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Brigade

Heart - Brigade Audio CD

A fair review of the Heart "Brigade" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Heart reviews here, or go back to the Heart tabs.

Band: Heart
Title: Brigade
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-03-16
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Wild Child 2: All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You 3: Secret 4: Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger 5: I Didn't Want to Need You 6: Night 7: Fallen from Grace 8: Under the Sky 9: Cruel Nights 10: Stranded 11: Call of the Wild 12: I Want Your World to Turn 13: I Love You

Uncharacteristically Bland
I'm a child of the 80's, and those albums really knocked me out as a kid. I know I'm in the minority here, but I actually preferred the late 80's "hairspray and synthesizers" Heart and Bad Animals to the band's early albums (which I also enjoy). I was hoping for more of the same from Heart's 1990 album Brigade, but instead the Wilson sisters seemed to slide into adult contemporary territory.

I suppose Brigade is best known for the hit single "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", a song rivaled only by Alannah Myles's Black Velvet for the title of "song most likely to make me put my eyes out with a screwdriver". This single, which has probably been adapted into at least a dozen Lifetime Network movies, would have been easier to handle if there were any quality rockers on the album. Unfortunately even the harder songs lacked the charm of "Who Do You Run To" or "If Looks Could Kill". Brigade just seems sanitized and sterilized, even in comparison to Heart's "corporate" 80's material.

I'll give this one three stars, largely because even a bad Heart album is better than most. It's probably closer to 2. 5 stars if I'm being completely honest. Despite the largely positive reviews here, I have a hard time seeing how this album would appeal to fans of either Heart era.
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Nice material
For a long time, I have not listened to it in its entirety, but recently, I have had a nice time hearing it completely. I have had Brigade--Heart's tenth full-length album--in my possession for many years. It was released in 1990. Pleasing songwriting, solid musicianship, and polished sound quality are in evidence. The material is in a pop rock musical direction. And 13 tracks are contained. My favorite song is "Under the Sky," with its beautiful vocal melody. Other examples of compositions that I enjoy are "Wild Child," "I Didn't Want to Need You," "Stranded," and "I Want Your World to Turn. " "Wild Child" sports engaging rhythm guitar work during the intro. "I Didn't Want to Need You" displays an infectious refrain. "Stranded" exhibits a pretty chorus and a captivating, melodic guitar solo. "I Want Your World to Turn" has a pleasant keyboard line; also, there is attractive, passionate singing on the refrain. The disc is almost 55 minutes, too. When it comes to the CD booklet, it includes a photo of each member of the band and the song lyrics. Brigade is a recommendable piece of work. .

Best of Post-1984 Release
Their 1990 album still has the similar course but regains more of Pre-1983 classic taste despite the fact they still use songwriters outside the band. The band featuring two great female voices Ann and Nancy Wilson returned to the mainstream in 1984 self-titled album directed by hitmaking producer Ron Nevison and supported by top-notch songwriters and musicians.

WILD CHILD the heavily edged opening is such a welcoming sign that Heart returns to a hard-rocker with grace. ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE LOVE TO YOU which became top 10 hit is the extention of previous two albums. STRANDED also could have been 1984 selt-titled album. FALLEN FROM GRACE and UNDER THE SKY have classic HEART taste good works from the songwriters who love classic HEART music. CRUEL NIGHT mixes well with classic and 80s HEART.

Verdict: Heart's culmination of past effort and search for the best they have got.
Rating: 97 out of 100
Recommended for: Every Heart fan and late 80s pop rock fans.

HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!
It's still dull now. Brigade was mostly dull to me when I first bought it when released in 1990. By 1988 Heart accomplished huge successes via power-rock songs & performances done high & proud. Maybe since then, people ambitious for paychecks & uninspired about power rock got on Heart's bandwagon and involved themselves in this 1990 record? Brigade didn't have one shotgun-blast, fast-paced, power-rock song that fans were hoping for since 1987's "Who Will You Run To" was playing on the radio.

Brigade was the start of Heart's demise in record sales and the lack of power rock along with Brigade's raunchy rock and sappy teenage-sounding love songs is why Heart did less well in 1990 with record sales. I regret it now, but I didn't even show up for Heart's 1990 show because I was too uninspired by the sound of this record, i. e. the lack of high-powered, fast-paced rock. Ann Wilson is talking during too many parts of songs or singing too slow instead of singing fast and sounding high & proud and energized as she did in `87 & `85. Singing high & proud works for her. The non-scratchy, high-pitched, scream-sing roar does work for her and her record sales in `85 & `87 prove this.

Grunge wasn't being heard when this was released and hair bands and arena power rockers still sold millions so I don't know what Heart was trying to do with this recording. Heart should have been together with Ron Nevison for this recording and maybe this could have been Heart's biggest seller if it was Nevison-produced & power-rock driven. Instead, their 1985 release is still their biggest seller. Without the motivated fans inspired by Heart's mid-1980s recordings buying this album, this recording would have died a quick death.

I've seen concert footage of Heart's 1990 Brigade tour and Ann Wilson definitely lost the lighting bolt energy she had during the mid 1980s and this Brigade era must have been the "monster" that she refered to at times when she lamented parts of their most popular days.

