CAROLYNE MAS; TOUGH ROCKER By Jennefer Hirshberg Special to The Washington Star

Rock 'n' roll since the '50s has always had a rough, tough, streetwise element to it. It was and is music of the streets. And that can present problems for female purveyors of the musical form.

Just how tough can you be and still attract an audience? The big successes from the Angels to Linda Ronstadt have relied on their femaleness--their sexuality, their vulnerability, to create an appealing image. So what happens to rock 'n' rollers such as Cindy Bullens, Marshall Chapman, or Carolyne Mas?

Last night at the Bayou, Carolyne Mas left no question as to how she plans to handle her stage image. She's tough, looks tough, acts tough, sings tough--and make no mistake about that.

She's full of energy, strong of voice, but then one expects that of a rock 'n' roller. Mas' greatest distinction at this point is that she is being compared to Bruce Springsteen. Bruce Sprinsteen, or anything near him in terms of his performing capabilities and style, she is not.

Still she does share with him a lyrical quality that was especially effective on her ballad 'Go Ahead Cry Now.' On that number she built the lyrical tension through throbbing and crescendoing chords to a powerful musical conclusion.” - Jennefer Hirshberg

— WASHINGTON D.C. STAR (7-30-80)