Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Naked (2004) [Japan only Release] RESTORED

Japan only edition of the Rock Icon's first studio album in ten years has earliest release with no other territory currently scheduled. 16 tracks, mostly penned by Jett herself, with contributions from Paul Westerberg (The Replacements), Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes), & Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre). Highlights include a cover of Donovan's 'Season Of The Witch'…

Hey Japan!
Making this CD was quite an odyssey. Now that we've reached our destination, I believe we have made the best Joan Jett and the Blackhearts CD ever. Of course, I always think that when we finish, but sometimes I'm right, like this time.

NAKED is being released exclusively in Japan, well ahead of every other country. We do this because Japan is the first country that recognized Joan Jett as a real talent, when she was only 15 years old. We do this also as a tribute to our Japanese record partner, JVC, who has stood by our little indie label, Blackheart Records, for many years, and through all kinds of adversity. Thanks, JVC.

After working on the recording for so long, we realized we had before us a work with many textures, recorded in several countries and many cities. Naked, the song, was a product of our dalliance in Seattle, when Joan produced some sides with BIKINI KILL, helped keep THE GITS legacy alive with EVIL STIG, and put out METAL CHURCH on her label.

We made Bad Time with our good friend, pop legend Joey Levine, in the same studio where Joey creates Dr. Pepper commercials. Joan and the band made a rockin' track of it, and Joey and I begged to have our monster mix on the record also, hence the two versions.

Fetish is an amazing tribute to wildness. Joan is the same rebellious, raging, rock and roll lunatic she was when I met her as a young teenage ex-Runaway so many years ago. Punk Riot Grrrl icon Kathleen Hanna helped arrange the vocals.

Androgynous, written by THE REPLACEMENTS Paul Westerberg is, as Joan says, for those who like to blur those lines.

Science Fiction is a song Joan Jett sang in her hit Broadway show, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, only the Blackhearts rock it harder than they did it on Broadway.

Turn It Around is the kind of Joan Jett song that made THE RUNAWAYS famous.

Probably the best writer with rock bands ever is Jim Vallance. We had a ball writing with him in his high tech recording set up in Vancouver. We'll never forget his generosity, when he let us use his amazing studio, The Armoury, to record the tracks I produced with magnate Bob Rock. The Vancouver rock community adopted Joan. One of the results of this time is Everyone Knows, a defiant shout at those who can't accept non-conformity.

Baby Blue, the one Joan and Kathleen wrote about a girl who stretches her boundaries, is one I produced with super legend Teddy Templeman, who turned out to be as perverted as the girls.

We did Kiss On The Lips with Kathleen and our former guitar player, Tony Bruno, a most talented producer, writer, musician, who writes some of the biggest hits in Europe, and who directs Enrique Iglesias music. This song is wacky and psychedelic, and oops!!! another suggestive lyric.

Watersign is a soft sensitive love song, but there is a hidden meaning you may get if you are into the flow. Emiko, of JVC wanted me to hold it off JETT ROCK, the greatest hits package we put out last year, and now I wish I'd listened to her, so it would be brand new, but we can't put this CD out without this beautiful part of the mosaic that encompasses NAKED. So for those of you who have JETT ROCK, you can enjoy it again, knowing what it's about now.

If Joan Jett is the queen of punk, Kathleen is surely the crown princess. Tube Talkin' is a throwback to the girl groups like THE SHANGRI LAS, but with the snotty pout that Joan Jett and Kathleen Hanna do better than anyone on the planet. The Tube could be the subway in London where the babes are yackin', or perhaps the TV, where we're watchin' them blab!?!

Season Of The Witch is the product of melding the eclectic musical perspectives of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Teddy Templeman and me.

Can't Live Without You is a favorite of mine, and it's about a more classic love than some of our other sentiments. It's one of our collaborations with Jim Vallance.

Five is a Joan/Kathleen take on the interviews they endure.

I hope you all enjoy this.

~ Kenny Laguna – booklet note

Tracklist:

01. Naked
02. Bad Time
03. Fetish
04. Androgynous
05. Science Fiction, Double Feature [Punk Version]
06. Right In The Middle
07. Turn It Around
08. Everyone Knows
09. Baby Blue
10. Kiss On The Lips
11. Watersign
12. Tube Talkin'
13. Season Of The Witch
14. Bad Time [Monster Mix]
15. Can't Live Without You
16. Five


Produced by Kenny Laguna
Recorded at the following studios: The Armoury, Vancouver Canada; One On One, Los Angeles; Studio 900, New York City;
Crushing Music, New York City; Soundnet, Long Beach, NY; Videoland, New York City; Vancouver Studios, Vancouver Canada;
Loho Studio, New York City; The Hit Factory, New York City
Mastered by Peter Kuperschmid at Soundnet Studios, Long Beach, New York
Official DR value = 8.

Release Date: April 21, 2004
Label: Victor Entertainment, Japan
Catalog No.: VICP-62690

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