EP review: THE ANN WILSON THING – Focus

THE ANN WILSON THING - Focus

Rounder Records [Release date 12.08.16]

Essentially Heart minus Nancy Wilson, The Ann Wilson Thing is a vehicle for Ann to ‘give it large’ without her younger sibling by her side.

The band’s second EP features two cover live covers – Hendix’s ‘Manic Depression’ and Peter Gabriel’s ‘Don’t Give Up’, and two originals co-written with Heart guitarist Craig Bartock.

It’s arguable whether the world needs another cover of ‘Manic Depression’.  As you’d expect all the stops are pulled out but frankly no one did it better than Jimi.  And similarly with ‘Don’t Give Up’, while no one has a better set of ‘pipes’ than Ann Wilson, the Kate Bush original simply can’t be bettered.

Of the new songs – the restrained live version of ‘Fighten Fer Life’ (do you lose your ability to spell when you reach state pension age?) is a slow burner, and ‘Anguish’ is another slow broody number.  But would either make the cut on a Heart album?  It’s a close call.  ***

Review by Pete Whalley

Album review (Heart, Beautiful Broken)


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