ALBUM REVIEW – LEE AARON

Lee Aaron – Tattoo Me

Reviewed by: Blake Mossey

Review Score: 8/10

Firstly, I am aware that this release may not align with some of the metal genres we typically cover. However, Lee Aaron, the former Canadian Metal Queen whose poster once adorned my high school locker, is releasing her first covers album, and I wish to share her current endeavors. With eighteen albums into her career, Aaron has written, recorded, and produced music that has achieved gold and multi-platinum sales. Recognized as one of Canada’s premier rock vocalists, she has also ventured into jazz, blues, and even opera. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including a recent 2023 induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Lee Aaron made her mark on the metal scene in 1982 with her debut album, The Lee Aaron Project. However, it was her 1984 release, Metal Queen, that truly earned her that title. Her subsequent albums like, Bodyrock, Some Girls Do, also enjoyed significant sales, marking the height of her metal/hard rock era. While I wouldn’t categorize her as hair metal, she emerged during that period in the ’80s, and I found Lee Aaron far more appealing than any of the hair metal bands at the time.

So now to 2024 and Lee Aaron thought it would be fun to take on something she has never done and that is a covers album. So she decided to make Tattoo Me. Lee Aaron states, “It started out as a heartfelt nod to artists we’d been influenced by in our youth, but the truth is, we didn’t stop being influenced or being fans at 18, so the list kept evolving. It covers a few decades and a few unconventional choices, but it was incredibly rewarding to make!”

LINEUP:
Lee Aaron – lead vocals
Sean Kelly – guitars
Dave Reimer – bass
John Cody – drums

This covers album is mostly a mixture of some classic rock classics that inspired Lee in her younger years and a few obscure tracks.

From the scorching blues-rock of Nina Simone‘s 1960 hit ‘The Pusher’ to the defiant energy of Alice Cooper‘s 1972 anthem ‘Is it My Body’ and Fleetwood Mac‘s ‘Go Your Own Way’, AARON delivers a performance that is sultry, growls, purrs, whispers, and wails. She seems to revel in infusing these classic songs with her own vibrant spirit. Her voice remains as adaptable and potent as it has always been.

Standout tracks include Jet‘s ‘Are You Going to Be My Girl’, Canadian rockers Heart‘s ‘Even It Up’, and my personal favorite, Led Zeppelin‘s classic ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’. As one of my all-time favorite bands, it’s very enjoyable to hear Lee Aaron‘s rendition of it, and she does an admirable job covering such an iconic band and song.”

Lee Aaron and band sound great covering these songs. Definitely more in the hard rock/blues style. She still sounds great and if only I could find that poster that used to be on my locker!!!

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LEE AARON Tattoo Me
By Andrew Depedro, Ottawa Corespondent
Saturday, April 6, 2024 @ 9:22 AM

LEE AARON
Tattoo Me
Metalville Records

“Songs are like tattoos” – the famous first line of Joni Mitchell’s Blue – is a sentiment that has always resonated deeply for Canadian rocker LEE AARON.

Hard as it is to believe, but eighteen studio albums into her career in which she has written, recorded, and produced music achieving gold and multi-platinum sales and continues to be recognized as one of Canada’s top rock vocalists as well as making forays into jazz, blues, and even opera, there’s been one gaping musical notch that’s been missing from AARON’s studded bullet belt: A covers album.

And a unique covers album at that as well titled Tattoo Me, running the broad line from 70’s classic rock and punk to 90’s Britpop and even early 2000’s retro garage.

Taking a nostalgic journey, Tattoo Me pays homage to musical trailblazers who helped shape her own artistic path. As a reflection of her eclectic taste, yet in keeping with a profound respect for the greats, these 11 dynamic tracks are a unique tapestry of influences that transcend era and genre.

“It started out as a heartfelt nod to artists we’d been influenced by in our youth, but the truth is, we didn’t stop being influenced or being fans at 18, so the list kept evolving. It covers a few decades and a few unconventional choices, but it was incredibly rewarding to make!” she states.

Each track is a labor of love, infused with AARON and her band’s signature rock ‘n’ roll swagger, yet in keeping with a sense of reverence for the originals. In fact, with the performance on a good number of these tracks being so on point, one would be surprised to discover that they’re noticeable covers at all. Opening track “Tattoo” commences with the voracious yet sensual croon of AARON’s multi-faceted vocal skills that’s so personable and modern that you’d be convinced that the song was straight out of her mid-90’s catalogue – except that the song itself was originally penned by 80’s California Christian rock outfit the 77’s. AARON’s take on the 1960 Nina Simone jazz classic “The Pusher” is more of a catchy upbeat street savvy-sounding blues rock version, moving away in particular from the more commonly-known STEPPENWOLF cover. An odd sensation to take from a song depicting the horrors of drug abuse, perhaps, but proof nevertheless that AARON has a diverse musical palate that can lend itself to different musical landscapes.

