Showing posts with label rvc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rvc. Show all posts
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Photos from the Newkirk Show!
Thank you so much to Stephen Paulsen of Enye Media for allowing me to post these! :D He was 3 feet from Ann the entire show. :)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
More Photos from the Houston Show!
Check out this beautiful Flickr set to see larger versions of the previous set and more photos from the Houston show. Gorgeous girls :)
Friday, November 5, 2010
HoustonPress Review and Photos!
Heart performed Zeppelin's THE OCEAN to a sold out crowd in Houston last night :D Here is the HoustonPress review!
In trying to come up with a witty juxtaposition to open our review of Thursday night's Heart show, Aftermath was initially going to throw out a comparison to Jefferson Airplane/Starship, another band that peaked decades ago, enjoyed a brief resurgence in the '80s, then faded more or less into obscurity.
It wasn't until we started digging back into Heart's material that we remembered just how much of their catalogue provided a framework for AOR and classic-rock radio. Sure, everyone remembers "Barracuda" and "Magic Man" - or should, anyway - but the Wilson sisters flat-out owned the Dazed and Confused era: "Crazy On You," "Kick It Out," "Heartless," "Straight On," "Dreamboat Annie"... and that was before 1980. Clearly the comparison to be made isn't to Starship, but to Journey.
Hear us out.
Now, we realize Heart hasn't inspired not one but two video games, and Journey's Escape will always be one of the quintessential '80s albums, but there are parallels, from earlier success as a hard rock band to reinvention in as '80s power balladeers. Sure, Journey was much more successful overall, but at least Heart never tried to replace Ann Wilson with some chick they found on YouTube.
Heart opened for Journey a few years back as well, which draws our lame exercise to a close and brings us to last night's show, a packed affair for a band that drew an uncharacteristically (for Houston) enthusiastic crowd and helped Aftermath revisit our youth in more ways than one.
We aren't sure where we'd been reading about the sisters losing steam recently - probably Pitchfork, those fuckers - but there was talk floating around about how Ann's voice wasn't what it once was, or that Nancy had lost a step. And this would be perfectly understandable (Ann is 60, Nancy 56), if it weren't demonstrably false.
From the first chords of the band's opening song, "Cook With Fire" from 1978's Dog and Butterfly, they were on top of it. Ann absolutely wailed, killing on standards like "Barracuda" and "Crazy On You" - as well as the encore covers, Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean" and The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" - while Nancy was an assured, electric presence. Gone were the corsets and unfortunate high-kicks of the "What About Love" era (third song), replaced by a pair of sisters who seemed genuinely grateful to still be together and playing music after 35 years.
They stuck mostly with the hits, sprinkling in a few cuts from their latest release Red Velvet Car, but never straying far from bread-and-butter songs like "Straight On," "Magic Man" and stuff from their 1980s resurgence ("Alone," "These Dreams").
Ann and Nancy are the only original members left, but their backing players this time around were plenty solid, especially guitarist Craig Bartock, who took most of the soloing duties, and Debbie Shair, looking like a live representation of a Pokemon character behind the keyboards.
Aftermath has rarely seen the House of Blues this full, and... what a crowd. Rocks Off last saw Heart in '88 or '89 when we took a date to the Bad Animals show (not the first time we "compromised" our musical pedigree for the opposite sex), but Thursday night was largely a girls night out affair; "Soccer Moms Gone Wild," in case Joe Francis needs a new venture to pay legal fees.
We actually found ourselves in something of an uncomfortable situation when one lady, who apparently doesn't bend her elbow more than once a year, attempted to dance with us, and we're using a very loose definition of the term. She tried to close the deal by comparing high-school graduation dates:
She: When did you graduate?
Aftermath: 1987.
She: 1983!
Finally, we scored a senior.
Personal Bias: Our ulterior motives at the Bad Animals show aside, we've always liked Heart's music, even the '80s power-ballad stuff.
The Crowd: If we had older siblings, they'd have been there. Mid-40s and up, majority female, probably all hung over this morning.
Overheard In The Crowd: "Captain Morgan and Diet Coke." Repeat.
Random Notebook Dump: "There's a 50-y.o. dude next to me belting out 'These Dreams.' I swear to God he's crying."
SET LIST
Cook With Fire
Heartless
What About Love
Straight On
Dog and Butterfly
These Dreams
Hey You
Even It Up/Gimme Shelter
Red Velvet Car
In The Cool
Alone
WTF (I think)
Magic Man
Crazy On You
Barracuda
ENCORE
The Ocean (Zep cover)
Love Reign O'er Me (Who cover)
Source
In trying to come up with a witty juxtaposition to open our review of Thursday night's Heart show, Aftermath was initially going to throw out a comparison to Jefferson Airplane/Starship, another band that peaked decades ago, enjoyed a brief resurgence in the '80s, then faded more or less into obscurity.
It wasn't until we started digging back into Heart's material that we remembered just how much of their catalogue provided a framework for AOR and classic-rock radio. Sure, everyone remembers "Barracuda" and "Magic Man" - or should, anyway - but the Wilson sisters flat-out owned the Dazed and Confused era: "Crazy On You," "Kick It Out," "Heartless," "Straight On," "Dreamboat Annie"... and that was before 1980. Clearly the comparison to be made isn't to Starship, but to Journey.
