Customer Reviews

Desire Walks on

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying this is Heart's best work since Bebe Le Strange. This disc screams from beginning to end and is a joyful return to their roots. (Sort of) It's actually a combination of the best of the 70's and 80's versions of Heart.

The primary thing that separates this disc from the 3 prior albums is the fact that the band is back in charge of the songwriting. Check the credits- you'll only find about 2 songs written by actual bandmembers on Heart, Bad Animals or Brigade. But this one has 8 tracks primarily authored by the Wilsons. While I thoroughly enjoyed the 80's version of Heart*, I'll also be the first to admit that it didn't come close to the depth and power of the early years. This disc however DOES rival their early material.

(* apparently I'm the only one who will admit this, even though those albums sold something like a billion copies each. C'mon people! SOMEBODY bought them- fess up!)

The other key point is the sound quality. I'd have to say that this one has the best production values of any Heart album. Exceedingly well mixed with very tight attention to sound selection, this one sounds so clean you could eat off it.

Starting with "Black on Black II" (so titled because it's deliberately derived from a tune originally by Lisa Dalbello, who co-wrote this version as well) this album just screams power. This first track is a guitar chugfest highly reminiscent of Barracuda, but with a powerful modern edge. "Back to Avalon" feels like the long lost bonus track that should have been included on the Dog and Butterfly album. These two tracks alone are worth the price of admission!

"The Woman in Me" is one of their most sensetive and tense ballads ever. Not a Wilson song, it doesn't sound much like anything you've ever heard by Heart before.

Then they break out the heavy artillery with "Rage". This could be Heart's heaviest song ever. I have a hard time comparing it to anything except maybe the title track from Bad Animals.

The next two tracks, "In Walks the Night" and "My Crazy Head" sound much more like Heart's more recent material, yet they are more solid and listenable than almost anything from their 80's canon, which only suggests to me that they should have continued their own songwriting in the 80's. Following these is a beautifully harmonized cover of Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells".

Their one serious attempt at a hit single from this album was the obligatory Mutt Lange contribution "Will You Be There in the Morning". Inexplicably, they didn't get much airplay for this song. This is rather hard to understand because it succeeds in everyway that the atrocious "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" failed. (Except the commercial level of course...)

"Voodoo Doll" is just plain old spooky. You haven't heard anything like it by Heart before. Very progressive and ethereal, but with some serious bite.

"Anything Is Possible", another co-write with Lisa Dalbello is a stock power ballad. Far more melodic than say... "Alone" or
"Stranded", though not quite so powerful. Very much a feel good tune. Probably the weakest song here, but even this one rates a solid B+.

The title track, "Desire Walks On" brings this collection full circle with a wicked chord progession that rivals "Sing Child" from the first album. This is a 5-star rocker that will make you sweat, with a killer progressive breakdown including a slap-bass groove. Miss this one at your own peril!

The great tragedy of this album is that it was the last hurrah for a great band. The faithful had been waiting for over a decade for this album, but when they finally returned to form... it was all over. I suppose we should just be thankful that they didn't stop after Brigade.

Upon listening to this on the in-store play at my workplace back in 1993, I sadly thought, this is it. Heart's second wind has officially entered the doldrums. They are no longer relevant. To use a phrase from a song, better they sail back to Avalon. I didn't even buy this upon first release--that's how I felt, and I was a big Heart fan then. Years later, I bought it and some of that feeling dissapated. This year, and I found myself thinking, "Man, what was I thinking? This was indeed a glorious last stand studiowise, albeit with a few flaws."

From the opening chugging guitar that had never seen the likes of since "Barracuda," "Black On Black II" seemed to be a promise that Heart was continuing back on the rock treadmill that defined Brigade. The dynamic of opposites is emphasized on the chorus, "pleasure and pain", "the sacred and the profane", "ice and fire". Ann really lets it rip on this one.

With "Back To Avalon", there seemed to be a slight return to the pleasant minstrel acoustic rock that defined Little Queen. There is also a bluesy feel in some of the guitars. However, the lyrics, "I can't stay here anymore, I'm leaving with the tide" might also reflect the feelings they felt with the new grunge sound emerging from Seattle. To the Nirvana/Soundgarden generation, Heart sadly seemed to be as relevant as Gerald Ford-brand toilet seats. The phoenix flying back to that mystical island of Avalon...nice image.

With the keyboard synth and Howard Leese's pronounced bass and haunting melody, the "The Woman In Me" sounds like a cross between a mellowed "These Dreams" and the Cars' "Drive."

The pounding rock rhythms of "Rage" seems directed against a frustrating and superficial world. "Addiction", "plastic", "styrofoam", "amphetamine vapors" are just some of the words to describe the sense of despair. Ann really does channel the rage in those throaty vocals of hers.

