HEART
Alive In Seattle
Epic Records

  Heart is another one of those great ‘70s bands that is misunderstood because of its ‘80s cash-in. When the band started, its Zeppelin meets The Beatles music and the amazing pipes of Ann Wilson were a kick in the ass to all the pretenders around at the time. “Barracuda” just stomped and “Crazy On You” was the prototype of the loud-quiet, melodic rock that followed it. You’ll notice instantly on this package that the decade of the ’80s is mostly ignored. Only “These Dreams” and “Alone” show up here and both are more stripped down, subtle versions. For those who don’t know what the band was about, this is a great introduction. “Straight On” shows their ability to groove and acoustic based numbers like “Dog & Butterfly” and “Love Alive” wouldn’t have been out of place on Led Zeppelin III and the lost classic “Mistral Wind” could’ve been on Physical Graffiti. If the Page / Plant influence wasn’t obvious enough already, covers of “Battle Of Evermore” and “Black Dog” make it crystal clear. Here, “Evermore” is the superior one. You can feel Ann and Nancy Wilson’s passion and love for the song as they make it their own while not losing any of the original’s Celt-drenched appeal. Add in hard-edged songs like “The Witch,” “Magic Man,” and “Break The Lock” and you have a powerful return to the land of the living for Heart. Now, if only they could release a new album as strong as their debut, Dreamboat Annie, everyone would have to embrace them.

 Chris McKay /concertshots.com

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