Garage Sale Vinyl, $5 Edition: Heart
Little Queen / Portrait / May 1977
by Christopher Long
Their primary life source was undeniable: Plant-style, powerhouse vocals that could peel the chrome off Dad’s hubcaps, Page-inspired guitar work that wasn’t afraid to be both tough and tender, and Bonham-caliber smash-and-bash drumming, all enveloped in a spiritual-type, John Paul sort of grooviness, and slathered with magical, melodic poetry. Hence, for FM rock consumers like me, who came of age during the late ’70s, Heart was our Zeppelin.
They were such a beautiful band. Relax, I’m not creeping about “boss ladies,” vocalist Ann Wilson and sister guitarist Nancy Wilson. The entire original six-member Heart lineup was freaking beautiful, on so many levels. And it could be argued that this was the best, brightest, and most beautiful of their blameless, initial four-record run.
Produced by Mike Flicker (Poco, Al Stewart, Randy Meisner), Little Queen was plain cool. The band was cool. The shackle-free songs were cool. Even the gypsy imagery depicted on the now iconic cover was cool. And in the summer of ‘77, this was one of the new records that any self-respecting rock aficionado had to have.
Driven by riffs seemingly born in the land of the ice and snow, “Barracuda” was destined to become a timeless rock staple. However, “Kick It Out,” as well as the title track, both packed a competitive punch. The dreamy “Dream of the Archer,” the slinky “Treat Me Well,” and the soaring “Go On Cry” served as a delightful and delicate yin to the record’s down-and-dirty yang. So many mandolins, so little time.
Honestly, I can’t remember how many times or in how many configurations I’ve owned Little Queen over the years. But I definitely no longer owned a vinyl copy. That changed during my recent Florida record-hunting expedition when I discovered a surprisingly pristine copy for just… five bucks. Vinyl bargains are out there, friends. You just gotta keep your eyes open.
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Little Queen Track List
SIDE ONE
1. Barracuda (A. Wilson, R. Fisher, N. Wilson, M. Derosier) – 4:20
2. Love Alive (A. Wilson, R. Fisher, N. Wilson) – 4:21
3. Sylvan Song (N. Wilson, R. Fisher) – 2:12
4. Dream of the Archer (A. Wilson, R. Fisher, N. Wilson) – 4:30
5. Kick It Out (A. Wilson) – 2:44
SIDE TWO
1. Little Queen (A. Wilson, N. Wilson, R. Fisher, M. Derosier, H. Leese, S. Fossen) – 5:10
2. Treat Me Well (N. Wilson) – 3:24
3. Say Hello (A. Wilson, R. Fisher, N. Wilson) – 3:36
4. Cry To Me (A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 2:51
5. Go On Cry (A. Wilson, R. Fisher, N. Wilson) – 5:52
