Search - Heart :: Private Audition/Passionworks

Private Audition FINALLY Reissued!

S. Sarabia | Portland, ME, USA | 10/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"LOVE these girls, love their immense talent, love their music, their influences and their contributions to music as well as to WOMEN in music! So here you have 'em, "Private Audition" and "Passionworks" TOGETHER in one beautiful package, REMASTERED! Though "Private Audition" didn't fare too well with the record buying public, I don't know; it's everything a Heart CD would boast and MORE. Makes no sense to me. Same for "Passionworks;" another great CD that just didn't fare well commerically. It's SO GOOD to hear my favorite, "City's Burning," in full, glorious, remastered sound along with some of my other faves which include the title cut, "This Man Is Mine," "Angels," "America" and (from Passionworks) "How Can I Refuse," and the creepy, "Johnny Moon." These two albums represent the last of the first incarnation of Heart which would, by only two years, predate the next incarnation on Capitol which would be extremely successful and give new life to a (at that time) fading Classic Rock band. The vocals (Ann) are killer (as always) and Nancy's as well as the rest of the band's musicianship and Rock sensibility are in peak form despite the resulting low chart numbers and poor sales. These two albums are as thematic and as creative as anything else they have recorded throughout the 70's. When I saw "City's Burning" on MTV (which wasn't even the single released from Private Audition,) I was blown away! Had it actually been the first single, I bet it would have resulted in at least a Platinum album. Though both recordings are good, it's funny how each one has its own high/weak musical moments. It's bizarre. From "Private Audition," the first single, "This Man Is Mine," seems out of place (kind of Heart does Motown) and from "Passionworks," "Allies," the second single, is a weak attempt at a Classic Rock Band trying to create an anthem which didn't work. Though a beautiful melody coupled with excellent singing, the fault lies in its corny lyrics. It was like something that Journey might have attempted (and produced by Jonathan Cain incidentally,) but not quite the sound that would be best for Heart. Fortunately, their real "anthem" showed two years later in "What About Love.""