The story of Heart is a story of heart and soul and rock ’n’ roll. Since finding their love of music and performing as teenagers in Seattle, Washington, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, have been part of the American rock music landscape. From 70s classics like “Magic Man” and “Barracuda” to chart- topping 80s ballads like “Alone,” and all the way up to 2012, when they will release their latest studio album, Fanatic, Heart has been thrilling their fans and producing hit after hit. In Kicking and Dreaming, the Wilsons recount their story as two sisters who have a shared over three decades on the stage, as songwriters, as musicians, and as the leaders of one of our most beloved rock bands. An intimate, honest, and a uniquely female take on the rock and roll life, readers of bestselling music memoirs like Life by Keith Richards and Steven Tyler’s Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? will love this quintessential music story finally told from a female perspective.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Righteously entertaining….[it] shows just what it’s like to be a woman who rocks, then and now.” (New York Daily News)
“Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson—better known as the faces and voices of Heart—look back on the personal and professional struggles and triumphs that define their legacy as one of rock’s pioneering female-fronted, creatively autonomous acts.” (USA Today)
“Thorough and entertaining….[Kicking and Dreaming is] satisfying for its breadth and spirit….the Wilsons write movingly and with a sense of humor.” (Miami Herald)
“An interesting duet that details precisely how women truly rock.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson—better known as the faces and voices of Heart—look back on the personal and professional struggles and triumphs that define their legacy as one of rock’s pioneering female-fronted, creatively autonomous acts.” (USA Today)
“Thorough and entertaining….[Kicking and Dreaming is] satisfying for its breadth and spirit….the Wilsons write movingly and with a sense of humor.” (Miami Herald)
“An interesting duet that details precisely how women truly rock.” (Kirkus Reviews)
From the Back Cover
Two sisters. Two voices. One Heart.
The mystery of "Magic Man." The wicked riff of "Barracuda." The sadness and beauty of "Alone." The raw energy of "Crazy On You." These songs, and so many more, are part of the fabric of American music. Heart, fronted by Ann and Nancy Wilson, has given fans everywhere classic, raw, and pure badass rock and roll for more than three decades. As the only sisters in rock who write their own music and play their own instruments, Ann and Nancy have always stood apart—certainly from their male counterparts but also from their female peers. By refusing to let themselves and their music be defined by their gender, and by never allowing their sexuality to overshadow their talent, the Wilson sisters have made their mark, and in the process paved the way for many of today's female artists.
In Kicking and Dreaming, Ann and Nancy, with the help of critically acclaimed and bestselling music biographer Charles R. Cross, recount a journey that has taken them from a gypsy-like life as the children of a globe-trotting Marine to the frozen back roads of Vancouver, where they got their start as a band, to the pinnacle of success—and sometimes excess. In these pages, readers will learn the truth about the relationship that inspired "Magic Man" and "Crazy On You," the turmoil of inter-band romances gone awry, the reality of life on the road as single women and then as mothers of small children, and the thrill of performing and in some cases partying with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks, Van Halen, Def Leppard, and other rock legends. It has not always been an easy path. Ann struggled with and triumphed over a childhood stutter, body image, and alcoholism; Nancy suffered the pain and disappointment of fertility issues and a failed marriage but ultimately found love again and happiness as a mom. Through it all, the sisters drew from the strength of a family bond that trumps everything else, as told in this intimate, honest, and uniquely female take on the rock and roll life.
Throughout their career, Ann and Nancy have never found an answer to the question they are most frequently asked: "What is it like to be a woman in rock and roll?" Kicking and Dreaming puts that question to bed, once and for all.
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More About the Author
Originally from Seattle, Washington, ANN and NANCY WILSON are the leaders of the rock band Heart. Heart have released more than a dozen albums, selling 35 million records worldwide. They continue to tour all over the world, most recently with Def Leppard in the summer of 2011. Their next album release is planned for late 2012.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
... at a time when other girls wanted to MARRY the Beatles. For Ann and Nancy Wilson, making music was almost always an important part of their lives. The challenge, then, lay in figuring out how they could make successful careers out of doing it. But if their ancestor Hannah Dustin could wield a tomahawk and kill her captors to gain her freedom in colonial Massachusetts, then surely the Wilson sisters could don guitars, approach microphones, and slay audiences in the twentieth century. Eventually, of course, they would.