Hear us out.
Now, we realize Heart hasn't inspired not one but two video games, and Journey's Escape will always be one of the quintessential '80s albums, but there are parallels, from earlier success as a hard rock band to reinvention in as '80s power balladeers. Sure, Journey was much more successful overall, but at least Heart never tried to replace Ann Wilson with some chick they found on YouTube.
Heart opened for Journey a few years back as well, which draws our lame exercise to a close and brings us to last night's show, a packed affair for a band that drew an uncharacteristically (for Houston) enthusiastic crowd and helped Aftermath revisit our youth in more ways than one.
We aren't sure where we'd been reading about the sisters losing steam recently - probably Pitchfork, those fuckers - but there was talk floating around about how Ann's voice wasn't what it once was, or that Nancy had lost a step. And this would be perfectly understandable (Ann is 60, Nancy 56), if it weren't demonstrably false.
From the first chords of the band's opening song, "Cook With Fire" from 1978's Dog and Butterfly, they were on top of it. Ann absolutely wailed, killing on standards like "Barracuda" and "Crazy On You" - as well as the encore covers, Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean" and The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" - while Nancy was an assured, electric presence. Gone were the corsets and unfortunate high-kicks of the "What About Love" era (third song), replaced by a pair of sisters who seemed genuinely grateful to still be together and playing music after 35 years.
They stuck mostly with the hits, sprinkling in a few cuts from their latest release Red Velvet Car, but never straying far from bread-and-butter songs like "Straight On," "Magic Man" and stuff from their 1980s resurgence ("Alone," "These Dreams").
Ann and Nancy are the only original members left, but their backing players this time around were plenty solid, especially guitarist Craig Bartock, who took most of the soloing duties, and Debbie Shair, looking like a live representation of a Pokemon character behind the keyboards.
Aftermath has rarely seen the House of Blues this full, and... what a crowd. Rocks Off last saw Heart in '88 or '89 when we took a date to the Bad Animals show (not the first time we "compromised" our musical pedigree for the opposite sex), but Thursday night was largely a girls night out affair; "Soccer Moms Gone Wild," in case Joe Francis needs a new venture to pay legal fees.
We actually found ourselves in something of an uncomfortable situation when one lady, who apparently doesn't bend her elbow more than once a year, attempted to dance with us, and we're using a very loose definition of the term. She tried to close the deal by comparing high-school graduation dates:
She: When did you graduate?
Aftermath: 1987.
She: 1983!
Finally, we scored a senior.
Personal Bias: Our ulterior motives at the Bad Animals show aside, we've always liked Heart's music, even the '80s power-ballad stuff.
The Crowd: If we had older siblings, they'd have been there. Mid-40s and up, majority female, probably all hung over this morning.
Overheard In The Crowd: "Captain Morgan and Diet Coke." Repeat.
Random Notebook Dump: "There's a 50-y.o. dude next to me belting out 'These Dreams.' I swear to God he's crying."
SET LIST
Cook With Fire
Heartless
What About Love
Straight On
Dog and Butterfly
These Dreams
Hey You
Even It Up/Gimme Shelter
Red Velvet Car
In The Cool
Alone
WTF (I think)
Magic Man
Crazy On You
Barracuda
ENCORE
The Ocean (Zep cover)
Love Reign O'er Me (Who cover)
Source
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Heart Comes Home: Canadian Tour Announced!
2011 marks the 35th anniversary of Heart’s debut record Dreamboat Annie. Heart’s groundbreaking album was recorded in Vancouver, B.C., where they lived at the time, and was first released in Canada.
Heart announces that they are coming home to Canada in 2011, with their first coast-to-coast Canadian tour in three decades. With a 20-concert run starting on January 28 in St John’s, NL and ending in their Canadian hometown of Vancouver, BC on February 26, Heart at last fulfills a long held desire to play for their Canadian fans in every region of the country on one tour. As Ann and Nancy put it themselves: “Heart had its musical genesis in Vancouver and as artists Canada has always been our spiritual home. Canadians love to rock and we are happy to be bringing Heart as it is now back to Canada. It's like Heart is coming home.”
On August 31, 2010, Heart released Red Velvet Car, their first new studio album in six years. Produced by Vancouver-based Grammy winning producer Ben Mink, Red Velvet Car entered the Billboard 200 best-selling album charts at #10, becoming the seventh Top 10 album of the group's career. Released on Eagle Rock Records in Canada and on Sony Legacy in the United States, the critically acclaimed new album reached #1 in sales on Amazon.com on Sunday, September 4.
The critical response to Red Velvet Car has been universally ecstatic. "The barracudas are back and at the top of their game," wrote Rolling Stone (September 2, 2010) while USA Today (August 25, 2010) called the album "Intimate, intense and anchored by Ann’s powerhouse vocals and Nancy’s aggressive acoustic guitar...." The New York Times (August 4, 2010) found Red Velvet Car "aggressive, delicate and enduring" while the Los Angeles Times noted that "Thirty-four years after the band's debut, Heart's dreamboat sails on."
