are the wise men of the tribe?" on the ponderous "Brighter Day," co-written by Desmond Child, of all unlikely collaborators. But if you can wade through the sluggish patches, Pure packs most of the things you look for in a Joan Jett record (chief among them lots of big guitars), and Jett's arresting, corrugated voice shows as much backbone as ever. On "Spinster" – one of several songs co-written with Jett by Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna – Jett tells us she has no strings to tie her down, and it's fine by her. On "Insecure" she almost miraculously turns a homespun, grannylike homily into irresistible, hyperactive power pop.

And you can't really blame Jett if "Activity Grrrl," her butt-kicking paean to the riot grrrls, comes off a bit like propaganda. The grrrls have picked up a torch that she helped light long ago, so you can forgive lyrics like "She puts her thoughts in a magazine form/And passes them all around the dorm."

"Activity Grrrl" nails down the connection between Jett and the riot grrrls, and when she sings, "She can't accept that life is unfair/She wants to think that others care," she may as well be looking in a mirror. (RS 691)

STEPHANIE ZACHAREK