2007: Dreamboat Annie: Live [Best of, Live]

Dreamboat Live!
I think you can make the argument that Heart may be the greatest band of all time. How? You say. Well, here's the thing, Heart has been making albums since within a decade of the beginning of the album rock era, with several of the greatest albums of the era, Dreamboat, and Little Queen for example. They continued to make great rock albums when (for example) the Rolling Stones were doing Disco during the Disco era. They survived personal and professional upheaval, and set the standard for the Power Ballad (MTV) era when concept albums were dropped for the hit single and video. They influenced the entire Grunge era, and Finally brought the Album Rock style back with "Jupiter's Darling". I have been an active and nostalgic fan for over 30 years. So even if you don't buy that argument, you have to admit, the Wilson Sisters, are two of the most talented and most influencial musicians of rock music ... ever. I admit it, I am heart and soul, a fan of the Wilson Sisters, but greatness is usually measured by history, and 3 active decades of work, well that is history.

So hearing this album brought me back to the first time I saw Heart on the original "Dreamboat Annie" tour. And even admitting that Ann Wilson may not have the sweet angelic voice of her youth, she still has power and now she has the nuance that comes with maturity. Now the careworn world weary lyrics, take on new meaning as my perspective and (I'm sure the Wilson) sister's have changed over the years. So I loved the remake of Dreamboat.
Where I might be a bit disappointed, is in the encores (which don't get me wrong are very cool to have), because I have heard Ann do these songs better in the past, and that is where it saddens me that her voice is starting after all these years to show the signs of age. Does that mean that the encores aren't good? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I doubt that Robert Plant could do them better these days, it is just I wish some things could last forever, but as we know the opposite of aging isn't staying young, so I am grateful for what I get.

Bottom line, if you are a true fan, this is a must have. If not, get the original album and learn what great album rock is all about.

I realize some fans of the original Heart line-up are less than thrilled with this concert, but I'm not going to compare it to the original album. I believe the new, live versions of the songs are more than strong enough to stand on their own. From the opening of Magic Man, to the solo intro of Crazy On You done only the way Nancy Wilson can, and the rockin' White Lightning and Wine, to the lush melodies and harmonies in the three versions of Dreamboat Annie, Soul of the Sea, Love Me Like Music, and How Deep It Goes, to the reworked spin on Sing Child, the songs really show how skilled every band member is. And if that's not enough, for encores they throw in their larger than life version of Mistral Wind, the unsettling cover song Goodbye Blue Sky and some fun Led Zep covers of Black Dog and Misty Mountain Hop. And finally, give Ann Wilson credit. Not many singers with any sanity would tackle Love Reign O'er Me by The Who for their final song in a concert and sing it all-out like it's the last song they'll ever sing. I can't believe she had any vocal chords left. In summary, it's a concert that still gives me chills and goosebumps whenever I hear it. To me, it's simply one of their best concerts.

The LP's dominance as the unit of musical exchange between artists and listeners lasted from roughly the late '60s rise of underground FM radio through the technology disruption of the MP3. Plenty of challengers, including Disco, CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio), House and Rap kept the single viable, but it was the ease with which MP3s turned listeners into DJs, and the service of on-line music sales that re-dissected albums into their constituent parts. Full-length CDs are still conceived, recorded, issued and sold through physical retail channels, but they're increasingly a collection of individual tracks, rather than holistic artistic statements.

With the artist-controlled musical arc of an album turned aside by the shuffling playlists of listeners, the concert stage has dawned as a space in which the power struggle is tipped back in favor of musicians. This is nothing new - artists have often taken the opportunity to produce their stage shows as something more than a recitation of songs - but there's an increased number of productions that include beginning-to-end performances of classic LPs. Brian Wilson recently staged tours that essayed "Pet Sounds" and "Smile," Lou Reed ran through the entirety of "Berlin," and Cheap Trick worked through their early catalog on sequential club dates.

Though the album run-through is nothing new (bands hawking concept LPs gave complete performances of their song cycles on contemporaneous tours), there's a streak of nostalgia (or, some might say, opportunism) that adds a new twist. Throwback performances of 30- and 40-year old works leave artists to find a balance between playing the album "as it lays," and reinventing studio creations for the stage. The latter includes the rethinking of songs that were rarely (or perhaps never) performed live, and were studio-crafted without performance even in mind.

Shout! Factory inaugurates their "Legendary Albums Live" series with an April, 2007 performance by Heart of their 1976 debut LP, "Dreamboat Annie." Taped live before an enthusiastic audience of hand-picked Heart fan club members in Los Angeles for a DirecTV special, the album's ten original tracks are augmented by encores that spell out the band's then-current influences, notably Led Zeppelin and The Who. The 2007 model of Heart is comprised of only two original members, vocalist Ann Wilson and guitarist/vocalist Nancy Wilson, backed by drummer Ben Smith, guitarist Craig Bartock, keyboardist Debbie Shair and bassist Ric Markmann.

The group faithfully recreates the album, or, more accurately, the sound of Heart touring the album in the wake of its release. Much like the original band's performances, "Dreamboat Annie" played live doesn't capture the studio-perfect production of the original LP, and it's really not meant to. After thirty years and thousands of performances, Ann Wilson can be forgiven the original vocal nuance here and there, and given the iconic nature of her voice and these songs, they're hardly noticeable. What is noticeable is that her voice, though still strong, is huskier and aged when applied full force on the power notes. She no longer soars as freely or smoothly as thirty years earlier, but her signature tone and control remain the essence of Heart's sound.

The album's non-hits, which received less and less attention on stage as Heart's catalog grew, sound especially fresh here. "Soul of the Sea" is pristine, with the Stockholm Strings (and a well-placed telephone ring) woven into the band's performance. "Sing Child" is rearranged with strings and a rock-beat replacing the original's funky rhythm; Nancy Wilson's harmonica replaces the original guitar solo, but Ann Wilson's flute brings the song some of its original mojo. The songs, and the arc of the album, hold up impressively, providing the listener multiple dramatic peaks and respites, including a reprise of the title theme to close things out. It's as gratifying to hear live as it was in 1976 to hear on two sides of a vinyl LP.

The encores include the band's "Mistral Wind" (which eventually turned up on Heart's "Dog & Butterfly" album), echoing Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" in its dramatic grandeur. Zeppelin itself is represented in covers of "Black Dog" and "Misty Mountain Hop," and AOR heavyweights The Who ("Love, Reign O'er Me") and Pink Floyd ("Goodbye Blue Sky," covered by Ann Wilson on her recent solo album) are also featured as early Heart influences. Wilson's enthusiasm for the Zeppelin sides is particularly obvious, and the impact these bands had on Heart's debut is equally clear.

Obviously this is no replacement for the original studio album, but as a celebration of Heart's roots, and as a compelling stage performance this is a winner! Note that there is an accompany DVD that includes the full concert along with bonus interview footage. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

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