Over the course of their remarkable career, Heart has sold over 30 million albums and had 22 Top 40 hits. In America, their current AC single “Hey You” has been in the Top 30 for three months, while their classic rock single, “WTF” hovers near Top 10.
Over the past decade, Heart songs have achieved ubiquity in pop culture in films (Shrek 3, The Dilemma), television (American Idol, Glee, Dancing with the Stars), commercials (Honda, Swiffer), and videogames (Rock Band, Guitar Hero), as well as in performances by other top artists (Eminem, Fergie, Gretchen Wilson, et al).
They were 2007 recipients of VH1 Rock Honors, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northwest Grammy Foundation and received ASCAP’s award for Excellence in Songwriting in 2009.
Heart is coming home, Coast to Coast in Canada, in February 2011.
Heart Comes Home - Canada Tour 2011
Tickets On-Sale November 5
Heart announces that they are coming home to Canada in 2011, with their first coast-to-coast Canadian tour in three decades. With a 20-concert run starting on January 28 in St John’s, NL and ending in their Canadian hometown of Vancouver, BC on February 26, Heart at last fulfills a long held desire to play for their Canadian fans in every region of the country on one tour. As Ann and Nancy put it themselves: “Heart had its musical genesis in Vancouver and as artists Canada has always been our spiritual home. Canadians love to rock and we are happy to be bringing Heart as it is now back to Canada. It's like Heart is coming home.”
On August 31, 2010, Heart released Red Velvet Car, their first new studio album in six years. Produced by Vancouver-based Grammy winning producer Ben Mink, Red Velvet Car entered the Billboard 200 best-selling album charts at #10, becoming the seventh Top 10 album of the group's career. Released on Eagle Rock Records in Canada and on Sony Legacy in the United States, the critically acclaimed new album reached #1 in sales on Amazon.com on Sunday, September 4.
The critical response to Red Velvet Car has been universally ecstatic. "The barracudas are back and at the top of their game," wrote Rolling Stone (September 2, 2010) while USA Today (August 25, 2010) called the album "Intimate, intense and anchored by Ann’s powerhouse vocals and Nancy’s aggressive acoustic guitar...." The New York Times (August 4, 2010) found Red Velvet Car "aggressive, delicate and enduring" while the Los Angeles Times noted that "Thirty-four years after the band's debut, Heart's dreamboat sails on."
Over the course of their remarkable career, Heart has sold over 30 million albums and had 22 Top 40 hits. In America, their current AC single “Hey You” has been in the Top 30 for three months, while their classic rock single, “WTF” hovers near Top 10.
Over the past decade, Heart songs have achieved ubiquity in pop culture in films (Shrek 3, The Dilemma), television (American Idol, Glee, Dancing with the Stars), commercials (Honda, Swiffer), and videogames (Rock Band, Guitar Hero), as well as in performances by other top artists (Eminem, Fergie, Gretchen Wilson, et al).
They were 2007 recipients of VH1 Rock Honors, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northwest Grammy Foundation and received ASCAP’s award for Excellence in Songwriting in 2009.
Heart is coming home, Coast to Coast in Canada, in February 2011.
Heart Comes Home - Canada Tour 2011
Tickets On-Sale November 5
January 28 St. John’s, NL Mile One Centre January 29 Corner Brook, NL Pepsi Centre February 1 Charlottetown, PE Charlottetown Civic Centre February 2 Moncton, NB Moncton Coliseum Complex February 3 Halifax, NS Halifax Metro Centre February 5 Montreal, QC Place des Arts February 7 Ottawa, ON Civic Centre Theatre February 8 Kitchener, ON The Centre in the Square February 9 Hamilton, ON Hamilton Place February 11 Toronto, ON Massey Hall February 12 Kingston, ON K-Rock Centre February 14 Sudbury, ON Sudbury Arena February 17 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre February 18 Saskatoon, SK TCU Place February 19 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium February 21 Grande Prairie AB Crystal Centre February 22 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium February 24 Prince George, BC CN Centre February 25 Kamloops, BC Interior Savings Centre February 26 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Centre
(via Heart-Music.com)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Kallaway on the Rise Interview with Nancy!
Nancy did 8 radio interviews the morning of the 28th! So far this is the only one I've seen air. Will post the others as I get them :)
Big thank you to Matt who ran the interviews for sending me the info! :D
Big thank you to Matt who ran the interviews for sending me the info! :D
New Ann and Nancy Interview
Here is a great interview Ann and Nancy did with Honolulu DJ Dave Lawrence at HPR from earlier this month. :)
Heart Rolls Into Street Date Studios In A “Red Velvet Car”
Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson rode their Red Velvet Car right into the Street Date studios last month to preview songs from the new album, and treat a handful of lucky fans to some all-time hits from their treasured catalog.
There are few things more enjoyable sitting back and listening as Ann and Nancy Wilson swap stories about the good old days (and bad old days) of their lifetime in rock ‘n roll. In our wide-ranging interview presented in the clip below, the two tell tales of sleazy promoters from the 70′s, of encounters with legends like Elton John and Steely Dan, and of near-death experiences halfway around the world (beware the Japanese rock festival!). Click play to hear these classy sisters (they still get along, after all these years) tell the tale in their own words.
