Frontiers (label)
24 February 2014 (released)
09 February 2014
Heart have been around for many years since the first albums were released and they keep coming back with more great albums and performances, finally being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 – the same year that they released their ‘Fanatic’ album which has been a massive success worldwide and especially in Canada where this was recorded.
Ann Wilson is a great front person and the contrast between her and her sister Nancy catches the eye but never detracts from the power and the impact of the music. Nancy is a pretty fine guitarist but the band behind them brings more to the party than just being a back up – Debbie Shair’s keyboards underplay the front pair and Craig Bartock is a superb guitarist in his own right but the engine room of Ben Smith on drums and Dan Rothschild (bass) cook up a mighty V8 power.
The DVD opens with the brilliant ‘Fanatic’ with Nancy and Craig trading licks and Ann’s vocal chiming out followed by ‘Heartless’ and you are feeling that this is a band with both power and finesse before the orchestra is brought out for a passionate and massive ‘What About Love’.
Back in the day Heart were always reckoned to be a great live band and they haven’t lost that sense of stagecraft over the years but they have always been about the songs before endless riffery and the melodies carry the songs as well as the playing but they also like to stretch out and with new songs like ‘Mashallah!’ and ‘Even It Up’ taking it back to the power they can do the rocking out as well as the song stuff - a personal favourite, ’59 Crunch’, is massive dirty rock and roll.
They go back a few years for ‘Dog And Butterfly’, bringing the acoustic guitars out and reminding you that they were always more than just a rock band and touch on the eighties for ‘These Dreams’ laden with synths and harmonies but in the end it is the classic hits like ‘Crazy On You’ and ‘Barracuda’ that bring the greatest cheers.
Heart are one of the great rock bands and the crowds still come out for the new material as well as the classics. This is one of the better live sets I’ve seen on DVD and the CD that accompanies it loses nothing from the DVD.
