Heart - Essential Heart
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Free Music Notes for Essential Heart
Free Music Review: Finally an "Essential" release that actually lives up to its name.
Hit: 5 Stars
This compilation features crystal clear remastered sound with disc one covering 1975 through 1982 while disc two covers 1984 to 2002. Disc one is a little over 79 minutes long while Disc two is about 78 1/2 minutes long. thankfully, they packed the discs to the brim.
Disc one represents the band at their hard rock best. All of the expected tracks like Baracuda, Magic Man are here along with some album cuts as well.
Disc two shows the band going mainstream pop/rock in the 80's. Even though they weren't writing a lot of their hits at this point (the studio was having them do songs by outside songwriters for the most part), the music is still really good stuff. While it will always pale to their old stuff, this is still great pop/rock. Since the release goes chronological, the latter part of this CD sees the Wilson sisters getting back to more rocking and stripped down sound as opposed to the synthesizer drenched backdrops of their mid to late 80's stuff.
The is a terrific career overview. For the casual fan just wanting the hits along with some choice album cuts, this package is most excellent. The liner notes are also really informative giving a quick overview of the band's entire history.
Just an FYI, but since this came out in 2002, nothing from their 2004 studio album is represented here.
Free Music Review: The Original Iron Maidens
Hit: 5 Stars
What do you get when you combine talent, two leading ladies and a collection of hits that are as powerful now as they were when they were first released? The Essential Heart is a collection of over 25 years of solid gold hits, for me at least of the most prolific pulse pounding songs ever to grace the airwaves. "Crazy on You", "Barracuda", and "Straight On" really capture time in a bottle, (or at least a three minute song). They were competeting with the likes of Fleetwood Mac, KISS, the Stones and yet Heart has managed to stay true to their roots while placating the masses. "Straight On" a catchy love tune that uses love as a card game, just brilliantly has impact on the foolish games people play when it comes to romance. Their rendition of Unchained Melody and Rock and Roll, though I cannot stand covers, stands out as more than just a hit sung Heart style. They made it their own. If it had them who had relased it, they would have made it a hit. Maybe a bigger one! But perhaps the most powerful song is number 17 on CD one: "How can I refuse". With one foot in the retro past and the other in the future, Heart in a way made their own way into the New Wave/Glam Metal movment that would define the era of excess.
When the 80s came rolling, what was Heart to do but reinvent their own style to keep up with their rock counterparts and boy did they show the world how. "These Dreams" reminded the world that it was the same Heart, same sound, just a different time. While at the same time competing with the likes of Madonna, Heart still retained exposure through audio air waves as well as the fledgling MTV, showing young people, "Hey we may have started over ten years ago, but we can still rock". While some took to 'Lucky Star' or 'Bang your head' as musical medication. Heart gave their dose of talent with ''Who will you run to' 'There's the girl'. 'I want you so bad' which echo the 80s and still maintain the deep felt beat and sound without selling out. Nancy Wilson on vocals wasn't that bad either! When the 90s came along it meant another change, but it was still the same old Heart. My only complaint about this compilation was the fact that it didn't have 'I want your world to turn' from the Bridage album (1990). I guess for some of us who can remember, it is very haunting to listen to a particular song and take us back in time, hitting that one note within our psyches and still produce the same amount of endorphins as when your first heard it. For whippersnappers like me, it's about an era I was barely around to see, but hearing that song evoke a time in musical history. That's how powerful music can be most of the times. Back on Black from 'Animals (1993) showed us an aggressive side to Heart as the time gave way to grunge, gangsta rap and the Clinton Administration. Perhaps Heart's darkest tune, but it certainly shows us the listener that the ladies still have it, well into their 40s and now their 50s and beyond.
A definite buy!
Free Music Review: Keep on rockin
Hit: 5 Stars
I have loved this group since I was a teenager. This is one of Heart's Best performances!! Keep On Rockin'! You cant get any better than this. A+ to Heart and to Amazon's awesome customer service!!Free Music Review: Heart's best of many "Greatest Hits" compilations
Hit: 5 Stars
THE BAND: Ann Wilson (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, violin, harp, percussion), Nancy Wilson (guitars, vocals, mandolin, bass, keyboards) and assorted band members throughout the decades - including Roger Fisher (guitar), Steve Fossen (bass), Michael DeRosier (drums), Howard Leese (guitars, keyboards), Mark Andes (guitar, bass), Denny Carmassi (drums).