Heart began their Street Date session by debuting three songs off their new album. For everyone in the room, this was the first time these new tunes had ever been heard. In typical Wilson Sisters fashion, they shared a charming story about each song before getting down to business. Those stories are captured here – hit play on the videos below to watch Heart perform their new songs and get the full story behind “Hey You,” “Red Velvet Car” and “WTF.
Hey You:
Red Velvet Car:
WTF:
As thrilling as it was to hear the new material, the real joy of Heart‘s studio session came when they switched gears and asked “anybody want to hear some old stuff?” In unison, the response from the room was “YES!” Without missing a beat, the duo dove into their signature hard rock tune “Barracuda.” For many people the song marks a watershed moment in rock ‘n roll – a lightening-flash revelation that saw women rockers finally lashing out against the male-dominated industry. The song cut right through the sleaze that surrounded so many parts of the business, and remains one of the most anthemic rock songs ever written (that guitar riff is no slouch either, and ranks among the all-time greats). Heart closed out their Street Date appearance with a rare performance of their treasured, but lesser-known classic “Dog & Butterfly.” Hit play below to hear the stories and watch these killer performances.
Dog & Butterfly:
Barracuda:
Like what you hear? Check out Red Velvet Car, the new album from Heart, at iTunes and Amazon.
Source
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
New Ann Interview with Rewind 94.9!
Here is a really great new Ann interview! :D
Steve from Rewind 94.9 talked with Ann Wilson, lead singer of Heart, recently about Heart’s new CD “Red Velvet Car”, pro football, Guitar Hero, karaoke, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars and being one of the greatest voices in rock and roll.
Steve from Rewind 94.9 talked with Ann Wilson, lead singer of Heart, recently about Heart’s new CD “Red Velvet Car”, pro football, Guitar Hero, karaoke, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars and being one of the greatest voices in rock and roll.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tacoma Weekly: Red Velvet Car Review
Heart has created a lasting legacy for their work as veritable hard rockers of the late 70s, 80s, 90s and they continue to carry out their musical endeavors today.
Heart keeps their retro hard rocking ways alive on their first studio album in six years “Red Velvet Car.” Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson are a little older now, a little wiser, and it shows. They say at this stage in their life they’ve got nothing to prove, which means “Red Velvet Car” is some of their most intimate, heartfelt and honest work to date.
Based almost solely in the sounds of acoustic stringed instruments, the Wilsons (accompanied with producer and musician Ben Mink) created a solid 10-track album that is a far cry from what many associate with “acoustic guitar music.”
Using a variety of instruments from throughout the world (including guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello and autoharp) the artists create a complex layering of sound that doesn’t shy away from Heart’s rocking roots. Classic vocal harmonies carry the Wilsons through their heartfelt perspectives on life and music.
Ann is a little more reserved vocally than in her heyday of piercing vocal riffs, and both women wear their age well – they are not trying to hold on too tightly to the past but aren’t trying to completely re-invent themselves, either.
Starting out big with “There You Go,” “Red Velvet Car” takes off on a ride through what is the culmination of the Wilsons’ personal lives and professional careers as musicians.
At times, Heart is brazen and full of energy, others they are calm and introspective, sometimes even woeful in their interpretations. Always, their musicianship, purpose and delivery are right on.
“Hey You” and “Sunflower” take on the more mellow, folksy sounds of the woman who clearly were influenced by the flowerchild, free loving ways of the 1960s.
“Wheels” has a racing pace that harkens back to Heart’s 1977 hit “Barracuda” as Ann’s husky, raspy vocals belt out lyrics about taking off on the road. “We’ll run together/We’ll run forever / Out of here/ Riding the wheels.”
Closing song "Sand" is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's 1990s acoustic side project.
As the 13th studio album for the band, its successful debut in August 2010 makes “Red Velvet Car” the most successful chart debut for a Heart album in their career. Heart is currently on tour in support of the album.
Source
Heart keeps their retro hard rocking ways alive on their first studio album in six years “Red Velvet Car.” Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson are a little older now, a little wiser, and it shows. They say at this stage in their life they’ve got nothing to prove, which means “Red Velvet Car” is some of their most intimate, heartfelt and honest work to date.
Based almost solely in the sounds of acoustic stringed instruments, the Wilsons (accompanied with producer and musician Ben Mink) created a solid 10-track album that is a far cry from what many associate with “acoustic guitar music.”
Using a variety of instruments from throughout the world (including guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello and autoharp) the artists create a complex layering of sound that doesn’t shy away from Heart’s rocking roots. Classic vocal harmonies carry the Wilsons through their heartfelt perspectives on life and music.
Ann is a little more reserved vocally than in her heyday of piercing vocal riffs, and both women wear their age well – they are not trying to hold on too tightly to the past but aren’t trying to completely re-invent themselves, either.
Starting out big with “There You Go,” “Red Velvet Car” takes off on a ride through what is the culmination of the Wilsons’ personal lives and professional careers as musicians.
At times, Heart is brazen and full of energy, others they are calm and introspective, sometimes even woeful in their interpretations. Always, their musicianship, purpose and delivery are right on.
“Hey You” and “Sunflower” take on the more mellow, folksy sounds of the woman who clearly were influenced by the flowerchild, free loving ways of the 1960s.
