Ann and Nancy Wilson - recently seen at the Concert for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in September - have released a new acoustic album called "The Road Home."
While acoustic-rock albums have become a little cliched, maybe even passe (even the punk-sters X put out a collection called "Unclogged"), Heart's effort is a well-thought-out surprise, one with high-strung emotion, fluid arrangements and fantasy-laden ballads.The band - mostly featuring the Wilson sisters, long-time guitarist Howard Leese, drummer Denny Fongheiser and ex-Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones (who also produced the album and arranged members of the Seattle Symphony) - takes listeners to a quaint, intimate club.
Acoustic versions of "Straight On" and "Barracuda" still punch out brooding hooks, while a slower, dynamic version of "Crazy On You" runs the energetic gamut.
Opening with "Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child)" and closing with the unlisted title cut, the album spotlights older sister Ann's streaking vocal range and baby sis Nancy's flickering guitar work. During "Barracuda" Leese and Wilson take each other on for a hot-licked guitar duel.
Other tracks, such as "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You," "Dog and Butterfly," a remake of the Nazareth hit "Love Hurts" and Joni Mitchell's "River," are reminiscent of that old Heart-felt persona, while a new song, "(Up On) Cherry Blossom Road," leans toward the back-porch blues.
While the rockers and other hits are a treat to hear scaled down, the album cappers are undoubtedly low-key versions of two well-loved hits - "Alone" and "These Dreams."
Pin-drop silence surrounds the intro to "Alone," which Nancy plucks out on the guitar instead of the piano; as the song reaches the chorus, it softly explodes into a harmony feast, with the Wilsons accompanied by a string and woodwind ensemble. Ann's voice is so clear it raises goosebumps.
The same goes for the Nancy-voiced "These Dreams." Jones craftily arranged strings to take on the intro before the singing begins. By losing the high-gloss arrangement, this version comes out stronger than the original. Nancy's mystical vocals mix well with Ann's harmonies. Instead of hiding behind studio magic, Heart's soul rises through the mix, and if the listener turns down the living-room lights it might seem the band is playing a private show.
RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.