I don’t know which is harder to believe: the fact that it’s been 37 years since Heart’s debut album Dreamboat Annie was released or the fact that they still manage to put out amazing material today. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart are at a point in their career where they don’t necessarily need to put out new music, but they want to. The huge commercial success they enjoyed in the late 70s and again in the late 80s may not be there, but these talented ladies are at a much more rewarding point in their long careers. They are doing things their way and they haven’t sounded happier.
Heart’s new album Fanatic is the follow-up to 2010’s Red Velvet Car, their first Top Ten album in 20 years, gaining accolades from both fans and critics alike. Fanatic has the Wilson sisters cranking up the amps and rocking a bit harder than they did on their last album. There are also some new elements incorporated into their music, adding yet another dimension of complexity to these talented ladies’ already amazing style.
The album opens with the title track and its distorted riff intro lets you know that this is going to be an interesting ride indeed. Fanatic is a killer song, with its psychedelic feel and distorted guitar tone. “Dear Old America” tells the tale of a father returning home from war. A little tidbit about “Dear Old America” found in the album’s liner notes: the tempo switches to double-time midway through the song, which happened accidentally due to a computer tempo error, but the band liked it and kept it that way.
“A Million Miles Away” is a very unique song, with its integration of electronic beats and elements not usually found on a Heart album. The ladies kick it old school in the ‘Zepplinesque’ “Mashallah!” which is amazing. The addition of a string section in the song elevates this rocking number to another level. What’s that? You need some more rock from the Wilson sisters? Well, there’s also “59 Crunch” and it won’t disappoint.
“Pennsylvania” brings us our first ballad. It is a lyrically haunting song with a bit of a rock edge. The guitar tone adds a majestic backdrop to the song that compliments Ann’s amazing vocal delivery. On a gentler note, “Rock Deep (Vancouver)” is a beautiful, gentle ballad and brings to mind “Dog and Butterfly” with its peaceful acoustic side. Again, the use of strings on this song gets a major thumbs up. It’s an absolutely gorgeous song. It’s astonishing how the Wilson sisters can tell a story in three and a half minutes.
Overall, I don’t think there’s a bad song on here. You know how a band will put out an album and there 
are one or two tracks that feel like “filler” in order to make it a full album? I didn’t get that feel with the 13 solid tracks that make it great from beginning to end. Ann and Nancy definitely rock out on it, but they manage to keep in touch with their folk roots as well. The guitars are loud and crunchy and distorted at times, but they always rock. I mentioned it before, but I will mention it again: the strings used throughout this album add a magical facet to the songs.
Ann Wilson is a true vocal rarity as she just keeps getting better with age. She is definitely one of the most remarkable singers in music and I don’t think she has ever gotten the credit she truly deserves. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anyone out there that won’t concur that Ann can belt out a tune! I simply feel that she is so heads above most vocalist (male or female) in all of rock history. Nancy is a legend in her own right; she knows how to rock a guitar and her beautiful vocals and incredible harmonies add a tender compliment to Ann’s voice. Their harmonies are quite frankly – perfection. So many young artists today should pay attention to these ladies and take note on how true talent can manage to keep a career going strong after almost 40 years.
~ Johnny Price, Journalist – RockRevolt™Magazine
