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Heart's Wilson sisters have got to be having a blast in 2012. So far this year, the’ve released a new album, Fanatic, as well as their first-ever box set, Strange Euphoria. They’ve just been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They’re currently on a 50-plus city tour. And oh yeah, somehow they managed to write their combined autobiography, Kicking & Dreaming, and release it in the middle of all of this. Plus they’ve got kids. Pardon me while I sit down and rest for a moment.
Ann and Nancy Wilson, the driving forces behind Heart, have never slowed down. Fanatic, their 14th studio album, comes on the heels of 2010’s Red Velvet Car. On this album, you’ll find harder-edged material coupled with lots of introspection. (Certainly some of that conjured up by the memories sorted through for the book.) In fact, the military household in which the girls grew up had a huge influence over who they became. That feeling is evoked in new songs such as “Dear Old America” and will be part of the setlist when Heart plays the Tower Theatre on Oct. 12. Although the set list has been changing each night (they’ve been on the road since June), expect at least four songs from the new album as well as all of the hits.
Often referred to as the female Led Zeppelin, this is one band that can live up to the hype. They put up a five-song companion piece to the box set on Amazon, referred to as Heart Zeppish. We can only hope a few of those songs will be trotted out during the show (highly likely). Although they do a lovely job on the pretty acoustic-y numbers like “The Battle of Evermore,” this gal hopes for a rocker or two along the lines of “Rock and Roll.”

Debbi Calton has done middays on Classic Rock 102.9 WMGK-FM for more than 16 years. Catch her on the air 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every weekday. You might also remember her from her 10-year stint at WYSP-FM. She and her husband, guitarist Chip Roberts, along with their teenage son, Dustin, reside in Media, well known as “Everybody’s Hometown.”