STEVIE NICKS - THE WILD HEART

"The Wild Heart" is Stevie Nicks' second solo album.  Released in 1983, it's her follow-up to 1981's "Bella Donna".  At this point in time, Nicks was at the top of her game.  Her success with Fleetwood Mac was at superstar levels and her solo records were making her an international household name.  She was in demand.  Without a doubt.

I've never fully researched Stevie Nicks or bought all of her material either solo or with Fleetwood Mac.  But I've always wanted to.  I respond to the mystical in her.  She touches a part of my soul.  Whether it's her voice or her lyrics, she can often find her way into my thoughts and feelings.  I'm a child of the 80's and Fleetwood Mac always seemed like a product of the 70's.  I avoided 70's music and culture as much as possible as most kids coming up will do.  You embrace the pop culture happening around you and see what came before as old fashioned or a waste of time.

Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks were part of what I rejected as a kid, but secretly, I loved their music and I had "Rumors" as well as other Mac material hidden in my collection.  Around the mid-80's, when "Rock A Little" came out, I finally came out of my Nicks closet and opening admired her. 

Imagine my surprise when I discovered....

Nicks had actually worked with Prince!!!!!  But it was kept on the down low.  That particular  collaboration appears on this album.  Inspired by 'Little Red Corvette', Nicks contacted Prince and he contributed some music to 'Stand Back'.  Oddly enough, this was one of my favorite Nicks tunes and it seemed a fated coincidence that he was a part of it.

It wasn't until I found out he'd worked with her that I absolutely had to have this disc.  And I'll be honest, there are many tracks on this album I wasn't familiar with when I bought it.  I owned some live tapes and more recent releases.  I had some Mac material...  But this was the first of her older albums I was buying.

The overall sound of this disc is very 70's.  There's a lot of that blue collar rock happening on this album. It reminds me of 70's Bruce Springsteen and Elton John.  Most of the songs blend into that sound with certain tracks standing out more than others.  'If Anyone Falls' is the first number to really branch out.  The music arrangement is what really drives the track.  It became well known just for the opening keyboard motif.  The second most recognizable song is 'Nightbird'.  This lovely number suffers from some odd production and percussion, but the music itself is similar to something Fleetwood Mac would do.  I've always believed the song would've fared better if it'd been arranged and produced by Lindsey Buckingham.  

It's followed by the Prince collaboration.  Nicks recognizes the intensity of his contribution to the song by giving him a writing credit.  His additions change the dynamic of the tune utterly.  Nicks describes the tempo and rhythm as having a different TimeSpace unique to Prince.  And anyone who listens to her knows this song moves in a completely different frequency from what she normally creates.  It compliments the music on the album but also kicks the entire sound up a notch.

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers contribute 'I Will Run To You'.  As much as I've enjoyed some of his work, I don't really think this number does much for the album.  I think they sound great together though.

'Sable On Blond' is another number I think would've done better under Fleetwood Mac.  The most well known and possibly the most popular song on the album (certainly the most personal) is the final track, 'Beauty And The Beast".  This is a very tender song.  It's written and meant for a very personal relationship.  Anyone who's loved a man and lost that love can find a reason to look for solace in these words.  In one song, Nicks creates an anthem of love and loss.

I put so much of the loss I've experienced in my own life in this song.  Once again, she reaches me deeply.

Although this isn't an album I listen to on a regular basis, I do appreciate what's happening here and there are songs on it I find incredibly beautiful.  And the magic lingering all these years later on this disc, continues to cloud my vision and wash over me like a blanket of soft aching.  It increases my tender feeling for this artist.  My final words:  A WORTHY ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION & A FINE EXAMPLE OF AMERICAN ROCK AND ROLL.

STEVIE NICKS - THE WILD HEART
01. Wild Heart
02. If Anyone Falls
03. Gate And Garden
04. Enchanted
05. Nightbird
06. Stand Back
07. I Will Run To You
08. Nothing Ever Changes
09. Sable On Blond
10. Beauty And The Beast

USA FOR AFRICA - WE ARE THE WORLD

Ok, so We Are The World was Michael Jackson's project to fight hunger in Africa.  On it's own, I probably wouldn't have bought the disc.  But Prince contributed a song that's only available on this release.  The song was later released on his "The Hits/The B-Sides" compilation, but it was a live version and much different from the studio recording.  To date this disc is the only place you can find the studio recording of '4 The Tears In Your Eyes'.

