March 18–25, 1999

disc quicks|pop/rock

Nancy Wilson

Live at McCabes Guitar Shop

(Epic Records)

She's always been a bit hidden by the overpowering shadow of big sister Ann, but Heart guitarist/ singer Nancy Wilson steps confidently into the light on Live at McCabes Guitar Shop, her first solo album.

Recorded at a Santa Monica music store over the course of two nights, Live at McCabes Guitar Shop features the delicacy and intricacy of Wilson's guitar playing, so often hidden amid Heart's dense production and wailing vocals. As a singer, Nancy sounds like "Ann Wilson Lite"—the similarities are jarring, but this Wilson sister knows how and when to tone it down.

Wilson smartly mixes it up here: She introduces some of her own compositions while including some Heart hits like a sexy version of "Even It Up" and a very mellow "These Dreams."

The real highlights, however, are found on Wilson's expressive and subtle interpretations other artists' songs. From the fluidity of her acoustic guitar playing on Paul Simon's folk classic, "Kathy's Song," to the bristling vocal passion she brings to Joni Mitchell's "A Case Of You," this unplugged setting seems to have ignited a truly creative spark in Wilson.

-Nicole Pensiero

Nancy Wilson will play Sat., March 20, at the TLA.