Dog & Butterfly Review

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(More customer reviews)Sony Legacy has finally gotten around to remastering some of the Heart back catalog with improved sound and extra tracks. Being an old school Heart fan from way back in the beginning, I'm only too happy to replace my old CDs with the new improved versions.
While "Little Queen" was a little spotty in places, and "Magazine" was really only half an album, "Dog & Butterfly" was easily the band's best long player since their debut. It's highlighted by two of their strongest singles, the title track and "Straight On". The closing track, "Mistral Wind" is probably the favorite among a lot of the group's 70s fan base. It's kind of their "Stairway To Heaven".
The main concern with any reissue is sound quality. This remaster sounds terrific, from the funky opening lick of "Hijinx", to the soft gentle acoustics of "Nada One".
Aside from the improved sound quality, Sony is advertising several more reasons to buy the reissues. There are previously unreleased bonus tracks: this disc's best bonus track is a 1978 live recording of "Heartless". It shows Heart's ability to pull off faithful live renditions of their hits. Then there's a never before released ballad called "Feels". The Wilsons and Sue Ennis later reworked this track and turned it into the forgettable "Johnny Moon" from their 1983 "Passionworks" album. As presented here, it's very similar in arrangement to "Lighter Touch" which may be one reason it was passed over for release originally. The last bonus track is a 50 second acoustic guitar piece called "A Little Bit". This aptly titled track was recorded four years after the rest of the tracks here and it's inclusion on this disc is puzzling. It would fit better as a bonus track on a reissue of the band's 1982 "Private Audition" album. Maybe Sony hasn't yet made plans to upgrade Heart's other Epic albums yet.
The other extras, as advertised on the stickers that adorn the covers of these reissues, include liner notes and a track by track overview by Nancy Wilson. First of all, it should be pointed out that the same very brief liner notes appear in all three of these reissues (the others being "Little Queen" and "bebe le strange"). And the "track by track" overview is about one line per song (example: "High Time" - in the studio this was almost a gospel revival!). Not much inside information there, Nance. In fact, only 7 of the original 8 album tracks even contain an "overview", with the comment for "Straight On" conspicuously missing.
There are some nice photos in the booklet, which isn't really a booklet at all, but one of those annoying multi-panel things that folds out and out and out. Most of the photos are very, very small.
One other thing that stands out about these discs: they are the first I've bought that have the "FBI Anti-Piracy Warning" stamped on them. This threat of punishment "under federal law" is emblazoned both on the back cover and the disc itself.
So don't buy this disc for the liner notes, but if you're a Heart fan and you want to crank up "Mistral Wind" and hear it the way it was really meant to be heard, then by all means buy this reasonably priced gem. I give it 5 stars for the original 8 songs, sounding better than I've ever heard them sound.

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Heart, Dog and Butterfly--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Passionworks Review

