Shane’s Rock Challenge: HEART – 1976 – Dreamboat Annie

Shane’s Rock Challenge: HEART – 1976 – Dreamboat Annie
9/10

Heart’s debut album is brilliant. There you go – that’s the review, right there.

If I must elaborate (and I shouldn’t have to, ‘cos you should have this and love this and be onto your tenth copy by now!), then look at the facts: two gorgeous, fresh faced young Seattle girls end up with a record deal in Vancouver, Canada, and lay down a collection of tracks which take the American hard rock template, add gorgeous acoustic guitars and simply incredible vocals, throw in more than a small pinch of epic Led Zeppelin wow, and write a couple of songs that are still considered classics (Magic Man & Crazy On You). Then they only go and complete the album with some great songs which evoke a mixture of acoustic, pastoral whimsy and sweaty, long-hair-and-tight-pants rock n’ roll. What’s not to like?

In addition to those stone cold classics, wrap your ears around the lush title track, the soft-Zep White Lightning & Wine, Seventies soul-rock (Love Me Like Music) I’ll Be Your Song and Sing Child, which has a bit of an Aerosmith thing going on. Nancy and Ann Wilson were born to be stars – Nancy’s guitar work, especially on the acoustic, can rival just about anyone of the legends you could name, while Ann’s vocals are in turn sublime, powerful, rich, stunning and evocative.

See, Heart’s debut album is brilliant. Told you so.

By Shane Pinnegar

Category: Shane's Rock Challenge