AMG Review of Synchronistic Wanderings

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Pat Benatar was certainly one of the best arena rockers of the early '80s. Not only did she sell albums, but she made records that sounded great on the radio -- "Heartbreaker," "Hit Me with Your Best Shot," "Shadows of the Night," "I Need a Lover," "Love Is a Battlefield," "We Belong," "Invincible," "Sex as a Weapon," even the latter-day "All Fired Up" -- enough hits for a really good hits collection, which she has several of in her catalog; however, not enough for a three-disc box set, which is what Synchronistic Wanderings is. That's not to say that all Benatar had to offer were hit singles, since she did have some good album tracks, or that she shouldn't have a collection of rarities and unreleased material, since some of the demos, live tracks, and unreleased cuts aren't bad, and certainly of interest to fans.