Recueil Des Coursvolume 170 (1981 I)

With 1981's suitably named Allied Forces – their fourth worldwide release and fifth overall – the three members of Triumph put aside their differences and collaborated more seamlessly than ever before, fittingly delivering what is arguably the best album of their long career. Like the previous year's particularly intense Progressions of Power, and with the possible exception of a rather forgettable new track, "Ordinary Man," the pedestrian mid-paced rockers that had sometimes derailed previous Triumph albums were conspicuously absent here, replaced by snaggletoothed heavy metal carnivores courtesy of singing drummer Gil Moore, such as the opening "Fool for Your Love" and the unrelenting title track – both of them as thrilling as they were catchy.

After the breakup of Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1978, Greg Lake set out to launch a solo career. He teamed up with guitar virtuoso Gary Moore and enlisted the talents of Bruce Springsteen's sax player, Clarence Clemmons, as well as Toto veterans Steve Lukather, David Paich, and Jeff Porcaro. The result was his 1981 self-titled debut album. After more than a decade with prog-rock legends ELP and King Crimson, it is clear Lake was looking for a musical change and a chance to perform as a guitarist, his primary instrument, after more than a decade mainly playing bass.

Bad Boy has created legends in the Midwestern rock scene for more than two decades. Founders Steve Grimm, John Marcelli, Joey LaVie, and Lars Hanson began their performance and songwriting careers in their teens as Crossfire. United Artists signed the band to a two album deal in 1977, but changed the name to Bad Boy, as the name Crossfire was already in use. Both albums, "The Band That Milwaukee Made Famous" and "Back To Back" reached the top 100 nationwide. Xeno joined the band after his years with Cheap Trick in the early 80's. Bad Boy released "Electric Eyes" and "Girl On The Run" on their own Streetwise and Legend labels which both received regional airplay with their singles Cheat On Me, Thunder and Lightning, and Midnight Love which drew national attention to the band once again.

The last great Kraftwerk album, Computer World captured the band right at the moment when its pioneering approach fully broke through in popular music, thanks to the rise of synth pop, hip-hop, and electro. As Arthur Baker sampled "Trans-Europe Express" for "Planet Rock" and disciples like Depeche Mode, OMD, and Gary Numan scored major hits, Computer World demonstrated that the old masters still had some last tricks up their collective sleeves. Compared to earlier albums, it fell readily in line with The Man-Machine, eschewing side-long efforts but with even more of an emphasis on shorter tracks mixed with longer but not epic compositions.

Now, here's a star-crossed album. Polydor rejected the first version of it, produced by Glyn Johns, and Eric Clapton was forced to cut it all over again with Tom Dowd. Then, a few dates into a U.S. promotional tour coinciding with its release, Clapton collapsed and was found to be near death from ulcers due to his alcoholism. Finally, it turned out to be the final record of his 15-year association with Polydor, which therefore had no reason to promote it. Nevertheless, the album made the Top Ten, went gold, and spawned a Top Ten single in "I Can't Stand It." And the rest of it wasn't too shabby, either.

Joan Jett: By playing pure and simple rock & roll without making an explicit issue of her gender, Joan Jett became a figurehead for several generations of female rockers. Jett's brand of rock & roll is loud and stripped-down, yet with overpowering hooks – a combination of the Stones' tough, sinewy image and beat, AC/DC chords, and glam rock hooks. As the numerous covers she has recorded show, she adheres both to rock tradition and breaks with it – she plays classic three-chord rock & roll, yet she also loves the trashy elements (in particular, Gary Glitter) of it as well, and she plays with a defiant sneer. From her first band, the Runaways, through her hit-making days in the '80s with the Blackhearts right until her unexpected revival in the '90s, she hasn't changed her music, yet she's kept her quality control high, making one classic single ("I Love Rock 'n Roll") along the way. ~Allmusic

On estime qu'au rythme où vont les choses, il faudra encore deux cents ans avant de résorber les inégalités qui perdurent entre les hommes et les femmes. De la rémunération pour un travail égal au partage de la charge mentale, en passant par la représentativité dans les rôles de pouvoir et la prise en charge des plaintes pour agression sexuelle, on connaît les combats à mener. …