Before I get this going, I must first exclaim my major respect for Stevie Nicks. I do enjoy a majority of her songs. Her voice is unique and iconic. Even at her age now, she remains an icon with a wonderful unique gypsy style to her.
This, however, does not free her of flaws nor stumbles. I would dare say compared to Bella Donna, Wild at Heart is a sophomore slump. I do think it is certainly difficult to follow up such a great album. I also think Nicks excels more when there is a bit more rock to her grooves.
This album stumbles into more forgettable lyricism than its predecessor, but also fumbles musically. At times, the production drowns her out. Other times, it reminds me of artists that are not her. There are still some gems to be found here, but by no sort would I say this is her greatest outing. Some songs feel like Billy Joel and Laura Branigan's "Gloria" were on heavy rotation in these sessions. This album aches for less refinement.
"Wild at Heart" gets off on the wrong note, drowning out her usual rawness. It feels too pop for her. Too refined. Her vocals are more untamed where a good pop song requires more control. She sounds out of place on it. The lyricism is more solid than other tracks.
"If Anyone Falls" shares a similar fate, but even worse, because the background vocals on the chorus are drowning her to a point at times I cannot hear her as well. The lyrics are also rather basic and forgettable in sentiment, so it is harder to redeem this track.
"Gate and Garden" and the style made me think to Branigan's big hit "Gloria". The rhythm change is so similar, the piano melody so close. They could be siblings. However, I do not think Stevie's voice fits this style super well.
"Enchanted" is the song that made me think to Billy Joel's piano style. It feels like he could have been in the room for this. I like the lyricism, but not so much the song style. Again, backing vocals are overpowering her.
"Nightbird" is the first song to really entice me on this album. It returns closer to her original styles. I feel the song pays a bit of homage lyrically to the Dylan Thomas poem. It also references some back to her big hit, Edge of Seventeen. It has a bit more of a Fleetwood Mac styling.
The improvement continues with "Stand Back", where it feels she found a balance of some of the new poppier elements with her older styles. The production managed to keep her upfront properly.
There is nothing inherently wrong with "Run to You", I just don't think it captured the original magic of Stop Draggin' My Heart Around. It is a sweet song. It just almost sounds like their both a bit bored.
To me "Nothing Ever Changes" is a hundred percent the best song on this record. If there was one song to take away from this record, it is this one. Her voice is on point. It is scathing and raw. The guitar work draws you right in.
"Sable on Blond" is a solid song melodically, but I wish the style hit a little harder. The song has a great deal of potential but never quite gets there.
I do not mean this as a drag to Nicks at all, but she is just not the type of singer who benefits from an orchestra. Her voice is nasally and raw. A bit untamed. An orchestra is too perfected for her style of music. So while "Beauty & The Beast" is a gorgeous song in many ways, the styling clashes and makes it less listenable to my ears.
MUSIC: 5/10 - I feel she was experimenting here for future styles and finding her own fit. Some of these attempts made for something interesting, others fell very flat.
LYRICS: 6/10 - I feel some of these songs fell a bit flat with their actual lyrics into forgettable territory. Some stood out, almost making it worthwhile to play something with production you dislike.
OVERALL: 5/10 - It is, in my perspective, the worst album in her catalog. This sometimes happens as an artist is growing and experimenting. It was too much like she was losing a bit of herself. Other albums are much stronger, but snag this if you want to see her growth and history.
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