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sundriedangel's review
4.0
I’ll start with the bad and get it out of the way. Feminists or not, I have serious doubts about their ancestor Hannah Dustin and the morality of killing so many people and so cruelly after her baby died. It sounds like a story where the victors/white pilgrims/colonizers really had control of the narrative. There are a couple more times where it doesn’t seem like they’re up to date on how to respect indigenous peoples and how some of the media they saw as kids was really racist towards indigenous people. Also at one point (her 30s or 40s when Nancy was getting married to Cameron Crowe), Ann was “really into Gone with the Wind.” So major side eye there. The book stops 4 years before Ann’s relationship with Dean Wetter who had the cops called on him for hitting Nancy’s 16 year old sons in 2016. That lead to another break in the band but they’re back together now.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this! It made me realize I have a lot of Heart to discover, they’ve been making music and rocking for so long. It’s cool that both Nancy and Ann became parents in their 40s.
Fuck Annie Leibovitz, it’s so weird that she had to be sued instead of destroying Ann’s nudes when asked!!! I appreciate that Ann and Nancy didn’t shame any younger people for how normalized nudity has become as they never found any personal freedom in that.
It’s so gross that the media wanted them to do incest and saw the SISTERS as lesbians. That really grinds my gears- men are so fetishistic and real nasty evil freaks and lesbians have never caught a break or earned real rights from being fetishized. There were almost no gay people in this book but that’s okay this was my real straight book of the year lol.
Ann got sober in her 60’s, there is much life to live if we are so lucky. I appreciate that they mentioned financial issues, various legal battles, and times they’ve been sued. I didn’t realize how many non Wilson sister band members came and went though the years, but that’s rock and roll for ya!
I personally LOVE music videos, so it hurt hearing about the onslaught of fat phobia and misogyny Ann received after music videos became more popular. The way the media and music video set workers tried to pit the sisters against eachother - deeming each as more and less valuable because of weight- was especially cruel and I’m glad the sisters rose above. This, combined with a podcast episode from MUNA explaining they’re often made to femme it up for music videos and the videos don’t financially make sense, have the gears in my head spinning. With my radical imagination, I could see Music Video sets becoming safer places with fewer assholes and possibly more storytelling (think Space Cowboy by Kasey Musgraves or the one with Chole Grace Mortez and Tyler Posey by Best Coast or any MV that had actors acting in it). In the meantime, I’ll put less pressure on people to make MVs and savor the ones they do make.
On another tangent, I thought it was interesting and still relevant that people en large assumed Nancy (younger sister, blonde) was more timid and Ann (older sister, brunette, thick goddess) was more fiery- we see the same thing today with Chloe (younger but taller, straight sized but not dainty, Cancer, and assumed to be more fiery) and Halle Bailey (older but shorter, dainty bone structure, Aries, and assumed to be more soft). The media gets it wrong with both sisters, though ofc every woman is capable of a range of emotions and experiences so it’s a useless stereotype anyways. Ann is a Gemini & Nancy a Pisces if you care/got this far reading this.
Circling back to a few paragraphs ago, let’s get into Ann’s intentional weight loss and thoughts. What really sticks out to me is that Ann admits the outside world and the way she was viewed and treated by orders was the true biggest change she experienced. Classic, the fat phobia came from outside the house and she earned those assholes measly respect from being a “good fatty” and undergoing surgery and radically changing her life for the rest of it. She mentions gaining new sympathy for people on the Super/Infinifat side of the fatness spectrum, it was only a sentence or 2. She does briefly mention some of the cons of the lap band and her frustration on becoming a spokesperson for it. She doesn’t make any connections between her lap band and her alcoholism and transfer addiction, but she might not know about transfer addiction, I know I only heard of it this year. She’s also only one person and I don’t expect her to be the anti fatphobia person of the year or anything.
Also soooooo classic that Cameron Crowe was the typical writer, grateful that a woman was cooking for him in the next room and barely paying any attention to her
Overall I really enjoyed reading this! It made me realize I have a lot of Heart to discover, they’ve been making music and rocking for so long. It’s cool that both Nancy and Ann became parents in their 40s.
Fuck Annie Leibovitz, it’s so weird that she had to be sued instead of destroying Ann’s nudes when asked!!! I appreciate that Ann and Nancy didn’t shame any younger people for how normalized nudity has become as they never found any personal freedom in that.
It’s so gross that the media wanted them to do incest and saw the SISTERS as lesbians. That really grinds my gears- men are so fetishistic and real nasty evil freaks and lesbians have never caught a break or earned real rights from being fetishized. There were almost no gay people in this book but that’s okay this was my real straight book of the year lol.
Ann got sober in her 60’s, there is much life to live if we are so lucky. I appreciate that they mentioned financial issues, various legal battles, and times they’ve been sued. I didn’t realize how many non Wilson sister band members came and went though the years, but that’s rock and roll for ya!
