Heart - The Hi-Res Album Collection (1976-1985 Plus 2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Ann Wilson and her younger sister, Nancy Wilson, first showed the world that women can rock when their band Heart stormed the charts in the '70s with hits like "Crazy on You", "Magic Man", "Barracuda", "Straight On", "Even It Up", "Kick It Out" and many more. Not only did the Wilson sisters lead the band, they wrote the songs and played the instruments, making them the first women in rock to do so. Heart continued topping the charts through the '80s and into the '90s with huge hits and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters' enormous talents as both musicians and singers. Along the way, Heart sold more than 35 million records, had 21 top 40 hits, sold out arenas worldwide, and profoundly influenced the sound and direction of American rock music while inspiring women (and guys too!) around the world to rock out in bands of their own.



Dreamboat Annie is Heart’s Platinum-selling classic. The blistering rock album remains one of the best ‘70s rock debuts of all time. Led by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the album combines thrilling songwriting with stellar rock riffs. It reached the Top Ten on the Billboard charts and includes the classic rock staples “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You” and “Dreamboat Annie.” “Magic Man” reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100. This pivotal release set the standard for all female rockers who followed.

In the 1980s and '90s, numerous women recorded blistering rock, but things were quite different in 1976 – when female singers tended to be pigeonholed as soft rockers and singer/songwriters and were encouraged to take after Carly Simon, Melissa Manchester, or Joni Mitchell rather than Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. Greatly influenced by Zep, Heart did its part to help open doors for ladies of loudness with the excellent Dreamboat Annie. Aggressive yet melodic rockers like "Sing Child," "White Lightning & Wine," and the rock radio staples "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You" led to the tag "the female Led Zeppelin." And in fact, Robert Plant did have a strong influence on Ann Wilson. But those numbers and caressing, folk-ish ballads like "How Deep It Goes" and the title song also make it clear that the Nancy and Ann Wilson had their own identity and vision early on.

Tracklist:

01 - Magic Man
02 - Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child)
03 - Crazy On You
04 - Soul Of The Sea
05 - Dreamboat Annie
06 - White Lightning And Wine
07 - (Love Me Like Music) I'll Be Your Song
08 - Sing Child
09 - How Deep It Goes
10 - Dreamboat Annie (Reprise)

After acquiring a substantial following with Dreamboat Annie, Heart solidified its niche in the hard rock and arena rock worlds with the equally impressive Little Queen. Once again, loud-and-proud, Led Zeppelin-influenced hard rock was the thing that brought Heart the most attention. But while "Barracuda" and "Kick It Out" are the type of sweaty rockers one thought of first when Heart's name was mentioned, hard rock by no means dominates this album. In fact, much of Little Queen consists of such folk-influenced, acoustic-oriented fare as "Treat Me Well" and "Cry to Me." Anyone doubting just how much Heart's ballads have changed over the years need only play "Dream of the Archer" next to a high-volume power ballad like "Wait for an Answer" from 1987's Bad Animals.

Tracklist:

01 - Barracuda
02 - Love Alive
03 - Sylvan Song
04 - Dream of the Archer
05 - Kick It Out
06 - Little Queen
07 - Treat Me Well
08 - Say Hello
09 - Cry to Me
10 - Go On Cry




"Dog and Butterfly" is the fourth studio album by American rock band Heart, released on October 7, 1978 through Portrait Records. Heart rebounded from their legal dispute with Mushroom Records over the release of the platinum-selling Magazine in April 1978, as Dog & Butterfly was certified double platinum, spent 36 weeks on the charts, and peaked at No. 17 on the US Billboard 200. The album was the 'proper' successor to 1977's hit Little Queen in terms of musical development and direction, and contained two hit singles: "Straight On", and "Dog & Butterfly".

Dog & Butterfly became Heart's fourth million-selling album and placed two songs of opposing styles in the Top 40. Like their Magazine album, Dog & Butterfly peaked at number 17 on the charts, but the material from it is much stronger from every standpoint, with Anne and Nancy Wilson involving themselves to a greater extent. The light, afternoon feel of the title track peaked at number 34, while the more resounding punch of "Straight On" went all the way to number 15 as the album's first single. With keyboard player Howard Leese making his presence felt, and the vocals and guitar work sounding fuller and more focused, the band seems to be rather comfortable once again. Average bridge-and-chorus efforts like "Cook with Fire" and "High Time" aren't spectacular, but they do emit some appeal as far as filler is concerned, while "Lighter Touch" may be the best of the uncharted material.

