Artist of the Month - Heart

The Sound Cellar's artist of the month, maybe two, is the classic rock band Heart. Head over to The Sound Cellar's featured artists and albums blog for more in depth information about Heart's newest release and Ann Wilson's new solo album.

There probably was not a show where I didn't play at least one song from Dreamboat Annie or Little Queen when I was a jock and the music director at a college radio station from 1976-1978. Upon, learning that Heart had recently recorded their classic album Dreamboat Annie live thirty years after the album's initial release renewed my interest in Heart. I had watched Heart's performance on Soundstage a couple of years back and was very impressed. They still had that thing that made them special. They have the songs, the musicianship and the stage presence to be one of the most exciting bands in the history of rock and roll. They were always able to transcend the fact that they are a band that is fronted by two women. This was not a girl band; Heart always has been a rock and roll band.

The newly released Dreamboat Annie concert is more than just a live rendition of the album. It possesses an energy in the performance that comes from the fact that Ann and Nancy Wilson and the rest of the band believe in the music. The inclusion of the Stockholm strings is a nice touch and adds a fresh dimension to the performance. Ann is in excellent voice and has never sounded better. Nancy's playing and background vocals are top-notch. Her stage presence is alluring, as it has always been. The inclusion of a selection of classic rock tunes that were inspiration for Heart's music, as the encore pulls the entire show together. Their versions, while faithful to the originals, have the Heart stamp firmly applied.

The recording comes in two formats, a CD and a DVD. These are essential recordings for Heart fans and fans of the era of classic rock that started in the 1970's.

Ann Wilson's first solo album Hope and Glory is a collection of rock and roll songs that are "socially conscious." Neil Young, John Lennon and Bob Dylan are covered. An original, "Little Problems, Little Lies" concludes the album with a strong message in this time of war. The two outstanding tracks are Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." Ann's take on Neil Young's "War of Man" is haunting. This record is not a derivative of Heart. It is a fully realized solo endeavor with its own vibe. It's not all rock and roll. Ben Mink's production is top notch and is sympathetic to the songs and melds the instrumentation incredibly well with Ann's vocals. There are several guests on the album including Ann's sister Nancy, Elton John, Rufus Wainwright, kd lang and Alison Krause. This album is a well crafted and thought out effort that holds together well and has a message that it delivers indeed with Hope and Glory. Recommended.

You can support The Sound Cellar's broadcast by purchasing these recordings from the links below.