Full Moon Fever (1989)
Not a bad album. I once adored it, but then again I once adored Heart when I was young and impressionable (and, in Heart’s case, horny). Some of the songs have lost some of their power over the years, at least to someone who had them playing for hours and hours for days and days and weeks and weeks. But “Free Fallin'” is still nearly irresistible pop/rock, “Runnin’ Down A Dream” is a true road anthem, and songs like “Love Is A Long Road” still kick pretty well. Decent Byrds cover, too.
(“Runnin Down A Dream”, “Love Is A Long Road”)
Grade: B+
2011: There’s really only one bad song on the entire album (“Zombie Zoo”), and while the good songs aren’t usually VERY good songs, it’s remarkably consistent and manages to sound fresh because it mixes up the approach from song to song.
Grade: A-
Greatest Hits (1993)
I guess he senses the end is near, or maybe he just wanted to give us regular non-fans something worth buying, which this is. Either way is fine with me, and this serves as an excellent sampler of all his worthwhile work. In retrospect, he should have waited at least a few more years…I’d like to have “You Don’t Know How It Feels” on this, and a coupla others. Oh well, life’s not fair.
(“Refugee”, “Runnin Down A Dream”)
Grade: A