I don't know how deeply I should go into this release.  It features the various artists gathered around Michael Jackson and his inner circle singing this song.  It also features the Canadian version of the project called Northern Lights.  The rest of the tracks are unreleased material; i.e. songs, live recordings...  by other artists making this disc a fairly rare and collectible item.  

I like some of the other material on the disc.  The Tina Turner song is pretty cool.  I even like the Huey Lewis & The News track.  Otherwise, I think it's a fairly uneventful disc for me.  Even though it's not his most spectacular song, the Prince track stands out quite dramatically from the others and is by far my personal favorite.  Even today.  It's off beat, somewhat bizarre and everything alt rock should've been back then.

Still, the disc is highly sought after by many collectors who want the music by their favorite artists and Michael Jackson fans also find this disc highly collectible.  It can get pretty pricey when you find it on eBay or Amazon.com.  Because it's no longer in print, this disc is hard to find at a decent price.

I don't know much more to say about the disc other than I'm glad I have a copy.  My final words:  ONLY FOR DIE-HARD COLLECTORS WHO ARE TRYING TO COMPLETE COLLECTIONS.

USA FOR AFRICA - WE ARE THE WORLD

01. USA For Africa - We Are The World

02. Steve Perry - If Only For The Moment, Girl

03. The Pointer Sisters - Just A Little Closer

04. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Trapped

05. Northern Lights - Tears Are Not Enough

06. Prince & The Revolution - 4 The Tears In Your Eyes

07. Chicago - Good For Nothing

08. Tina Turner - Total Control

09. Kenny Rogers - A Little More Love

10. Huey Lewis & The News - Trouble In Paradise

VAN GOGH - VAN GOGH

This disc was only available directly from the artists. I bought it for a couple reasons. I initially saw a program featuring the band on television. I think it was PBS and I was interested in what they were doing. Shortly afterward, I learned Prince contributed a song to the band. Even though I didn't want to admit it, the Prince song was the motivation I needed to pick up one of their cds and listen to it. Sadly, Prince later reclaimed the song and released his own version through the NPG Music Club. In my opinion, that was kinda messed up. It ruined the value of the track and the importance of this disc to Prince fans. He defeated his own efforts to build up the group.

My overall assessment of this disc is promising. The influence of The Beatles is prominent. You can also hear some 80s vibe happening. They use lots of 80s electro pop tricks here and there; but it's the combination of rock with melody that dominates the writing structure of their material. Though much of what you hear is easily written off as a whole, when you examine the songs one at a time, you get a better sense of their intent. 'Simple Cinderella' sounds too much like a Joe Cocker number for my taste. 'The World In A Nutshell' is an interesting piece and really caught my attention. Lyrically, Van Gogh have a 60s psychedelic feel to them; focusing on the abstract rather than the rational. 'Maybe' sounds like a cross between Randy Newman, ABBA and modern country.

The Prince track is produced and arranged by the band. Even though his version sounds remarkably different, it still stands out with its rhythm and quirky build. Lyrically, it's an interesting concept... Loving someone so utterly, you only see the illusion they choose to show you ultimately leaving you blind to reality.

My opinion of the disc is favorable though it's not a disc I spend lots of time with. I've never been caught up in The Beatles or the Americana sound of Bruce Springsteen and Bruce Hornsby. I certainly respect and admire the musicianship of these artists, but I don't relate to them. If you feel a connection to this kind of rock and roll, Van Gogh may be right up your alley. It's still an interesting listen just to hear their version of the title track. My final word: PROMISING.

VAN GOGH - VAN GOGH
01. Simple Cinderella
02. The World In A Nutshell
03. All The Time In The World
04. Almost Too Real
05. Ready, Willing And Able
06. Van Gogh
07. Tangled
08. Lift Me Up
09. Maybe
10. My Telescope
11. All That Glitters
12. Waiting For A Revolution