When we discussed potential artists to include in the Women Who Rock
exhibit, everyone wanted Heart included. Breaking out in the mid-1970s,
Heart mixed hard rock riffs with intensely rhythmic acoustic songs and
powerful harmonies, crashing onto FM radio like they owned it. Since
then, they’ve managed to navigate changing trends and definitions of
rock in the MTV and grunge eras with both hits and critical acclaim, and
their most recent album, Red Velvet Car (2010), ranks with their best.
Ann and Nancy Wilson visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week for a terrific Legends
series. They sat down with me for an interview, and then performed
acoustic versions of “Dog and Butterfly,” “WTF,” “Sand” and “Crazy on
You.” It was a great night. They shared their thoughts on the history of
women in rock and roll, their influences and heroes, and their
songwriting craft. They were funny and insightful, and obviously big
time rock and roll fans.
Heart came out of the gates strong with their first album, Dreamboat Annie,
which was released in the U.S. in February of 1976 and quickly climbed
the charts behind the “Crazy on You” and “Magic Man” singles. Album
tracks like “Dreamboat Annie” and “Soul of the Sea” were FM radio
staples. It was unusual and thrilling to see women fronting a rock band
in those days – it still is, truth be told. The core of their sound was
all there on the first record: Ann’s powerhouse singing, Nancy’s
percussive guitar playing and those harmonies. They showcased
that sound at the Rock Hall in a stunning performance of “Crazy on You”
featuring Ann’s powerful vocals – as Nancy said when it was over, “they
don’t build them like that anymore.” Often a debut like that results in a
sophomore slump, a second record that’s recorded in haste. But Heart’s
second album, Little Queen, made it clear they were in it for
the long haul. The album mixed hard rock with more reflective acoustic
songs, as Ann and Nancy came into their own as songwriters and showed
their mastery of the studio with beautifully layered arrangements. It
features their most well-known song, “Barracuda,” Ann Wilson’s response
to a sleazy backstage record man. During our interview, Nancy said she
felt like she’d really made it once she heard that song blaring out of a
Camaro.
The next night I saw Heart play a terrific show at the Blossom Music
Center. The set was a mix of their biggest hits from throughout the
career, from rockers like “Barracuda” and “Straight On” to stripped down
versions of some of their big 1980s hits, like a smoldering, dramatic
version of “Alone.” “WTF” from Red Velvet Car smoked. And they
showed their influences, too, starting the show with a version of Led
Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” and encores of “Battle of Evermore” and The
Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me.” These women rock!
Learn more by visiting Women Who Rock, now on exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