“Wheels” has a racing pace that harkens back to Heart’s 1977 hit “Barracuda” as Ann’s husky, raspy vocals belt out lyrics about taking off on the road. “We’ll run together/We’ll run forever / Out of here/ Riding the wheels.”
Closing song "Sand" is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's 1990s acoustic side project.
As the 13th studio album for the band, its successful debut in August 2010 makes “Red Velvet Car” the most successful chart debut for a Heart album in their career. Heart is currently on tour in support of the album.
Source
Ann and Nancy on The Today Show
In case you missed it, here is Ann and Nancy's interview from the Today Show 8/31. :)
And the web-only backstage video. :)
And the web-only backstage video. :)
Heart's Red Velvet Car, the First New Studio Album in Six Years From Ann & Nancy Wilson, Drives Straight Into the Top 10 of the Billboard 200
Press release 9/10 -
NEW YORK, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Velvet Car, the first new studio album in six years from the groundbreaking Seattle-based band Heart, is entering the Billboard 200 best-selling album charts at #10, becoming the seventh Top 10 album of the group's career. Heart's first album for Legacy Recordings, the critically-acclaimed Red Velvet Car marks the return of the group to the Sony Music Entertainment family. The album reached #1 in sales on Amazon.com on Sunday, September 5.
"We are thrilled and a little in disbelief," said Ann Wilson. "(Our producer) Ben Mink's amazing artistry and vision, along with the hard work and dedication of the people of Sony/Legacy made this a stunning first week. The Car is running fine, thank you! "
"After 3 plus decades, to have loyal fans, old and new, and to be acknowledged for our work as performers and songwriters is really quite beautiful," said Nancy Wilson.
Currently in the midst of a summer-fall tour supporting the release of Red Velvet Car, Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson will perform on the star-studded Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) primetime roadblock television fundraising event (September 10, 2010, at 8PM ET & PT / 7PM CT). The Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) telecast will raise funds that will accelerate innovative cancer research. The live, one-hour fundraising event will be simulcast commercial-free on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Current TV, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One and VH1 and hosted by network news anchors Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams. The broadcast will air in 195 countries, as well as on the Armed Forces Network.
Heart will be heard on NPR's "World Cafe" on September 17 to perform songs from Red Velvet Car. Both "Hey You" and "WTF," the first two singles from Red Velvet Car, are multi-format smashes, garnering airplay on the nation's AC, Triple A and Classic Rock radio stations.
The critical response to Red Velvet Car has been universally ecstatic. "The barracudas are back and at the top of their game," wrote Rolling Stone (September 2, 2010) while USA Today (August 25, 2010) called the album "Intimate, intense and anchored by Ann's powerhouse vocals and Nancy's aggressive acoustic guitar...." The New York Times (August 4, 2010) found Red Velvet Car "aggressive, delicate and enduring" while the Los Angeles Times noted that "Thirty-four years after the band's debut, Heart's dreamboat sails on."
For their first new album since 2004's Jupiter's Darling, the first ladies of arena rock took an acoustic approach to a collection of songs inspired by the world around them, arranged for an assortment of strings including guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello and autoharp, all played by Nancy Wilson and the album's producer, multiple Grammy nominee Ben Mink.
Nine of the album's songs were written for, and appear for the first time on Red Velvet Car. The album's closer, "Sand," is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's 1990's acoustic side project.
Heart performed songs from Red Velvet Car, as well as classics from the band's repertoire, at selected Lilith Fair dates and in headline concerts across the U.S. and Canada from July through September.
Source
NEW YORK, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Velvet Car, the first new studio album in six years from the groundbreaking Seattle-based band Heart, is entering the Billboard 200 best-selling album charts at #10, becoming the seventh Top 10 album of the group's career. Heart's first album for Legacy Recordings, the critically-acclaimed Red Velvet Car marks the return of the group to the Sony Music Entertainment family. The album reached #1 in sales on Amazon.com on Sunday, September 5.
"We are thrilled and a little in disbelief," said Ann Wilson. "(Our producer) Ben Mink's amazing artistry and vision, along with the hard work and dedication of the people of Sony/Legacy made this a stunning first week. The Car is running fine, thank you! "
"After 3 plus decades, to have loyal fans, old and new, and to be acknowledged for our work as performers and songwriters is really quite beautiful," said Nancy Wilson.
Currently in the midst of a summer-fall tour supporting the release of Red Velvet Car, Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson will perform on the star-studded Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) primetime roadblock television fundraising event (September 10, 2010, at 8PM ET & PT / 7PM CT). The Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) telecast will raise funds that will accelerate innovative cancer research. The live, one-hour fundraising event will be simulcast commercial-free on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Current TV, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One and VH1 and hosted by network news anchors Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams. The broadcast will air in 195 countries, as well as on the Armed Forces Network.
Heart will be heard on NPR's "World Cafe" on September 17 to perform songs from Red Velvet Car. Both "Hey You" and "WTF," the first two singles from Red Velvet Car, are multi-format smashes, garnering airplay on the nation's AC, Triple A and Classic Rock radio stations.
