Magazine

Magazine is a work with a complex background: while keeping Heart’s early momentum, it was released in an unintended, unfinished form due to a contract dispute with the former label. After the debut’s success, a legal fight arose between the band, which had switched labels, and the former label, and it is a controversial record released in that turmoil. Yet its musicality already inscribes Heart’s own sure outline. Undulating guitar riffs, Ann Wilson’s strong voice and Nancy Wilson’s rich melodic sense breathe throughout. From the powerful drive of the opener “Heartless” and the momentum of “Devil Delight” to the lyrical “Here Song,” the songs show a sure song core that also connects to the 1978 version later re-arranged by the band itself, while cuts like “Without You” and “Just the Wine” convey the appeal particular to the early era. The 1977 original release is an extremely unusual work due to its complex history. Yet it is an important record as a precious capture of the raw sound just before Heart achieved its great leap. Even amid the difficult situation of a contract dispute, the band’s sure talent is not marred in the least. An intriguing work that conveys early Heart’s intensity and its complex history at once.