Dreamboat Annie is the debut studio album by American rock band Heart. At the time, the band was based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The album was recorded in Vancouver and first released in Canada by local label Mushroom Records in mid-1975. It was released in the United States on February 14, 1976, through Mushroom Records’ Los Angeles subsidiary. The album contained three commercially successful singles, two of which became mainstream on FM radio. Producer Mike Flicker helped the group to polish their sound and secure a record deal.

Heart’s first single, “How Deep It Goes” with the side-splitting “Here Song”, received little attention when it was released in Canada by the small Mushroom label in 1975. The second single, “Magic Man” with the side-splitting “How Deep It Goes”, was first heard on a radio play on CJFM-FM 96 in Montreal while the band was on tour playing various small clubs.

The group and their label began working together to promote the album from city to city. “Crazy on You” was the first single released in the US, around the same time as its release in Canada; “Magic Man” was then released in the US as the second single there, followed by the title track as the third single and fourth in Canada.

Dreamboat Annie is a classic album. From the guitar opening of “Magic Man” to the oceanic sound effects at the end of “Dreamboat Annie (Reprise)”, this album sounds like a masterpiece. The opening track “Magic Man” automatically draws you in with Roger Fisher’s slide guitar. It’s as if the entire song casts a magical spell on its listeners. Everything from the instruments to the vocals are captivating and hypnotic. The title track follows with the sounds of ocean waves, but it’s not the full version of the song. Then we move on to an acoustic guitar solo that puts us in the intro to “Crazy On You.” For many in 1976, this was the first song from the album to be heard on the radio. It was rare to hear a hard rock song by a female vocalist at the time. But the Wilson sisters pulled it off very well. As the song ends, we return to the ocean waves and enter “Soul of the Sea.” The interesting part of this song is the part where the lyrics say, “You wake up late without a smile, with the phone ringing you run like a child.” The percussion in this part of the song as well as the orchestration are incredible as is the cello that is heard. And while the song seems to be ending, it returns to its original rhythm. The first side of the vinyl version closes with a more complete version of “Dreamboat Annie.”

The second side begins with “White Lightning & Wine,” which displays the power of the rock side of the group. “(Love Me Like Music) I’ll Be Your Song” is a song that was made to lift you up when you’re down, while “Sing Child” is a very interesting song with a highly unusual string progression and an energetic flute solo, reminiscent of something by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Moving on, we have “How Deep it Goes”, which is another song to relax to, and then the album concludes with a reprise of “Dreamboat Annie”.
Overall, Dreamboat Annie is an album that has stood the test of time and is one that everyone should have in their music library.

From this excellent album I select the track “Magic Man”.

Tracklist

1. Magic Man 5:35
2. Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child) 1:55
3. Crazy On You 3:54
4. Soul Of The Sea 6:35
5. Dreamboat Annie 2:02
6. White Lightning & Wine 3:53
7. Love Me Like Music (I’ll Be Your Song) 3:20
8. Sing Child 4:55
9. How Deep It Goes 3:49
10. Dreamboat Annie (Reprise) 3:48