Strange Euphoria (Amazon Exclusive Version)

Heart | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 1, 2012
• Number of Discs: 4
• Label: Epic/Legacy
• Copyright: This compilation (P) 2012 Sony Music Entertainment
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 3:42:03
• Genres:
  • Rock
• ASIN: B00866SEIA
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,307 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 79 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Career-spanning 3-CD/1-DVD box set with many previously unreleased treats June 5, 2012

By hyperbolium

Format:Audio CD

There has been no shortage of hits packages for Heart, starting with 1980's Heart's Greatest Hits: Live, which at the time seemed to sum up a fading band's run of commercial success. But with the release of 1985's Heart, the Wilson sisters sparked a major comeback with their band, and by 1995, set off nearly annual production of anthologies and album reissues. In addition to single- and double-disc sets (including 1998's Greatest Hits and 2002's Essential), the band released a live run-through of their debut album on both CD and DVD. But as the band's career stretched into the twenty-first century with Jupiters Darling and Red Velvet Car, and the Wilson sisters recorded solo and with their side-project, The Lovemongers, existing anthologies have fallen out of date.

Epic/Legacy cures this problem with a 3-CD, 1-DVD set that expands across Heart's entire recorded legacy, including hits, album sides, live performances, demos and rarities. And rounding out the Wilsons' legacy are solo selections and a pair by the Lovemongers.... All together, twenty of the CDs' fifty-one tracks are previously unreleased, and the DVD serves up a fifty-five minute live performance recorded in 1976 at Washington State University's television station, KWSU. The opening instrumental of this vintage performance, as well as a scorching version of "Sing Child Sing," shows the group's progressive colors, but as they kick into "Heartless," it's clear that Heart was ready to rock. Hard. With the band's debut album just released, they had the goods, but not yet the fame the album's hits would bring. The video's lighting, camera work and mono sound are good, and the picture (including some primitive special effects) holds up well for something no one probably thought would become historically important.

The CD set begins the Wilsons' very first single, "Through Eyes and Glass" recorded as Ann Wilson & The Daybreaks in 1968, and released locally on the Topaz label. Key elements of Heart can be heard in the elder Wilson's voice and flute, though the brooding mood is more connected to 1960s ballrooms than 1970s arenas. Skipping ahead to mid-70s demos, it feels as if the gauze of `60s acid culture has been lifted. Even in this early form, "Magic Man," crackles with passion in both the rhythm and vocals. There's a healthy dose of neo-psych in the guitar solo, but the song is undeniably powerful and anthemic. Other demos, such as "How Deep it Goes" and "Crazy on You," are closer to final form, with Heart's signature blend of electric and hard-strummed acoustic in place on the latter. Ann Wilson had yet to unleash her full vocal power in these demos, but you can hear how the songs will push her to great heights.

Though the box set covers songs from all thirteen Heart studio albums, they're presented in a mix of studio, live and demo versions. The disputed Magazine album is represented by demos of "Here Song" and "Heartless," the first of which actually sounds more polished than its album release, and a live version of "Devil Delight" that appears on the DVD. 1990's Brigade offers up a demo of "Under the Sky" that is truly compelling in its lack of big studio gloss. Other demos, like the acoustic-guitar accompanied "Dog & Butterfly" show off the Wilsons' songwriting, rather than Heart's instrumental and production talents. Although the band's commercial fortunes began to decline after 1980's Bebe le Strange, they returned to commercial dominance in 1985 with five singles from Heart. Chief among the successes, and indicative of the band's changes, was "These Dreams." Written by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page, and sung by Nancy Wilson, the sound traded in the band's guitar rock for synth-dominated modern pop, and navigated the commercial winds for the band's first chart topper.

Heart remained commercially vital throughout the `80s, with Bad Animals and Brigade selling multi-platinum and spinning off multiple charting singles, but artistically, their demos, such as the terrific "Unconditional Love" and "Under the Sky" often showed more earthiness and soul than their heavily-produced albums. The first-half of the set's third-disc is devoted to non-Heart material from the Lovemongers, solo performances, and live and demo tracks that were never remade in the studio. With the big hair `90s receding in the rear view mirror, the Wilsons returned to the more organic rock and blues roots with which they started the `70s, and the demos show that they still had ideas other people couldn't fathom as Heart material. The disc closes out with songs from the band's last three albums, plus "Little Problems, Little Lies," from Ann Wilson's solo release, Hope & Glory.

