The song Ann Wilson thinks perfectly captures life “in the States right now”
As formidable as Ann Wilson and her sister, Nancy, were at writing their own material for Heart, what a lot of people tend not to realise is just how much of a jukebox the singer has always been.
Of course, the versatility of her voice makes it easy for her to interpret the songs of others and inject her own personality into a cover, but a strong musical upbringing that spreads across a variety of genres has made it even easier for her to deliver when it comes to reworking someone else’s music. Wilson has been praised by her own idols in the past, with Led Zeppelin commenting on how her interpretation of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ eclipses even their own performances, and if you’ve got that up your sleeve, surely you’re capable of most things.
It’s far from just rock music that Wilson has proven herself to be accomplished at, and the fact that her parents raised her on a mixture of jazz, soul and classical music has meant that these styles have all sunk into her own practice and heavily informed her own vocal delivery. You only need to listen to Heart’s records from across their career to hear small inflexions of all of these different styles, and the fact that Wilson was able to switch between them is what made the band such an evergreen and exciting prospect.
Wilson was clearly always destined to have success as a vocalist, and remarkably, unlike many other singers in their later years, has managed to keep her abilities intact and remained just as formidable. This is something that sets apart a decent vocalist, and a truly sublime one.
However, hearing her interpret the songs of others on her 2022 solo album, Fierce Bliss, only goes to drill home all of the above points, that she’s an incredible vocalist, can do anyone else’s voice, and easily dip into other styles. With covers of Queen’s ‘Love of My Life’, Robin Trower’s ‘Bridge of Sighs’ and Jeff Buckley’s ‘Forget Her’ among the tracklist, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into, but one song sticks out more than the rest for how prescient it is.
Commenting on her cover of Eurythmics’ ‘Missionary Man’ in an interview with SongFacts, she claimed she chose that song not just because of how she wanted to immerse herself in doing Annie Lennox justice, but because of its relevance to the times we live in. “I chose that because of what’s going on in the States right now, especially with this split between the left and the right, and the right being inhabited mostly by Christian white people,” she proclaimed.
Addin, “I decided it would be really fun to do that song and just do it up like a big megachurch production. So, I brought in a gospel choir. 40 people singing backup, and each one of them probably as good as a singer as I am!”
While the performance is stunning, it proves that Wilson is not just intent on remaining a force of nature, but that she’s still able to remain socially and culturally significant, and her ability to pick out a song like this that not only gives her the opportunity to flex her vocal abilities but also her strength as a voice for change is certainly not lost.