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(More customer reviews)For the first time, the lineup of Ann & Nancy Wilson, Howard Leese, Mark Andes, an alumnus of Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Denny Carmassi came together to make history. However, history would have to wait until they released Passionworks. To put it briefly, many of the songs here are more vital versions of their Private Audition style music, but I also see how some songs here were recycled and laden with Ron Nevison's wall of synth in Bad Animals. Hmm, how would Keith Olsen have produced Bad Animals? Makes one think.
"How Can I Refuse" describing the future road of an unexpected love is a more polished and solid guitar rocker in the fashion of the harder Private Audition songs.
One of my favourites here is the slow-rocker "Blue Guitar", the title instrument being the one true thing in a woman rocker's life. The sound here is reminiscent of "Perfect Stranger" except better. There's an ironic line here foretelling their future: "Just about to pack it in/Mr. Money Biz rolled in/Paid the way-broke the band"
"Johnny Moon" is a nice ballad about a dreamer who's "out there in another dimension. The chugging guitar that commences "Sleep Alone" and the catchy hooks and chorus--"Lonely woman gets so cold/with no loverboy to hold/one more night she's on her own/Nobody meant to sleep alone"--could've made this rocker a great breakthrough single. It's a more pure rock than its future synth-laden cousin "Who Will You Run To."
The mid-paced "Together Now" is so like "Love Alive" from Little Queen and a predecessor of "R.S.V.P." from Bad Animals.
Jonathan Cain, yes, that Jonathan Cain, wrote one of the best songs here and on any Heart album. The magical power ballad "Allies," which given its piano opening, sounds like a Journey song but it just ain't for Steve Perry. Depending on tried and trusted friends in the chaotic world is the theme here. "Allies with our back against the wall/I will answer when you call/And take on the odds/For what we believe is true." This verse espousing pragmatism is something many people are forced to do: "We search our hearts/to justify the reason/and draw the line/to meet somewhere halfway." The guitar and keyboard solos are followed by the Wilsons' trademark harmony vocals.
"(Beat By) Jealousy" details the poisonous effects and the ensuing vicious circle envy can have. It can't get from where "love can't breathe" to where one can "hook the blow between the eyes. Every round--we lose more ground." Ann really belts out the emotion on this one.
The mid-paced rocker "Heavy Heart" has a slight bluesy inflection, while Nancy's solo vocal "Love Mistake" is another winning and comforting ballad from the more delicate and honey-voiced Wilson sister. Wonderful imagery: "through the windows and lace/making patterns on your face/exposed with all your pain." There's some hope here: "After time has healed and made it right/We'll still be looking in each others eyes/and through it all/it's friends who will survive."
"Language Of Love" is a slow-rocker in using love where words won't do. And "Ambush" is a mid-paced number where Ann warns a tough guy of a certain woman who will cause even him to surrender.
Sue Ennis does her usual song co-writing contributions, and the first two songs is done by her and all the members of Heart. While I like Private Audition, Passionworks is better in terms of overall sound. Why it did even worse than its predecessor is unfathomable. A lack of promotion, the changing climate of music in the 1980's? This was their last album for Sony and they were about to throw in the towel, but then came Capitol Records, Ron Nevison, Mike Chapman, and Holly Knight, and a whole new chapter in their history.
Had I reviewed this in 1989, when I first got this and was already getting burned out on them, I would've given this 2 stars. Now, it deserves every star I give it, one for each member of the band.

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Rock the House Live Review

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(More customer reviews)"Wild Child" and "Fallen From Grace" were two of Brigade's standout tracks and both rise in grace higher live. Basically, Brigade live, with a new song and a few old songs mixed in, performed live at Worcester, MA at the Centrum on 28 November 1990.
The two Heart selections are the heaviest ones from that album--"If Looks Could Kill" and "Shell Shock." If they'd included "The Wolf" and "All Eyes", the house would probably be rocked beyond tolerance. "Shell Shock" gets its rightful due live, but the speeded up heavy guitars in fact this version of "If Looks Could Kill" really outstrips its studio counterpart.
For a breather, they perform one of their favorite songs from Little Queen, "Love Alive" which becomes a powerhouse with Denny Carmassi's drum power. They keep the acoustic guitars for "Under The Sky", a new favourite of theirs and mine, with the dreamy feeling of "lying on your back, looking at the stars" as Ann says in introducing the song.
I described "The Night" with its heavily punctuated power chords. Well, the only way it could be outdone was it to have been done live. With the beginning power chords from Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times" introduced, followed by bluesy guitar solo, the song proper begins, and yes, those power chords are pounded.
There isn't too much variation in the Bon Jovi-like "Tall Dark Handsome Stranger" or "Call Of The Wild" from Brigade or "Who Will You Run To" from Bad Animals. These are the few weak moments in this album.
"How Can I Refuse," from Passionworks is really given the rocking treatment with the chugging guitar intro. Given the unjustified roasting Passionworks got from the critics, it's at least gratifying to see at least one of its songs represented live.
The new song "You're The Voice" is a power ballad whose guitarwork gives it a Brigade-era sound. The importance of making a difference is the theme here, with peaceful overtones: "We're all someone's daughter/We're all someone's son/How long can we look at each other/Down the barrel of a gun?"
Howard Leese's guitar solo, "The Way Back Machine," serves as a prelude to the ferociously done "Barracuda" which makes it more a shark than a Barracuda. The best track here.
The song selection here clearly favours the Brigade album, but whether or not one liked Brigade, this live album proves that Heart can still rock and roll and live treatments of studio tracks that were heavy before give them a major rousing makeover. My only question was, after this song, was there a lake or somewhere they the audience could cool off? Great live album, despite its weak spots.

