Search - Heart :: Essential Heart

The songs I wanted

T. Johnson | Portland, OR | 11/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Looking over the songs on the 2 CD's, I see most of my favorites. It's a good survey of their music as well. Obviously a ton of great songs here, and Ann and Nancy are a great combo. It spans their old school rock era as well as their reinvention into different sounds. Highly recommended.



I'll type in the entire song list from my discs since I don't see them listed, give me a "helpful" rating if it's useful :)



Crazy on You

Magic Man

Dreamboat Annie (Reprise)

Barracuda

Little Queen

Kick It out

Love Alive

Heartless

Straight On

Dog and Butterfly

Silver Wheels

Even it Up

Rock and Roll [Live]

Tell it Like it Is

Unchained Melody [Live]

This Man is Mine

How Can I Refuse

Allies



What About Love

Never

These Dreams

Nothin' At All

If Looks Could Kill

Alone

Who Will You Run To

There's The Girl

I Want You So Bad

All I Wanna Do is Make Love To You

Wild Child

I Don't Want to Need You

Stranded

Secret

You're The Voice [Live]

Will You Be There (In the Morning)

Back on Black II

Ring Them Bells

The Road Home [Edit]

"

With Every Beat of The Heart

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 10/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With multiple record labels and more than a few best ofs already in their discography, it's fantastic to be able to get a set that covers all the bases in one strike. For Ann and Nancy Wilson, "The Essential Heart" does exactly that. From the early Dreamboat Annie on Mushroom Records to the long-term success on Portrait/CBS to their third wave on Capitol, all the major hits are here.



While they started as a "female Led Zepplin" when 70's power rockers picked up on "Crazy On You" and "Magic Man," Heart soon developed personality all their own. The angry bite of "Barracuda" contains one of the 70's all time great riffs, while Dog & Butterfly (both the album and the song) was a startlingly diverse rock album. But like most bands, when the superstar status lands, there's almost always tension. Heart was no different, and when the internal strife led to the lackluster success of Private Audition and Passionworks (despite such solid songs as "How Can I Refuse"), it seemed like Heart would soon wind down.



Against all odds, Heart signed with Capitol records and took a Bernie Taupin penned song back into the top ten. 1985's "These Dreams" (originally intended for Stevie Nicks and loaded with that same kind of vibe) kick-started yet another wave of success. Soon Heart became slick MTV faves, with big hair and big hits, but at a price. If you look at "The Essentials" second disc, you'll note that only two of the 19 songs were penned by Ann and Nancy. The trend that drove 80's bands like Aerosmith and Cheap Trick to - sometimes forcibly - cover songs by established songwriters like Dianne Warren ("Who Will You Run To"), Mutt Lange ("All I Wanna Do is Make Love To You") and Steinberg/Kelly ("Alone") gave Heart memorable hooky rock-pop, but backed them into a creative corner. After The Road Home, Ann and Nancy announced a sabbatical from which they have only recently come back from.



There's still plenty to love on this set, from some of the lesser-known hits ("Tell It Like It Is," "Heartless") to some choice album selections ("Ring Them Bells" with the late Layne Staley). By gathering all these songs onto one set, "The Essential Heart" is also an essential CD of a band that helped alter the sound of the 70's and 80's."

Back in Time

Julie A. Modde | Fort Mill, SC | 11/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember seeing Heart for the first time when they were the back up group for the Doobie Brothers in the late 70's. I fell in love with them then and now almost 40 years later, I realize what an awesome band they were and still are. They're music, Ann on vocals, Nancy on guitar, phenomenal. They are an inspiration to all female artists out there. If you are a true Heart fan or one that is just finding them, you will love this CD, it has everything. I am so glad I purchased it and I love listening to it when I'm taking my walks, cleaning the house or just wanting to listen to a great band."