Donnas - 40 Boys In 40 Nights

  by John Clarkson

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

Label: Select Label
Format: CDS

intro

All girl gang The Donnas are from the same musical mould as the seventies group The Runaways, and similarly combine together street smart sassiness and feistiness with a deep rooted love of glam rock

All girl gang The Donnas are from the same musical mould as the seventies group The Runaways, and similarly combine together street smart sassiness and feistiness with a deep rooted love of glam rock and Kiss-style heavy metal. The group, which features in its line up guitarist Allison Robertson (Donna R) ; bassist Maya Ford (Donna F) ; vocalist Torry Castellano (Donna C) and drummer Brett Anderson (Donna A), first formed in Palo Alto in California when its four members, who are all best friends, were fourteen. After a period playing under the moniker of Raggedy Ann, the band switched its name to The Donnas and has since recorded, to increasingly enthusiastic reviews, four albums, 'The Donnas' (1997) ; 'American Teenage Rock n Roll Machine'(1998) ; Get Straight (1999) and The Donnas Turn 21 which came out in February. '40 Boys in 40 Nights', the first single from 'The Donnas Turn 21', which has been released to coincide with a full European tour in April and May, is, as exactly as its name implies, a tongue in cheek tribute to the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and hedonism. "Forty boys in forty nights/I got no time to see the sites" sings Castellano with mock seriousness about life on the road, her raspy voice reminiscent of Suzi Quatro's. This is matched with a gritty and fiery lead guitar solo from Donna R, which in turn is backed by steady, but enthusiastic bass and drum playing from the other two members of the band. The other two tracks on '40 Boys in 40 Nights' meanwhile nod more directly at the band's roots and otherwise unavailable, are flawless covers of The Sweet's 'Wig Wam Bam' and Alice Cooper's 'School's Out.' Certainly something of a throwback, but both fun and funny, and not taking themselves too seriously, the Donnas have genuine ability and are an unpretentious talent. Instantly likeable and very catchy, '40 Boys for 40 Nights' is a a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining record, and which deserves a wider audience.

Track Listing:-