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Dreamboat Annie Live Review

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(More customer reviews)Dreamboat Live!
I think you can make the argument that Heart may be the greatest band of all time. How? You say. Well, here's the thing, Heart has been making albums since within a decade of the beginning of the album rock era, with several of the greatest albums of the era, Dreamboat, and Little Queen for example. They continued to make great rock albums when (for example) the Rolling Stones were doing Disco during the Disco era. They survived personal and professional upheaval, and set the standard for the Power Ballad (MTV) era when concept albums were dropped for the hit single and video. They influenced the entire Grunge era, and Finally brought the Album Rock style back with "Jupiter's Darling". I have been an active and nostalgic fan for over 30 years. So even if you don't buy that argument, you have to admit, the Wilson Sisters, are two of the most talented and most influencial musicians of rock music ... ever. I admit it, I am heart and soul, a fan of the Wilson Sisters, but greatness is usually measured by history, and 3 active decades of work, well that is history.
So hearing this album brought me back to the first time I saw Heart on the original "Dreamboat Annie" tour. And even admitting that Ann Wilson may not have the sweet angelic voice of her youth, she still has power and now she has the nuance that comes with maturity. Now the careworn world weary lyrics, take on new meaning as my perspective and (I'm sure the Wilson) sister's have changed over the years. So I loved the remake of Dreamboat.
Where I might be a bit disappointed, is in the encores (which don't get me wrong are very cool to have), because I have heard Ann do these songs better in the past, and that is where it saddens me that her voice is starting after all these years to show the signs of age. Does that mean that the encores aren't good? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I doubt that Robert Plant could do them better these days, it is just I wish some things could last forever, but as we know the opposite of aging isn't staying young, so I am grateful for what I get.
Bottom line, if you are a true fan, this is a must have. If not, get the original album and learn what great album rock is all about.


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Led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart broke down barriers and redefined what it meant to be a rock star. Now, on the first release in the new Legendary Albums Live series, they revisit their very first triumph, live on stage, in front of an ecstatic audience. Thrill as they play their legendary debut album Dreamboat Annie live for the first time ever. The band tears into their hits "Crazy On You" and "Magic Man" and covers classics by Led Zeppelin, The Who and Pink Floyd, all of which inspired them as they were writing and recording Dreamboat Annie.

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Heart - Alive in Seattle (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)The 2003 DVD release HEART: ALIVE IN SEATTLE is one of the best video recordings of a live performance of a rock band, and it is especially impressive when considering that it documents a recent performance from a band that has been playing kick-*ss rock for nearly 30 years (their debut album, DREAMBOAT ANNIE, was released in 1976).
The performance was recorded at the Paramount Theater in Seattle (Heart's hometown) on Aug. 8, 2002, the last gig on the band's 2002 "Summer of Love" tour. The response to the tour was tremendous, with longtime fans and newbies alike enthusiastically welcoming fronters Ann and Nancy Wilson and their new back-up band--an ensemble that includes former Ozzy Osbourne and Alice In Chains bassist Mike Inez and Lovemongers drummer Ben Smith. The tour was so successful, in fact, that they turned right around and toured again in 2003 (the "Alive in America" tour) playing basically the same song set. So fans who missed either or both of those tours can still experience that concert atmosphere vicariously with the HEART: ALIVE IN SEATTLE disc--but with much better "seating"!
The Wilson sisters made an excellent choice for the set list, which includes the band's very popular pre-`80s hard-rock standards like "Crazy on You," "Straight On," "Magic Man," and "Barracuda," as well as some great post-70s tunes such as "Alone" and "These Dreams." In addition, the band does a fantastic job on covers of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore" and "Black Dog," the Elton John ballad "Mona Lisas and Madhatters," and an old garage-band ditty called "The Witch."
Dark-haired Vocalist Ann Wilson, as beautiful as ever, proves that she still has what it takes to belt out the band's old hard-rock standards, and she still sounds as angelic as ever on the softer melancholy favorites like "Dog and Butterfly" and "Dreamboat Annie." When Heart plays their classic stuff, Ms. Wilson sounds exactly like she did when the songs were first recorded--which is a lot more than you can say for most rock vocalists from the '60s and '70s, who can no longer hit those high notes. But she and sister Nancy (who mainly plays guitar and other strings) also easily keep up with the newer, younger artists when they perform some of their latest compositions like "Heaven," "Sister Wild Rose," and the really cool hard-hitter "Break The Rock." Both women are certainly in top form and prove they can go the distance in the studio and on stage. And with HEART: ALIVE IN SEATTLE, they leave no doubt that they are still two of the most talented and creative women in rock.
The picture quality on this DVD is crisp and clear, with great color saturation and nice contrast, and the cinematographer does a top-notch job of capturing the energy of the artists and the spirit of their performances. The Dolby sound quality is also excellent, and a sound system that takes advantage of the DTS Surround Sound can really make viewers feel like they are at the live performance.
No longtime fan of HEART will be disappointed with HEART: ALIVE IN SEATTLE. And the DVD will certainly give newbies a taste of just how powerful and emotive this band and the talented duo that drives it can be.