Other standout numbers include a rendition of LED ZEPPELIN‘s “What Is And What Should Never Be”, and HEART‘s “Even It Up”. Stellar performances by AARON’s long-term band – Sean Kelly (guitar), Dave Reimer (bass), and John Cody (drums) – effortlessly channel these ’70s and ’80s rock giants and seem to capture the original magic of each of the tunes. Another gem is AARON’s take on Elton John‘s “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”. Kelly’s gorgeous acoustic guitars create the soundscape, then strings and lush harmonies support her stirring vocal performance. The tribute is passionate and heartfelt. She reflects, “I spent hours and hours laying on my basement floor with headphones listening to “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” on repeat. I desperately wanted someone to save me from my boring life when I was a teenager…music ended up being that for me.” Elsewhere, AARON champions some of her latter-day 90’s grunge/Britpop girl power inspirations with her faithful renditions of “Malibu” by HOLE and “Connection” by ELASTICA. Even the classic punk rock crush of “Teenage Kicks” by THE UNDERTONES is given a decent makeover and even a neat lyrical female perspective that works.

The album was produced by AARON in her Vancouver studio and mixed by multi-media genius Frank Gryner (ROB ZOMBIE, L7, DEF LEPPARD, Larkin Poe, Ian Hunter, and more).

For many artists, the concept of an all-covers album is never an easy one to ink out exactly by design. Often it involves lots of time in selecting the right pattern of songs which leave a permanent impression on the soul but also ensuring that a different version of the original doesn’t get under one’s proverbial skin.

5.0 Out Of 5.0

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Lee Aaron / Canada’s Metal Queen Continues To Surprise

April 6, 2024 MetalTalk

Eighteen albums into her career, one might wonder where Lee Aaron was going to go next in her musical journey. She’s certainly been in a rich vein of form over the past decade, with five albums released since 2016. So, maybe it’s the obvious step for her now to deliver a selection of covers on a full album. Tattoo Me is a feisty 11-track release that includes a few surprises.

Lee Aaron – Tattoo Me (Metalville)

Release Date: 26 April 2024

Words: Paul Hutchings

Why a full-covers album, then? “The one thing I’d never done was a full-covers album,” Lee Aaron says. “It seemed like a really cool and super fun project to tackle at this point.” And when you are 61 years of age and have been in the industry for over four decades, why the hell not?

It is always interesting when an artist covers their peers. Do you try and reinvent those songs which in the main are classics, or do you stick more faithfully to the originals and just add your own stamp on them? On Tattoo Me, Aaron has done a bit of both, and it works to great effect.

Highlights? Well, the impressive reworking of Led Zeppelin’s What Is And What Should Never Be certainly stands out. Sean Kelly’s guitar work doesn’t attempt to emulate Jimmy Page, but he brings a sensitive piece of playing to the song.

Alongside Kelly, bassist Dave Reimer and drummer John Cody keep the time, locking everything in. But it’s Aaron’s trademark smoky delivery that makes the track that little bit different.

There’s a fine version of Elton John’s Someone Saved My Life Tonight to enjoy. Rich and soulful, one can’t help but slip into a trance as this classic track is given a beautiful workout. It’s a brave choice, considering the enormity of the original, but it works.

Perhaps less obvious, a pulsing cover of Hole’s Malibu and Connection by Elastica provides the necessary curve balls needed to surprise and enhance the release.

Picking songs with female singers may seem the natural route, but Aaron brings her own vocal qualities to both. She does this in style on Even It Up, a pacy and vibrant version of a lesser-known Heart song, whilst the ease with which she and the band tackle Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way makes the song’s inclusion almost essential.

Faithful in many ways, there’s always something on a cover album that stands out. Each song has a little twist, even if it’s not immediately obvious.

Interview: Lee Aaron Dives Into Covers On Tattoo Me

Aaron’s slight snarl on the Alice Cooper epic Is It My Body gives it the spark, whilst the smouldering version of The Pusher, originally written by Hoyt Axton but made famous by Steppenwolf and Nina Simone sees Aaron’s vocals fit like a glove.

Finishing off with a rousing version of The Undertones Teenage Kicks, this is a pleasing and enjoyable release that breathes new life into some old favourites.

On first take, one might think this is more for the dedicated fan, but with the variety on offer, Tattoo Me surely has something for everyone.