Here they share their story in their own voices: a duet on the printed page, toggling back and forth between the two women. It's as if we are sitting across the table from them in a coffee shop, just listening to the two of them recount their experiences and memories. Other voices of friends and fellow musicians chime in when necessary. (After all: the sisters are "merely" the front-women for a full-fledged rock band.) But this one belongs to the Wilsons.
This book is everything fans of rock music and of Heart could ask for. We learn of their beginnings and growing up in a mobile military family, and then settling down in Bellevue, Washington. The sisters played at any venue that would have them in the early 1970s; and at one point they were known as "Little Led Zeppelin" because they played so many Zep covers. We follow them to Vancouver, British Columbia, and tag along as the band called Heart begins to gain real popularity and initially, in Canada. After that, the path becomes a whirlwind course of music, touring, fame, and fortune, that spans the course of four decades.
Naturally, we are treated to some juicy tales from that insider world of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. We meet the real-life men and witness the incidents that inspired the lyrics to "Magic Man" and "Barracuda." The surrealism of the performers' rising position shows up in their inevitable interactions with other celebrities: the members of Led Zeppelin themselves, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the Van Halen brothers, Mick Jagger. Then there are all sorts of other "Devil's bargains" that arise, even beyond the easy availability of drugs and alcohol. The women learn firsthand about ethics and legalities of binding contracts in the recording industry. They are almost constantly confronted by the blatant sexism of the chauvinistic business they happen to be in, having to endure insults about appearances even while fending off unwanted advances. Even so, through the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, we can see their personal and professional lives change course with the inevitable progress of maturity.
It's always a gift to be able to see behind the curtain: to find out what went on in our favorite performers' lives while we were living out our own dramas, out in the audience. Now in their 60s (!), Ann and Nancy Wilson share their memories with a clear retrospective view. Not only are these women still performing, but they are still kicking and dreaming and above all, still keeping the love alive. It's easy to turn these pages to the strains of "Dog and Butterfly," "These Dreams," and other Heart songs ringing in your head, supplying a background to the narrative.
"Kicking and Dreaming" is highly recommended reading for rock music fans of any kind, whether or not they have ever followed Heart. This book is sure to create new "Heart Mongers" as a result. These talented sisters deserve them.
Here they share their story in their own voices: a duet on the printed page, toggling back and forth between the two women. It's as if we are sitting across the table from them in a coffee shop, just listening to the two of them recount their experiences and memories. Other voices of friends and fellow musicians chime in when necessary. (After all: the sisters are "merely" the front-women for a full-fledged rock band.) But this one belongs to the Wilsons.
This book is everything fans of rock music and of Heart could ask for. We learn of their beginnings and growing up in a mobile military family, and then settling down in Bellevue, Washington. The sisters played at any venue that would have them in the early 1970s; and at one point they were known as "Little Led Zeppelin" because they played so many Zep covers. We follow them to Vancouver, British Columbia, and tag along as the band called Heart begins to gain real popularity and initially, in Canada. After that, the path becomes a whirlwind course of music, touring, fame, and fortune, that spans the course of four decades.
Naturally, we are treated to some juicy tales from that insider world of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. We meet the real-life men and witness the incidents that inspired the lyrics to "Magic Man" and "Barracuda." The surrealism of the performers' rising position shows up in their inevitable interactions with other celebrities: the members of Led Zeppelin themselves, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the Van Halen brothers, Mick Jagger. Then there are all sorts of other "Devil's bargains" that arise, even beyond the easy availability of drugs and alcohol. The women learn firsthand about ethics and legalities of binding contracts in the recording industry. They are almost constantly confronted by the blatant sexism of the chauvinistic business they happen to be in, having to endure insults about appearances even while fending off unwanted advances. Even so, through the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, we can see their personal and professional lives change course with the inevitable progress of maturity.
