Heart - Essential Heart
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Free Music Notes for Essential Heart
Free Music Review: Finally, One That Lives Up To Its Name
Hit: 5 Stars
Sony has been releasing cds from the "Essential Collection" series for years for artists like Billy Joel, Earth, Wind And Fire and Neil Diamond. They were all two discs (except Eddie Money's) and had lots of great tracks, but they left off a number of great songs as well. Then they took a stab at "The Essential Heart" and finally got it right. 37 tracks from the sister duo of Ann and Nancy Wilson, including all 29 of their Billboard chart hits spread out on two discs.
Disc 1 contains all their early hits (from 1976 - 1983). This was the time that they wrote awesome original songs that became rock classics like "Crazy On You", "Magic Man", "Straight On" and the classic "Barracuda". These are classic songs that still sound as fresh and original as they were 30 years ago. The early 1980s' stuff on the second half of disc 1 is not as good, I'm afraid. Other than some songs (namely "This Man Is Mine" and the top ten hit "Tell It Like It Is"), I really don't like the rest of the disc. What would've been nice to include was Ann Wilson's lone solo hit, the top ten duet with Mike Reno, "Almost Paradise".
Disc 2 focuses on their mid 1980s' comeback up to about 1995. I tend to listen to this disc more often than the first one, since it's much more consistent than the first disc (this whole disc is more or less great, the first one has some filler toward the end, as I said before). While most of the songs during the 1980s' up to 1990's "Brigade" were power ballads (e.g., the number one hits "These Dreams" and my personal favorite "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You"), Anne and Nancy clearly rememebered how to rock the hell out of a tune, if "If Looks Could Kill" and "Wild Child" are any indication. Toward the end of this disc, the group starts to return to their roots. For example, one of my favorite Heart songs ever, 1993's "Will You Be There (In The Morning)" features the Wilson sisters at their best - raw, stripped down and rocking out, even if they still hadn't returned to writing their own material yet. They continued with the "Barracuda" - like "Black On Black II", "Ring Them Bells" (featuring the late, great Layne Stanley of Alice In Chains) and, to fittingly close this collection, "The Road Home"
This is the best collection of Heart's best ever. If you love music, you have to pick up this set today. Emphasis on have to.
Free Music Review: Essential Heart:Essential Album
Hit: 5 Stars
If you are a Heart fan I will tell you right now, go out and buy this album, because it has every thing and more. Essential, is a two CD set, with disc one comprised of their early hits, while disc two including songs from the early 80's to their last album(of somewhat new material), 1995's "The Road Home"(Live CD). On the first CD you will find songs including "Barracuda", "Little Queen" and "Heartless" and "Allies", while CD two, which I personally pay more attention to, includes songs from their self-titled "Heart" album(from 1985), "Bad Animals"(from 1987), their awesome 1990 album "Brigade", and from "Desire Walks On"(from 1993) and from 1991's, "Rock The House" and 1995's "The Road Home". Songs on CD two consists of familiar and songs that weren't really big hits but they are included on here, like "What About Love?", "Never", "These Dreams", "Nothing At All"(all from "Heart"), "Alone", "Who Will You Run To" and "There's The Girl"(all from "Bad Animals"), "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", "I Didn't Want To Need You" and "Stranded"(all from the very pleasing "Brigade"), "Will You Be There" and "Black On Black II"(both from "Desire Walks On) and "You're The Voice"(from "Rock The House"), and "The Road Home"("The Road Home"). And then they also add songs that weren't popular hits but were good enough to show some interest on this album like, "If Looks Could Kill"(from "Heart"), "I Want You So Bad"(from "Bad Animals"), "Wild Child"(from "Brigade"), "Secret"(from "Brigade") and "Ring Them Bells"(from "Desire Walks On"). This album is just to good not to like it just has too much on it, it has the hits and well as songs you wouldn't accept. In any field music or otherwise some people don't get the respect they deserve and Heart falls into that category, the women can definitely still rock and I can't wait for their next album, which should be out in 2003. I just love listening to great music and Heart always seems to provide it and on this album it is definitely here. This album recieves an A+. Just a side note a couple of my favorite songs from Heart are "Nothing At All", "Who Will You Run To", "There's The Girl", "I Didn't Want To Need You", "Stranded" ,"Secret" and "Black On Black II". Once again very great album.Free Music Review: Essential Heart:Essential Album
Hit: 5 Stars
