CD Review: The Pretty Reckless “Going to Hell”

The Pretty Reckless
“Going to Hell”
Razor & Tie
Produced by: Kato Khandwala
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Gossip Girl” star Taylor Momsen and her band The Pretty Reckless is back with a brand new full length album titled “Going to Hell”. The album is the follow up release to the groups 2012 EP titled “Hit Me Like a Man” and features 12 brand new tracks produced by Kato Khandwala and are being released via Razor & Tie records.

Throw any preconceived notions about actress/lead vocalist Taylor Momsen out the window as the latest from The Pretty Reckless is a mixture of styles ranging from full on heavy metal to pop tinged dance tracks which making “Going to Hell” an interesting listen that runs ravage on your ear drums. You just never know what to expect when an artist crosses over to another discipline be it acting, music, sports etc. lot of times we are left underwhelmed by the attempt however Taylor Momsen and her band are the complete opposite. Their latest offering shows immense range and solid progression on all levels. Momsen takes on all styles. From the shredding scream induced “Sweet Things” to the soulfully acoustic track “Burn” Momsen certainly covers the style spectrum. Back by a solid band consisting of bassist Mark Damon, Drummer Jamie Perkins and Lead guitarist Ben Phillips the group sounds as though they have been playing together way past their years.

“Going to Hell” is not to be taken lightly or passed off as some actress’s half hearted side project. With the band’s latest release Momsen and company show that they have more than what it takes to be considered one of today’s top up and coming rock acts.

Track Listing:
1.) Follow Me Down
2.) Going to Hell
3.) Heaven Knows
4.) House on a Hill
5.) Sweet Things
6.) Dear Sister
7.) Absolution
8.) Blame Me
9.) Burn
10.) Why’d You Bring a Shotgun to the Party
11.) Fucked Up World
12.) Waiting for a Friend

DVD Review “Reckless (1935)”

Director: Victor Fleming
Starring: Jean Harlow, William Powell, Franchot Tone, May Robson, Ted Healy, Nat Pendleton, Robert Light, Rosalind Russell, Henry Stephenson
Distributed by: Warner Archive
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Run Time: 97 minutes

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This the film first time that this 1935 classic has been released on DVD. It has been newly remastered by Warner Brothers. They definitely did a decent job for sure, there are some small issues but what do you expect from a film that is over 75 years old. The film was never one of my favorites and I feel that the story is very jumpy and unfocused. The story really only gets started in the third act and doesn’t leave enough time to develop.

Since the film is from 1935, I am very happy to see that special features included on this release. The first extra is a radio promo called “Leo is on the Air”, definitely worth a listen to. The other extra is a production session pre-recording from on the MGM stage. This one is very cool to watch and to see the whole film behind the scenes. Overall if you are a fan of Jean Harlow and William Powell, you might want to pick this up to see this classic remaster

Synopsis:
By 1935, every movie fan in the world knew Jean Harlow as both a blonde bombshell and a delightful comedienne. To expand her range, the studio gave her a dramatic role in Reckless – and Harlow was a hit. She plays musical star Mona Leslie, the bride of a champagne-stewed blueblood. When he blows his brains out, Mona is suspected of his murder, igniting media frenzy. The film is also notable for its Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein title tune (Harlow, whose considerable skills didn’t extend beyond acting, was dubbed and body doubled in the musical numbers), plus a cast that includes Franchot Tone, Rosalind Russell, and as a hotshot promoter, William Powell, who would become the last love of Harlow’s tragically short life.