It's always a gift to be able to see behind the curtain: to find out what went on in our favorite performers' lives while we were living out our own dramas, out in the audience. Now in their 60s (!), Ann and Nancy Wilson share their memories with a clear retrospective view. Not only are these women still performing, but they are still kicking and dreaming and above all, still keeping the love alive. It's easy to turn these pages to the strains of "Dog and Butterfly," "These Dreams," and other Heart songs ringing in your head, supplying a background to the narrative.
"Kicking and Dreaming" is highly recommended reading for rock music fans of any kind, whether or not they have ever followed Heart. This book is sure to create new "Heart Mongers" as a result. These talented sisters deserve them.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heart Fans - A wonderful book by two of the top ladies in rock.
September 25, 2012
By Jim
Format:Hardcover
A most excellent read (took my time reading it over 6 days). Some random thoughts in no particular order...
The beginning of the book that builds up from their childhood, while a tad on the long end of things (compared to the rest of the book), is very important to laying a strong foundation for the rest of the book and the choices they would make. However after this deep dive on their childhood, it seems like they really glossed over the tours and their thoughts on the actual stages and the set lists (as I am sure like most any other band, set lists for tours can be the subject of passionate discussions about what songs to play and what songs to leave out). Ann touched on it briefly with some commentary on her talks with the Def Leppard lead singer and how they both felt somewhat a prisoner in terms of playing their big hits at every single show, but beyond that, not much at all. I would have loved to hear about what their favorite tours were (and why) in the 70's, 80's, 90's and the 2000's. They should have added in another section of pictures as well with more stuff from the mid 80's 90's and 2000's from their tours. I bring this up as Heart is an amazing live band in terms of their sound, and their live shows are top notch in terms of their stage presence.
A band like Heart that has played concerts in 5 different decades in terms of the 1970's through today, should have all sorts of interesting stories that bring us behind the scenes as a fly on the wall during their recording sessions and touring. There were some interesting/fun stories, so do not get me wrong, I just have a feeling these were just scratching the surface. Perhaps they felt it did not fit their overall narrative on the story they wanted to tell so they kept those stories dialed back.
Seeing as I am a guy that gobbles up almost any Led Zeppelin book I can get my hands on (and there are a good number of them), I would love to see something from Heart a little more deep on their entire career, vs. the deep dive on their childhood and then blasting through the 1980's to today at a frenzied pace. These were key years for Heart.
For instance, one of my all-time favorite Heart CDs is "The Road Home". It is my most listened to CD of all time. You can put it on anywhere and it simply puts a person in a zen-like state with those acoustic guitars and their lovely voices. And they simply touched on the recording of that CD and then nothing more.
Granted, as with most things, this is just a case of me simply wanting more of a good thing (as the book was a indeed good thing). If this book does well, I wonder if Heart would ever consider a career spanning large book with pictures and fun commentary of their CDs and their tours/adventures. Just look at some of the excellent Led Zeppelin books and join forces with one of those publishers/authors on something from the Heart archives.
From this book, I think we have learned that all those rumors about Ann turning her back on men in general are not true. And her willpower is steadfast once she puts her mind to it. And we also learned that Nancy is a pretty shy person in general (vs. her rocker pixie persona on stage in the middle of a live show as she rocks out for everyone).
From this book, I think we have also learned that life is tough - even for a couple of rock godesses like Ann and Nancy. They are flawed humans just like the rest of us. But it is those human flaws that made them who they are over the years by building their character which then really drove them in their darkest hours to keep on fighting/living and not give up. The story of their final hours with their mother and how doctors have found that the memory of music is the last thing to go with a person battling alzheimers (sorry if I spelled it wrong) had me wiping away tears. Just a couple of daughters singing for their mother to try and send her off surrounded by their love and their music was so vivid from the words on the page. The respect you gain for these two ladies as real people is overflowing after reading this wonderful book.
I cannot recommend this new book highly enough to any Heart fan (moderate fan to Fanatic fan). Anyone cruising these reviews on Amazon would most likely be a moderate Heart fan at a minimum. So if you are reading this, then go pick this book up straight away. You will enjoy the stories and the overall narrative/message. A couple of very strong ladies behind some very strong music...
