After blistering the charts — and the airwaves — with six multi-platinum albums in her first six tries, the public’s radar more or less lost contact with Pat Benatar. A much-deserved break between 1985 and 1988 all but erased her memory from a large percentage of music buyers. Returning with “Wide Awake in Dreamland” (The Best Kept Secret of 1988), “True Love” (The Best Kept Secret of 1991), “Gravity’s Rainbow” (The Best Kept Secret of 1993) and “Innamorata” (wait for it…The Best Kept Secret of 1997) Benatar seemed to have softened somewhat from the fire-breathing in-your-face rocker we knew from “In The Heat of The Night” up through “Get Nervous”. This was a happier Pat, a kinder, gentler Pat and it was heartwarming to hear someone who’d given so much to her audience finally sounding like she’d found the sunny side of the street. Still, we did kind of miss the edgy, raw energy of the early years…

No more. It’s back, with interest on “Go”. Even the cover art harks back to the days of “Fire and Ice” and “No You Don’t”. The lyrics to the title track remind us of that long-ago ad in Rolling Stone captioned “Pat Benatar Kicks Ass”, as well as the songs that inspired it. “I Won’t” conjures memories of “I Want Out” (Get Nervous) and remind anybody who might have forgotten that this is NOT a woman to trifle with.

Neil Giraldo continues to defy convention as a guitarist and a composer, keeping us just off-balance on tracks like “Have It All”. Just as quickly, the husband-wife team give us an almost-oratorio with “Out Of The Ruins”, which stirs memories of Benatar’s cover of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” (Crimes of Passion), and reminds us just why she’s had 25+ years of staying power. Unlike the glam-mill female rock singers so ubiquitous in today’s market, Benatar can actually SING. And while the classically-trained range may have shrunk to the realm of the merely mortal, make no mistake — none of the latest pop diva/goddesses can touch her for true musical ability.

If you’re a long time fan, you’ll find this album as comfortable and familiar as your favorite shirt. If you haven’t yet discovered the force-of-nature power of Pat Benatar, this is a great place to start. And if you came in late (post-1988) this will be a crash course in what you missed — and an incentive to catch up!

What can i say that hasn’t been said already??? Benatar is undoubtedly one of the most supreme vocalists ever and her ability to churn out so many albums (17 and counting) is indicative of an artiste who is creative and passionate. Go differs from previous original albums (Gravity’s Rainbow and Innamorata, both of which are stunning tour de foreces) and tends to veer towards the more classik 80s sounds that made Benatar one of the most revered rock vocalists…..title track wins the day…..an overwhelming guitar riff with husky and tenacious vocals which grab you. A fair smattering of ballads which initially sound mundane, but believe me, grow on you…..Out of the Ruins is harrowing, Brave tender and taut and Girl infectious. Other top track is I Won’t. The Benatar we know and love, lyrically…lover and fighter. This CD is testimony to the brilliance of this artist and her creative relationship with Neil Giraldo (hubby too, if you didn’t alreay know). My ultimate musical aspiration is to see Pat perform live! in concert……this CD reinforces my determination. Goddess.

When Pat Benatar shook off the music industry in the 90s (according to press: to focus on her family) she unfortunately managed to shake off a lot of fans. For me there was a lot of exciting music coming from female rockers at the time and it was a mild but not earth-shattering loss. I heard that she released a blues album and a torchy vocals album and it sounded like she was all over the map.

Now that I’ve owned and listened to “Go!” for over a year, I can say without reservation that Pat Benatar’s is one of the most assured and welcome returns to form that I’ve ever heard. It seems to me that everything I ever liked about Pat Benatar (I’ve been a fan since 1980) is here, and then some.