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Music's most famous sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson, have been successfully writing and performing chart-toppers since their 1975 debut album. From acoustic to folk to hard-driving rock 'n' roll, the ladies instill emotional energy into every song. This special hometown concert showcases a rich musical legacy that's distinctively Heart! Songs: Barracuda, Sister Wild Rose, Mistral Wind, Wild Child, Dog and Butterfly, Magic Man, Crazy on You, Dreamboat Annie, Love Alive, These Dreams, Alone, Two Faces of Eve, Break the Rock, Heaven, Straight On, Black Dog, The Witch, Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters, Battle of Evermore.

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Bad Animals Review

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(More customer reviews)Trying to overcome the 'Heart' comeback album, Ann and Nancy, surpassed it with 'Bad Animals'. This album is not only brilliant, but beautiful. 'Wait for an Answer'. was my favorite off this one. Ann's voice is so full of desperation, that anyone who's ever had a broken heart will fall into the trance that this song creates. I always considered this album to be a 'concept' album because of the feel of it and the way the songs go in a particular order. 'Who will you run to?' is a song of breaking up, followed by 'Alone'. The song finally ends with 'RSVP', also a great song which leaves the listener guessing whether they got back together since 'Who Will you run to?' or if it's a new love all together. This album is one of my very favorites when I'm depressed or 'Alone'.

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Red Velvet Car Review

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(More customer reviews)For those of you that are big HEART fans I would like to let you know that this CD rocks. Also 2 extra brand new songs not listed on the description of this CD can be found if you buy this CD at "TARGET" since the band made a special deal with the retailer it looks like. $9.99 gets you 2 extra songs worth the money.

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Ann Wilson and her sister Nancy first showed the world that women can rock when their band Heart stormed the charts in the 70s with songs like Crazy On You, Magic Man, and Barracuda, and many more. They continued topping the charts through the 80s and into the 90s with huge hits like These Dreams, Alone, What About Love, If Looks Could Kill, Never, and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters enormous talents. Along the way, Heart sold more than 30 million records, had 21 Top 40 hits, sold out arenas worldwide, and had a profound influence on rock music. Red Velvet Car -- the most personal and powerful work yet from Ann and Nancy Wilson, and their first album in 6 years -- takes generations of Heart fans on what truly feels like the musical ride of a lifetime. Powerfully produced by Ben Mink, Red Velvet Car is a thoroughly electrifying song cycle of largely acoustic-based sound and a stunning album with a true and renewed sense of purpose. Ann and Nancy committed themselves to writing and recording an album that was as authentic as possible, culling from their own personal experiences and some universal themes. The result on Red Velvet Car is an album of breathtaking intimacy and honesty.

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