If you are a Heart fan I will tell you right now, go out and buy this album, because it has every thing and more. Essential, is a two CD set, with disc one comprised of their early hits, while disc two including songs from the early 80's to their last album(of somewhat new material), 1995's "The Road Home"(Live CD). One the first CD you will fine songs including "Barracuda", "Little Queen" and "Heartless" and "Allies", while CD two, which I personally pay more attention to, includes songs from their self-titled "Heart" album(from 1985), "Bad Animals"(from 1987), their awesome 1990 album "Brigade", and from "Desire Walks On"(from 1993) and from 1991's, "Rock The House" and 1995's "The Road Home". Songs on CD two consists of familiar and songs that weren't really big hits but they are included on here, like "What About Love?", "Never", "These Dreams", "Nothing At All"(all from "Heart"), "Alone", "Who Will You Run To" and "There's The Girl"(all from "Bad Animals"), "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", "I Didn't Want To Need You" and "Stranded"(all from the very pleasing "Brigade"), "Will You Be There" and "Black On Black II"(both from "Desire Walks On) and "You're The Voice"(from "Rock The House"). And then they also add songs that weren't popular hits but were good enough to show some interest on this album like, "If Looks Could Kill"(from "Heart"), "I Want You So Bad"(from "Bad Animals"), "Wild Child"(from "Brigade"), "Secret"(from "Brigade") and "Ring Them Bells"(from "Desire Walks On"). This album is just to good not to like it just has too much on it, it has the hits and well as songs you wouldn't accept. In any field music or otherwise some people don't get the respect they deserve and Heart falls into that category, the women can definitely still rock and I can't wait for their next album, which should be out in 2003. I just love listening to great music and Heart always seems to provide it and on this album it is definitely here. This album recieves an A+. Just a side note a couple of my favorite songs from Heart are "Nothing At All", "Who Will You Run To", "There's The Girl", "I Didn't Want To Need You", "Stranded" ,"Secret" and "Black On Black II". Once again very great album.Free Music Review: Great overview (and response to another post)
Hit: 5 Stars
I know there have been way too many Heart collections released as of late. (I think they must be in a competition with Donna Summer to see who can repackage their material the most.) However, this is still by far the BEST compilation out there. All the hits are represented--even lesser known ones--and I'm THRILLED that they included the reprise of "Dreamboat Annie" since the orchestral part towards the end of the song is absolutely gorgeous. They also included the great "Allies" from PASSIONWORKS, as well as one of my favorite Heart rockers, "Wild Child" from BRIGADE. There are also several great photos of Ann, Nancy, and the band from earlier in their career (no big-hair photos from the 80's, fortunately) and well-written liner notes. My only complaint about this collection and every other one out there is that there was a version of "There's the Girl" I heard on the radio that added the following lines to the chorus: "She's setting you up, my friend. She's gonna break your heart again," and I have yet to find any collection that includes that special version. Oh well....In response to the other poster who was upset over the different vocals represented on disc two, please remember that "Never" and "Nothin' At All" had both an album version and a single version. This collection represents the ALBUM versions of the tracks, so there was no messing around on Sony's part. When I got rid of my silver disc of HEART and purchased the gold disc several years back, I noticed that they had replaced the album versions with the single versions (with the different vocal). No big deal to me because they're both good. If, however, you're partial to the single versions, I recommend hunting down the gold disc of HEART or GREATEST HITS: 1985-1995.
As a general rule, these ESSENTIAL collections are outstanding. The only one I DON'T recommend is the Neil Diamond collection, but you can read for yourself other reviews about that one. The Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, and Kenny Loggins collections are superb. (Pardon the digression. :-))
Free Music Review: Wrong version of Dreamboat Annie on here
Hit: 5 Stars
The 70's gave the Wilson Sisters a chance to demonstrate their talents and they surely did. Not only could they write some of the nicest ballads I have ever heard (Dreamboat Annie, Love Alive), but they could belt out some of great rock tunes too. All of which have become rock classics (Magic Man, Crazy on You, Barracuda).
If you have followed Heart the way I have, you will know that there were 2 journeys for this band. The fab 70's where they played the way they wanted to play, and recorded songs they wanted to record. However, record companies in the 80's weren't so accepting or generous and groups had to conform to 'standards'. My first impression of Heart's 1985 album "Heart" was "omigod, they have died". Gone were the great rock and folks songs. Here we had big hairdo's, big power ballads and synthesizer city. But that's what the 80's were about. Heart still received hit after hit (What about Love, Never, Alone) and the 80's albums kept coming. I was disappointed with the change that Heart adopted, by understand it so much better now. Alot of the 80's stuff wasn't their choice. Interesting to note, that none of the 80's hits that Heart sang, were actually written by Heart. This pleased me because I just felt that Anne or Nancy couldn't write such crappy songs (eg. All I Want to Do is Make Love to You).
The Wilson sisters, have said, in one way or another, that they are glad the 80's have passed, and that they can return to what they really do best ie. folk and rock.
What 'Essential' does, is give an impressive look at the career of this great band. Disc 1 is obviously my favourite as it features most of the 70's classics (with some strange omissions) while Disc 2 features those 80's power ballads, and some early 90's stuff which sees them Heart returning to the true Heart.
Who was the idiot though who picked the wrong version of DREAMBOAT ANNIE on it. It should have been the single version which is faster.