+1/2 -- Powerful debut bridges underground to Top-40

When you think back to Heart's breakthrough you tend to remember the operatic power that Ann Wilson brought to pop and rock singing. And while it's still an ear-opening experience to hear Wilson's full-throated roar on this album, in retrospect it's only one of the facets of Heart that made this debut so startling.



In particular, Heart's songs were balanced on the cusp between underground FM jams and the more focused hits preferred by the consultant-driven radio that followed. Their arrangements were fueled by dynamic guitar playing that mixed strummed and picked acoustics (not to mention a hint of banjo) with storming electrics. It's hard to imagine anything sounding better blasting out of your first stereo car radio. At times the songs paid an oversized debt to Zep's acoustic renaissance fair fascination (not to mention Jethro Tull's flute-led electric version of same), but generally the album stays on track with fantastic radio-ready fare.



Capitol's reissue of the original Mushroom Records release is a budget affair without bonus tracks. The booklet is a cheapie that fails to reprint the photo collage that graced the interior of the original gatefold LP cover, and the song lyrics and credits of the original liner sleeve are MIA. With Heart's later albums receiving deluxe reissues, it's time for Capitol to do this one right.

Best debut album ever

Very good album indeed. 'Magic Man' and 'Crazy on You' stand with the best rockers written in the 70s, fast paced and vocals just belted out. 'Dreamboat Annie', while somewhat stretched thin over 3 tracks, is nonetheless an excellent song. 'Soul of the Sea' sounds more prog-rock, a bit like Yes. 'Sing Child Sing' is more funky, and the rest of the tracks have more understated arrangements. Throughout the album, consistently excellent musicianship and playing.

Dreamboat Album!

Boy this is good classic 70's rock. Ann Wilson does sound like Led Zeppelin's [angry] (but vulnerable) little sister. That child can sing! The masculine howl of her vocals is terribly sexy and beautiful to hear. The guitar accompaniment to the stunning vocals is more than notable. At times it sounds like Zeppelin, Kansas, Hendryx, and even Steve Howe but in the end, no real connection can be drawn to any of them. I admire the percussion which is lively and delivered with authority. The thematic approach in the album is also pleasing to me, a prog fan. The songwriting on this debut is exceptional and the vocal melodies for the lighter tunes are moving. There is a mood that hovers over this album that is not so much conceptual (despite the recurring versions of the title track)as it is musical. The sound quality of the production is brilliant. I remember hearing this as a kid in the mid-seventies and thinking this mad woman of the mic had just come straight from hell with some powerful things to say and an adept band of musical demons to back her up. It's tough to imagine that anyone involved with the mid-eighties Heart had anything to do with this. It has a style of its own and it takes its place among rock's best works.....and rightfully so!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A GREAT CD AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVOURITES FESTURING CLASSIC SONGS LIKE CRAZY ON YOU AND MAGIC MAN FROM THE TALENTED WILSON SISTERS.VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Still Their Best

This is Heart's first and best album. It is the perfect mix of hard rock and folk. Every track is very strong (except "I'll Be Your Song") The first half, from "Magic Man" to "Soul of the Sea" has to be one of the best LP sides in all of rock history.

The CD is just at 40 minutes long. The sound quality on the copy I have is excellent. I have the "gatefold" version. It comes in a minature, cardboard version of the original album cover. There are different versions out there for different prices. There is a budget priced version, but I don't know how good the sound quality would be.

In the beginning, Heart was Ann Wilson's group. She was the more influencial writer, was the lead singer and sometimes played flute (but stopped after the first two albums and concert tours). Nancy Wilson was more of a back up singer and played rhythm guitar. Although she would do the opening to "Crazy On You" in concert. The group had two strong musicians in Roger Fisher and Howard Leese. Fisher was strongly influenced by Jimmy Page, to the point where he played the same double neck guitar and brought out a violin bow for his guitar solo. Heart would even play Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll in concert. Later in life, Ann and Nancy would sing "Battle of Evermore".

After a while, the group started to fade. Ann gained weight and Nancy started fronting the band, especially since MTV and music videos were just taking off. They switched to a pop/corporate rock sound that was all the rage in the mid eighties, with groups like Foriegner, the new version of Journey and Jefferson Starship. Only Heart was more pop than any of them. This was thier most popular time, but musically their worst.

At the end of the eighties, they started to get their balls back a little and started playing again with a harder edge. But in concert, they want over the hard rock edge and sounded like a bad copy of Van Halen. They released a really bad album called Rocks This House. Fortunately, it is very hard to find.

Since then, Ann and Nancy pop up every once and awhile, as Heart, doing solos, as the Love Mongers, or other peoples projects.

this is not a bad album....after a listen or two.

heart is not a very bad group. seattle is known for more than grunge. heart is from seattle, queensryche, jimi hendrix(R.I.P.),and nevermore. although heart doesn't rock very hard, it is considered a staple in my collection. the wilson sisters are very talented and very good-looking.