Ann Wilson - The Ann Wilson Thing! #1 EP
by Kevin Wierzbicki
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Ann Wilson's singing ability has never been in question. Many first became aware of her prowess upon hearing Heart's debut single "Crazy on You," and if Wilson's vocal work on that song left fans delightfully stunned, it's sensual follow-up "Magic Man" left them completely apoplectic. Despite Heart's long-run with a catalog of songs that's allowed Wilson to sing in many different styles, there are still things she hasn't done, some of which she explores on this four-song EP. A take on the Buffalo Springfield hit "For What It's Worth" begins with drummer Ben Smith pounding out a tribal beat and when Wilson begins singing she chimes in like she's an entranced voodoo queen. The mood quickly changes to danger though as the song, still sung lyrically as "For What It's Worth," actually morphs musically into the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," a device both pleasing and unexpected. Two other covers are included, a live take on the bluesy Aretha Franklin chestnut "Ain't No Way" and an almost acapella (just keyboard accompaniment) interpretation of Percy Mayfield's "Danger Zone." And while those two songs offer a glimpse into Wilson's influences, "Fool No More," a slow and seductive blues rock torch song (more like a putting-out-the-torch song) finds her putting those influences to work on an original song. There has been no murmur out of the Heart camp that the band is nearing its end but the fact that this EP includes #1 in its title indicates that one way or another there will be more forthcoming from this most-cherished of vocalists.
Ann Wilson - The Ann Wilson Thing! EP
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