Disco de Heart: “Bebe le Strange [Expanded]”

Although none of the songs here are instant classics like "Magic Man" or "Barracuda", I think this is Heart's best CD simply because it's the most consistent in terms of quality. "Dreamboat Annie" and "Little Queen" both had a lot of filler to balance out the brilliant songs.

Like "Dog & Butterfly", "Bebe le Strange" also has the strength that it shows off the considerable range of the Wilson sisters as writers and performers. There's the title rocker, an A-one hit in "Even it Up", the bluesy "Down on Me", and a trio of softer songs to close out the album: "Raised on You", "Pilot", and "Sweet Darlin" that have great lyrics and are pretty much performed by the Wilson sisters on all instruments. Despite the variety, there isn't one song that sounds out of place. They flow together seamlessly.

If you're new to Heart through the Greatest Hits, I think this is the album to start with because it represents Heart at the height of their power as wild rockers and mystical balladeers.

I have listened to this record for twenty years and it is still one of my favorite all time women rock records. One of the many things that really make this record so great, besides the presence of Ann & Nancy, is the over all sound/tone-- as if all the instruments were too hot and that the speakers were peaking into the red while cutting the tracks. If this was an engineering oversight or intentional I don't know-- but lemme tell ya it worked! The performing and songwriting are so raw!! Love it forever!

BEBE LE STRANGE was Heart's last great album (excluding anthologies) until ALIVE IN SEATTLE came out in 2003. Guitarist Roger Fisher had just been forced out of the band, and with Nancy Wilson and Howard Leese handling all of the guitars, the music was more electric than on any previous Heart album. The big hit was "Even It Up", but there's a lot of other great stuff here, too. The two bonus cuts add to the pleasure, and if you buy this one, DREAMBOAT ANNIE, LITTLE QUEEN, DOG & BUTTERFLY, GREATEST HITS (Epic/Legacy), JUPITERS DARLING, THE ESSENTIAL 3.0 HEART, and ALIVE IN SEATTLE all at once, you won't be disappointed.

I recently purchased this album on CD. I bought it on vinyl when it was originally released and have not listened to it for many, many years. I forgot how good this album is. This is up there with heart's best albums of the late 70's. The 80's sound had not yet disturbed heart's classic sound. If you like the guitar driven sound of the early heart albums, then this CD is a must. A must have for any fan of classic rock.

I'm in love with those girls' voices. As far as I know different producer worked on this album but you won't realize it. It's pretty good.