Ann Wilson -vocals, guitar, piano, flute; Nancy Wilson vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboards; Howard Leese - guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals; Mike DeRosier - drums, percussion; Steve Fossen - bass, percussion
At the dawn of the 1980s, Heart's 5th album, Bebe le Strang, would signal the band's transition into the new decade, followed later in the year by Greatest Hits/Live. Both of these 1980 releases would continue the group's winning streak of Top Ten albums, but the former would be the first to do so without lead guitarist Roger Fisher and the latter would essentially be an overview of the group's initial rise to fame. The band would spend the next several years struggling with their identity before making one of the greatest comebacks of the decade five years later.
Presented here in its entirety is the band's Madison, Wisconsin stop on the Bebe le Strange tour, featuring material both old and new. Not surprisingly, this performance features an emphasis on Bebe le Strange material, which generally shines brighter than the studio recordings. 1970s hits, like "Magic Man, " "Crazy On You" and "Barracuda" are also well represented and a choice selection of covers surface during a double dose of encores. These include Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll" and a highly energized homage to Paul McCartney with the pairing of The Beatles "I'm Down" and Litlle Richard's "Long Tall Sally. A standout performance of "Tell It Like It Is" is also featured, which would result in another Top Ten single for Heart later in the year.
Conveying classic rock, folk and metal influences, the Wilson sisters' trademark sound is very much intact here. Although the lusher sonic textures of their studio work is replaced with a more straightforward approach on stage, this is a remarkably strong performance sure to delight fans of Heart's first golden era.