4.5 stars - One of Heart's "forgotten" albums

Private Audition (1982.) Heart's sixth album.



When the eighties rolled around, people's tastes in music began changing. Despite Heart's efforts to keep up with the changing musical stylings, as demonstrated on their transitional 1980 album Bebe Le Strange, the band ultimately lost much of their audience. Following their 1980 release, the band entered into a short-lived period in which they released two albums that bombed so badly, most Heart fans neglect to even acknowledge their existence. The first of those two albums is 1982's Private Audition. Is this album bombing symbolic of the music featured on the record, or is it an underrated masterpiece? Read on for my review of the album.



I went into listening to this album with skeptical feelings. My skepticism was blown away after I listened to the album - this was GREAT music that doesn't deserve the bad reputation it gets. On this album, the band shifts more toward an eighties-oriented rock sound, and this serves them well. Some of the songs feature fast-paced guitar playing, heavier than their earlier work. There are, of course, some ballads present here, and not surprisingly, their attempt at ballads is very good. Some songs hint back at the group's folksy roots, although this element of the band's sound was beginning to fade away. Almost needless to say, there is plenty of eighties pop-oriented influence here. Every song on this album is excellent. One thing I have constantly praised Heart for is their musical diversity, and Private Audition is one of those albums I can praise for that. It seems that in many cases, rock and roll albums fail commercially, despite the fact that the music that they feature is actually quite good. Private Audition is an album that couldn't be more true of. If you're a fan of Heart, this one is well worth picking up.



Unfortunately, Heart's three "forgotten" albums (1982's Private Audition, 1983's Passionworks, and 1993's Desire Walks On) are no longer in print. This is a huge disappointment, since each one is a great album in its own right. Hopefully they will eventually be remastered in the way that the classic Portrait albums were. Until then, you'll likely have to either order a copy online, or hunt for a used one.



Private Audition deserves more credit than it gets. This is an excellent Heart album, no matter what anyone says. Fortunately, the band would rejoin the musical spotlight just two albums later when they released their self-titled album. It's a shame thast the stuff after Dog And Butterfly but before the self-titled album gets overlooked by fans of the group, because it really is good music. If you're a fan of the band, don't make the common mistake of overlooking it.

Heart: Private Audition (1982)

In May of 1982, Heart released their seventh album entitled, "Private Audition". Many fans have stopped listening to Heart by this point. This album was a total flop for Heart. In my opinion, the album is not quite what I had hoped for, but I gave the album a chance and it turns out that this album is really good. I have no problem with this album at all. Most people just don't want to give certain things a chance.



CITY'S BURNING

The first single from the album. Not bad, but the music is incredible.



BRIGHT LIGHT GIRL

A song that I can listen to over and over again.



PERFECT STRANGER

Not bad.



PRIVATE AUDITION

The second single from the album, and the album's title track. Not bad.



ANGELS

I have always said that a song with the word "Angel" within the title has got to be a great song and I was right, yet, again. This is an amazing song. Believe me on this one.



THIS MAN IS MINE

The third single from the album. Most people seemed to have focused on this one song and turned off the rest of the album. This is a great song that tells women to keep their hands off of other women's men.



THE SITUATION

The fourth & final single from the album. Not bad.



HEY DARLIN' DARLIN'

Not bad.



ONE WORD

Not bad.



FAST TIMES

For some reason, whenever I hear this song, I always think of the movie, "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", basically because this song's title is Fast Times, which is the first two words to the movie, which starred Sean Penn in one of his best and most memorable roles.



AMERICA

This is song I really enjoy because of what is going on with our country, since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. I have always loved America, but when those events of 9/11 took place, my love for America grew even stronger and it made even prouder to be an American because we can fight and be strong.



The album is not a topper, but I feel as though that this album is worth listening to. Most people will disagree with me, but that is because they are, in some ways, stupid. This is a worthy album. You'll also learn that this album is actually the last album with Steve Fossen and Michael Deroiser.

Private Audition A Private Matter?

Hearts Private Audition album of 1982 was a hard hit to a drop in their music sales of this period of music for the band. Their early successful albums even the second album which was recorded but 3rd to be released. After the band fired Roger Fisher and his brother Michael Fisher who was the bands manager, Heart released Bebe Le Strange. It was a sock in the gut when Private Audition was released. However it wasn't a bad album it was the music industries promotion of the album that made Private Audition the most distant album Heart recored with Epic/Legacy/Sony records. This album shows Hearts style of music and the art of the song writers and the talents of Ann & Nancy Wilson. Heart then moved up on the scale 3 years later when they signed contract with Capitol records and got their first #1 hit. However most Heart fans enjoy the music from the Capitol days but for Ann & Nancy the pressure really hit them with the recording company with the albums Heart, Bad Animals & Brigade. Ann & Nancy are glad that their first 4 albums with Capitol were hits (after Brigade was the Live version of Brigade "Rock The House Live") However the pressures led to another change in the bands line up and after the Brigade tour Mark Andes left the band. It is believed that the Desire Walks On album was a rocky one to record but it is smooth however Ann & Nancy went back to their own writing soul with fellow friend and future music artist Sue Ennis to give the fans a great album. With the reviews in late 1993 through 1994 during the release of Desire Walks On Denny Carmassi left Heart and Desire Walks On got a little better credit than Private Audition did. Is it perhaps that recording companies don't like the lyrics of Ann & Nancy? Private Audition should be purchased and listed to by any Heart fan its an album for the fans now!!! One day I pray that Private Audition will be remastered and re-released, because I only have the 33 record of it and the cd is out of print (grrrr) All in all I couldn't give it 5 stars because that would be an over exaggeration of the integrity of Private Audition. And just little note from myself to other Heart fans, I think Heart has really left a lot of awesome songs without music videos to them.
Buy This CD Private Audition it's not something you should pass up. P.S. if anyone has a Private Audition cd the would like to sell me contact me at brigade@operamail.com