Heart - Alive In Seattle (DVD)

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Sony/Legacy
Catalog Number: 9559
Format: DVD
Total Time: 103:00:00

After hearing the advance CD release of this great concert recording of Heart titled Alive In Seattle you would think that it would be enough? I don't think so. I had to hear the SACD version and see the concert unfolding before my eyes with the DVD. So now, I have both to enjoy. Let us start with the DVD.

Visually I realized that this would be a no frills hard rocking concert, although I knew that I would enjoy watching the Wilson sisters bouncing around onstage with all their energy and showmanship, or should I say showgirlship. The beautiful sisters with voices to match are rock and roll legends with a long successful career dating back to the '70s and it looks as though it will continue with this classic live recording and an upcoming studio recording.

Nineteen songs comprise the show, which takes 1 hour and 43 minutes. There are no extras to speak of except a photo album, but who cares? All the interviews and extras that I have come to expect on a DVD were not missed this time because the performance was so good. What a great concert to view. To see this happening after hearing it several times puts an entirely different slant on each song because I could actually see the expressions on the performer's faces and the entire interaction going on with the audience. This is a run down of their career (you know the songs) with a few special songs by other artists (notably Led Zeppelin), plus some fresh rockin' ones that will be on the new studio album (?Break The Rock?, ?Sister Wild Rose? and ?Two Faces Of Eve?). For some reason the power of Elton John's ?Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters? pulled on my heartstrings this time. The Wilsons sing it as if they wrote it themselves. It gave me those feel-good-all-over chills. The lyrics are incredibly insightful and come to life beautifully, considering it was a cover tune.

The one thing that really hit home while watching this performance was the fact the both sisters play and sing with great skill, they have not lost a step over the years (well, maybe a few). I knew that they both were great musicians and vocalists, but to live the experience through a high quality video helps to cement the entire experience.

SACD: The SACD format has offered consistently exceptional sound, engineering and production on every release I have heard this year. This live performance is kicked up a few notches with the super audio format, which always provides much more of a sonic treat, particularly for a live recording. Actually, this music packs a powerful punch regardless of what format you buy it in, and that tells you just how good this album is. The essence of their live performance is captured beautifully, and I believe that when people look back on live albums in the future this one will be mentioned as one of the best in this decade.

[Sorry to intrude, but I wanted to comment that Heart were on the The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (to give it its full title) and though you could tell the sisters had aged a bit, they sounded great - so I concur with Keith that Heart have still got it, though I've not yet seen the video/heard the CD. They will also be appearing on the The Late Show with Craig Kilborn on July 31, 2003, on CBS - ed.]

Rating: DVD: 4.5/5, SACD: 5/5

Reissued in 2009 by Image (2710056)

Tracklisting:
DVD: Crazy On You / Sister Wild Rose / The Witch / Straight On / These Dreams / Mistral Wind / Alone / Dog And Butterfly / Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters / Battle Of Evermore / Heaven / Magic Man / Two Faces Of Eve / Love Alive / Break The Rock / Barracuda / Wild Child / Black Dog / Dreamboat Annie / End Credits

SACD: Disc One: Crazy On You (5:03) / Sister Wild Rose (3:29) / The Witch (2:59) / Straight On (5:22) / These Dreams (5:38) / Mistral Wind (7:39) / Alone (4:58) / Dog & Butterfly (6:16) / Mona Lisa's And Mad Hatters (5:50) / Battle Of Evermore (5:50)

Disc Two: Heaven (5:51) / Magic Man (6:00) / Two Faces of Eve (4:16) / Love Alive (5:53) / Break the Rock (3:55) / Barracuda (6:10) / Wild Child (4:37) / Black Dog (6:12) / Dreamboat Annie (3:27)

Musicians:
Ann Wilson - vocals, acoustic guitar, autoharp, flute, ukulele
Nancy Wilson - guitars, acoustic guitar, vocals, mandolin, ukulele
Scott Olson - guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel, backing vocals
Mike Inez - bass guitar, Marley burns, dinner rolls
Ben Smith - drums, percussion
Tom Kellock - keyboards

Discography:
Dreamboat Annie (1976)
Little Queen (1977)
Magazine (1978)
Dog & Butterfly (1978)
Bebe Le Strange (1980)
Heart Greatest Hits: Live (1980)
Heart (1981)
Private Audition (1982)
Passionworks (1983)
Heart (1985)
Bad Animals (1987)
With Love From (1988)
Brigade (1990/1991*)
Rock the House Live! (1991)
Desire Walks On (1993)
The Road Home (1995)
Definitive Collection (1995)
Greatest Hits (1997)
These Dreams: Heart's Greatest Hits (1997)
Greatest Hits (1998)
Simply The Best (2000)
Greatest Hits: 1985-1995 (2000)
Heart Presents A Lovemonger's Christmas (1998/2001/2004)
Ballads: Greatest Hits (2001)
Definitive Collection (2002) single disc
Essential Heart (2002)
Alive In Seattle (2003)
Jupiter's Darling (2004)
The Collection (2005)
Love Alive (2005)
Love Songs (2006)
Dreamboat Annie Live (2007)
Red Velvet Car (2010)
Night At Sky Church (2010)

Heart (VHS) (1986)
The Road Home (VHS/DVD) (1995)
Alive In Seattle (DVD) (2003)

*deluxe CD package

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: June 23rd 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.heart-music.com
Hits: 3024
Language: english