Bella Donna & Wild Heart= End of Story!

[sorcerer999]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

There. I said nice things about Wild Heart.

I wish there was a "like" button on this forum! LOL!

[Artemis]

I love this thread, so many different opinions! It's been a really interesting read

I'm really surprised that there are some people who don't like Sable on Blond or Nothing Ever Changes, though, for me, those two songs are amongst the strongest on that album.

I know Beauty and The Beast and I Will Run To You are very devisive tracks, but I totally adore them. Musically speaking, I think BATB may be the most interesting/different thing Stevie ever tried. For me, the "dud" song on WH is Gate and Garden; I can't like it at all. (I think someone once said it's a huge metaphor for Stevie's lady area, which adds to the ick factor for me ) and I'm not too keen on If Anyone Falls, I have to be in a certain mood to listen to that one. I didn't like Enchanted for the longest time, but, recently, I've fallen in love with it; I think it might be the piano that swings it for me.

I'm surprised that someone said they don't like Stevie's rockiest songs, solo. For me, these ones often tend to be her best. Edge, Nothing Ever Changes, No Spoken Word, Fall From Grace... etc.

[OooMissionary]

Here is my summation of Stevie's albums... While I love them all, and think they are better than most other artists', here is my current...state of mind:

1- Bella Donna- I think it is Stevie's masterpeice thus far. It is good from beginning to end. It is an album that just flows wonderfully, ala Rumours. Nice balance of country and rock sounds.

2- The Wild Heart- Currently, this is my least favorite album. I love all of the songs, but not together, and I don't feel that the album flows very well. Some songs are very 80s pop, some sound very 'Wild Heart' if that makes sense... and the rest feel like they were cut from 'Bella Donna'. I just feel its very choppy. Dare I say moreso than RAL.

3- Rock A Little- One of the more dated examples of Stevie's work, and the most obviously pop. However, I listen to this more than any of them. And much of the 80s production as gained a ton of cool-retro status as of late. Despite the numerous producers, it all flows very well. There is an energy in this album than def lacked in much of TWH. If only one of the non-Stevie songs had been replaced with an original composition, I would consider this album '80s Perfection'.

4- The Other Side of the Mirror- THE most dated album of Stevie's. I love all of the songs, but not so much the arrangements. The 2nd half of this album really drags on and on... I think that this album could benefit the most from a re-release; 1 disk a remaster version of the original, 1 disk a stripped down version, taking away much of the late 80s easy listening crap.

5- Street Angel- My biggest guilty pleasure. I love this album despite its flaws. The arrangement is very straight forward and not dated. This album would have benefitted greatly from the addition of 2 original Stevie compositions...and the loss of: Docklands (alternately known as: 'Sister Says Go to the Laundromat and brush your hair) and Unconditional Love... The album mix of 'Destiny' is also kinda awkward... The Enchanted version is far superior.

6- Trouble in Shangri-La- I love this album too. The only awkward songs for me are: Too Far From Texas (which is like a sore thumb on the album), and That Made Me Stronger (love the lyrics and music, hate the chorus). I also feel that 'Love Changes' could have benefitted from a different mix with more upbeat energy, and that 'Love Is' should've stayed in its demo/live form.

7- In Your Dreams- I'm sssooooooooo excited!!!

[markolas]

Some of you have very...odd...taste, and that's all I can really say.

[tabruns]

Bella Donna
Excellent album although two tracks are somewhat "Dreams"-lite tracks: "Outside The Rain" and "How Still My Love".

The Wild Heart
The synths on this album are a bit heavy. Some tracks quite good "Stand Back" for example but others not so much "Gate and Garden", "Wild Heart"

Rock A Little
Sounds more updated to the sound at the time than previous albums. "Talk To Me" is great (and a big hit), "I Can't Wait" is SO 80s. Over-all a solid album but lacks the magic of Bella Donna I think

The Other Side of the Mirror
I really loved "Rooms On Fire" and the over-all magic, mystic feel of this album. I thought it was an improvement over Rock A Little and Wild Heart, but thought that "Two Kinds Of Love" and "Ooh My Love" might have made better singles than "Long Way To Go" and "Whole Lotta Trouble"

Street Angel
Okay album, probably Stevie's weakest one. Just lots of pedestrian songs on this, similar to Behind the Mask.

Trouble In Shangri-La
Definitely her best album since Bella Donna. Many top-notch songs here, including "Planets of the Universe", "Sorcerer" (tho I prefer the piano Marilyn whats-her-name version), "Trouble In Shangri-La", "Love Is", "I Miss You", "Bombay Sapphires", "Too Far From Texas"....only real dud was "It's Only Love"

In Your Dreams
So far it sounds like it will be an amazing album from all accounts. I like "Secret Love" alot, and I'm looking forward to hearing "Moonlight", "In Your Dreams", "Wide Sargasso Sea", and "Italian Summer".