My views on the songs:

"I Love You" is a beautiful love song and the best song on the recording. Ironically it's slow paced.

"Under The Sky" Sounds good, second best song.

"Fallen From Grace" Sounds good because of a faster pace.

"All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" Very nice song and as good as adult contemporary(AC) music can get for soft music fans. Leaves Celine Dion/Mariah Carey/Bette Midler songs in the AC dust where they belong. Video should have shown Ann & Nancy more instead of some unattractive actor & actress.

"The Night" Sounds great. Faster pace would have made it better.

"Cruel Nights" Sounds nice.

"Stranded" Great for adult contemporary.

"I Didn't Want To Need You" Pointed in the right direction but needed more gun powder and a much faster pace of singing & music.

"I Want Your World To Turn" Sounds nice but should have been put in a movie about teenagers in love.

"Wild Child" Synthesized-sounding backup singing sounds too juvenile and mimics some "in thing" at the time which shouldn't have been copied by quality singers/musicians. Poor backup singing ruins the song. No scream-sing from Ann again.

"Call Of The Wild" some honky tonk instrument gives it a Jack Daniels/Delta Blues combo degenerate sound which contaminates too much of the song which has good parts.

"Secret" Good enough for the dull, overrated Bette Midler but not good enough for Melissa Ethridge. It was Awful for Heart. Maybe Janis Ian could have saved this song but I doubt it.

"Tall Dark Handsome Stranger" Gross! Accompanying music for a comedy movie about mafia molls is the only befitting place for this song. Total waste of Ann's voice on a goofy, jazzy song with raunchy music. Even a fast pace doesn't make this song sound good.

This record has too much slow or raunchy guitar/bass work. Ann Wilson talking on songs and singing slow without ever roaring doesn't help make up for dull guitar/bass work. It was a big step down from her `85 & `87 recordings

Before 1990 Ann Wilson would belt out her powerful, frantic, fast-paced power rockers & sing high & proud, years later a few people had some irregular interpretation that it was "angry" (maybe they're angry) when it was actually an inspired, exulted sound that felt/sounded high & proud. That high & proud sound motivated people to buy her recordings. I hope she doesn't heed the flawed & distorted view that pre-1990 was anything less than high & proud.

Another problem with Brigade(and Jupiter's Darling) are the male backup singers who really drag down the sound quality with their hoarse, raspy voices. Ann should get someone like Grace Slick & Terri Nunn to perform backup singing on her recordings. Belinda Carlise got a whole crew of women to back her up on "Heaven On Earth" and it sounded great. When I buy Heart records it's for Ann's roaring voice not for raspy male singers .

There is too much on this record that belonged in Hollywood movies made for teens. It was a real step down from their Mid-1980s music and the lack of sales yet bigger world tour prove this.
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"Taste The Human Heartbeat..."
They started out big in the 1970s' with big hits like "Barracuda" and "Magic Man, then hit a snag in the early 1980s'. By 1990, Heart was well established as one of the most successful bands in America. By 1985, Heart was primed for a comeback. Their eponymous debut on Capitol brought them back to the top with hits like "Never" and "These Dreams". 1987's "Bad Animals" continued their run of hits with "Who Will You Run To" and "Alone". In 1990, the band released their third Capitol release, "Brigade". How does it hold up? Read on.

"Brigade" is one of Heart's finest albums. It was at this point that Ann and Nancy started to gain more creative control, as their last two albums were filled with songs that Capitol forced them to record (ie, ballads). This is much more of a rocking album than their previous two releases. The opening track, "Wild Child", is one of the heaviest tracks the band ever did. Highlighted by a forceful synth line and fierce guitars, it makes for a strong opener. Next comes the big hit off the album, the ballad "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You". Written by Mutt Lange, many people hate this song, but I for one love it. Ann gives one of her most powerful vocal performances on this song, and it deserved to become the hit it became and should get more respects than it actually has. Next comes my absolute favorite Heart song. "Secret" is a heartwrenching ballad filled with magnificent keyboard flourishes, a strong Ann vocal and great acoustic guitar work by Nancy. The next track, "Tall Dark Handsome Stranger" is a forceful rocker with sexy, seductive lyrics and a sultry vocal. "I Didn't Want To Need You" is a midtempo number, not exactly a ballad but not a rocker either. It's one of my favorite songs on the album. The keyboards on this song are fantastic.

"The Night" is an acoustic, midtempo number with cool, creepy lyrics and some out and out great guitar work. "Fallen From Grace" is a brilliant track and has a beautiful chorus. "Under The Sky" isn't as memorable as the rest of the album, but it's still a really good song. "Cruel Nights" could've easily been a hit single. The vocals are superb and the song is catchy and begs for repeated listens. Next comes "Stranded". Nancy takes on the lead vocals here, and she is fantastic. The acoustic guitar on here is beautiful on this haunting power ballad. A very underrated classic Heart song. "Call Of The Wild" is filler, but good filler. "I Want Your World Turn" I believe also features Nancy on leads vocals and she is great. This is a forceful, seductive number that should have been a single. Finally, there's "I Love You". It's a deent ballad and is a nice way to close out the album. It's kind of cheesy though.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend "Brigade". It's one of Heart's best albums. I'd call it a must have.

You can see a complete list of all Heart discography, or go back to the Heart tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.