GIRLSCHOOL have made a lot of friends over their long career, some of which appear on this album, with guest performances by Lemmy and Phil Campbell of MOTORHEAD, and Eddie Ojeda and Jay Jay French of TWISTED SISTER, plus Ronnie James Dio and Tony Iommi. Such names will mean that ‘Legacy’ will shift a few more copies than your average GIRLSCHOOL album, but is it really a worthwhile purchase?

Although it seems that some songs were a bit rushed, and could have benefited from a bit more work on their structure, after a few spins, the songs become extremely catchy, and you can’t help yourself singing along to some of the choruses. Apart from the excellent ‘I Spy’, all of the songs are straight ahead no frills rock’n'roll, with basic riffs and very simple choruses. I’d love to say it’s as basic as meat and two veg, but as GIRLSCHOOL are an all female band, that’s probably inappropriate.

‘I Spy’ is the standout track on the album, and there’s two versions, one with GIRLSCHOOL vocals and one with Ronnie James Dio on the mic (as well as Tony Iommi on guitar). It is the Dio version that does it for me, with his vocals suiting the dark, sinister mood of the track. If you’re a DIO or HEAVEN AND HELL fan, this track should be top of your download list.

‘Legend’ pays a nice tribute to original GIRLSCHOOL member Kelly Johnson, who lost her long battle with spinal cancer last year. The clever and up with the times ‘Spend Spend Spend’ makes a scathing attack on the current state of the UK’s economy, and ‘Don’t Talk to Me’ allows Lemmy to let loose with his typically snorting vocals. Speaking of MOTORHEAD, a cover of ‘Metropolis’ is a worthless inclusion, and I also don’t see the point of the GIRLSCHOOL classic ‘Emergency’ being stuck on the end of the CD. This is the original version we’ve all heard before, not a re-recording, which would have made much more sense.

‘Legacy’ is a decent album to get hold of, and will keep you entertained for a short while, if not for an eternity. If you’ve got a spare tenner, why not give it a whirl.

Rating: 3.3/5.0
James Allman

Release Date: 10th November 2008