Music Review: Heart - Dreamboat Annie Live
Published November 11, 2007
Most of the songs are faithful reproductions, except jazzy "Sing Child" which has been given a new lease of life with an arrangement provided by the Stockholm Strings. This welcome change elevates the song from the original, since this is the only track which could have dated badly, but it escapes that fate with the welcome tinkering.
"Mistral Wind" is in the latter third of the album, a Heart song from a different album, Dog & Butterfly. It is one of the highlights of the album, moving tempo from the gently sung opening, rising malevolently into a wailing crescendo of a track. The strings are there, the guitars are there, Nancy is there and playing like the rock star she surely is and Ann is there, belting out in heartfelt glory. A wonderous encore.
Further encores are provided courtesy of the rich collage of artists from the '70s that helped to shape Heart's musical style. They perform cover versions of Pink Floyd ("Goodbye Blue Sky"), The Who ("Love, Reign O'er Me") and of course, Led Zeppelin. A female Robert Plant? She could be: But the originals of Black Dog and Misty Mountain Hop remain the best; perhaps the band needs to be a little more addled and dirty. However, the songs are done no disservice in their reproduction on this CD/DVD, no disservice at all.
The DVD contains bonus features. Interviews with the Wilson sisters introduce the music, adding context to the performance of this 31 year old album. There are further interviews with those individuals who attended the concert, a little superfluous perhaps, but it's good to see how well they are loved by their fans.
With two copies of this album, Dreamboat Annie Live and its 31-year old forebear, sitting on my computer desk, I know which I prefer. Both are excellent, but I definitely like my beautiful Heart songbirds a little aged — this live album wins my vote.
Corylus is pleased to live in Scotland, living as disgracefully as is possible given her lamentable state of finances. She bears life’s little hiccups by repeating the mantra ‘life is inherently absurd’ until she feels calmer, but sometimes a very spicy Bloody Mary is the only solution.
- Music Review: Heart - Dreamboat Annie Live
- Published: November 11, 2007
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Video, Music: Rock, Music: Live Concerts, Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Review
- Writer: Coryluscontorta
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I saw this performance on a Jet Blue flight on VH1 or something and while waiting in JB/JFK terminal for my connection, I went on JB's free WiFi and bought the CD on Amazon. Now this isn't a commercial for JetBlue, Amazon or the like, however, the DVD sold this CD to me and everything else enabled it.
Well, I got the CD in the mail last week and have enjoyed playing it daily ever since. Good CD, but I'd recommend the DVD as well.
Nice review and article Corylus! Thanks...
Thanks for the well earned glowing review of both Dreamboat Annie Live, Dreamboat Annie and Hope & Glory.
I was at the Dreamboat Annie Live concert in April. While I love the DVD and the CD and feel both are must have additions to any Heart fans' collection, there is nothing like having been there at that concert. It was a magical night and the crowd, a few thousand strong was certainly more responsive and louder than the shows I attended in the 80s when Ann and Nancy were playing arena size venues. And Ann and Nancy and crew seemed to feed off of that energy and returned possibly the best Heart show I've ever seen. And I'm well into twenty shows at this point.
The DVD does a great job capturing the vibe as much as it can. But being there was an experience I will never forget barring a forced lobotomy.
Take Heart,
Andrea
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Gotta tell you my Heart story (probably did already once). As a teenager, I saw them on a Canadian tour opening for April Wine right after Dreamboat Annie came out. Everyone was saying along the lines, "Never heard of Heart - what a terrible name for a band. So - lightweight." When they finally ht the stage, it was like, "Oh, man - chicks in a band - this is going to be so wimpy!"
Then they opened with I believe "Barracuda." After that, I never questioned whether women can rock or not - who sez a fifteen year old can't learn to change his preconceptions?