The critical response to Red Velvet Car has been universally ecstatic. "The barracudas are back and at the top of their game," wrote Rolling Stone (September 2, 2010) while USA Today (August 25, 2010) called the album "Intimate, intense and anchored by Ann's powerhouse vocals and Nancy's aggressive acoustic guitar...." The New York Times (August 4, 2010) found Red Velvet Car "aggressive, delicate and enduring" while the Los Angeles Times noted that "Thirty-four years after the band's debut, Heart's dreamboat sails on."
For their first new album since 2004's Jupiter's Darling, the first ladies of arena rock took an acoustic approach to a collection of songs inspired by the world around them, arranged for an assortment of strings including guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello and autoharp, all played by Nancy Wilson and the album's producer, multiple Grammy nominee Ben Mink.
Nine of the album's songs were written for, and appear for the first time on Red Velvet Car. The album's closer, "Sand," is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's 1990's acoustic side project.
Heart performed songs from Red Velvet Car, as well as classics from the band's repertoire, at selected Lilith Fair dates and in headline concerts across the U.S. and Canada from July through September.
Source
Heart on the Chart!
After returning to the Adult Contemporary chart for the first time since 1994 (with "Hey You"), Heart celebrated its first top 10 on the Billboard 200 since 1990.
The veteran Seattle rockers, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, bow at No. 10 "Red Velvet Car." The album is the band's first top 10 since "Brigade" reached No. 3 in May 1990 on the strength of lead single "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You," which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.
The new album is Heart's seventh top 10 dating to its first, "Dreamboat Annie," in 1976. Here is a recap of the group's Billboard 200 top 10s:
Peak, Title, Debut Year
No. 7, "Dreamboat Annie," 1976
No. 9, "Little Queen," 1977
No. 5, "Bebe Le Strange," 1980
No. 1, "Heart," 1985
No. 2, "Bad Animals," 1987
No. 3, "Brigade," 1990
No. 10 (to-date), "Red Velvet Car," 2010
Beyond chart positions, "Red Velvet Car" affords another link to 1990. The album's closing cut, "Sand," is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, the Wilsons' 1990 acoustic side project.
Source
The veteran Seattle rockers, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, bow at No. 10 "Red Velvet Car." The album is the band's first top 10 since "Brigade" reached No. 3 in May 1990 on the strength of lead single "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You," which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.
The new album is Heart's seventh top 10 dating to its first, "Dreamboat Annie," in 1976. Here is a recap of the group's Billboard 200 top 10s:
Peak, Title, Debut Year
No. 7, "Dreamboat Annie," 1976
No. 9, "Little Queen," 1977
No. 5, "Bebe Le Strange," 1980
No. 1, "Heart," 1985
No. 2, "Bad Animals," 1987
No. 3, "Brigade," 1990
No. 10 (to-date), "Red Velvet Car," 2010
Beyond chart positions, "Red Velvet Car" affords another link to 1990. The album's closing cut, "Sand," is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, the Wilsons' 1990 acoustic side project.
Source
Parts 3 and 4 of the Red Velvet Car Podcast!
Heart Enjoying Return to the Top 10
Catching up on some of these older things again. Here's a little piece on the Top 10 Debut :)
Proving that age has nothing to do with topping the charts these days, Heart -- featuring sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson -- are back with their first Top Ten album in 20 years. Their new studio set, Red Velvet Car, debuted at Number Ten on the Billboard Top 200 chart, marking the band's highest charting album since 1990's Brigade peaked at Number Three.
We asked lead singer Ann Wilson how she and sister Nancy first got the news about Red Velvet Car charting high: "We were all sort of waiting around for the announcement of the numbers. And when it came, out manager Carol decided not to tell anybody (laughs)! I think she was going to spring it on us the next day or something, but we reached out and asked. And so, she had to tell us the night before."
Wilson said that having enjoyed both Heart's original success and then its runaway '80s comeback, the band is far more grounded with the new interest in Heart's music: "It's been many a year since we've had an album in the Top Ten -- it's been since the '80s. But I remember, since this isn't our first rodeo, I remember the first time around, back then what it was like to have a Number One album. And suddenly all these people come and say 'Wow! You deserve it! Wow! I knew this would happen!' The same people who, y'know, wouldn't take your calls like two weeks before (laughs). That's not to put any darkness on anything, but, it's just that people do suddenly relate to you a little differently."
Source
Proving that age has nothing to do with topping the charts these days, Heart -- featuring sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson -- are back with their first Top Ten album in 20 years. Their new studio set, Red Velvet Car, debuted at Number Ten on the Billboard Top 200 chart, marking the band's highest charting album since 1990's Brigade peaked at Number Three.
We asked lead singer Ann Wilson how she and sister Nancy first got the news about Red Velvet Car charting high: "We were all sort of waiting around for the announcement of the numbers. And when it came, out manager Carol decided not to tell anybody (laughs)! I think she was going to spring it on us the next day or something, but we reached out and asked. And so, she had to tell us the night before."
Wilson said that having enjoyed both Heart's original success and then its runaway '80s comeback, the band is far more grounded with the new interest in Heart's music: "It's been many a year since we've had an album in the Top Ten -- it's been since the '80s. But I remember, since this isn't our first rodeo, I remember the first time around, back then what it was like to have a Number One album. And suddenly all these people come and say 'Wow! You deserve it! Wow! I knew this would happen!' The same people who, y'know, wouldn't take your calls like two weeks before (laughs). That's not to put any darkness on anything, but, it's just that people do suddenly relate to you a little differently."
