Customer Reviews

Heart: In the Studio

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

 

 

This book is highly informative, especially if you're a producer looking to use certain equipment. Technical details tend to go on far too long. The casual fan/reader will easily get lost. There's little explanation as to why the equipment is used or as to the ideas behind the wiring techniques in some cases. Much of it means nothing to me.

There are glaring editing mistakes sprinkled throughout. For example, Wynonna's name is misspelled and spelled differently on the same page. Some of the album sales information is also a little bit off, as if the writer is interjecting wishful views into certain parts of Heart's ups and downs. Completely skipped over is the recording of Heart's stellar 1995 album "The Road Home", or the 2003 release of "Alive In Seattle".

The book is lacking strongly in two areas. The first, stories behind the songs. What was the inspiring spark? Not just of the best known 1970s hits any fan can recite, but the stories behind songs the band wrote in the 1980s to the present. The other missing link is Ann & Nancy's side of the story. Life-long friend and co-writer Sue Ennis fills in gaps wonderfully, as does long time guitarist Howard Leese, however, Ann & Nancy's comments are reduced to magazine article quotes for the most part, especially the further into their career you read. Did they have no interest in sharing the glory of their successes? They offer up none of their personal views of the pressures of recording. It's all second hand information, and praise for the most part. (What happens on an off day? How do you go about choosing the final tracks for an album if you've recorded two times too many to fit?) For example, there's a story about the recording of Mutt Lang's (of Def Leppard) material. In view of that story, what was his reaction to his music being completely rearranged into an acoustic setting on "The Road Home"? Or, why present the image the band loves a new album ("Heart, "Bad Animals", "Brigade", "Desire Walks On") upon its release, and years later, feel the need to look back on such incredible work with such disdain?

I recommend any fan pick up this book. Simply beware of holding some parts of it as definitive gospel. If you have a good memory, or stacks of magazines and fanclub newsletters to sift through, the mistakes will be very easy to find. The story presented in this book takes human beings and turns them into unapproachable gods simply because of the lacking parts. If those holes were filled in, this book might be a complete band autobiography. Maybe it's time something of that nature was penned. Otherwise, "Heart - In The Studio" still receives high marks from me! Even with its flaws, it's time the sisters Wilson were given the recognition they so richly deserve.

Like the other reviewers, this is a great book for fans. Some previously unknown stuff is brought out for each album, details we like and rarely find. But the mistakes are common and terrible. Names of people and equipment were often screwed up - the spelling of "Nevison" and "Levison" used in the same paragraph! Obviously no one proofread this book. (I was confused when he talked about two studios "Can Base" and "Mushroom", but I did online research and found it was the same place, but they didn't mention this in the book.)

Technical details ARE nice for those of us musicians who care, like the famous "Recording the Beatles" book - it shows how the technique affects a record's sound - like the first Heart album and why it sounds so good. But the writer doesn't really know the technical side, so the explanations are jumbled - confusing both the technical and average reader.

This book could do with a BIG rewrite....

This is a very good historical inside look at Heart. It follows the band from its genesis of the Wilson sisters in their Seattle home with childhood friend Sue Ennis, to Vancouver and Mushroom records, right on through to recent years. It is organized chronologically by album, and has intimate interviews with the sisters, other band members, record producers, friends, and others. It is perhaps the most insightful work I've read about the Wilson sisters and the band, and although I've been a huge Heart fan since the mid-70s, I learned many things I'd never know before. It was particularly interesting to get insights into some of the technical aspects of specific albums and songs. I'd say if you're a Heart fan, this book is a must-read!

I am a huge Heart fan and I found the book a little boring and full of errors. There are some great parts with insights by Sue Ennis, but that is about it. I was disappointed. If you are a Heart fan it will be nice to own, if not, then pass on this one.

Being a long time fan of "Heart" and loving their music for the past 3 decades, I was really looking forward to reading this book in the hopes of finding out what kinds of individuals could produce such gold. What I got instead was alot of technical jargon pertaining to the nuts and bolts of recording studio data. If you're a professional in the recording industry this might be of interest to you. This book's content is about 90% recording studio jargon and 10% about the band itself. I considered it mostly a waste of time and money. Better to just turn on my ipod and immerse myself in the music and draw my own conclusions:-)

As a lifelong Heart fan and someone with sound engineering experience this book was really interesting. How it got through to print with all the glaring editing errors I've no clue. My favorite was "faze" instead of "phase" LOL, still chuckling over that one. This has been a nice light read for me between other things and has given me some fun to return to the recordings and re-listen with a new ear.

When I got the book, I thought what could be in it? I am one of those guys who went from Dreamboat Annie to every following Heart album. Some were just excellent some only in parts for me. Anyway - I was curious. To make a long book short: It has all that explains most of the questions you have as a Heart fan. Why the musical breaks? Why does this or that track somehow not fit into the album? What is the story behind Magazine? For my part I found it really interesting to get to know the opinions of producers like Ron Nevison or Mark Spiro - just to name a few.

The book tells the story behind every album up to Ann WIlson's Hope and Glory. You get a close look about the drifting of the sisters through time and in which parts they were more active and in which a little passive. In the end you know the evolution of Ann and Nancy Wilson and why every album sounds as it does. Very likely after you have read the book you - like me - will know why you love some Heart songs more than others.

Too bad the book leaves one question open. Why was there "Tell it like it is"? This remains a now good kept mystery. I guess no one can explain that. So better leave it.

The book is all about the music. Don't expect personal details. It is simlpy just the way it should be.

I love Heart so I liked this book because it tells the story behind their music. Some parts to me got boring because they talked studio tech but hence the title "in the studio". But it's still worth the read.

Any fan of the group Heart - two sisters who produced a string of classic songs in the 70s and who continue to perform to this day - will want HEART: IN THE STUDIO. It follows Heart's evolution to present day, going behind the scenes of their various hit songs and albums and featuring interviews with the audio, their guitarist, and their producers. Heart fans as well as libraries strong in country or contemporary music will find this packed with insights and history.