The power ballad "In Walks The Night" describes a nightmarish mental and emotional blackness that floods after remembering a former loved one. "In walks the night/in walks my fantasy/darkness all around me/and I'm dying for the light/I reach down for a little strength deep inside/I reach down for my sanity." Ann and Nancy's harmonies really shine out in this gem.

"My Crazy Head" is what one's wayward angel is to sanctify. Despite being by the Wilsons and Sue Ennis, it shows that even the best of collaborations can yield a duff song. Then comes two standouts, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells" from his 1989 Oh Mercy album, and "Will You Be There" penned by Mutt Lange. With assistance from Alice In Chains' Layne Staley, Ann sings for bells to ring for souls for the good and the not so good. A slowed down rhythm similar to "All I Wanna Do" starts the power ballad "Will You Be There." The lyrics seem unsubstantial, which the pleasant piano and electric guitar riffs more than make up for.

Ann declares herself in control and no one's slave in the bizarre "Voodoo Doll." Then comes the proclamation of emotional support in "Anything Is Possible": "I know you're my friend/hold on and transcend/I know anything is possible." Bring out those lighters and wave! I can picture Aerosmith or Bon Jovi trying to do this... and failing. Only the Wilsons could make this so special.

After a reprise of "Back To Avalon" comes the title track, which is hard-driving, but lyrically unsubstantial despite the Wilsons/Ennis collaboration, which score a 1/3 here. Ironically, songs co-written with Dalbello and others do better; it's good to see the Wilsons go back to songwriting. Despite no new studio albums, the sun didn't completely set on Heart yet. There was still The Lovemongers, The Road Home, and Alive In Seattle to come.

Ok, I remember buying this in the early 90's and I ejoyed it then, but I never realized that over ten years later I would still be listening to it and loving it even more. I get tired of mainstream music and find myself falling back to music that I listened to a decade or more ago. Maybe I am in a time warp but music just seemed better then. These sisters have the best voices I have ever heard. I love rock when it is actually really rock. Who has a voice like Ann Wilson?? NO ONE. Her voice gives me chills and thrills. "Desire Walks On" is a fabulous song. It is an exciting song I can listen to again and again. "Will you be there in the morning" is the song I most admired all those years ago and it is still great. "In walks the night" is a very sensual song and well let me just say every song on this album is hot except I do not care for "Ring them bells" so much, but I adore this album. It is my favorite of Heart.

This is by far my favorite Heart album. I first heard Black on Black II on the radio and knew I had to have it. It sounded like Barracuda done right and with more drums. Every song on DWO is outstanding. There's no filler.

Lately I've been centering on the title track, Desire Walks On. This is a very emotional, high-energy song and Ann Wilson hits some of her most powerful high notes.

I don't at all consider this album a "complete your collection" album, or for enthusiasts only. It's a great album on its own with enormous replay value. This was Heart's last great album before they started the whole Lovemongers effort. I wasn't too thrilled with Lovemongers, because they don't have the raw energy of Heart, like DWO does.

If you like outstanding rock music, killer basslines, lofty powerful high note vocals, sweet harmonies, and mesmerizing lyrics, buy this album. If you want the newer monotone grungy music that all sounds the same these days, do not buy this album.

Once, the intro of "Desire" fades out and the main riff of Black on Black 2 kicks in and it certainly gets the heartpumping. I use the "Black on Black2" and "Rage" as background music for my martial arts competition and its an pure adrenaline rush of the highest form.
The mixing of hard rock songs like "Rage" and etheral ballads "Back To Avalon" and "Will You Be There" make Desire an instant classic. Its almost criminal that this CD got deleted from the Heart discography. Get a used copy or an imported copy, its definitely well the worth the money either way!

1990's BRIGADE was Heart's "return-to-hard-rock" album after 1987's slightly keyboard-heavy BAD ANIMALS. While it definitely put some rocks back into Heart's sound, even that album had an air of unevenness, mainly due to the predominance of outside songwriters. For 1993's DESIRE WALKS ON, original material is the order of the day for the first time since 1983's PASSIONWORKS, and the return to in-house songwriting is indeed welcome. Yet there was still a sign that Heart was in need of an extended vacation from the music business.

Only three songs on the album come from outside of Heart, with one rather obvious tune & two more daring numbers. The big single was naturally a tailor-made power ballad, "Will You Be There [In The Morning]", from master producer Mutt Lange. It was his "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" that nearly brought Heart back to #1 on the singles charts, so I guess Heart decided to try again. It only managed the top 40, which makes sense, seeing as how it's certainly not one of Lange's better works (saved by Nancy Wilson's passionate vocal, though). And of course, by 1993, the age of the power ballad had already come to a close.

