Sister fame) solos on "Spend Spend Spend". But Girlschool's members are, of course, Legacy's main attraction, and they bring plenty of passion and enthusiasm to this engaging anniversary disc.

~ Alex Henderson, all media guide

Tracklist:

01. Everything's The Same
02. From The Other Side
03. I Spy (Girlschool Mix)
04. Spend Spend Spend
05. Whole New World
06. Just Another Day
07. Legend (A Tribute To Kelly Johnson)
08. Still Waters
09. Metropolis (Motorhead Cover)
10. Mess Around
11. Zeitgeist
12. Don't Talk To Me
13. I Spy (Dio/Iommi Mix)
14. London
15. Emergency

Produced by Girlschool & Tim Hamill
Engineered by Tim Hamill
Ronnie James Dio's vocals engineered by Rudy Sarzo
Recorded at Sonic One Studios, Llangennech, South Wales

Repack. Thanks to the Original Releaser!

• Kim McAuliffe - lead vocals and rhythm guitar
• Enid Williams - bass and vocals
• Denise Dufort - drums
• Jackie Chambers - lead guitar, background vocals

guest musicians:
• Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister) - lead guitar and solo on "4"
• Phil Campbell (Motorhead) - lead guitar solo on "5" and "6", guitar on "11"
• Neil Murray (ex-Whitesnake/ex-BS/ex-MSG) - bass guitar on "5" and "7"
• "Fast" Eddie Clark (Fastway, ex-Motorhead) - guitar solo on "9"
• J.J. French (Twisted Sister) - guitar solo on "10"
• Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (Motorhead) - bass & vocals on "12"
• Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, ex-Rainbow) - vocals on "13"
• Toni Iommi (Black Sabbath) - lead guitar on "13"

Release Date: October 24, 2008
Label: Wacken Records
Catalog No.: SPV 92732 CD