The act Heart say are “like no other band”
Formed in Seattle in 1973, Heart, like all of their contemporaries, were galvanised by the tremendous artistic leaps of the 1960s. Influenced by hard rock and heavy metal and led by vocalist Ann Wilson and her sister, guitarist Nancy, they stood out from the mass of groups the period produced with the power of the former’s voice and the myriad of classic riffs the latter laid down.
Explaining just how significant the band was for women’s general fight against rampant misogyny, Ann Wilson recently told Audacy Check In that nobody took the band “seriously” when they broke out because of their gender. She maintained that they helped kick the “door open enough” to squeeze through and let other women into the promised land of being regarded as artistically viable.
A widely consequential band, the power of Heart’s sounds and their desire to not give in to the backward complexion of society and the nature of power was a potent fusion. In true style, when it came to music, the Wilson sisters and their band would blend sonic forms. This new idea had only been established in the previous decade, and it was this dynamism and dedication to tearing up the rulebook that saw them win over so many fans.
Naturally, one band that profoundly influenced the sisters was Steely Dan. Led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan fused sneering commentaries, drawing inspiration from acts like The Fugs and Frank Zappa, with refined interpretations of jazz, rock, and other genres. The result was a sound unlike any other, characterized by its uniqueness and timeless appeal. With fans ranging from Heart to Mac DeMarco, Steely Dan’s forward-thinking approach quickly propelled them to success.
The duo’s debut album, 1972’s Can’t Buy a Thrill, arrived the year before Heart was formed, and when appearing on the Celebrity Playlist Podcast in 2010, Nancy reflected on how they are “like no other band” and how their sound was “so groundbreaking”. Like many people, the first song she heard by them was the record’s lead single, ‘Do It Again’.
The Heart guitarist recalled: “Steely Dan is like no other band. I guess everybody on our list is sorta like that. You hear Steely Dan, you know instantly who it is. These guys took jazz and stood it on its ear and made their own sound out of jazz and rock and something East Coasterly that took sarcasm and sort of a wink and a sneer and made it really accessible, and I still don’t know how they did that.”
Continuing: “The first time I heard a Steely Dan song was ‘Do It Again’, and I had to go out to the store and buy the single and put it in an envelope to a friend of mine in Germany, so they could spin it in Germany, because it was so groundbreaking.”
Listen to ‘Do It Again’ below.