Donna Summer's "The Woman In Me" was indeed an unlikely choice for Heart, but Summer's "Starting Over Again" was a huge country hit for Dolly Parton after all, so maybe it's not that unbelievable. Donna's version was only a minor hit, but Heart turns it into a "These Dreams"-styled ballad that I think would have made a better single than "Will You Be There". Indicating Heart's eventual return to their acoustic folk roots in the Lovemongers, they take on Bob Dylan's latter-day masterpiece "Ring Them Bells". This alone proves there was more to late-period Heart than airbrushed arena rock (not to mention the unlikely appearance of late Alice In Chains leader Layne Staley).

DESIRE WALKS ON does continue the more ballsy rock nature of BRIGADE with songs like the opening (after the short intro "Desire") "Black On Black II" (one of the few full-on heavy metal songs Heart ever did), "Rage", "Voodoo Doll" & the closing title track. Only "My Crazy Head" falls flat, sounding good while it plays, but not too memorable afterwards.

The album does contain its share of ballads, of course, but the blow-dried production of HEART (1985) & BAD ANIMALS is sacrificed for a more stripped-down yet still anthemic style. "In Walks The Night" & "Anything Is Possible" are the ballads Heart should have specialized more in during this time. No over-the-top keyboards to date them into a specific era, just slightly bluesy, guitar-driven anthems that harken back to the album that started it all, 1975's DREAMBOAT ANNIE. "Back To Avalon" is another song that could have been at home on that legendary debut, and is an acoustic-driven rocker that hints at 1995's THE ROAD HOME (the reprise later in the album wasn't exactly necessary).

While the music Heart had been making for the better part of a decade was no longer in vogue, it was clear they hadn't yet wanted to fold like the younger bands that had been raised on the stuff. They would return 2 years later with the acoustic live album THE ROAD HOME, again proving to be a better example of a band returning to their roots. But when the Wilson sisters formed the Lovemongers to make that kind of music albeit under a pseudonym of sorts, Heart was, for all intents & purposes, defunct.

Not to fear, though. Heart's recently released ALIVE IN SEATTLE album seems to have the Wilson sisters going back to the arena-ish style and, better yet, with some new songs. A full-scale studio return of Heart may just be around the corner, so until they grace our presence again, DESIRE WALKS ON will keep the listener occupied (if they can find this currently out-of-print album), even if it does remain a second-level purchase for Heart fans.

Heart is a band that has had almost two separate careers. In the 70's they burst upon the scene with their unique take on hard rock that also incorporated elements of folk, funk, and even a bit of progressive rock into the mix. By the early 80's album sales had fallen off the charts and it was looking like tailspin time for the band. Then in the late 80's Heart changed their sound to a slicker brand of pop rock and made a remarkable commercial comeback. The albums "Heart", "Bad Animals", and "Brigade" all produced huge radio hits putting the band back on top of both the sales charts and concert trail. "Desire Walks On" came at what was basically the end of this era. The album only produced the minor AOR hit "Back On Black II" and the Nancy Wilson led top 40 ballad "Will You Be There", and did not rack of the sales of the previous three. From a quality standpoint I think the album is better than the three larger sellers that proceeded it and was somewhat a return to form for a band that had become too slick and polished in the late 80's and early 90's. During their comeback the band had turned to outside writers for much of the material. Here there are only three tracks not at least co-written by the Wilson sisters. The album does not rank up in quality to the band's first two classic discs, but it is a decent effort that is worth adding to your collection if you are a heart fan. Highlights include "Back On Black II" which is as heavy a rocker as the band has ever done. "Back To Avalon" is a nice acoustic oriented tune that would have fit right in on an album like "Little Queen". "Ring Them Bells" is a cool cover of the Bob Dylan tune featuring a vocal duet between Ann Wilson and Layne Staley from Alice In Chains. The final title track "Desire Walks On' is another good one with a spoken word intro. This album will not go down in history as one of Heart's classics, but it is a good solid album from them.

This is a great album with plenty of amazing songs, but none are better than the cover of the Bob Dylan song "Ring Them Bells"

This song sees them collaborate with Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, and together they make something truly wonderful. Wilson with her powerful voice full of passion and Staley with his powerful and haunting voice make this song alone worth buying the album.

Layne Staley and Heart two very amazing yet very underated artists.

I have been filling in the holes in my Heart collection, replacing vinyl with CD's and adding albums I'd never previously acquired. Desire Walks On was in the latter category and I honestly wasn't expecting much because I've just never heard anyone say anything about the album and I had totally missed it when it was released. Wowie have I been pleasantly shocked!

The Road Home is solidly in first place as not only my favorite Heart album, but one of my all time favorite albums by anyone. For studio albums, Dreamboat Annie and Little Queen have always been tied for first place ever since their releases and I never thought that another Heart album would jeopardize their hallowed position. But Desire Walks On comes close. In fact, I think I will have to state that, while Dreamboat Annie still remains my sentimental favorite, Desire Walks On is, at least in my mind, Heart's best studio album they've ever made.

