Magazine

Magazine’s 1978 release followed a long and nasty legal tug-of-war between Heart and Mushroom Records, their former label. The album first appeared without the band’s approval after they had jumped ship to CBS; a court decision led to its re-release after Heart returned to the studio to improve the tracks. The results are a decidedly mixed bag, though there are some worthwhile moments to be found here. “Heartless” is a credible rocker with a stinging lyric about a high-flying Romeo. “Here Song” (featuring a winsome Ann Wilson vocal) and “Just the Wine” (dressed up in strings and flute) are pleasing efforts in a soft rock vein. The heavy guitar riffage of “Devil Delight” prods Wilson on to deliver a snarling, attitude-laden performance. More subdued (and more revealing) is the album’s title track, a snapshot of a young girl lost in showbiz dreams. Several live cuts round out the album, including a slow-burning rendition of Willie Dixon’s “Mother Earth Blues.”