19th Century Romanticism Makes A Comeback

What The Cure was to new wave/punk, Heart was to rock n' roll. These songs overflowed with all the passion, excitement, romance and love that typical meat and potatoes, male rockstars of the era, felt too embarrassed to express. On this album, Heart is easy listening, hard rock, and progressive new wave pop, all at the same time. There's an excellent balance of guitar and synth with thrillingly uplifting moments and heart-melting ballads. The Wilson sister's vocals are lush throughout, but what really stands out are the songs themselves.

"If Looks Could Kill", is a solid dramatic rocker. "What About Love", is a dynamic ballad that features Grace Slick on backround vocals. Howard Leese lays a fine guitar solo. The last half minute pulsates double time with unbelievable excitement and conviction. You'll continue to hear the song in your head even after you turn off your stereo. "Never", is sexy and serious at the same time.

Written by Bernie Taupin, "These Dreams", has to be among the very best ballads of the 80's. This is Heart at its most romantic and seductive. It's medieval lyrical imagery gives it a timeless appeal. The song emblazons a gorgeous fantasy world upon your emotions. It's a better four minutes than any drug could ever give you.

"The Wolf", uses primal imagry to put down the unwanted advances of sleazy guys. It's guitar solo will floor you with a determined and indomitable hopefullness! "All Eyes", scores again with an alternately sexy seductiveness and lovestruck passion. "You don't have to say a word to get a hold of me/take me...shake me/Burning gravity baby/Look at me, look at me". What guy wouldn't love to hear those words from his girlfriend? And there's another triumphant guitar solo that's brimming with happiness. The plaintive ballad, "Nobody Home", is beautiful.

"Nothin' At All", has a pure pop genius. It's got that top of the world, 80's happiness to it. The guitar solo is simple yet very satisfying. The almost country, "What He Don't Know", is a decent soft rock ballad. The closer, "Shell Shock", is a bit cheesy, but displays an ample pop rock sensibility.

This album is very happy, warm, and hopefull. But unlike the shallowness of most pop music, it's happy in a deep and meaningful way. When you feel like the daily grind has bled away your passion, this album is the antidote.

A good album but not their own work..

While I still enjoy listening to this song 20 years after its release, it is not my favourite Heart album. I believe their best work lies in the music they released in the 70's from the Dreamboat Annie, Little Queen, Dog and Butterfly, Bebe Le Strange and Greatest Hits/Live albums.



Heart can rock - they still rock to this day and the 1985 Heart album was a commercial success, complete with the big hair, glam make-up and power ballads but in my opinion, that wasn't Heart. That was a marketing recipe for success for Capitol records. The music, although entertaining, radio-friendly and sometimes charged (What About Love, Never, If Looks Could Kill, Shell Shock), is not organic or idealistic. Lyrically, the songs are weak and trite and don't represent the depth and breadth of Ann and Nancy's earlier songwriting talents. Their musical catalogue on Capitol does not compare to the gems they released on the Mushroom & CBS-Portrait labels.



I still listen to this album occasionally to remind me of my youth but if I want to hear the REAL Heart, I listen to their earlier albums.

heart's best album

heart's self titled album is theit best album along with dreamboat annie and features the killer song what about love.the other songs are great too and the wilson sisters are superb on this album.highly recommended.

Heart's best album! Totally 80's!

Now to start off there are two types of heart fans.There's the early Heart fans 1976-1983,and then there middle/later heart 1985-1993.I'm one of few or maybe many who thought there best album was this one.They shed that 70's sound entirely and went full throttle into the 80's melodic Rock/Metal sound.The front picture on the album says it all.They became 100% Hair/Melodic metal band.After this album though it was downhill I have to admit.In 1987,Bad Animals did just as good,but it lacked the toughness that this album has!

1.If Looks Could Kill(10/10)Excellent song.Nancy is one of the best guitarists.This song rocks!

2.What About Love(9/10)Their big radio hit from 85.I'm sure you've heard this one!

3.Never(10/10)Holly Knight(of Spider and Device)co-wrote this song and played the keyboards on this one.A great rocker with a catchy chorus!Holly Knight has wrote some great songs!

4.These Dreams(6/10)Another ballad of this album.Not Bad,but I never thought it was there best ballad.

5.The Wolf(8/10)Tough and fun anthem rocker.Ann's voice sounds great on this one.More fierce guitar work by Nancy!

6.All Eyes(8/10)A very fun song.Holly Knight also co-wrote this one as well.This song's alive with that 80's sound!

7.Nobody's Home(5/10)Another ballad.Not bad,but not the best.Fans of 80's Heart will love this one most likely!

8.Nothin at All(6/10)Not bad.A lot of bars across the country always have this one on the jukebox!

9.What he Don't Know(7/10)More of the same,another ballad type song!

10.Shell Shock(8/10)Fast and tough rocker.Nicely done!

The fans of 80's music and 80's Heart fans will love this one.This is a fine example of a time when music was good unlike today!For the price this cd is going for I say tha it's worth owning for your collection.It has some cool songs that are party favorites,well at least my partyn favorites!

Heart's Mid-80s Resurgence!

When I think of Heart's 1985 self-titled album, I feel it should be renamed "Resurgence"! Meaning, this was their "comeback" album after what everyone thought they were just wilting and fading away several years earlier. It seems like when Heart was popular with "Dreamboat Annie" ten years earlier, they were on top to stay. However, when the 1980s began, many rock artists were forgotten and to never be heard from again. Not Heart! Sure, they were lost in the early 80s because of the MTV explosion and the world was living on "Thriller". Capitol's bold gamble paid off: five top 40 hits including the #1 "These Dreams" and their album also went to #1! My favorite song: "What About Love" was a #10 hit and an excellent "power ballad". Recommended and has lyrics.

Low class effort by High Class Band

This material represents why the 80's died, the music is bland and poppy, the Wilson sister's garnered their wigs and corsets and the the music became something of an inside joke to those mentioning real bands. Looking back at the cd the music is very dated and is caught in an era best left forgotten.