Ann Wilson
Fierce Bliss
(Silver Lining Music)

If you have been living under a rock for the past few decades, you might have missed that Ann Wilson is the lead singer/flautist/songwriter and one-half of the creative team of the American institution rock band Heart. Here she releases a solo album called Fierce Bliss.

As much enlisting some famous ax men as singing her heart out (voice still big and strong) around some well-crafted tunes and managing some covers, Ann Wilson delivers a rather solid album here. Sure, Fierce Bliss opens with a rather weak “Greed” (not ironic that this is the lead-off single to the album), but soon we are into a scary good Led Zed-like “Black Wing” (Heart has been greatly influenced by the might Zep) followed by solid covers of “Bridge Of Sighs” featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Queen’s “Love Of My Life,” with Ann doing a duet with Vince Gill and then solid deep rockin’ hits like “Gladiator” with Warren Haynes guesting (he also throws in his special guitar sauce on “Angel’s Blues” here.)

The deeper you travel with Ann and her bliss, you realize she still has lots to say and says it damn well indeed. Presently the Wilson sisters (Ann’s sister Nancy, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter is the other have of Heart’s creative team) are at odds in how to carry on their band. It’s nothing that Ann claims is a big rift, but Nancy wants to rest on the band’s legacy output, and Ann wants to explore new music.

I’d say she does so expertly on Fierce Bliss, just like the rockin’ diva (diva in good way that she is) that I expected she’d be.