Curated by Ann and Nancy Wilson, with notes that detail how songs and performances came into being, this is an artist's view of their career, and one that may not completely agree with a fan's perspective. The demos and live tracks provide new angles on well-known songs, and the video gives latter-day fans a peek at what they missed seeing and hearing live in the mid-70s. Someone looking for a recitation of the biggest hits in their original form is better off with a single-disc collection or a couple of original albums; with nearly two-dozen charting singles (including a handful of Top 10s) missing from the track lineup, this box is more of a supplement to a Heart fan's existing collection than a place to start one anew. At over an hour each, the CDs are well stocked, and the live video is an unparalleled treat. [©2012 Hyperbolium] Read more ›

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hardcore Heart fans need/want more unreleased stuff ! June 14, 2012

By Jim

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a hardcore Heart fan (who I imagine this set is more geared towards), I really love the unreleased gems that give us all more of Ann's amazing voice singing great tunes. Ann is a vocal force of nature and I could listen to her singing the dang phone book. I do not really mind that there were a number of songs that I already have on the rest of their CDs that I own (which of course is their entire collection), but it would be nice to get ahold of even more unreleased stuff from their vaults. The packaging is flashy/nice but not particularly functional for taking on a road trip in the car(granted, that is what iPods are for these days). It is a boxed set collection afterall, but the key for DVD/CD packaging needs to be keeping the discs in good/safe condition first and foremost - then the flash.

I would love to see Heart cater more to their hardcore loyal fans with more boutique offerings that showcase their rarer songs/unreleased tracks & classic DVD concerts. I am talking the fans that purchase every single release they do and also get out to see them live whenever they are in town (they are in MN in two weeks and then coming back again a couple weeks later - Woo Hoo!) They have been doing a most excellent job on their more recent concerts, but look at what KISS did with their DVD compilation sets of their classic live shows from over the years. They sold millions of each set. And they were old live shows that have sitting around in their archives collecting dust. It is essentially free money and it gives fans what they want vs. having to go get them on the bootleg market to get their fix on more Heart.

And empty out that archive like Bon Jovi did with their 4 CD boxed set of all unreleased tracks approx 10 years ago.... I would love to see a massive boxed set of all unreleased Heart stuff and classic live shows to present day on CD/DVD!

Anyhow, my wife and I totally dig Heart and purchase everything they come out with (solo stuff included) as we want to support them making amazing music until they decide to call it a day and kick back with their pooches and watch the sun set...

Looking forward to their new CD and their live shows. And their new book!

A loyal MN Heart Monger

Jim Read more ›

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Box Set June 6, 2012

By JPidge12

Format:Audio CD

I've been waiting for this box set for weeks now, and it is safe to say that it was worth the wait! This box set comes with 3 CDs, and 1 DVD spanning Heart's whole career. The discs had all of my favorite classic hits, along with some demos, and unreleased tracks (which I really enjoyed!). There was also the additional CD with 5 Led Zeppelin cover songs that I really love. My favorite part of the box set though would have to be the live performances; Heart really rocks out in them. Any Heart fan should definitely check Strange Euphoria Out.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is for the fans June 7, 2012

By Allen Chapman VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The long awaited boxed set from Heart, "Strange Euphoria" is finally out, this set was first announced back in the late 90's. Have been waiting ever since and well worth the wait. Really great set, and what makes it so great is that it is NOT a greatest hits set. It's mostly unreleased demos or live recordings. There are some album cuts, but a lot more unreleased stuff. "Alone" and "These Dreams" are the album versions, but "Magic Man", "Crazy On You" and "Barracuda" are either the original demo or live version. It also focuses almost entirely on Wilson Sister originals, so there isn't a lot of their 80's hits (which they didn't write).
This is a great set and truly one for the fans, if you want the hits, pick up one of their many hits collections. Also included is a DVD of an one hour live performance from 1976 just after the release of "Dreamboat Annie". Compiled by Ann and Nancy along with their notes on each track. Really nice set!!
The Amazon bonus disc of Led Zeppelin covers is a cool addition. As every Heart fan knows, Ann and Nancy are huge Zep fans and have covered their material many times over the years. The only track missing from the Zep CD is Ann's incredible live take on "Stairway To Heaven" with the British Rock Symphony from 1999.
The packaging is nice, but being oversized, this set won't really fit too well in your CD rack. A minor complaint to an otherwise stellar collection.