Make it a great rest of the week everyone. And stay classy....planet earth...
Jim
The beginning of the book that builds up from their childhood, while a tad on the long end of things (compared to the rest of the book), is very important to laying a strong foundation for the rest of the book and the choices they would make. However after this deep dive on their childhood, it seems like they really glossed over the tours and their thoughts on the actual stages and the set lists (as I am sure like most any other band, set lists for tours can be the subject of passionate discussions about what songs to play and what songs to leave out). Ann touched on it briefly with some commentary on her talks with the Def Leppard lead singer and how they both felt somewhat a prisoner in terms of playing their big hits at every single show, but beyond that, not much at all. I would have loved to hear about what their favorite tours were (and why) in the 70's, 80's, 90's and the 2000's. They should have added in another section of pictures as well with more stuff from the mid 80's 90's and 2000's from their tours. I bring this up as Heart is an amazing live band in terms of their sound, and their live shows are top notch in terms of their stage presence.
A band like Heart that has played concerts in 5 different decades in terms of the 1970's through today, should have all sorts of interesting stories that bring us behind the scenes as a fly on the wall during their recording sessions and touring. There were some interesting/fun stories, so do not get me wrong, I just have a feeling these were just scratching the surface. Perhaps they felt it did not fit their overall narrative on the story they wanted to tell so they kept those stories dialed back.
Seeing as I am a guy that gobbles up almost any Led Zeppelin book I can get my hands on (and there are a good number of them), I would love to see something from Heart a little more deep on their entire career, vs. the deep dive on their childhood and then blasting through the 1980's to today at a frenzied pace. These were key years for Heart.
For instance, one of my all-time favorite Heart CDs is "The Road Home". It is my most listened to CD of all time. You can put it on anywhere and it simply puts a person in a zen-like state with those acoustic guitars and their lovely voices. And they simply touched on the recording of that CD and then nothing more.
Granted, as with most things, this is just a case of me simply wanting more of a good thing (as the book was a indeed good thing). If this book does well, I wonder if Heart would ever consider a career spanning large book with pictures and fun commentary of their CDs and their tours/adventures. Just look at some of the excellent Led Zeppelin books and join forces with one of those publishers/authors on something from the Heart archives.
From this book, I think we have learned that all those rumors about Ann turning her back on men in general are not true. And her willpower is steadfast once she puts her mind to it. And we also learned that Nancy is a pretty shy person in general (vs. her rocker pixie persona on stage in the middle of a live show as she rocks out for everyone).
From this book, I think we have also learned that life is tough - even for a couple of rock godesses like Ann and Nancy. They are flawed humans just like the rest of us. But it is those human flaws that made them who they are over the years by building their character which then really drove them in their darkest hours to keep on fighting/living and not give up. The story of their final hours with their mother and how doctors have found that the memory of music is the last thing to go with a person battling alzheimers (sorry if I spelled it wrong) had me wiping away tears. Just a couple of daughters singing for their mother to try and send her off surrounded by their love and their music was so vivid from the words on the page. The respect you gain for these two ladies as real people is overflowing after reading this wonderful book.
I cannot recommend this new book highly enough to any Heart fan (moderate fan to Fanatic fan). Anyone cruising these reviews on Amazon would most likely be a moderate Heart fan at a minimum. So if you are reading this, then go pick this book up straight away. You will enjoy the stories and the overall narrative/message. A couple of very strong ladies behind some very strong music...
Make it a great rest of the week everyone. And stay classy....planet earth...
Jim
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Heart001
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Please let me state...I love Ann and Nancy Wilson. They both are brilliant Musicians beyond anyones comprehension. Their latest endeavor, "Fanatic" is by far one of my favorite CD's and love every single song on it. They have brought Rock and Roll to a whole new level of greatness.
However, I felt the content of the book seemed like a written interview and could've easily been discussed on a talk show. We've heard the stories before.
