the-ann-wilson-thing-1-record

The Ann Wilson Thing: #1 Record

Ann Wilson opts to step out on her own and explore some terrain where Heart otherwise wouldn’t tread.
The Ann Wilson Thing
#1
Rounder

If Ann Wilson never made another record, her imprint on modern music would still be assured. So it’s a credit to her restless spirit that she opts to step out on her own and explore some terrain where Heart otherwise wouldn’t tread. #1 isn’t her first individual excursion; her solo debut, Hope & Glory first appeared in 2007. However it does take her much further from the radio ready rock she purveys with her day job. Aside from one original, “Fool No More”, it consists entirely of covers. The bluesy ballads “Ain’t No Way” and “Danger Zone” find her opting for petulant R&B, ALA Aretha and Mavis Staples, but the biggest surprise comes with her turbulent reworking of “For What It’s Worth”, which stays true to the ominous overtures of the original while throwing in hints of “Sympathy for the Devil” as well. Now that shows Heart.

RATING 6 / 10