Well my goodness.
Yes, I did buy this album because of Barracuda. It's so rare to hear a song with such powerful
vocals from a female singer, and I wanted more...but I ended up with MUCH more
than bargained for when I found it on vinyl for $3 and gave the whole thing a
go.
So I'll start with Barracuda - I know it is just one of
those songs that everyone knows, but it is that ridiculously famous for a good reason. The driving beat of the guitar holding the
song together combined with Ann Wilson's fierce voice are intimidating to
listen to, and it is surprising to hear a song so rough from two female
musicians. I also usually don't listen
to music for the vocals, but Ann Wilson has unexpectedly good range to add to
her powerfully threatening voice. Yes,
it's a good song; yes, you hear that everyday from everyone you know; and yes,
I'm telling you that too.
Onto the rest of the album: there's no track that is as much
of a driving force as Barracuda, but the whole album still displays the talent
of the Wilson sisters. Love Alive
displays again Ann's versatility as a singer as her style shifts to relaxed and
quiet - and she still manages to sound original and display her range. She doesn't just yell her songs; she can
murmur them softly too. The rest of the
instrumental parts fit ridiculously well together - the guitar is delicately
played and has a much more polished sound then the roughly played repeated
chords of Barracuda, and it harmonizes deliciously with the bass as the drums
take the lead towards the end of the song.
Props to this album as a whole also for it's use of unconventional
instruments (such as flute and mandolin) giving the whole thing a medieval,
almost minstrel-like twist to a rock album - something I've never heard before
and probably won't hear again. Dream of the Archer holds onto the unconventional medieval feel with it's delicate vocal
harmonies and focus on the mandolin; Kick it Out reverts to the hard rock
running feel of Barracuda with Ann going back to her louder, fiercer vocals and
the lower guitar part with mild distortion. Little Queen has a more modern funk style with the focus on the bass and
the dissonant clash between the two guitar parts, while Treat Me Well feels
like a slow jazz-y song you would hear in a smoky bar late at night. The album ends on a solid note with Go On
Cry, a final display and return to Heart's hard rock style shown in their first
track. I especially love this: how they
begin and end the album in the same style, when everything in between differs
so heavily. They still manage to wrap
all of Little Queen together.
In short,
Heart plays with a lot of different styles and uses Ann's versatile voice and
the talent of each musician to their advantage in this album. I love the upbeat feel and the contrast
between each song but how each still manages to be beautiful in it's own way. This album may be ridiculously centered on
Ann Wilson's voice, but it is deservedly so as she has a voice to be respected
that one doesn't come by on every album.
8/10 not necessarily because this is such a great album, but
because it was so unexpectedly
amazing, and proves Heart's ridiculously versatile talents.
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