Yeah, I admittedly do overlook HAHTF from time to time but I do like it very much. I can see what you mean though Eric about "Coming home" just starting to go somewhere when it ends. I guess this is a good example of how he was "held back" based on what Welch had said about wanting to get more rockin' etc. at that time and MF, JM & CM not wanting to do that. "Angel" is an example of that as it does rock but it does seem somewhat restrained. I wonder if maybe there were squabbles about "how rocking it could be"? The fade in makes me think that maybe there was some stuff before the words kicked in that the rest of FM maybe felt rocked too hard or something (hence the fade in rather than starting whenever it actually did)? Just a guess.
I tend to think of "Heroes..." stuff as separate songs though more than as an album though they are all very good in their own way, the 2 I just discussed are faves of mine at the moment along with Chris' CALBC & BL. "Prove your love" I do like but of the 4 CM tracks, it's my least favorite one. I'm sure I once read a Christine interview where she said she'd like to re-record PYL someday so I tend to agree with her in that I may get the full power of that song if she ever does re-do it. I actually prefer "Bermuda triangle" live (for me, that would be the videotape I have of the "Don Kirschner's Rock Concert" FM performance and Welch's recent re-recording of it on his own solo "His FM years & beyond" CD though that's my least fave of the Welch's on HAHTF. "She's changing me" I used to hate but now I like it very much, "Silver heels" really grew on me too over time though I think "Born enchanter" has lost some fire over the years. I guess because I lost faith in FM ever getting more jazzy than the beginning of that track!
I probably do lean towards MTM as well since there is that little more input from other areas like Weston etc. (though he wasn't allowed to contribute very much, it was just enough to round out "Mystery..." as an album I think) and "Bare trees", though DK dominated, doesn't seem it with the great CM & Welch additions. I could go on and on about positive elements of the other pre BN albums/lineups/members but I won't.
I guess to me HAHTF, having 7 Welch tunes and 4 CM ones, loses a dimension compared to earlier FM albums, sort of like SYW (DOH!) (j/k) nah, whereas SYW is like an LB & SN solo album pressed together, HAHTF is like a Welch solo 12" EP and a CM 7" EP mixed together though of course Welch would've rocked it more had it been a true "solo" project at that time by the sounds of it.
John