Dreamboat Annie (SACD)

Press “play” and experience the textures of the guitars, full range of Ann Wilson’s voice, spacious backdrops of the arrangements, and rhythmic momentum — crucial components of Heart’s songs — free of veiled tones and artificial ceilings. Ample separation between instruments and black backgrounds bring the music into detailed focus, whether it’s the full decay of percussive accents, layered stacking of group harmonies, or depth of the bass lines. Helmed by Mike Flicker, Dreamboat Annie features advanced production that belies that of most independent releases of the time. The dynamics alone on this reissue confirm that fact.

Although the passage of time, as well as Heart’s Hall of Fame career, have nearly caused the historical tidbit to fade into obscurity, Dreamboat Annie was originally issued by the tiny label Mushroom Records after major imprints inexplicably took a flyer on the album. Released in Canada in September ’75, it hit shelves in the States in February of the following year. By the fall of 1976, Heart had a platinum LP and three hit singles. As well as an upcoming battle with Mushroom Records that, while another story entirely, further underlined the Wilson sisters’ toughness and determination.

Those traits resonate throughout Dreamboat Annie, which kicks off with the spellbinding “Magic Man.” Released in advance of the LP as the quartet’s second single, the Wilson sisters’ anthem partially doubles as an autobiographical tale based on Ann Wilson’s then-relationship with band manager Michael Fisher. His brother, Roger, turns in memorable lead-guitar passages that connect with the song’s funk-laden structures and Ann Wilson’s commanding singing. Mystical, rugged, sensual, persuasive, steady, edgy, well-composed: “Magic Man” possesses a majority of the elements that would define Heart’s finest songs and, fittingly, stands as the ensemble’s first Top 10 smash.

While the record’s debut Stateside single, “Crazy on You” didn’t climb quite as high, it cracked the Top 40 and demonstrated the authoritative momentum, melodic build, and contagious crunch that the group was capable of summoning without seemingly breaking a sweat. Heart’s now-trademark acoustic-electric frameworks, Ann Wilson’s ravishing power, and ace timing are all here in spades. Not to be overlooked, the declarative “Sing Child” and strutting “White Lightning & Wine” contain similarly aggressive elements, with the latter combining boogie riffs, cowbell-driven beats, and blustery vocals to remind anyone paying attention that Heart means business.

The band further separated itself from its rock contemporaries via a trove of lighter material. Eclipsing the six-minute mark, “Soul of the Sea” depicts Heart’s ambitious interest in psychedelia, blues, and folk. Heart’s tender side also emerges on the misty ballad “How Deep It Goes,” a prime example of Ann Wilson’s penchant to deliver softness with the same penchant she does heaviness — and a standout for Nancy Wilson’s prowess on guitar. Both sisters similarly shine on the crossover “(Love Me Like Music) I’ll Be Your Song,” whose mix of vulnerability, strings, and handclaps signal the extraordinary vision Heart had from the start. Decades later, it all sounds better than ever.