The first listen to Heart’s latest album, Fanatic, released some 35 years later after Dreamboat Annie (1976), should easily dispel the notion that any legacy band from the ’70s cannot really record viable albums this late into their career. With Fanatic, not only have Heart issued a strong album that can measure up to some of their earlier works, but they have also re-established themselves as a band with something to say with the musical chops to say it.
Fanatic has ten tracks, almost every one a keeper. The album opens with hard-kicking, “Fanatic”, slips into “Dear Old America”, before surprising you with “Walkin’ Good”, a different song than anything else found on Fanatic. “Walkin’ Good” features Sarah McLachlan, who helps Heart with a solid contribution, although I wonder whether its inclusion actually fits.
However, if you can get past “Walkin’ Good” (it’s not a bad song, it’s just musically different than the rest), then the remaining seven songs will not disappoint you in any way.
Heart has gone to great length to prove that they can still rock with the best. And they sure can. They do it with evolutionary ease on Fanatic. If you’re a Heart fan, and you have fallen out of their sphere, then you should check back in on this one. Fanatic is one for the collection. It is also a worthy followup to Red Velvet Car. In fact, it is a much, much better album.
Heart is still very much in control. Fanatic proves it.
Release Date: October 2, 2012
–Matt Rowe
I am awaiting this cd from Amazon. Now you’ve given me some hope that it will be decent. Red Velvet Car didn’t strike a chord with me as much as Jupiters Darlings did. I thought that album marked their comeback from obscurity and back into relevance.