[johnnystorms]

Originally Posted by tabruns

Bella Donna
Excellent album although two tracks are somewhat "Dreams"-lite tracks: "Outside The Rain" and "How Still My Love".

The Wild Heart
The synths on this album are a bit heavy. Some tracks quite good "Stand Back" for example but others not so much "Gate and Garden", "Wild Heart"

Rock A Little
Sounds more updated to the sound at the time than previous albums. "Talk To Me" is great (and a big hit), "I Can't Wait" is SO 80s. Over-all a solid album but lacks the magic of Bella Donna I think

The Other Side of the Mirror
I really loved "Rooms On Fire" and the over-all magic, mystic feel of this album. I thought it was an improvement over Rock A Little and Wild Heart, but thought that "Two Kinds Of Love" and "Ooh My Love" might have made better singles than "Long Way To Go" and "Whole Lotta Trouble"

Street Angel
Okay album, probably Stevie's weakest one. Just lots of pedestrian songs on this, similar to Behind the Mask.

Trouble In Shangri-La
Definitely her best album since Bella Donna. Many top-notch songs here, including "Planets of the Universe", "Sorcerer" (tho I prefer the piano Marilyn whats-her-name version), "Trouble In Shangri-La", "Love Is", "I Miss You", "Bombay Sapphires", "Too Far From Texas"....only real dud was "It's Only Love"

In Your Dreams
So far it sounds like it will be an amazing album from all accounts. I like "Secret Love" alot, and I'm looking forward to hearing "Moonlight", "In Your Dreams", "Wide Sargasso Sea", and "Italian Summer".

Two Kinds of Love was the second single from TOSM

[Jondalar]

1. Bella Donna - loved the whole thing
2. The Wild Heart - really good, but didn't quite flow, still thought it was a good album, did not really care for I Will Run Too.
3. Rock a Little - Like Talk to Me, Has Anyone Written, I Can't Wait, If I Were you, and thought No Spoken Word was decent. This album was a overproduced mess. I actually liked the title track's moody atmosphere, but it never quite worked.
4. TOSOTM - Liked Rooms on Fire, Juliet and Ooh My Love. Like some of the lyrics in Whole Lotta Trouble but the track was bland. This thing ended up in the trash pretty quickly.
5. Street Angel - Favorite song from the album was cut from album, Inspiration. The only other cuts I liked were Just Like a Woman, Destiny, Greta, and Rose Garden, sorta. The album seemed like a collection of demos, very small and insignificant.
6. TISL - This album was a good try to me. I loved the Title track and still do. Lyrically I thought Planets was one of the best things she ever did, but the song seemed dry. I like the slow version better. Candlebright, Everyday, Sorcerer, Fall from Grace and I Miss You were decent, but it seemed like they should of been better. Too Far from Texas was a good song ruined by a horrible vocal. It's Only Love had a great vocal, but the song is not memorable. Sheryl Crow's version on her own album is. Bombay Sapphire provides the best atmosphere but it's just too out there for me. I used to joke with people that she should of wrote a song called Pepsi Cola.

I don't know I just had too many small problems with the decent songs on TISL that the album ended up a negative. The other songs were bland. It seemed like Stevie Nicks trying to imitate Stevie Nicks. There was a disconnect there. I think John Shanks should of produced the whole album. When Sheryl put mandolin on Candlebright, she almost ruined it for me and that is great atmospheric song. I Miss You had a memorable chorus but it was bland...

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by johnnystorms

Two Kinds of Love was the second single from TOSM

That song and Blue Denim were a desperate attempt to get on the radio. They sucked! And Blue Denim is basically a guitar rift with a chorus, hardly a song.

[mitzo]

Never cared much for Blue Denim either - it's the lyrics mostly, I think.

[Fleetwoodmark]

Originally Posted by SufferYourLove

Bella Donna & Wild Heart are Stevie and Jimmy Iovine's masterpieces. Everything after that in her solo career is rubbish. Of course she had some good songs after these two albums but they do not compare or come close to anything on BD & WH. Jimmy Iovine took those songs and turned them into magic. He is her best producer ever. Nothing beats her voice on BD & WH. So pure that it made my heart melt. I hate to be harsh but I wish she never slept with him and started a relationship with him maybe then we would have more albums produced by him and albums worth listening to. The way Jimmy blended everything together was true art. He works with tons of artist and does magnificent things with their work. I have been a fan of Stevie for a long time. I was there when BD was released! I was so excited to listen to it. When I put it on I was just in awe. Same with Wild Heart. Then came Rock A Little came.. not bad but starting to go downhill. Terrible music, terrible lyrics, terrible voice. I don't even want to talk about The Otherside Of the Mirror or Street Angel

Disagree.

