Hope & Glory

Ann Wilson

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 11, 2007)
• Original Release Date: September 11, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Zoe Records
• ASIN: B000TAN8U0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,597 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Eight years after her sister, Nancy, released her own solo album, the all-acoustic Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, Heart's lead singer Ann Wilson takes a center-stage bow with Hope & Glory, a collection of social-commentary, message, and protest songs. Mostly covers from the '60s and '70s fleshed out with her own affecting "Little Problems, Little Lies" (told from the point of view of a dying soldier in the Iraq war), the album also happens to be duets with megawatt rock, country, and folk luminaries. Released, appropriately, on September 11, Hope & Glory--produced by Ben Mink (k.d. lang, Feist)--isn't a political treatise so much as an artful account of the suffering and devastation that all war and economic downturn brings. Yet several of the songs are so bombastic (particularly Elton John's "Where to Now St. Peter," with Sir Elton himself in attendance) as to suggest, well, if not the Apocalypse, certainly Doomsday. (Check out Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky," one of three songs on which the sisters Wilson harmonize). Not all the material keeps the focus on Wilson and friends, mostly because the tunes are so intrinsically identified with the original artist (John Lennon's "Isolation," Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall," where Rufus Wainwright and Shawn Colvin seem misused and out of place). And though it was always easy to draw a stylistic straight line from Led Zeppelin to Heart, Wilson's treatment of the former's "Immigrant Song" comes across as heavy-handed. She fares much better covering two other bands, the hippiefied Youngbloods (the chilling "Darkness, Darkness" and "Get Together") and the Animals ("We Gotta Get Out of This Place," on which Wilson and Nashville's Wynonna unite for a Joplinesque rave-up). The hard-singing Wilson strikes yin-yang perfection with both k.d. lang (on Lucinda Williams's "Jackson") and the pillow-voiced Alison Krauss (Neil Young's "War of Man"), even as her collaboration with Gretchen Wilson, "Bad Moon Rising," reduces the CCR classic to near buffoonery with a dominant hoedown fiddle. Hope & Glory is an uneven effort, and with its pervasive downer vibe, certainly a misnamed one. --Alanna Nash

Product Description

Ann Wilson is one of the best known voices in rock, having fronted the legendary band Heart since the mid-'70s. With hits like "Crazy on You" and "Barracuda," Heart was one of the most popular bands of the album rock era. In the '80s Heart found even greater success with monster MTV and radio hits such as "Alone" and "Never." Hope & Glory is Ann Wilson's first-ever solo album and includes guest appearances from luminaries Elton John, Deana Carter, Shawn Colvin, Alison Krauss, k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright, Gretchen Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Wynonna on a variety of classic covers selected for their insight into important current social issues, including Elton John's "Where to Now St. Peter?," Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," and Neil Young's "War of Man." Produced by Ben Mink (k.d. lang, Feist, Barenaked Ladies).

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreamboat Annie is BACK!, September 11, 2007

By	James Scott Falcone "sfliny" (East Meadow, New York United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having an advance copy of this CD gave me the opportunity to give it a good listen. For over two weeks this CD has not been out of my player in the car. When I first saw the song list I thought, Oh God not another CD of remakes of the classic rock songs that shined in the 70's. WAS I EVER WRONG!

Ann shines brightly as if we went from 1979 to 2007 jumping right past the 80's and 90's. The track I can't get enough of is the Led Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song ", with it's haunting sounds and classic harmony this is a killer track. Robert Plant should be proud of this version. Another surprise was the duet with Elton John on "Where To Now St. Peter?". Elton may not be in top form when singing solo but when harmonizing with Ann and having the Paul Buckmaster feel of the classic Elton songs this has become my favorite second song. Next is Pink Floyd's classic "Goodbye Blue Sky" simply perfect for Ann to recreate.

Some of the other choices to remake are not ones I would have chosen, but hear me out. She put a fresh new feel on every track. Even the Creedence Clearwater track "Bad Moon Rising" was reformatted to be only for Ann. I never thought I cold love this song by anyone else, WRONG AGAIN!

