Customer Reviews

Heart: The Road Home

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Firstly, I am a huge fan of Heart. I beleive their best years were in the 70's, but didn't mind their transition to the 80's and all the power ballads that came with it. Essentially though, the real Heart to me is reflected in songs like "Dream of the Archer" and "Love Alive" which represents their style in the 70's so well.

I had no hesitation in buying this DVD because I am a Heart fan. However, I was not prepared for how fantastic it was going to be. The Wilson sisters are brilliant on stage and their voices are still top notch.

I own this DVD and their other DVD called "Alive In Seattle". The latter was released late in 2002. While very good it is not as brilliant as "the Road Home". "The Road Home" was filmed in 1995, and included "Dream of the Archer" (not included on 2002 Concert DVD), and featured more acoustic guitar moments. I am not sure if it was because they were younger then, but I just prefer "the Road Home" over the newer one.

The Wilson sisters are quite underrated in Australia which is a shame because they are true musicians who can put on a hell of a show.

I highly recommend "Heart: The Road Home" to all purchasers of music DVD's. You will not be disappointed.

I guess this was made during the "unplugged" craze, so what you get here is Heart unplugged (with strings). Me, I prefer Heart plugged. The Amazon description doesn't clue you in to this fact much, but the reviews do, so my bad for ordering.

As for the show, it is a good setlist and well done. A solid 4 stars. Sound and picture are 5 stars.

I yearn for a DVD concert of theirs from the late 70's or early 80's. Actually that goes for a lot of classic rock bands, not just Heart. I still believe the best rock music ever made was made during that period!

This was recorded in 1995, at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. I'm giving this DVD 5 stars in spite of the fact that it freezes occassionally, sometimes distractingly so. However, take that with a grain of salt, since my player is a first generation player, and it may or may not be the player's fault. However, I have tons of other DVDs that do not freeze. I know there is always a brief pause in all dual-layer DVDs as the player switches from one layer to the next, but this thing froze briefly about 6 different times during playback. But please bear in mind, I think it highly likely my player may not be advanced enough to handle this for whatever reason.

Aside from that though, I can find absolutely no fault with the concert, video quality, sound quality, or performance. I lost track of 'Heart' back when they switched into 'hit machine' mode in the '80s. This is my first exposure to them recently, aside from the usual radio stuff.

Most notable is the fact that Ann Wilson has apparently not been sitting idle all these years. Her voice remains absolutely astounding (I repeat ASTOUNDING!), which I know requires a lot of work to maintain. And hell, I had no idea sister Nancy could even sing, but oh yes, she can. Marvelous vocals, harmonies, and guitar playing from her. The orchestra sounds wonderful too, as do all supporting musicians.

It goes without saying that everyone who ever loved 'Heart' will greatly enjoy this. Heck, anyone who loves good music will love this.

The first time I watched this DVD, I was awestruck. The intimate setting is a perfect showcase for this fine acoustic concert. Heart just draws you in with their gorgeous harmonies and impeccable musicianship. I am a Heart fan from way back and they have always been one of my favorite groups. Also, Ann Wilson is my idol and for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to sing like she does.

Nancy explains in one of the extras how she went through the entire Heart catalogue of songs to select those which would work acoustically. I would have loved to have been there!! Also, there is a montage of comments from fans waiting outside and one lady said thanks to the group for playing "Cry to Me". I wish that had been on the programme!

Great moments in this concert are difficult to single out, because the whole thing is just so wonderful from start to finish. However, I played the performances of "Alone" (absolutely stunning - WOW), "Straight On", "Love Alive" and the amazing rendition of "Barracuda" over and over and over again!

A must for any Heart fan.

I've had the cd of this concert for six or eight years, and I still get goosebumps when I listen to "All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You." I had no idea that the concert was available on DVD until I stumbled upon it at the local video shop. It is spectacular.

What can i say Nancy and Ann unplugged. Video is fantastic and sound is good. This is a wonderful collection of Heart music done in an unplugged fashion with orchestra behind them. I highly recomend this DVD to any Heart fans for fresh new renditions of some fantastic songs presented up close and personal. I gave it 4 stars because I felt they could have done more with the 5.1 Dolby D track. Audio is still good but not in the same league with U2 live in Boston, Eagles, or Peter Gabriel.

I bought this one after enjoying Nancy Wilson's 'Live at McCabes Guitar Shop', looking for similar material and found this gem. Heart in their basics, precisely the return to acoustic and simple, powerful interpretations are incredible.
Special attention to Cherry Blossom Road, Back to Avalon, Alone, These Dreams, Love Hurts.
Although 'All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You' was not their favorite, their interpretation is at their best, our personal case, we love that song, it is simply incredible.
Thanks for that enormous show ....

This is a great intimate concert, excellently produced and the sound quality is great. This is a great gift for Heart fans. The only problem that I see with it is that it is titled the same as de CD, even the front cover is the same, but if you're expecting to see John Paul Jones playing mandolin as I was you have another thing coming as this concert it's not the same concert as the one used for the CD. John Paul Jones is not part of this performance.

A heart wrenching performance. It was half over with when I realised there was a tear in my eye and the ice in my un-touched drink had melted. Phenomenal acoustic sets with an eight piece wind and string orchestra in the back ground. Lanterns, persian rugs and incredible lighting. The emotionally charged and spellbinding vocal performance by Ann Wilson with Howard Leese on twelve string guitar and mandolin transported me to a higher plane. Is it a coincidence that in 1995 Plant/Page did their No Quarter acoustic/orchestra tour without John Paul Jones? Guess who provides a guest interview under the bonus part of this DVD? JPJ himself. He was credited by Annn and Nancy with arranging orchestra with their songs. He does not perform on this DVD but does play his mandolin on stage on the CD version of this concert.

This disk is getting a bit dated by modern production standards, but fans won't care much about that. The concert is what counts, and the audio is pretty darn good. The 5.1 surround mix is just basic ambience, and doesn't distract from the stage.

One segment that caught me was "Alone". Everything seemed to come together, and the rest of my listening room faded into the background. Ann knows her limits well. She can still keep it together in the tough places, and that keeps her on my "top rock voices" list.

I don't know what the Wilsons are doing these days, but I'd
love to see another concert in 720P, with a "live" DTS surround track. Expensive to do, but I can wish, right? --jim