Taking Sides: Concrete Blonde V Heart

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God is a bullet?

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Sunday, 8 February 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd already been familiar with Concrete Blonde for a while before they released "Joey," yet was still surprised when it turned out "Joey" wasn't a Heart song.

It's taken a long time to appreciate Bloodletting on its own merits, though, because a bunch of people I didn't like used to run that album into the ground.

Heart will always have a special place in my, er, heart. Bad Animals is the first tape I ever bought with my own money.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 8 February 2004 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Concrete Blonde every damn time (though "Barracuda" is still a timelessly great track). What prompts the comparison, Ott? I don't really see a great deal of similarity between the two bands.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 8 February 2004 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Concrete Blonde for introducing a young Jimmy the Saint to Leonard Cohen. Heart for the use in Virgin Suicides.

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Sunday, 8 February 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Never saw "Virgin Suicides". What Heart track did they use?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 8 February 2004 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Crazy for You and Magic Man - both effective and left me with the impression that Heart was a pretty cool group!

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Sunday, 8 February 2004 20:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Like Alex in NYC says, not a lot of immediate similarity between the two (other than the singer's voice). But Heart has enough really good stuff out of their output to definitely come out on top in a comparison: ("White Lightning and Wine", "How Deep It Goes", "Barracuda", "Go On Cry", "Nada One", "Mistral Wind", "Pilot", "City's Burning" -- I didn't follow them too far into the '80's).

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Sunday, 8 February 2004 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Paul Thomspson vs Bernie Taupin

― dave q, Sunday, 8 February 2004 20:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd be just as likely to buy a greatest hits comp from either, which isn't really that likely. I'm gonna go with Concrete Blonde for breaking up. Then again, they just got back together...

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 8 February 2004 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I really love "Joey" as well as "Magic Man" and "Crazy On You". "Barracuda" is pretty good too and I actually don't mind "These Dreams". "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" is like the worst song ever though. I don't think I've heard anything else by Concrete Blonde. I have Dreamboat Annie, which is honestly pretty disposable except for the hits. I'll vote for Heart because I remember them having more guitars and I like to try to sing MM and COY in Ann Wilson register.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 9 February 2004 03:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Who the fuck are Concrete Blonde?

Heart.

― Broheems (diamond), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Heart's highs were higher, but their lows were lower. Concrete Blonde is consistently enjoyable.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)

You don't know "Joey"? It's like the best 80s ballad.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Heart, without fucking question. Nancy SMOKES Johnettte.

― J (Jay), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:11 (twenty-two years ago)

No, I don't know "Joey". I can honestly say I haven't knowingly ever heard Concrete Blonde. The number of people picking them over Heart shocks me. Well it doesn't shock me that Miccio picks them because his taste is horrendous. I would have figured Alex in NYC a Heart man, though. Anyway, they must be pretty darn good I guess.

― Broheems (diamond), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I haven't heard them except for that one song either. I would have pegged Alex to vote for Heart too.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Is all Concrete Blonde like "Joey"?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:24 (twenty-two years ago)

No, it's sorta here and there. "Joey" was the closest they got to a Perfect AOR Single as such.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Concrete Blonde are completely and utterly goddawful and so are 80's Heart, BUT at least Heart can say they were once pretty decent.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I always confuse Concrete Blonde with 4 Non-Blondes so I gotta go with Heart.

― nickn (nickn), Monday, 9 February 2004 04:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" is like the worst song ever though

Seconded, thirded, etc. I hate that goddamn song. So, Concrete Blonde by default, although I never liked them all that much. I kind of hate "Love is a Bullet" too, on second thought, but it induces less dry-heaving and ear-covering la-la-la's than the Heart song.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Monday, 9 February 2004 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You.. hated it when it came out, heard it on the radio a few years back and realised it was amazing.

Concrete Blonde... hmm.. "Caroline" I thought was an excellent single, better than anything Heart did. Still...

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 9 February 2004 05:59 (twenty-two years ago)

oooh, the difficulty. Concrete Blonde makes me think of Pump Up The Volume, though, which is somewhat of a guilty pleasure. XD

grew up with tons of Heart, due to being looked after by my aunt, who was an avid guitarist (and Heart fan).

i think the true comparison would be Heart vs. Pat Benatar, since they're both still rather ill-advisedly limping along with some semblance of careers when they're both long past their musical primes...;)

― janni (janni), Monday, 9 February 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Johnette is an iconic bad-ass. For that reason, I gotta go with her. The live version of "Joey" on the Live In Brazil double-album gave me chills.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 9 February 2004 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

broheems, you probably know jim mankey from concrete blonde. him and his brother earle used to be in Sparks. I love the first concrete blonde album. it had a good energy. and i think johnette has a great voice.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 9 February 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

(i saw them tour with the debut and they were great live)

oh, i do love heart too. i'm not gonna pick between the two though.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 9 February 2004 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I would have pegged Alex to vote for Heart too.

Based on what?

For every great Concrete Blonde track ("Still in Hollywood", "God is a Bullet") there was an equally embarassing one ("Happy Birthday", "Ghost of a Texas Lady's Man"), but they were pretty solidly cool throughout (something you could never say about Heart, who will never, ever, ever live down the big haired years). Also, Johnette's vocal turn on "Damage I've Done" by the Heads (Talking Heads brief non-reunion without Byrne) is mighty.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 9 February 2004 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

...i gotta go with Heart. based solely on the led zep covers they used to play at my high school [1974-75] dances in nanaimo,bc. fucking incredible.....didn't hurt that the sisters were hot back then too ;)

― william (william), Tuesday, 10 February 2004 07:53 (twenty-two years ago)

That's a rough choice. Heart was once good, Concrete Blonde faded as well but never nose-dived. And "Your Haunted Head" is fucking ace. And if anyone's ever seen the excellent 1987 sci-fi/horror/police flick The Hidden, you should agree that they use Concrete Blonde beautifully (that's where I first heard 'em). So Concrete Blonde is my pick.

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 10 February 2004 08:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Robert Forster covered "Alone", but I always wish he would cover "Joey" (And maybe it would then be a song about a baby kangaroo.)

But anyway, Heart was a better band, even though they tanked in the late 80's .. (I blame their label.)

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 10 February 2004 13:16 (twenty-two years ago)

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