The Toy Box: Heart

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Retro Spins: Heart - Bad Animals

At this point, I don't know if when I reviewed Heart's Private Audition (1982), and Passionworks (1983), if I knew I hadn't yet listened to their final 80's album, 1987's Bad Animals. Regardless, I'm here today to wrap up my 80's journey with the band.

Bad Animals continued the group's mainstream sound, and subsequent success, of their 1985 self titled release. With it, came additional Billboard Hot 100 hits, Who Will You Run To (7), There's The Girl (12), I Want You So Bad (49), and their number one hit, Alone. Many don't seem to realize that the latter actually wasn't a song by Heart. Instead, it was written and recorded by i-Ten, released on their 1983 album, Taking A Cold Look. I may have to review that one tomorrow, just to kind of bring things full circle.

The problem that I had with Bad Animals was that it kind of blew its whole box of tricks right from the start. The above noted hits came back, to back with all four of them essentially wrapping up the majority of what would be considered side A of the record.

The issue from there is that the rest of the album isn't as noteworthy. In fact, it's rather forgettable. While Ann Wilson's vocals are as powerful as ever, they simply aren't enough to shine up mediocracy. I kept finding myself wanting to add tracks to my shuffle list when I would hear a power note, but frankly, I'm glad I reserved myself from doing so. As I type this, those songs have come and gone, and I frankly couldn't even tell you what they sounded like at this point.

I won't say I'm shocked by this. Heart has always been a group that I know and like the hits from. However, from there, I rarely find anything worth revisiting. That's not to say that they're a bad band. They're just not one I'm necessarily going to be a superfan of. I won't deny their a legendary band, and iconic. That's why ultimately for me they hold their place in the 70's and 80's, and fill a necessary space in my collection that would otherwise be incomplete without them.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 30, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 30, 1988

Retro Spins: Heart - Passionworks

With prior members, Derosier and Fossen, out, and new members Denny Carmassi, and Mark Andes in, Heart began work on 1983's Passionworks. It would be a shift from their traditional hard rock and folk style, cutting back on acoustic guitars, and adopting a more mainstream sound. Though it was steps in the right direction, and would ultimately lead to their 1985 self titled opus, this album failed to provide the impact needed for the band. Despite this, Heart was able to achieve a number one single with How Can I Refuse on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts.

Diving straight in, it delivers a solid start with Sleep Alone, and keeps this momentum up a bit with Language Of Love, the latter which could easily have been a song by Olivia Newton-John. In fact, typing that out, I'd like to have heard that.

What I don't hear in the album is the professed shift to mainstream. I won't go so far as to say it sounds dated, I.E. 70's classic rock, but it also doesn't have the dominant synthesizer sound that I would associate with an 80's album. It's shifting in that direction, for sure, it's just not quite there.

I had high expectations for How Can I Refuse, what with it being noted as a number one single. It was just okay, which was a little shocking considering its chart status. It was here that I could definitely hear the radio friendly band that would soon emerge.

With Blue Guitar, and Ambush, I finally started hearing that shift to a mainstream style. The track was okay, if not a little drab and boring. However, it was also understandable. This was new territory for Heart, and they were still learning. This effort remained for the remainder of the album, but didn't necessarily produce any tracks worth raving about.

Because of their poor performance, Heart's Private Audition and Passionworks would be among the few in their catalog to go out of print, and remained so until being released together as a duel CD in 2009 by BGO Records. Though this too is now out of print, they have both since been re-released a few times.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 10, 1982

Retro Spins: Heart - Private Audition

Heart entered a dark time between 1982 and 1984. While their 1980 released Bébé le Strange offered up the band's third top ten album, their follow-up, Private Audition (1982) only allotted the group a minor hit with The Man Is Mine. This should have been no surprise, as when planning the recording of the album, producer, Jimmy Lovine, informed the Wilson sisters that the album lacked any hits. Ultimately, the two would end up producing it themselves.

