Retro Spins: Stevie Nicks - The Wild Heart

After the release of Fleetwood Mac's Mirage in 1982, Stevie Nicks found herself needing more money for cocaine, and rushed to the studio to record her 1983 sophomore solo, The Wild Heart. With her nose fully satisfied, she was able to take a two year hiatus before returning to the studio for her third album, and then back to Mac in 1987.

I mean, probably not really, but I kind of sort of speculate it was something like that.

Regardless of how it happened, after 1982's Mirage, Nicks did return to the studio to record her second solo album. Though not much in terms of details are provided from the general available sources I frequently check, the overall end result was what critics deemed a pretty solid effort.

The Wild Heart would feature a slew of guest musicians; Tom Petty, Steve Lukather, Mick Fleetwood, (Tom Petty's) The Heartbreakers, and Don Felder. The end result being a 2x platinum certified album, and two Billboard Hot 100 singles; Stand Back (or as I call it, Stan Black), which peaked at number five, and If Anyone Falls, which peaked at number fourteen.

Personally, I'm often very critical about Fleetwood Mac and their alum. Mainly because I think the band is overrated, and personality wise, the members don't seem all that likeable. Don't even get me started on Mick Fleetwood. I akin him to Ringo Starr. He was in the right place at the right time, and has thrived on the far superior talents of those around him.

Well, on that sour note, let's dive into this one.

Look, for as much as I don't care for the individuals behind the music, I will say that Stevie Nicks has hits, and a lot of them are the reason I bought her albums. The Wild Heart is no exception. I dig the two aforementioned hits, and was hoping there'd be some hidden gems to find.

It's a pretty straight forward album. Decent rock, and the typical occasional ballad. I will say that a lot of material sounds like each other. For example, Sable On Blond is very reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. Overall, this familiarity, or perhaps intentional retreading, only serves to make me want to hear better songs. The end result was that I kind of got bored.

I did enjoy the title track, in addition to the two hits, so that was a nice added bonus, but I did expect a bit more than what I got. Maybe I did it to myself. Maybe my upfront negativity to this post set the tone, and from there I had already mentally made my mind up.

Regardless of my personal opinion forty-two years later (yikes, has it really been that long?), popularity and sales of Stevie Nicks albums didn't suffer. She remained a platinum selling artist throughout the 80's, and had several more hits. Who knows, maybe her remaining records will get better. I guess I'll find out sooner than later.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
December 8, 1984