Desire Walks On is what I consider to be classic Heart. The songs are obviously chosen with care, melding well into a cohesive whole, and most of the material is at least partially written by Ann and Nancy. There is a very good mix of driving, hard rocking songs such as "Black on Black II" and "Rage", along with more melodic or ballad types such as "Back to Avalon", "Anything is Possible", and potentially my favorite on the album, "In Walks the Night". "Voodoo Doll" is a nice change-up with its wonderful beat and Annie's usual amazing vocals, along with some great backup vocals.

I'm not usually too keen on covers, but Annie's version of "The Woman In Me" is absolutely outstanding. (I already knew it would be, as I had seen her perform it with the Lovemongers in concert years ago and it was one of those highly memorable concert moments.) Just as outstanding is their version of "Ring Them Bells". My usual opinion is that adding a male vocalist is a Heart sacrilege, but Layne Staley is an excellent addition for this particular song and the three of them together just totally nail it.

There is only one thing I don't like about Desire Walks On and that's the very brief spoken intro track. It's easily skipped though and the rest of the album is pure Heart bliss.

This CD was released in 1993, and is one of the last original albums released by Heart. Back to Avalon and Will You Be There were both released in singles format in various countries, and Will You Be There enjoyed some measure of success, but Desire Walks On did not enjoy the success of previous Heart albums, which is unfortunate because this CD is all Heart and continues their tradition of hard rocking ballads.

The CD opens with an electronically echoed 18 second spoken introduction, which then segues into Black on Black II. This song contains a Barracuda-sounding riff that remains in the song from beginning to end. This song is a hard-rocker, and contains lyrics that could readily fall into thrash rock, and certainly into metal. The style is all Heart, of course, and Annie Wilsons voice is as strong and powerful as it was when Heart first hit the scene in the mid-70s.

Back to Avalon is a mellow, but moderately fast song with a strong instrumental backing. This is a solid song with solid lyrics, a song not about anything in particular except for a search for Avalon (the earthly Paradise where King Arthur went on his death). The next song opens with strings and synthesizer. Just like the second line in this song says, this is a slow, sultry song. The Woman in Me is a song of self-realization. Annie sings that the woman in her is deeper and more complex than anyone (especially a man) has ever seen, touched or realized.

The next song starts with piano, quietly. The title, Rage, is filled with a hard beat that puts the song into metal realm. The lyrics are relatively simple in this song, relying on the hard driving riffs and drums to communicate the feelings of Rage. Musically this song is one of the best on this CD.

Sandwiching Rage is another relatively quiet song, In Walks the Night. Listening to the lyrics, it is easy to make this song mean the darkness that can enter ones soul, regardless of the source of that darkness. However, the lyrics imply that while the darkness enters from outside, perhaps it is actually generated from within. It may be that by saying the night walks in, the singer is avoiding the fact that its her mind that is the source of the darkness.

My Crazy Head starts with a good solid beat and short-line lyrics that make a good match with the last song. The topic here is love, but also relates to the mental confusion that comes to all of us when emotion and intellect conflict. The lyrics are evocative and clearly communicated and the staccato delivery is well-matched to the solid drum beat.

What modern CD would be incomplete without a song that transcends eras and genres? In this case Ring Them Bells has a folk/country flavor. This Bob Dylan song is performed acoustically, with a male vocal lead trading off with Annie Wilson and intermittent harmonies. This is a simple song which seems just a little out of place and contrasts perhaps a little too strongly with the other songs surrounding it.

Will You Be There is the trademark rock love song for which Heart is so well known. The musical formula is well-known to Heart fans, and continues the tradition of solid rock backing the powerful vocals of Annie and Nancy Wilson; a worthwhile addition to the greatest hits of Heart.

Voodoo Doll has a vaguely voodoo-sounding backbeat beginning. However, the song is a love song and really has nothing to do with voodoo, other than the warning the singer has for a man that she wont be his Voodoo Doll. Anything is Possible begins acoustically. The vocals are quiet and harmonious, a song of hope and possibilities (of course) and love. A brief reprise of Avalon is a prelude to the title track, Desire Walks On, which is another hard rocker.

Heart breaks little new ground in this CD. Its easy to call this music formulaic, but its Hearts formula. The music is solid and readily a good addition to any Heart fans collection. Any disillusionment of fans with this music comes not from poor quality, but because weve had this music for more than two decades. Its easy for us to become bored and start to feel that its just another of the same. However, Heart has had a style all their own for their entire career. While their style has changed direction slightly, it is a known quantity, and I suspect that if I played their first CD after listening to Desire Walks On, the differences I would hear would be in skill and complexity. Nancy and Annie remain true to their artistic roots. Four stars for a solid addition to their musical catalog, and my fervent hope that they continue to make music.