Tracklist:

01 - Cook With Fire
02 - High Time
03 - Hijinx
04 - Straight On
05 - Dog & Butterfly
06 - Lighter Touch
07 - Nada One
08 - Mistral Wind




Bébé le Strange is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Heart. It was the first album without founding member Roger Fisher on lead guitar, who had left the band months prior along with his brother Michael. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200 and staying in the charts for 22 weeks. It also was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Bebe le Strange, Heart's entrance into the 1980s, was a rough one. Heart were certainly questioning their identity here, as evidenced by their feeble attempt at punky new wave on "Break." It was the band's first without guitarist Roger Fisher – longtime co-writer and guitarist Sue Ennis stepped in for the sessions – and his absence is felt here; there is a distinct lack of his elegant approach to acoustic guitar and his tasty lead work. Much of the deeply textured sonic lushness of the band's earlier records is relegated to the back burner and production touches are focused on compression. Instead of creating spaces, they seem to break them down. Perhaps the Wilson sisters were feeling the pressure of punk and new wave and trying to update their sound for the new decade, but it was a mistake. Heart's trademark sound is timeless, and there are flashes of it here on cuts such as Nancy Wilson's gorgeous ballad "Silver Wheels" and the rocked-up single "Even It Up," but overall, Bebe le Strange feels unfocused and restless. The urgency on tracks like "Raised on You" and "Down on Me" (not the Janis Joplin tune) feels forced, and Ann's "Sweet Darlin'" falls too late in the proceedings – it might have made a wonderful addition to the middle of the set, but here, one of the album's best melodies falls into near obscurity by its placement. Finally, the keyboard and drum production on this set were so gimmicky that they dated the record before it was even issued.

Tracklist:

01 - Bébé Le Strange
02 - Down On Me
03 - Silver Wheels
04 - Break
05 - Rockin' Heaven Down
06 - Even It Up
07 - Strange Night
08 - Raised On You
09 - Pilot
10 - Sweet Darlin'




Private Audition is the sixth studio classic by Heart. Released in 1982, the recording spent fourteen weeks on the Billboard charts and includes the standout, “This Man Is Mine”. It is the final recording to feature longtime members, Mike DeRosier and Steve Fossen.

Private Audition starts tough with "City's Burnin'," possibly the band's most underrated song, but it's dragged down by the trite songwriting that follows. The introspective "Bright Light Girl" is reminiscent of "Dreamboat Annie," but it lacks the sweet spontaneity that made the latter so successful. "Perfect Stranger" foreshadows the band's mid-'80s transformation from Zeppelin-esque hard rockers to power balladeers. The fact that Heart's success is divided cleanly between the two styles makes this transitional album fall all too forgettable in the middle.

Tracklist:

01 - City's Burning
02 - Bright Light Girl
03 - Perfect Stranger
04 - Private Audition
05 - Angels
06 - This Man Is Mine
07 - The Situation
08 - Hey Darlin Darlin
09 - One Word
10 - Fast Times
11 - America




In 1983, Heart released Passionworks, a more modern and commercial rock album than their previous releases. It also marked the emergence of new members Denny Carmassi and Mark Andes. Passionworks would spend 21 weeks on the U.S. Billboard charts. It includes the hit "How Can I Refuse?" as well as "Language Of Love" and "Sleep Alone."

1983's Passionworks marked the end of an era for Heart; it was the last album that the Wilson sisters recorded for Epic, where they had recorded late-'70s classics like Little Queen and Dog & Butterfly. Unfortunately, Heart's relationship with Epic had turned sour by 1983; in a 1987 interview, Ann Wilson asserted that Epic didn't do nearly enough to promote either Passionworks or 1982's Private Audition. But all certainly wasn't lost; at Capitol, Heart enjoyed a major revitalization in 1985 – both commercially and creatively. Although Passionworks was recorded under less-than-ideal circumstances, it isn't a bad album. Passionworks, which was produced by Keith Olsen, didn't go down in history as one of Heart's essential releases – it isn't in a class with Dreamboat Annie, Little Queen, Bad Animals, or 1985's self-titled Heart, but it isn't an album that the Wilson sisters should be ashamed of either. Passionworks gets off to an impressive start with the hit "How Can I Refuse," an arena rock jewel. Most of the songs that follow aren't as strong, but they're decent. While "Sleep Alone," "Blue Guitar," and "Ambush" aren't masterpieces, they're likable examples of '80s hard rock/arena rock. "Allies," meanwhile, is a glossy power ballad that was written by Journey's Jonathan Cain and should have become a hit. In 1983, Cain's song was perfect for Heart because by that time, their ballads had become much more amplified. While early Heart ballads like "Dream of the Archer" and "How Deep It Goes" had a pastoral, acoustic-oriented folk-rock outlook, the Wilson sisters became masters of the high-volume power ballad in the '80s. Passionworks isn't recommended to casual listeners, but serious Heart devotees will find it to be an enjoyable way for the Wilson sisters to end their Epic period.

