Heart returns to Seattle for 2010 concert

As was heard on last year’s Red Velvet Car, Ann Wilson’s voice is still a power to be reckoned with, Nancy Wilson’s still got instrumental chops, and the duo fits together like, well, sisters. Though the band’s held a steady lineup (save bassist Ric Markmann, who’s been replaced by Kristian Attard) since the release of Jupiter’s Darling, the group can at times feel more like a backing combo for Ann and Nancy Wilson than a working concern. The guest appearance of Alison Krauss on three tracks is both a treat and a distraction. Her voice is uniquely beautiful as she sings “These Dreams,” but it takes the song out of the realm of Heart. The same is true for the group’s cover of Krauss & Plant’s “Your Long Journey.” It’s a beautiful song, wonderfully sung by Krauss and Ann Wilson, but feels out of place amongst Heart’s material.

The set list mostly sticks to the group’s hits, non-charting singles and a few album tracks. There are five tunes from Heart’s then-latest album, Red Velvet Car, and they blend seamlessly with material from the mid-70s and 80s. Ann Wilson still thrills with rock ballads, but doesn’t always hit the high, powerful notes with the same authority of her younger years. That said,  she’s a cannier vocalist than thirty years ago, navigating around the minor limitations of age to imbue her singing with new textures and more dynamic range. Nancy Wilson sings lead (and plays autoharp) on “Hey You,” Ann Wilson pulls out her flute for “Mistral Wind,” and the near prog-rock jamming on “Mistral Wind” is superb. The main set closes with a rousing version of “Crazy on You,” led off by some powerful, bluesy acoustic strumming.

This is far from a flawless performance – the band’s jam on “Barracuda” breaks down before catching a second wind, and the signature riff of “Crazy on You” seems muddled (much more interesting is guitarist Craig Bartock’s soloing on “Magic Man”). But it’s a live show, and the band’s got plenty of energy and great songs. The multi-camera video (shot in March 2010 at the Experience Music Project in Seattle) is well lit, and the editing is fluid; at times, two or three video streams are collaged Woodstock-style. There’s little between-song patter, which leaves the set feeling compressed; one is left to wonder if the Wilsons simply don’t talk much, or if the editors snipped away their interaction with the crowd. This is a nice complement to earlier heart live DVDs Alive in Seattle and Dreamboat Annie, and shows the Wilson sisters still rocking in their 50s. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]