Heart

Red Velvet Car (Legacy)

By Sarah Grant
Published: September 6th, 2010 | 1:00pm

Once in 1982, a beautiful girl in a car sped past Brad Hamilton, a senior jerk at Ridgemont High. Who would have foreseen nearly 30 years later, the same girl would drive up to us again, this time, in Heart’s excellent Red Velvet Car?

A red velvet car is Heart’s ark for the lonely and the mistreated. The sisters Wilson sing about who gets to ride in their backseat and who is left to rot with the vultures, namely: bad boyfriends (“There You Go”), record company officials (“WTF”), and assholes that cut you off on the highway (“Saffronia’s Mark”). It’s no secret that Heart’s most compelling material is often drawn from a dirty wound.

“WTF” is the hard rock powerhouse. Guitarist Craig Bartock provides a galloping “Barracuda” beat that stops just short of Ann threatening some unlucky soul at the other end of the tunnel: “There’s hell to pay and it’s your turn” while Nancy does her signature hop-scotch high kicks. “There You Go” has a stripped down bluegrass feel despite the string harmonies. Ann whisper-howls the long vowels, sounding remarkably close to her 26-year-old “Dreamboat Annie” self.

Circle of life imagery of trees, raindrops, and sunshine is in no shortage on this album. “Hey You” and “Sunflower,” sung by Nancy, are lilting and innocent, her guitar work dynamite whether she’s by a campfire or in the center of a football stadium. She mixes a bit of both these strengths on “Sand,” a favorite of their spinoff group, the Lovemongers. The recording balances instrumental frills with Dog & Butterfly delicacy.

Red Velvet Car has something for every kind of Heart fan, whether it’s virtuosic ‘70s guitar solos or soaring ‘80s choruses, Heart as lovesick Ophelias, or headbanging femme fatales. Since the musicianship quality is so inventive and fresh, it would be easy to say this album could fit anywhere in the Heart discography, but Red Velvet Car is simply a sterling album made by a pair of classic rock underdogs who really aren’t underdogs anymore. Heart has been one of the only bands of their generation to consistently produce hot new material that is both inventive and true all of their roots. Of course it’s Heart. It always has been, silly, silly fools.

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Heart official Web site

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Legacy Recordings

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1Pick1Paintbrush (about 1 year)
The movie was Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It was a red corvette and driving it was Nancy Wilson which lead to her meeting Cameron Crowe one of my Favorite filmmakers.Who Nancy ended up marrying and are together to this day!