When Smyth had her first hit with the band Scandal in 1982 with the peppy kiss-off "Goodbye to You," MTV was still in its infancy and Alanis Morissette was not long out of diapers.

Not exactly the stereotypical groundbreaker, the New York-born Smyth nonetheless helped make the pre-Madonna '80s safe for women in rock, paving the way for such hit makers as Morissette, Sheryl Crow, and the whole Lilith Fair flock.

While this career-spanning retrospective is a hit-and-miss affair, it boasts plenty of enjoyable, chewy slabs of pop-flavored hard rock. Smyth's top 10 smashes - the anthemic "The Warrior" and the power-ballad duet with Don Henley, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" - are the star attractions, but some of her lesser-known material proves just as impressive.

The rousing "Heartache Heard Around the World" is a welcome blast from the (circa 1987) past, and "Wish I Were You," a tune also available on the Armageddon movie soundtrack, shows that Smyth isn't ready to be relegated to the oldies-rock circuit just yet. amazon.com.