I felt their stories were often times predictable and no different from any other artist. (Of course I've been following their careers since the early days of "Dreamboat Annie") So with my previous comment, it's no surprize, I already knew most of the content.
Most of what was shared was very heartfelt and genuine. I loved the parts that discussed the early days of when the group first started. Especially about Ann and Michael Fisher. Their early childhoods were very fascinating. I really enjoyed the heartfelt stories in reference to their parents.
This book gives a very good and clear insight of who they really are. But then again, they've never made pretense of anything less. Ann and Nancy both are beautiful souls.
It's a good read and I enjoyed it. I finished it in 4 days, but felt it ended too abruptly. There could've been so much more added that just wasn't. I don't blame this on the Wilson sisters as much as I do Charles Cross and the publishing company. They missed out on an opportunity here to really show and focus on the true brilliance of these two incredible and amazing women.
I do recommend this book to anyone that is remotely a Heart fan. But true fans...much like myself, already know most of the content.
Would love to see a true documentary on Heart. Now that would truly be amazing.
However, I felt the content of the book seemed like a written interview and could've easily been discussed on a talk show. We've heard the stories before.
I felt their stories were often times predictable and no different from any other artist. (Of course I've been following their careers since the early days of "Dreamboat Annie") So with my previous comment, it's no surprize, I already knew most of the content.
Most of what was shared was very heartfelt and genuine. I loved the parts that discussed the early days of when the group first started. Especially about Ann and Michael Fisher. Their early childhoods were very fascinating. I really enjoyed the heartfelt stories in reference to their parents.
This book gives a very good and clear insight of who they really are. But then again, they've never made pretense of anything less. Ann and Nancy both are beautiful souls.
It's a good read and I enjoyed it. I finished it in 4 days, but felt it ended too abruptly. There could've been so much more added that just wasn't. I don't blame this on the Wilson sisters as much as I do Charles Cross and the publishing company. They missed out on an opportunity here to really show and focus on the true brilliance of these two incredible and amazing women.
I do recommend this book to anyone that is remotely a Heart fan. But true fans...much like myself, already know most of the content.
Would love to see a true documentary on Heart. Now that would truly be amazing.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
I love this group
Even though they are sisters, I think the group Heart is great and their music is wonderful. I wanted to read about their personal struggles and successes.
Published 4 days ago by Leann Gilbreath
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insight onto Heart
Bought this Kicking & Dreaming Book along with the Fanatic Album for my husband’s birthday.
He was very surprised and loved it. He read it in just a few days. Read more
He was very surprised and loved it. He read it in just a few days. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Niurka L. Diaz
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better then I thought it would be
I wasn't so sure about buying this book, but I am glad I did. The Wilson sisters went through a lot to get their career going. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Maryann Bryant
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feedback on Kicking and Dreaming
Loved it! I live in the Seattle area and found it interesting to read about Ann and Nancy's struggle as pioneering women in a man's world. Read more
Published 12 days ago by pvanarna
4.0 out of 5 stars
They Dive Down Deep
I will admit up front that I did not read the hard copy or the e-book, but rather listened to the audio book and was thoroughly surprised to hear the narrators were none other than... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Gregg Akkerman
5.0 out of 5 stars
For fans of the band
As a huge fan of the band I enjoyed the whole read, for non fans or the casual reader , I'm not so sure you'll be into this story , even though its a good one.
Published 14 days ago by michael c mcdonald
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heart
Enjoyed this; wished it was longer with more detail from both the Wilson sisters. Wanted more photos too. But a good read.
Published 15 days ago by mountain mary
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent story...
I've been a Heart fan since I first heard Barracuda on the am radio in my 1965 Ford Fairlane on my way to work in the 70's... Read more
Published 16 days ago by victoria medeiros
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still Kicking!
Most rocker books leave me wishing I had stuck to the music and not read the book, as more often than not the subject of the book turns out to not be a very nice person. Read more
Published 16 days ago by admat97
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great view of women in rock and roll
These women were pioneers. I loved reading about what they went through. It's a story about the strength of family that wins out over all.
Published 20 days ago by Kim Schubert