Now, who would have thought Ann would go country, well that also works. Thanks to Wynonna, who is a rocker at heart, and kd lang, Ann may get airplay on country music radio. Even teams of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are on the horizon next month for country radio. Although I'm not expecting much with that duet.

Unfortunatly these days there's no place on FM radio for this great soon to be classic music. I think you will only find this played on XM and Sirius radios.

I am Crazy on Ann! Don't pass on this CD if you remember how great those classic Heart songs are. This will bring you back to the days when music really meant something.

What are you waiting for add it to your cart now!
Enjoy.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Annie's Back... Thank God!, September 12, 2007

By	Sandy Frazier "www.sandrafrazier.com" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a Heart fan since 'Magazine' and 'Dreamboat Annie' and have loved Ann and Nancy since I was a kid. My friend, Scott, gave me a sneak preview of some of the songs on Ann's new record and I can tell you, it's been a long time since I got goosebumps from a record. I was so touched and moved by the richness of Ann's voice and her unique interpretations of these obviously carefully selected tunes; hearing her again was like hearing her for the first time - thrilling! I was so excited to once again listen to great harmonies, REAL music, REAL talent. America has reached a new cultural low with the recent VMA/MTV awards show; Ann's record is the perfect antidote and really reflects her versatility. She has restored my faith in good music once again. I was particularly excited to hear her cover of John Lennon's 'Isolation' - one of my favorite solo Lennon songs. Though 'St. Peter' really moved me with its haunting cadences... oh, Annie! More! Please, more!! It's so wonderful that she has released this new album of her favorite covers and I look forward to more more more!!! And especially more of her own music with Nancy.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope & Glory - Ann Wilson's voice has never been better, September 11, 2007

By	Andrea Gonzales "Ms. Tralwind" (Roaming with the Gnome) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most hard core Heart fans have waited a very long time for Ann Wilson to release a solo album. It was surprising to us that Nancy actually released hers first. Now, the wait is over and Hope & Glory is available to everyone.

Do not let the names of the guests on this album fool you. Ignore the fact that Nancy Wilson appears on three of the twelve tracks (25% of the album as one reviewer pointed out). This is indeed an Ann Wilson solo album. There is never a doubt on any of these songs who the star is here.

If you are one of those fans who loves when Heart does originals, your knee-jerk-reaction might be to dismiss this album since only 1 song is an original. Do not make that mistake. If you do, you will miss out on perhaps the best recorded studio performance Ann Wilson has ever given. Ben Mink does an excellent job producing Ann and the album showcases Ann's voice with its various facets in a way no Heart album ever has.

If I had to categorize this album into a specific genre - I wouldn't even know where to begin. I guess Americana is the new in word for this eclectic mix of musical styles. It is nothing like you've ever heard Ann do before.

Highlights are Jackson, Darkness Darkness, and War of Man. But no song is done as masterfully as Isolation.

In 1999 when Ann and Nancy toured with their acoustic show, they covered Mother by John Lennon. To this day, I remember the chills I got hearing Ann sing a song that was so emotionally personal for John. It was as if she channeled John that night. I love that this Beatles fan that gravitated more towards Paul McCartney seems to embrace the John Lennon songs first.

Most of the songs John Lennon wrote for his first effort post Beatles were immensely personal. When I first heard Ann was going to cover Isolation, I was excited about it. She did such an amazing job with Mother, I was sure she would do Isolation justice as well. When I finally got to hear Isolation, I was not disappointed. Ann's version stands on its own merits. Isolation is such a perfect fit for Ann's voice. Hearing that it only took one take to get what's actually on the album, only heightened my appreciation of Ann's version. It is a perfect vehicle to showcase all the facets of Ann's voice. No doubt, John Lennon would be proud.

Ann selected most of these songs to make a statement about the times in which we live and how we, as a country keep repeating the same mistakes. She said she wanted to do it in a way that doesn't cram the message down your throat. Ann should be happy to know that she's accomplished that.

Ann's solo album is finally here and it was well worth the wait. And for most Ann Wilson fans who say they'd be happy to hear Ann sing the phone book, you will be glad to know that she's giving you much more than that on this album. She's giving you her soul. And a beautiful soul it is.