Her vocals on WH are pretty poor - listen to "Enchanted"...they are flat and undesirable - her vocal of that song on the Soundstage sessions was a country mile better.

A lot of people like to write off what Stevie did after these first two albums but if you actually look at the songs written after they are just as good if not better - Love is, No Spoken Work, I Can't Wait, Rooms on Fire - You just have to look beyond the production.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by Fleetwoodmark

Disagree.

Her vocals on WH are pretty poor - listen to "Enchanted"...they are flat and undesirable - her vocal of that song on the Soundstage sessions was a country mile better.

A lot of people like to write off what Stevie did after these first two albums but if you actually look at the songs written after they are just as good if not better - Love is, No Spoken Work, I Can't Wait, Rooms on Fire - You just have to look beyond the production.

Weren't there three people credited with Rooms on Fire, wasn't I Can't Wait just a song she wrote to a killer track. Love Is is nothing special to me at all. I liked No Spoken Word to a point but it needed more lyircs or something to be meatier.

I agree that Stevie's voice was not as good on the Wild Heart as BD. She sounded very live to me, like everything was done too quickly.

[tilthefirefades]

I love all of Stevie's solo albums except WH

Bella Donna-A true masterpiece, and is imo better than any FM studio album. Ok, not really because Tusk is an even bigger masterpiece but whatever.
Wild Heart-Ew. Even though I love All The Beautiful Worlds, which should have went on there. Sable on Blonde is very good too.
Rock a Little-If you like 80s music, you like this album, it's that simple. I think that Sister Honey/If I Were You/Imperial Hotel make a killer trio among Stevie's best work.
OSOTM-I agree with others that half is good, half is bad. I love most the songs thanks to the Shoreline 89 show. Alice, Ooh My Love, and Two Kinds of Love are my favorites.
Street Angel-This is quickly becoming the greatest thing I've ever known. I find it to be beautiful from start to finish, with ageless production, wonderful vocals, sometimes quirky lyrics, and a overall rock atmosphere.
TISL-Best album ever, nothing more can be said.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by Fleetwoodmark

A lot of people like to write off what Stevie did after these first two albums but if you actually look at the songs written after they are just as good if not better - Love is, No Spoken Work, I Can't Wait, Rooms on Fire - You just have to look beyond the production.

I actually really agree with this. I find that I like a lot of the songs I just don't like their production or in some cases the direction they took them for the album versions..

[markolas]

Like I say, I didn't like TWH for a long time, but it's grown on me. If it looked more like this, though, it would be damn-near perfect:

1. Wild Heart
2. If Anyone Falls
3. Gate & Garden
4. Enchanted
5. Nightbird
6. Violet & Blue
7. Stand Back
8. Garbo
9. Sable on Blond
10. Beauty & the Beast

A lot of people dislike G&G, and so did I for a long time, but I'm convinced that Stevie wrote this song about her vagina, so I think it's awesome for just that reason. It's not that far-fetched an idea...Laura Nyro wrote a song about her period.

I never liked that Stand Back followed Nightbird on the original album, so I stuck V&B between them. And Garbo being relegated to b-side status was criminal. Those two songs replace IWRTY and NEC (both of which I despise) quite nicely.

[markolas]

Ugh - lost my post. To summarize:

- didn't like TWH for a long time, but it grew on me
- minor tweakage would render it near-perfect:

1. Wild Heart
2. If Anyone Falls
3. Enchanted
4. Gate & Garden (this song is totally about Stevie's vadge, which makes it awesome)
5. Nightbird
6. Violet & Blue (never liked SB following NB on the album)
7. Stand Back
8. Garbo (should *not* have been a mere b-side)
9. Sable on Blond
10. Beauty & the Beast

Street Angel:

- could be a decent (not great) album w/ some changes
- '93 master mixes are superior, except for Blue Denim
- MLWCYM and UC are dreck
- where, oh where, is the SA version of I Call You Missing???

1. Docklands
2. Rose Garden
3. If You Were My Love
4. Listen to the Rain
5. Destiny
6. Blue Denim [album version]
7. Inspiration
8. God's Garden
9. Just Like a Woman
10. Street Angel
11. Greta
12. Love Is Like a River

TISL, like TWH, would be perfect w/ a couple of song changes:

1. Trouble in Shangri-La
2. Candlebright
3. Sorcerer
4. Planets of the Universe
5. Every Day
6. Thrown Down [wall of sound]
7. My Heart (not necessarily a fave, but preferable to TFFT & TMMS)
8. It's Only Love
9. Love Changes
10. I Miss You
11. Bombay Sapphires
12. Fall from Grace
13. Love Is