Source
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Heart’s New Album Debuts At #10
Heart’s new album Red Velvet Car has not only cracked into the Billboard 200 Albums chart, but has debuted at the number 10 spot.
The new album marks the seventh top 10 album for the Seattle-based duo of sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson and their highest charting debut album to date. It is the band’s first top 10 album since 1990′s Brigade, which reached number three.
The new album contains ten tracks, including a cover of the Lovemongers’ song “Sand.” The album was released on August 31 and the sisters are already out on a tour of North America, which kicked off last January and will run until November. A European leg is expected to be announced for 2011.
Source
The new album marks the seventh top 10 album for the Seattle-based duo of sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson and their highest charting debut album to date. It is the band’s first top 10 album since 1990′s Brigade, which reached number three.
The new album contains ten tracks, including a cover of the Lovemongers’ song “Sand.” The album was released on August 31 and the sisters are already out on a tour of North America, which kicked off last January and will run until November. A European leg is expected to be announced for 2011.
Source
Little RVC Mention in LA Times Blog
In the Critics Notebook blog, the writer, Ann Powers, posted this comment:
Pop is a wide open field. It really describes whatever is popular at the moment -- usually hybrid forms -- even Gaga's music is a mix of Euro dance and glammish rock via Elton John. Rock, on the other hand, developed an unfortunately stringent set of rules as it matured, and a very masculine stance. "Indie" rock has more room for different kinds of people, but mainstream rock remains pretty much a guys' game. Pop has big male stars -- Jason Mraz comes to mind -- but rock still lacks many major female artists.
Speaking of which, everybody needs to check out Heart's excellent new album, "Red Velvet Car"!
Pop is a wide open field. It really describes whatever is popular at the moment -- usually hybrid forms -- even Gaga's music is a mix of Euro dance and glammish rock via Elton John. Rock, on the other hand, developed an unfortunately stringent set of rules as it matured, and a very masculine stance. "Indie" rock has more room for different kinds of people, but mainstream rock remains pretty much a guys' game. Pop has big male stars -- Jason Mraz comes to mind -- but rock still lacks many major female artists.
Speaking of which, everybody needs to check out Heart's excellent new album, "Red Velvet Car"!
Back in the Drivers Seat: A Review of Red Velvet Car
It's been a long time since the Wilson sisters produced what I would describe as a classic Heart studio album, or one that has a home in the old Muirsical Box of goodies, but Heart's new album 'Red Velvet Car' has both of those boxes ticked.
What I find most satisfying - and pleasantly surprising - is Ann and Nancy Wilson have not taken the easy retro-rock route and tried to reinvent Heart's successful mid to late 1980s period. It may have been tempting, but surely not as musically rewarding. That melodic rock era was a huge success for Heart and the album of the same name was a multi-platinum seller. They continued that trend with their next two releases, but as the melodic 80s made way for the alternative 90s they suffered the same fate as many similar acts - diminishing returns and less cohesive releases.
A number of classic rock acts have revisited 80s melodic rock for inspiration or to try and recapture their successful past, but here Heart have gone back beyond their melodic rock years and returned to their musical roots. They have captured the vibe and sound of their early acoustic rock releases as featured on their 1976 debut 'Dreamboat Annie', the following year's 'Little Queen' and the classic 'Dog & Butterfly'. They have also managed to revisit without repeating, which is a third tick in the box for me.
There are clear musical references to the albums mentioned above, but you won't hear the same melodies or chord structures repeated on 'Red Velvet Car'. What you will hear are well crafted, well arranged songs and as much as this release is a perfect companion to the aforementioned albums, it could only have been written thirty years on. Like Heart themselves it's an older and wiser album, built on personal and musical growth. It may well also be their most mature release to date.
The album does carry a number of heavier or edgier moments where the band gets to rock out - 'WTF' is a great example - but it's the introspective or quieter moments that set the tone and produce the album's strongest tracks. The ten track album (in its base release form - see later) is short but sweet - and a clear case of where less is more. Highlights include the title track, 'There You Go Again' with its Stevie Nicks-esque groove and 'Sand'. 'Sand' is a reworking of a song Ann and Nancy did with 'The Lovemongers', the band the sisters put together in the nineties with Sue Ennis (who co-wrote some of the material on 'Dog & Butterfly'). This is a similar and lovely version which closes out the album's ten tracks.
The ten track album description is a little misleading however. Depending on what version you have/ hear, the track listing and track order will vary as the U.S. and European versions differ and carry bonus tracks. There are three bonus tracks on the Stateside downloadable version but (rather annoyingly) only two on the European CD version. All three - the ballads 'Closer to the Sun', 'In the Cool' and the quirky 'Bootful of Beer' - deserve a place on the album.
As regards the band, special mention should go to Ann Wilson. I believe her to be the finest female vocalist in the world of rock and she shines on this album, musically and vocally comfortable within the songs. I'm pleased to say her six-string sister Nancy still takes the occasional lead, being none too shabby in front of a microphone herself. The classic line-up is long gone, but the Heart sound of the last few years has been alive and well courtesy of Ann, Nancy, Ben Smith (drums), Craig Bartock (guitars), Debbie Shair (keyboards) and Rick Markmann (bass).
