Join Dave Gershman, Eric Greene, and Sarah Wassell as we explore and discuss great music from the 1960s to today, from various perspectives and music backgrounds!
Heart: "Love Alive"
I say it without any hint of embarrassment: Heart was a great band in the ’70s. From their 1976 debut, Dreamboat Annie, up through their turn-of-the-decade 1980 rocker, Bebe Le Strange, they were consistent in their occasionally inconsistent mix of rockers and folky mysticism, distilling Led Zeppelin’s repertoire down to its less sexist elements and making it look good to boot. I was definitely a fan of that period of their music, and I certainly can’t discount the appeal of two very attractive women rocking out. But above all else, I like the music. However, when they transformed into a schlocky hairband in the years to follow, I just couldn’t bring myself to go there with them. No “What About Love?” for me, thanks. But they had several albums of mostly excellent material prior to that, and if I was forced to choose a favorite, it would probably have to be 1977’s Little Queen. Any album kickstarted by “Barracuda” can’t be too bad, and throw “Kick It Out” into the mix and you have all the makings of a rockin’ good time. But the album has many quieter moments as well, my favorite being “Love Alive.” Maybe because its initial quietness comes as such a change from “Barracuda” immediately before it, but also because it features great dynamics, beautiful acoustic guitar work by Nancy, and great singing by Ann, “Love Alive” feels like a centerpiece to the album, despite being its second track. On vinyl, it certainly feels like the centerpiece to Side One, in any case.
By the way, Heart has released a pair of albums of strong material over the past few years; it’s nice to see they’ve moved beyond the schlock and returned to their strengths.
Original post date: June 4, 2011