Private Audition was one of the last two albums I opted to track down in the band's discography. This was mainly for the purposes of having a complete discography from their 1975 debut through 1990's Brigade. I'd never heard any of the tracks from it, and frankly, when I purchased it, really didn't have the interest to. But, as I make a push to finally get through all those albums I've amassed over the years, their rotation has come. It's finally time to listen to it, and see what it's all about.

Let me go ahead and skip to the second song, which is the title track. It has almost a country vibe mixed with cabaret. It's not good. In fact, the album as a whole feels like a whole bunch of miss matched concept ideas thrown at a wall, with music styles not matching from track one song to the next.

It's interesting that Steve Fossen and Mike Derosier were fired after its release. Though varying reasons as to why will be told, depending on who you ask, one such reason boils down to creative differences. The two were cited as wanting to stay with the more traditional style which had made the band popular. Listening to Private Audition, each song feels like it's fighting with the other. Like I said, it's like a bunch of miss matched songs. One minute it's traditional Heart, the next a power ballad, country, cabaret, tap dancing intros, etc. It's a mess is what it is.

The sad part is that when Heart sticks to their guns of the tried and true, such as on the tune, Fast Times, and City's Burning there's potential here. The latter could very well be the best this album has to offer. It's both surprising and disappointing, but at the same time understandable. It was a new decade, music was changing, and this 70's band was navigating how to stay relevant on a new landscape. Obviously, by 1985 they found the answer to that, hitting with both fists with their self titled comeback album.

However, before that could happen, Heart had to first go through a bit more struggles ala their 1983 Passionworks. We'll get to that one tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 9, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 9, 1988

Retro Spins: Heart - Bébé le Strange

Heart
Bébé le Strange
1980

Heart's self titled 1985 album is really my era of the band. Sure, I know the hits from the 70's, but that one moment from the middle of the decade, with its consistent airplay, was my introduction the the group, and the moment in time which sticks with me the most. However, I want to rectify that, and spread out a bit furhter into their four decade career.

My first stop is the 1980 album, Bébé le Strange.

Because it was recorded in 1979, it's no surprise that overall it has a very 70's vibe to it. The band was still cemented in what would soon be known as "classic rock"* roots. Very guitar heavy riffs, pounding drums and jamming bass. All of this, of course, backed up by the powerful voice of Ann Wilson, backed up by her sister Nancy.

*The term classic rock was first used on the air by KRBE-AM (Houston) in 1983. Program director Paul Christy designed the format to play only early album rock, from the 1960s and early 1970s, without any current music or Top 40 material.

From the album, I really only knew the title track, Bébé le Strange. I first heard it on the 1980 Greatest Hits / Live cassette which my sister owned. Whether or not the album contained any other tracks from the album, I don't recall.

I appreciate the album for what it was - Good old fashioned classic rock, but overall, I'm not really swayed one way or the other to make any type of decision on whether or not it makes me more or less of a Heart fan than I already am. There weren't any tracks on it which I would call "bad", but there also weren't any others beyond Bébé le Strange itself which had what I call "re-listen-ablity" to it.

Even It Up and Raised On You did stand out among all the other tracks. However, again, not feeling that re-listen-ability factor in them. They were just okay.

I'll need to make my way through a few more Heart albums before I can really make a definitive decision on where I stand with the band.

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Retro Spins: Heart - Dreamboat Annie

Heart exploded big time in the 80's with their 1985 self titled album, which featured powerful hits such as; Never, What About Love and These Dreams. For me, the female led group came out of nowhere, but quickly became one of my favorites, thanks in part to continuous rotation on MTV.

However, little did my young mind know that Heart were no strangers to the world of rock 'n roll. Singer Ann and Nancy Wilson had been fronting the band for over a decade, lavishing as queens of rock with hits such as; Crazy On You, Magic Man, Barracuda, Straight On, and several more.

The group released their debut album, Dreamboat Annie, in 1975 in Canada under the label, Mushroom Records. Despite this limited release, the album would reach number twenty on the charts, going double platinum before it was released in the United States in 1976.

