Album review: Heart's 'Red Velvet Car'

Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the new Heart album — one of only two the group has released over the last decade and a half — is as strong as it is. Outlasting expectations comes naturally to Ann and Nancy Wilson, who in the mid-’80s transformed Heart from the lean hard-rock act responsible for "Magic Man" and "Barracuda" to the slick power-ballad factory behind "These Dreams" and "What About Love."

Still, rare is the band doing work this good at such an advanced age; rarer still is the band doing it, as Heart does on "Red Velvet Car," without employing a sober return-to-roots approach.

The best tunes here are as fun — and as delightfully trashy — as anything in the Heart songbook: In "WTF," Ann flexes her powerful She-Ra vocals over Nancy’s killer fuzz-grunge riff; "Queen City," an ode to the Wilsons’ native Seattle, features a chorus lyric composed in large part of pirate slang. Later, "Death Valley" earns its title with some gorgeous evil-angel harmony singing.

"Red Velvet Car" also emphasizes Heart’s mystical-folkie side in cuts like the slow-burning title track and "Sand," which the Wilsons first performed with their acoustic side project, the Lovemongers. But even there you can hear a joy and a sense of humor in the music that distinguishes it from the grim output of so many heritage acts.

Thirty-four years after the band’s debut, Heart’s dreamboat sails on.

-- Mikael Wood

Heart

"Red Velvet Car"

(Legacy)

Three and a half stars (Out of four)

Comments

[Lily]

I love Heart, I am going to have to check this out.

[Jimmer]

Speaking of great heritage acts that have put out great new albums in 2010, pick up OMEGA, the latest studio album from Asia. Who knew that the '70s and '80s rockers could put out new music that rivals everybody else today. I also love John Mellencamp's new folk-blues album NO BETTER THAN THIS.

[Douglas Maliszewski]

Great to hear the girls are still vibrant showing that Hendrix and Heart are the
firsts of the great Seattle sound

[Michelle]

Great album from these ladies. Love them! Wish their previous album "Jupiter's Darling" would have gotten this much attention. It's the harder side of the band and was produced by Nancy. So glad they are still making music!

[Debora Iyall]

Thank you for the great review, sounds like a must-have, asap. Speaking of non-"return to roots" mature phase artists... Do you remember Romeo Void? I was the singer/lyrycist from RV and I am putting out an album DIY style on my own Dottie Records. Care to have a listen? I'd love to know how you feel about my approach to my craft. It's streaming at my website http://www.deboraiyall.com

[John]

OMG,I was shocked when I first played this album. It's the one you can't put down. No picking through the good songs to get to your next favorite cd with this release. You can't. They are all THAT good. There are no "filler" tunes here! Heavy, bass rich accustical power cords everywhere! Lyrics that will drive you mad when you lay down to sleep! Rockers that will take you straight-on back in time to when Heart and Led Zepplin were mentioned in the same sentence at Rolling Stone. These ladies held many of these tunes in their hip pockets waiting...waiting...waiting...

[John]

Red Velvet Car convinced me that Heart has rediscovered what their "best groove" truly is!

[paul meesa]

I love Hearts latest Cd Red Velvet Car I got it for my birthday last year in October 2010. I am so glad Heart released a live Concert DVD in 2011, I bought that one to to add to my collection. They perform new tunes from their RVC CD that was just finished for the DVD concert. Been a heart fan for over 30 years +.