If your memories or affection for Heart relate to that big hair and spandex era (and that was just the guys in the band) and you're looking for another 'What About Love' or three then this album may not be for you. But if you always wished Ann and Nancy would do a throwback album to their formative and most creative decade, then this is an essential purchase. It's certainly an album after my own...Heart.
Source
What I find most satisfying - and pleasantly surprising - is Ann and Nancy Wilson have not taken the easy retro-rock route and tried to reinvent Heart's successful mid to late 1980s period. It may have been tempting, but surely not as musically rewarding. That melodic rock era was a huge success for Heart and the album of the same name was a multi-platinum seller. They continued that trend with their next two releases, but as the melodic 80s made way for the alternative 90s they suffered the same fate as many similar acts - diminishing returns and less cohesive releases.
A number of classic rock acts have revisited 80s melodic rock for inspiration or to try and recapture their successful past, but here Heart have gone back beyond their melodic rock years and returned to their musical roots. They have captured the vibe and sound of their early acoustic rock releases as featured on their 1976 debut 'Dreamboat Annie', the following year's 'Little Queen' and the classic 'Dog & Butterfly'. They have also managed to revisit without repeating, which is a third tick in the box for me.
There are clear musical references to the albums mentioned above, but you won't hear the same melodies or chord structures repeated on 'Red Velvet Car'. What you will hear are well crafted, well arranged songs and as much as this release is a perfect companion to the aforementioned albums, it could only have been written thirty years on. Like Heart themselves it's an older and wiser album, built on personal and musical growth. It may well also be their most mature release to date.
The album does carry a number of heavier or edgier moments where the band gets to rock out - 'WTF' is a great example - but it's the introspective or quieter moments that set the tone and produce the album's strongest tracks. The ten track album (in its base release form - see later) is short but sweet - and a clear case of where less is more. Highlights include the title track, 'There You Go Again' with its Stevie Nicks-esque groove and 'Sand'. 'Sand' is a reworking of a song Ann and Nancy did with 'The Lovemongers', the band the sisters put together in the nineties with Sue Ennis (who co-wrote some of the material on 'Dog & Butterfly'). This is a similar and lovely version which closes out the album's ten tracks.
The ten track album description is a little misleading however. Depending on what version you have/ hear, the track listing and track order will vary as the U.S. and European versions differ and carry bonus tracks. There are three bonus tracks on the Stateside downloadable version but (rather annoyingly) only two on the European CD version. All three - the ballads 'Closer to the Sun', 'In the Cool' and the quirky 'Bootful of Beer' - deserve a place on the album.
As regards the band, special mention should go to Ann Wilson. I believe her to be the finest female vocalist in the world of rock and she shines on this album, musically and vocally comfortable within the songs. I'm pleased to say her six-string sister Nancy still takes the occasional lead, being none too shabby in front of a microphone herself. The classic line-up is long gone, but the Heart sound of the last few years has been alive and well courtesy of Ann, Nancy, Ben Smith (drums), Craig Bartock (guitars), Debbie Shair (keyboards) and Rick Markmann (bass).
If your memories or affection for Heart relate to that big hair and spandex era (and that was just the guys in the band) and you're looking for another 'What About Love' or three then this album may not be for you. But if you always wished Ann and Nancy would do a throwback album to their formative and most creative decade, then this is an essential purchase. It's certainly an album after my own...Heart.
Source
LezGetReal: Review of Red Velvet Car
The songs of Red Velvet Car range across the spectrum. The songs range from slow ballads such as “Sand” to harder rock driven songs such as “WTF”. Perhaps the best song on the album is the melodious and dream-like “Sand”, which actually had me closing my eyes and just enjoying the flow of the song. “Sand” is one of those songs that has the power to pull the listener in and transport them somewhere else with its simple lyrics and its acoustic flavor. The song is a tribute to Ann’s late gardener. It is reminiscent of their song “Love Alive,” or more accurately, of their song “Too Long A Time”, which has only ever been heard in a bonus track on Little Queen. It is Heart at their best.
Unlike so much music today which seems poorly mixed with an emphasis more on upping the loudness than anything else, Red Velvet Car had a stronger emphasis on the harmony of the music and the vocals of Ann Wilson, whose voice is as strong as it has ever been as Heart goes into the last half of its third decade in production.
Included in the download are three specials. There is the video for “WTF”, which is mostly concert footage, and two live classic Heart tracts. The live tracts are “Magic Man” and “Never”. The latter is often not heard in live compilations.
Ultimately, Red Velvet Car is stronger than their last album, Jupiter’s Darling. Its mix of different styles suits Ann Wilson’s voice beautifully, and the songs, for the most part, compliment each other.
Heart continues to be a strong recording force. As one of the first female-fronted Rock bands, they blazed a trail for many later artists. While there were many problems for them in the beginning, the group, which has featured sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson since their first album Dreamboat Annie, has managed to shift and survive through changes in the music scene. Let us hope that we do not have to wait another six years for the next Heart album.
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