THE DISCS: (2002) 37 tracks on 2 discs (disc-1 at 79:15, disc-2 at 78:44). Included with the discs is a 6-page foldout containing several band pictures, a 3-page intro from 'Rolling Stone' editor David Wild, what songs came from which albums, and thank you's. Digitally remastered sound. Previous labels include Mushroom, Sony and Capitol. This release - Epic/Capitol label.
ALBUM REPRESENTATION: Dreamboat Annie (4 songs), Little Queen (4), Magazine (1), Dog & Butterfly (2), Bebe le Strange (1), Greatest Hits: Live (3), Private Auditions (1), Passionworks (2), Heart (5), Bad Animals (4), Brigade (5), Rock The House - Live (1), Desire Walks On (3), The Road Home (1).
COMMENTS: Heart is in the same ranks as several other well known artists (i.e. Aerosmith, Chicago, Rush, Motley Crue and Kiss come to mind) with their "Best Of" compilations - and I have to ask how much is enough? To date I know of the following Heart compilations: "Essential Heart", "Greatest Hits: Live", "Greatest Hits 1976-83", "Greatest Hits 1985-95", "The Collection", "The Definitive Collection", "Love Songs", "Ballads & Greatest Hits". With that being said, hands down, this "Essential" collection is THE best one of the bunch. It covers their entire career - from their debut in 1975 ("Dreamboat Annie") through 1994's live and unplugged "The Road Home". Every studio album between these dates are represented (with the exception of "Jupiter's Darling" released after the fact in 2004). All the staples are here - "Crazy On You", "Barracuda", "Magic Man", "Love Alive", "Heartless", "Straight On'", "Tell It Like It Is", "What About Love?" "Never", "These Dreams", Who Will You Run To", "There's The Girl", "Alone", etc. As well as a few hidden live gems with "You're The Voice", "The Road Home" and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll". Heart has always sounded great 'live'... even in 2005-06 touring in the small venues... Ann's voice is still an extremely powerful instrument decades later. No compilation is perfect... if there's one out there I haven't seen it. This "Essential" collection is extremely close to being dead on accurate. I've noted only a few minor things wrong: 1. Three glaring song omissions - the live or studio version of "Mistral Wind" (the live track was on "Greatest Hits: Live" and it's a truly chilling version of the song); the title track from the album of the same name "Bebe Le Strange" or "Even It Up", and a deeper (not so glaring) track "RSVP" (from "Bad Animals"); 2. Five songs from "Brigade" is crazy, and 3. One song from "Private Auditions" was probably one song too many (but I respect the fact that they did include something from this mess of an album). There are so many great songs on this set of discs... you will absolutely not go wrong. A great introduction for the beginners, as well as having so many wonderful songs all in one jewel case for the veteran Heart fans. Classic any way you slice it (5 stars).
Free Music Review: The Essential Heart - A Great Value filled with All Their Hits
Hit: 5 Stars
I am becoming more and more of a fan of these Essential collections. They truly do deliver the best of the artists being showcased for a great value.
The Essential Heart does not disappoint. Their entire career is documented in this 2 CD collection from their first hit, "Crazy On You" to one of their last pop hits, "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You."
VH1 recently did a live concert with Heart featured along with other artists lending their voices such as Rufus Wainwright, Grethen Wilson and LeeAnn Womack, to name a few. This inspired me to go and purchase a Heart CD.
There are several compilation CD's out there for Heart, many more than I anticipated. I was very happy to find The Essential Heart, since all of the other Cd's I've purchased under the "Essential" title have all been great purchases.
A Sampling of the songs which I like the best are:
Crazy On You
Barracuda
Even It Up
Dog & Butterfly
Unchained Melody - An amazing live version!
What About Love
Never
These Dreams
Alone
There's The Girl.
Ann Wilson has a phenomenal voice, one of the best in the business. Even in the VH1 concert she still sounded great.
To sum it up, this is a great collection of hits for a great value and does not disappoint!