Tracklist:

01 - How Can I Refuse
02 - Blue Guitar
03 - Johnny Moon
04 - Sleep Alone
05 - Together Now
06 - Allies
07 - (Beat By) Jealousy
08 - Heavy Heart
09 - Love Mistake
10 - Language of Love
11 - Ambush

Heart was pretty much considered washed up when they released Heart in 1985. They learned a few important things while they had taken a short sabbatical – they knew that hooks were important and they knew they could play up their looks for MTV. So, they delivered both with Heart, giving their audience anthemic hooks and tightly corseted bosoms, leading to the most popular album they ever had. This doesn't mean it's the best, since its calculated mainstream bent may disarm some long-term fans, but it is true that they do this better than many of their peers, not just because they have good polished material from professional songwriters but because they can deliver this material professionally themselves. Yes, "These Dreams," "Never," and "What About Love" don't quite fit into the classic Heart mode, but they are good mid-'80s mainstream material, delivered as flawlessly as possible. There's still a lot of filler on this record, but the best moments are among the best mainstream AOR of its era.

Tracklist:

01 - If Looks Could Kill
02 - What About Love?
03 - Never
04 - These Dreams
05 - The Wolf
06 - All Eyes
07 - Nobody Home
08 - Nothin' At All
09 - What He Don't Know
10 - Shell Shock




On Beautiful Broken, the Wilson sisters return with all new, heart-wrenching, original material, as well as some hidden gems from their legendary past. The project is so powerful that it has drawn in other superstar friends of the band from across the music world, including Metallica’s James Hetfield and Ne-Yo, each lending their incredible talents to the record. The album is made up of 10 magnificent tracks, featuring new original music as well as updates on some treasures from their catalog.

On Beautiful Broken, Heart decide to tread a path well worn by vintage rockers: revisiting their catalog. This is an exercise often fraught with peril. That said, while Ann and Nancy Wilson do stumble, they've learned from predecessors' mistakes. Seven of these ten cuts were previously recorded, but none are considered Heart standards. Thankfully, they left the classics alone. The three new songs are uniformly excellent additions to the catalog. Co-produced by Nancy Wilson and bassist Dan Rothchild, the set kicks off with the rocking title track single, which was included as a bonus track on 2012's Fanatic. Metallica's James Hetfield adds his gruff baritone and some new lyrics too. The riff is classic Heart and the juxtaposition of Ann's clear, soaring alto with Hetfield's throaty roar works. "Two" is a cover of a new Ne-Yo song. Sung by Nancy (in inspired voice) with Ann backing, its first half is fueled by piano and a B-3, before a Moog bassline, synth strings, and electric guitars build it into a midtempo rocker. Ann's "Sweet Darlin'" (from Bebe le Strange) features an enormous string chart by Paul Buckmaster inspired by the sessions he did with Elton John in the early '70s. Her voice rises above the swelling violins, violas, cellos, piano, and drums. "I Jump," another new tune, also gets the orchestral treatment, but the counterpoint between strings and dissonant, Led Zeppelin-esque riffing in the refrain cleverly offsets the sweetness in the verses. This set marks the first time that "Heaven" has appeared on a studio album. Opening with a bowed acoustic guitar that sounds like a sarod, it's a meld of new age, folk, and East Indian open-tuned drone throughout the intro. When the drums and electric slide guitars wind in and Ann Wilson lets her thunderous voice out of the gate, it's plodding stadium rock greatness. "Down on Me," from Bebe le Strange, was originally a scorching, theatrical blues-rocker. It's been slowed here with a syncopated backbeat. The blues feel remains but is tempered by a fine soul tinge in Ann's delivery. Some tracks just don't work: the new version of "City's Burning" has been slowed and funked up, but schmaltzy strings water down the backbone riff. "Johnny Moon" and "Language of Love" are messy, unfocused "kitchen sink" approaches that can't decide what they want to be. Beautiful Broken could have used more uptempo tracks to balance out the ballads; they would have added dimension to an intriguing album. This is obviously not meant to attract new fans, but one to re-engage longstanding ones. It's a mixed bag, but its experimentation works more often than not, while the new songs suggest Heart's creativity is undiminished.

Tracklist:

01 - Beautiful Broken
02 - Two
03 - Sweet Darlin'
04 - I Jump
05 - Johnny Moon
06 - Heaven
07 - City's Burning
08 - Down On Me
09 - One Word
10 - Language Of Love


Thanks to the Original customer(s)!