Ann Wilson will release her new album, Fierce Bliss, on April 29 via Silver Lining Music. In a new interview with Greg Prato for Songfacts, Ann talks about the record, names the greatest Heart song, and explains what "Magic Man" means to her now. Read an excerpt below...
Songfacts: What determines if a song will be a solo tune or a Heart tune?
Wilson: "Well, these songs I wrote by myself, so I did not collaborate with anyone else on them. That's one determining factor. Other than that, there is no difference. My solo stuff is as close to Heart as you're going to get – for the moment. I think any of these songs could be done by Heart."
Songfacts: What's a song by another artist that most influenced you as a songwriter?
Wilson: "Peter Gabriel all the time. Paul Simon all the time. Because they're lyricists. Their lyrics are so inspiring and so well done. For Peter Gabriel, it would be 'Mercy Street' and maybe 'Don't Give Up'. For Paul Simon, it would be 'Graceland' and 'Hearts And Bones'."
Songfacts: I read recently that Nancy picked 'Mistral Wind' as the best Heart song. What's your pick for the best Heart song?
Wilson: "'Mistral Wind' is a good one. But I think there are other ones that are less epic that are really good. I always liked 'Down On Me'. It's a great blues song. And I think 'Crazy On You' may be the best song that Heart ever did."
Songfacts: 'Magic Man' had a very specific meaning when you wrote it. What does that song mean to you now?
Wilson: "Now, it's like looking back on a love affair of the past from this great distance. It's pretty interesting to look back on all that naiveté and just what it's like when you fall in love for the first time. It's so powerful, it becomes a lifestyle. That song is a "leaving home" song. So, I sing it as my 21-year-old self, just taking off into the world."
Read the full interview at Songfacts.
One of the premier hard rock vocalists of all-time, Wilson smashed boundaries with her band Heart, the 8-times Platinum, 35 million-plus selling Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trailblazers who formed in 1973. During a decades-long career, Wilson rode the roller coaster of fame, fortune and madness, learning both joyous and hard, hard lessons along the way. Fast forward to Summer 2020, and a meeting with legendary veteran ‘artist’s lawyer’ Brian Rohan provided the catalyst for Fierce Bliss’s creation.
Fierce Bliss is not just an album for fans of Ann Wilson and Heart, it is an album for everyone seeking a lavish ticket out of the sharp edges of an increasingly fraught society. Fierce Bliss also marks perhaps the first time in her illustrious career that Ann Wilson has truly felt the wind in her wings, something which might seem a strange statement given her pioneering history.
To cap it all, the album artwork comes from the mind and hands of celebrated fantasy artist Roger Dean, who aside from his work in fantasy art is also renowned for his YES sleeve artwork.
“I love Relayer (Gates of Delirium) painted with almost no colour and other works with equal power and equally restricted pallets, however, sometimes I just love to let go. With Fierce Bliss there is a strong psychedelic current flowing throughout, something that I love but don’t do often enough. Mike Inns helped to keep the psychedelic presence intense especially with the Parrots and made sure that we got this over the line intact. It was great fun working on this.” - Roger Dean
Fierce Bliss is available to pre-order here on CD Casebound Book (deluxe package), Vinyl and Digital formats.
Fierce Bliss tracklisting:
"Greed"
"Black Wing"
"Bridge Of Sighs"
"Fighten for Life"
"Love Of My Life" (feat. Vince Gill)
"Missionary Man"
"Gladiator"
"Forget Her"
"A Moment In Heaven"
"Angel’s Blues" *
"As The World Turns"
* Available on CD and digital formats only
"Love Of My Life" lyric video:
"A Moment In Heaven" lyric video:
"Missionary Man":
"Greed" video:
Lineup:
Ann Wilson - Vocals
Tom Bukovac - Guitar
Tony Lucido - Bass
Sean T Lane - Drums, Percussion & Bike
Gordon Mote - Keyboards
Tim Lauer - Keyboards
- Produced by Ann Wilson and Tom Bukovac
- “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues” produced by Ann Wilson and Warren Haynes
- Mixed by Chuck Ainlay
- Recorded by Chuck Ainlay at Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals, AL and Soundstage, Nashville, TN
- “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues” recorded by Joe Paterno at Power Station, Waterford, CT
- "Black Wing" recorded by Sean Walker at Uberbeatz, Lynnwood, WA
- Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, NJ
- Executive Producer Jim Zumwalt
Musicians who appear on Fierce Bliss:
Vocals - Vince Gill on “Love of My Life”
Lead Guitar - Kenny Wayne Shepherd on “Bridge of Sighs” and “Missionary Man”
Guitar - Warren Haynes on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Guitar - Tyler Boley on “Black Wing”
Keyboards - Danny Louis on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Keyboards - Dan Walker on “Black Wing”
Bass - Jorgen Carlsson on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Bass - Andy Stoller on “Black Wing”
Drums - Matt Abts on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Choir - The Rev Nathan Young Singers on “Missionary Man”
