June 3, 2010, at 12:45 pm
You might not know it because of all the sports and movie pieces I write here but I’m a very avid music aficionado. Not having a voice of my own has not stopped me from screaming out my favorite songs when I hear them and truth be told, it takes one hell of a song these days to blow my skirt up.
Something about music today just isn’t the same as the songs I’ve come to know and love from the 60′s 70′s and 80′s. Sure most of the R&B and Rap songs that come out today make for great club and dance music but I value a good set of lyrics and a solid vocal performance more than a couple of rhymes and a good beat. It’s for this reason that I felt compelled to remind or introduce you to the greatest songwriter and singer I have ever and will ever have the pleasure of listening to: Ann and Nancy Wilson.
Heart was a rock band formed back in the 60′s and was eventually headed by two young and upcoming sisters in the 70′s named Ann and Nancy Wilson. Ann Wilson was lead vocalist and Nancy Wilson was secondary vocalist and they each shared a variety of instruments, most notably the guitar work of Nancy. Throughout the 70′s and 80′s, Heart was pegged as one of the best rock groups around and even today, they’re releasing a new album entitled Red Velvet Car, with 14 new songs. It’s rare to see a band stick together as much as Heart has over the last 30 years but boy am I glad they did.
When I hear good music for the first time, I immediately ask Mrs. Smith who has sung this song (She’s more up-to-date on these sort of things) and then I go straight for the computer to research the song. I’ll play it over and over and over again, picking apart every word to see if it’s truly a great piece of work or just something that sounds pretty cool because of a nifty DJ. After listening to a lot of the songs Heart has put out over the last 30 years, I’m confident in saying that there is no greater set of pipes than the ones Ann Wilson has been using.
That woman … wow can she belt out a note. I work from home every-day and find myself listening to at least a few Heart songs over and over again simply because of the marvel known as Ann Wilson. You can take all of the Beyonce’s, Katy Perry’s, Pinks, Fergie’s, Carrie Underwood’s you want and absolutely none of them will compare with what Ann Wilson can do. To be fair all of the aforementioned are excellent performers and have great great talent but it’s just not the same. Many would dare to compare Ann Wilson to Madonna and Lady Gaga but that’s not appropriate. Madonna and Lady Gaga have great voices and their performances are like nothing we’ve ever seen before but if you take away their acts, they don’t hold a candle to Ann’s voice.
Watching old Heart videos, you’re usually use to seeing Nancy Wilson with the striking blond hair, jamming out on a guitar while Ann Wilson has the microphone a full foot away from her mouth for fear of blowing it up with her powerful voice. Music videos like Magic Man, Barracuda and my absolute favorite, Alone, have reminded me about a generation that brought the absolute best out of the music industry. I fear that a talent like these two will never surface again because of what the music industry has become. More about the looks and the act, rather than the voice in my opinion. I mean … have you actually heard Ke$ha sing? It’s like watching Alicia Sylverstone’s role in “Clueless” put to music. No thank-you.
So to anyone out there that thinks the music of today is where it’s at, I challenge you to pick up a Heart CD or simply visit You Tube and check out Ann and Nancy Wilson. Make sure you filter through to the “Alone” music video, past or present and then come back here and thank me for introducing you to real rock music. Rock on Wilson Sisters.
Agreed, agreed, agreed! Not only is Ann one of the most gifted and versatile singers the world has ever known, but name me one other female musician that has WRITTEN as much quality music (timeless hits with musical and lyrical substance) as these two. The Madonnas, Britneys, and Keishas of the world depend on songwriters, whereas these two wrote the songs, lyrics, played instruments, and sang them without equal. Criminally underrated. Great column!
Thanks for writing this article and sharing these two powerhouse women with your readers! I’ve been a fan for over 35 years and they ARE the best! Ann Wilson sings like no other and her voice is the most powerful instrument alive! Great article and column. Thanks!
No question, Ann Wilson is the best ever, nobody else even comes close! After 30+ years of people telling her she won’t be doing that for long, she’s still doin’ it better than anyone. Nancy is equally gifted – not the power vocalist that Ann is, she’s awesome at performing her own jazzy vocal style, and a great guitar player. No Autotune. No pre-recorded vocals. These ladies come out on stage to perform in the true tradition of Live Music! No wonder you find so many covers by 16-year-olds when searching Heart videos on YouTube. Great is great and greatness is recognized by all ages.
Well Said Kurt
It’s amazing to still see Ann Wilson belt the high notes and to be honest, it’s probably even better now than it was 30 years ago.
Few give her the credit she deserves and it’s a shame she spent most of her life dealing with her weight, otherwise we might have a dozen more albums that we do. Thanks for the comment!
I’ve gotta agree with you, I wasn’t around for their heyday (born in ’89), but there is just something about that damn voice, magic man is my favorite, the only thing that was missing was at the very end, I always wish she would have gone a little harder on the “c’mon home girl”. Great work by them though.
Couldn’t agree more. So happy many have Heart in a category where they belong, the very top! I’ve gone to every chance i have to watch them perform live. And yes, Ann’s vocals are above any singer in the last 4 decades. Thanks for your article!