Album review: HEART & FRIENDS – Home For The Holidays

Frontiers [Release date 10.11.14] www.frontiers.it

I am not normally a fan of these seasonal type efforts, particularly if they have been recorded in June, and even worse if it is somewhere warm and sunny like the Bahamas (a la most of the Seventies Christmas number ones!!); however, I am pleased to say that Heart’s new album “Home For The Holidays” was recorded last December live in their hometown of Seattle.

The “Friends” from the album’s title include Richard Marx, Sammy Hagar, Shawn Colvin and Train’s Pat Monahan and they join Heart on a collection of Christmas inspired tunes, and a couple of old favourites.

The first few songs feature just vocals and either strings, piano or an acoustic set up and on “The River” in particular you can hear exactly how breathless the vocal of the Wilson sisters are.

Part way through the proceedings we get a brand new poem entitled “Poem”, then we come to the duets with Sammy Hagar – “Love Is An Island” (from his own recent “& Friends” album) and “Santa’s Going South”, Richard Marx’s appearance on “All Through The Night”, Shawn Colvin on the piano-led “Rocking” and “Please Come Home For Christmas” featuring Pat Monahan.

Other highlights include Heart’s own “Barracuda”, “Even It Up” and a breathtaking ten minute rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven”.With “Stairway” the band are accompanied by a full choir and perform the song the way they did for the 2012 Kennedy Centre Honours where they paid tribute to Zeppelin.

All in all, “Home for The Holidays” is a great Christmassy album and, whilst you may not want to play it while the family tuck in on the big day, I am sure it will make an appearance somewhere. ***1/2

Review by Nikk Gunns

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)