Heart

When one thinks of rock bands that scream "1970s," there are a number that come to mind, such as The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, or The Steve Miller Band. But I submit that Heart, recently elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, belongs on that list. Although the band never broke up, and still tours, their biggest successes were in the Me Decade, and their power ballads, slickly produced and with that corporate sound, they are quintessentially a '70s group.

In reading about the history of the band, they are somewhat like Fleetwood Mac, in that they were hijacked by girl singers. The group began in the '60s, with Roger Fisher one of the original members. They were called The Army, then White Heart, and then Ann Wilson joined the group as a singer. She was joined by her younger sister Nancy, and the two, who were easy on the eyes, became the focal point of the band, writing the songs and being the face of the group on the covers of the albums.

I wouldn't call Heart great, Hall of Fame status is dubious, and I don't know anyone who would call Heart their favorite artists, but they sold millions of records and were ubiquitous on radio during the time period. Listening to their songs again, I couldn't help but sing along, not realizing I knew the words, and tapping the steering wheel.

A large part of their success is due to Mike Flicker, the producer of their early big sellers, and Roger Fisher's guitar work. The songs are no great shakes, but the way they are put together makes them sound epic. Take "Magic Man," one of their signature songs, which is about how Ann met Mike Fisher, the manager of the band. It has a structure that I find every appealing--the first two verses go by, and then the bridge is a long instrumental, heavy on electric guitar. Then the final verse, which is amped up, with Wilson belting like nobody's business. And I love, throughout the song, the way Ann has a slight post-orgasmic lilt to the word "yeah."

"Crazy on You," employs the other standard structure--the long intro. We start with acoustic guitars, and slowly the sound builds to a crashing crescendo. "Barracuda," another smash, kicks off with a great guitar riff.

Lyrically, there's nothing terribly interesting or worth quoting. It's mostly about love, and the words don't really sink in. Other songs that were rock radio staples were "Love Alive," "Kick it Out,"  "Even It Up," and "Straight On." I didn't remember these songs until I heard them, and suddenly I did remember them.

The greatest hits album, which I listened to this weekend, also has a couple of covers. Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" was Heart's biggest selling single, a surprise to me. Also included is a live version of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." Reading about this sent me to YouTube to see the Wilson sisters sing "Stairway to Heaven" at the recent Kennedy Center Honors for Led Zeppelin. It's worth checking out.

So, Hall of Fame? Don't know about that, but for those who grew up in the '70s, Heart is a pleasant memory.