Heart played at the EMP here in Seattle this last Friday night, debuting a handful of new songs from their upcoming album Red Velvet Car (due to drop in July) and filming a DVD in the process. Overall, the set list was very similar to their Puyallup Fair show last September and the performances tonight were just as great. So I won't spend much time discussing the oldies in the set list here, other than a few mental notes I've made in the last few days: (1) special guest Alison Krauss sang lead vocal on "These Dreams," and it suited her voice very well, (2) the band played nothing from their brilliant 2004 album Jupiter's Darling (AHEM... *arms crossed and waiting for an explanantion*), and (3) there were NO LED ZEPPELIN COVERS! I didn't notice this until a few hours after the show. Well, I guess even Heart needs a break from Zep every now and then. And on to the new stuff...
"WTF" ("World Taekwondo Federation," Ann joked onstage) was the first of the bunch, and it's a rocker with a lot of shifting dynamics--hard electric interludes between quieter acoustic verses, and seemingly no chorus. Ann's facial expressions seemed kind of angry as she snarled some of the lyrics, but all I could understand was "what's the matter with you?" (loud song + loud sound system = indecipherable lyrics, naturally). I wasn't sure what to think, honestly, and I'll need to hear it again. I am definitely intrigued though, as it seems like one of Heart's punkier efforts.
"Hey You" is a new Nancy Wilson song, folky and melodic, and with autoharp! "I swear by my September stars I'll be going where you're going" caught my ear (very Bernie Taupin!), and my perception of the lyrics was that this is a hopeful and encouraging song, possibly directed at someone having a hard time. One of those songs that took 10 years to write, Nancy said. Great thing they had patience because the song is really quite gorgeous.
"Red Velvet Car" is another Ann song, reminiscent of Zep's "Since I've Been Loving You." Bluesy and slow-burning, the song starts off rather subdued and works toward a climactic middle section, and then back down again. It's a perfect vehicle (pun intended, yes) for Ann's incredible range.
"Safronia's Mark" (title according to Motley Sue on the Heart bbs) is a rocker and yet there was not an electric guitar in sight. This is probably one of my favorite things about Heart, how they can rock hard on all-acoustic tracks. This performance also included Alison Krauss and Ben Mink (producer of Red Velvet Car) on violins. This song also has one hell of a catchy chorus.
"Sand" is actually a Lovemongers song (A&N's 90s band with Sue Ennis, Frank Cox and Ben Smith), from their 1997 album Whirlygig. However, this version featured only Ann and Nancy with acoustic guitars. I wondered why they would re-record this song (aside from the fact that it's a really great song that should be heard by a larger audience than it was originally met with), and it occurred to me that it might be because of the deaths of Ann and Nancy's parents. I am not sure of this, so don't take it as fact. Anyhow, this was a great performance and I'll be curious to hear the new studio version as well.
Finally, "There You Go Again" is another all-acoustic guitar based rocker (at least on stage Friday night), funky and definitely a descendent of "Straight On." This song's a winner, with a really catchy chorus. I couldn't stop myself from shakin' my groove thang.
If the new songs are any indication of the album as a whole, then Red Velvet Car should be really engaging. Strangely, these songs reminded me of Little Queen era Heart, with the combination of acoustic and electric instruments, encompassing a wide range of emotions in the lyrics, and exploring an eclectic musical terrain. Ben Mink was a perfect choice of producer for the material Heart debuted on Friday night, as he probably understands the acoustic/electric marriage in Heart's music in ways that past producers might not have. So I've got a fan's confidence that he was the right producer for the job. And this lineup of Heart? Well, there's not much to say, really. This is my favorite incarnation--Deb, Ben, Kristian (onstage), Rick (in the studio), and Craig are top-notch musicians, with an undeniable alchemy. I feel sorry for some fans who still long for the 70s lineup to reunite, as those fans are missing out on some amazing musicianship. Not a lot of bands with Heart's longevity rock as hard, or seem to have as much fun onstage as they do these days.
Overall, the band's performance on Friday night was pretty sharp, and it should translate well to DVD. Ann and Nancy kept their sense of humor as makeup and hair people (the "fixy, fixy, fixers," as per Nancy) ran onstage a handful of times throughout the show. "Well ya know, we gotta look cute while we're filming this thing," Ann joked and rolled her eyes. It's all about the effin' music, and the band reiterated that in spades.
Set list (as posted on www.heartlinker.eu and on the bbs at www.heart-music.com):
Barracuda
Never (Nancy harmonica solo)
Kick It Out
Straight On
Love Alive
Mistral Wind
Back To Avalon (Nancy vox)
These Dreams (Allison Krauss lead vox)
WTF – New song (Ann vox)
Hey You – New song (Nancy vox)
Red Velvet Car – New song (Ann vox)
Safronia’s Mark – New song (Ann vox)
What About Love
Alone (trio: Ann, Nancy, Debbie)
Love Reign O’er Me
Crazy On You
Encores:
Sand (Ann and Nancy duet – Ann confirmed it will be on the new album)
Your Long Journey (Krauss song)
There You Go Again – New song (Ann vox)
Magic Man
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