With major success under their belts from the starting gate, Heart began negotiations with their label to received a larger slice of the royalties, insisting that as a platinum band they should be compensated more. However, Mushroom insisted the group was a one hit wonder, and held firm. This lead to producer Mike Flicker leaving the label, which was the loophole Heart felt was in their benefit to also exit as well, as their contract specifically stated Flicker would produce their albums. Heart signed with Portrait.

Mushroom on the other hand felt the band was contractually obligated to provide them with two additional albums. When they band refused, the label took it upon themselves to release Magazine in 1977. As legal proceedings ensued, a settlement court ruled in Heart's favor to stop distribution on the album. However, with this, Heart was to provide the label with the promised second album per their contract. The group opted to return to the studio and complete Magazine, which was re-released in 1978.

Sadly, Vice President of Mushroom Records, Shelly Siegel died suddenly in January 1979 of a brain aneurysm. Without her, the label inevitably wen bankrupt, and closed down in 1980. This lead to Capitol Records purchasing the rights to Heart's first two albums, which they re-released in the early 80's.

Wow, that's a lot of good drama surrounding the band, but what about this purported double platinum album, Dreamboat Annie? Is it as juicy as the spectacle that was Heart versus Mushroom Records? Well, I suppose that depends on your personality. Do you like gossip or music better?

Dreamboat Annie jumps right into the highlights of the album with Magic Man, which sets the bar pretty high. For whatever reason, this is followed up by a very short rendering of Dreamboat Annie, the song. Just as you're getting into it, it ends, making you wonder why it was even included. Fortunately, you are quickly whisked off with Crazy On You, distracting you from the odd edited track.

There's a couple throw away songs after this, and finally you come to the full version of Dreamboat Annie, but then you're once again taken on a journey of throw away forgettable songs for the remainder of the album. This all wraps up with yet another rendition of Dreamboat Annie, this time a reprise version. Come on, Heart. The song is okay, but it's not that good that you needed to add it three times to the album.

Overall, their debut album is decent. I can understand how it would go double platinum, being led by Magic Man, Crazy On You, and Dreamboat Annie. These are good songs. However, for as good as those three tracks are, the remaining seven are equally as forgettable. Hearing this album doesn't make me necessarily want to listen to any other studio albums from Heart. Rather, it makes me more so inclined to grab a greatest hits and cut to the chase.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: Heart - Heart

Heart
Heart
1985

There's a joke I've come up with that I like to tell when referring to the band Heart. I say, I bet Heart's career went something like this. Ann was packed up and ready to leave home. She told her mother, "Goodbye mom. I'm off to be a rock star." To which her mom would respond with the typical answer, "Take your sister with you." Older siblings will know what I mean having heard this from their parents when attempting to tromp off to play. I know, kind of lame.

Many fans of the group feel like the band sold out in the 1980's. Specifically with their self titled album from July of 1985. Okay, I respect that opinion. It's rough when you love a band, their music, their style and suddenly they do a 180 departure from it and go in a different direction. However, there's no denying that the band's work in the '80's yielded them the most commercial success. So perhaps while a transitioning from a hard rock edge to the more commercial mainstream pop sound wasn't some people's favorite, it was clearly a smart move for the band.

What About Love jumped onto the charts a month prior to the album's release and climbed to the top ten by August. As it began its decent back down the charts, it was joined (in September) by Never which made its way to number four by December before dropping back down.

As Never continued its decent, These Dreams joined it on the charts in January of 1986. Dreams hit the number one spot in March and as it continued to fall down the charts was joined by Nothin' At All in May. While Nothin' At All made it to the number ten spot on the charts in June it would quickly drop from there.

The last track from the album to chart was If Looks Could Kill. However, this would debut at number eighty-six in July and fall completely off the charts right after.

Overall, I really liked this album. Six of the nine tracks have a regular rotation in my IPOD; If Looks Could Kill, What About Love, Never, These Dreams, Nothin' At All and the newly added as of the Retro Spin play, All Eyes. The remaining three songs aren't terrible and flow nicely with the album as a whole. They just don't necessarily stand out as anything beyond being just okay.

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