The great choruses, the vocals that range from a growl to a soaring falsetto, the superb guitar work from Giraldo, all of it is here. It’s a completely valid album with only a couple soft points. But I rate it 5 stars because within the context of Pat Benatar’s entire catalog it’s easily one of the most consistent and appealing releases she’s made. Just the song “Go” on it’s own speaks for the entire experience- defiant vocal on a rock song that puts the newcomers to shame and reminds us all why we liked rock music in the first place. Pat’s got no drive to be Shirley Manson or Alanis Morrisette or to compete with Avril Lavigne for the title of “Rock grrrll” (?? whatever). She’s just released the most solid Pat Benatar album in a long line of solid Benatar releases. If like me you can still put on “Crimes of Passion” or “Precious Time” or “Seven the Hard Way” and really enjoy the listen then this is a smart buy for the collection.

A few years ago, I was somewhat disappointed with Annamorata. It had a couple of good songs but didn’t sound like the old Pat. However, with ” Go “, The real Pat Benatar has stood up. She has resurfaced with her best album in years. And it’s not far off from some of her best work. I will run down a track-by-track review for you.”Go” – This is the opening track and what a perfect way to start off this disc. It rocks with attitude and has the signature Pat Benatar feel and sound. Great song. You’ll find yourself singing this one a lot. “Brave” – What a great catchy song ! If the radio stations would play this song, it would be as big a hit as any female performer out there. Pat proves her talent as she is able to produce a pop song that rivals with the modern sound but yet has her recognizable sound to it. “I won’t” – Great Rocker Benatar tune. Attitude, melody, punch and she sings great on this one.”Have it all” – Mid tempo rocker with tons of attitude and girl power. Good song.”Sorry” – Great acoustic mid tempo pop song. Pat shows her great vocal talent here , also some great guitar work. Also, could be a top 40 hit , if they would play it. “Please don’t leave me” – A very heartfelt song. One of the most genuine vocal tracks on the CD. Great ballad. Pat sings fantastic here.”Girl” – This song starts off slow and quiet , then blasts into a rocking tune with tons of attitude and positive message to the women of the world. Again, pat’s vocals are flawless. “Out of the ruins” – Not sure if this song really fits the CD. This is Pat’s attempt at Broadway music. Not a bad song , just different. her voice sounds good and is worth listening to just for that. Almost sounds like a Sting song that Pat agrees to sing.”In my dreams” – This is the most alternative or modern song on the CD. Great bluesy guitar work. Average song but again i just love to listen to Pat.”Tell me” – This song starts off slow but then kicks into a mid-tempo rocker. To me, it has a strong 80’s feel to it. great melodic rock song. Typical Pat. Great song musically also.”Brokenhearted” – Soft pop song. Amazing vocals by pat. Again, another radio hit if they would market properly.Overall, this is a great CD. If you like the old Pat Benatar, you will love this. It has flashes of her 80’s sound but also will easily appeal to the newer fans of more recent music. I highly recommend to anyone who likes rocker female music with great melodies, musicianship and power.

Thank God Pat Benatar is still putting out new material. Just take a look at the top female vocalists today; Hillary Duff, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears??? They all have the longevity of a popcorn fart, and will be forgotten in two or three years. Benatar’s stunning vocals and pop-metal edge has lasting impact, and her music has strong legs. “Go” has Benatar returning to her rock roots, and overall is one her best albums in over a decade. The opening title track, “Go” simply rocks out. Catchy chorus, great guitar riffs make “Go” an instant classic. “Brave” may be my favorite tune on the disk, with a great chorus, and Pat’s amazing vocals all backed by a really cool rhythm. Most of the songs on this disk feature Pat at her best. “Go” does have one clunker in the tune “Out of the Ruins”, not quite sure what they were going for but it misses the mark. The rest of the CD is stellar though, and if you are a fan of the older stuff, “Crimes of Passion”, “Get Nervous” etc. then you should really pick up this disk. As a bonus listeners get a 13th track “Christmas in America”. This song will definately take a high place on your Christmas Mix CD. It’s a heartwarming little Christmas song that really ends the cd on a great note. I hope Pat doesn’t stop at this, her 17th album, the music scene really needs great female vocalists who aren’t voted into stardom through some stupid reality TV show!