I personally LOVE music videos, so it hurt hearing about the onslaught of fat phobia and misogyny Ann received after music videos became more popular. The way the media and music video set workers tried to pit the sisters against eachother - deeming each as more and less valuable because of weight- was especially cruel and I’m glad the sisters rose above. This, combined with a podcast episode from MUNA explaining they’re often made to femme it up for music videos and the videos don’t financially make sense, have the gears in my head spinning. With my radical imagination, I could see Music Video sets becoming safer places with fewer assholes and possibly more storytelling (think Space Cowboy by Kasey Musgraves or the one with Chole Grace Mortez and Tyler Posey by Best Coast or any MV that had actors acting in it). In the meantime, I’ll put less pressure on people to make MVs and savor the ones they do make.
On another tangent, I thought it was interesting and still relevant that people en large assumed Nancy (younger sister, blonde) was more timid and Ann (older sister, brunette, thick goddess) was more fiery- we see the same thing today with Chloe (younger but taller, straight sized but not dainty, Cancer, and assumed to be more fiery) and Halle Bailey (older but shorter, dainty bone structure, Aries, and assumed to be more soft). The media gets it wrong with both sisters, though ofc every woman is capable of a range of emotions and experiences so it’s a useless stereotype anyways. Ann is a Gemini & Nancy a Pisces if you care/got this far reading this.
Circling back to a few paragraphs ago, let’s get into Ann’s intentional weight loss and thoughts. What really sticks out to me is that Ann admits the outside world and the way she was viewed and treated by orders was the true biggest change she experienced. Classic, the fat phobia came from outside the house and she earned those assholes measly respect from being a “good fatty” and undergoing surgery and radically changing her life for the rest of it. She mentions gaining new sympathy for people on the Super/Infinifat side of the fatness spectrum, it was only a sentence or 2. She does briefly mention some of the cons of the lap band and her frustration on becoming a spokesperson for it. She doesn’t make any connections between her lap band and her alcoholism and transfer addiction, but she might not know about transfer addiction, I know I only heard of it this year. She’s also only one person and I don’t expect her to be the anti fatphobia person of the year or anything.
Also soooooo classic that Cameron Crowe was the typical writer, grateful that a woman was cooking for him in the next room and barely paying any attention to her
antidietleah's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, Drug use, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, and Miscarriage
maggiebook's review against another edition
4.0
My sister and I have been Heart fans for many years but it was only this year (2020) I discovered they had written a book. It was a must read for me.
Loved that Ann and Nancy equally told the story with occasional inputs from friends and family. Loved getting the history of the band , the songs and the people who made up Heart. Loved that they gave a real account of what it was/is like being a female in a male dominated profession.
Both ladies don't shy away from revealing personal downfalls and setbacks. They also don't shy away from calling out critics, previous boyfriends and famous people they have encountered. It isn't done in a 'trashing' way but just stating what happened and who did or said what. Now did I need to know who they did drugs with or what famous people hit on Nancy or who they slept with...no. But if that is what Ann and Nancy feel they need to tell me then I am ok with it.
It is a solid good book deserving 3 stars but gets an extra star because it is Ann and Nancy Wilson.
Loved that Ann and Nancy equally told the story with occasional inputs from friends and family. Loved getting the history of the band , the songs and the people who made up Heart. Loved that they gave a real account of what it was/is like being a female in a male dominated profession.
Both ladies don't shy away from revealing personal downfalls and setbacks. They also don't shy away from calling out critics, previous boyfriends and famous people they have encountered. It isn't done in a 'trashing' way but just stating what happened and who did or said what. Now did I need to know who they did drugs with or what famous people hit on Nancy or who they slept with...no. But if that is what Ann and Nancy feel they need to tell me then I am ok with it.
It is a solid good book deserving 3 stars but gets an extra star because it is Ann and Nancy Wilson.
posies23's review
4.0
I've been a HEART fan since I first heard "Dog and Butterfly" as a kid in the 1970's. I've got most of their albums (many on cassette!) and remember watching their videos when they were in heavy rotation in the 1980's. With that said, I never really knew much about the member's personal history, or the ups and downs of the band.
KICKING AND DREAMING fills in many of those gaps as it follows the lives of the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy, through their lives, musical growth, and personal changes. The sister's alternate their stories in first person, with sections labeled "Ann" and "Nancy," with each giving their take on the events of their lives. Along the way there are many celebrity cameos, including Elton John, John Mellencamp, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell. There are some of the usual tales of celebrity excess, as is expected, but the book mostly centers around the struggles of two women to simply make music in a business that forced women into stereotyped roles that the Wilson sisters simply did not want to play. Ann's struggle with her weight, in particular, is a running theme throughout the book, and it isn't until nearly the end that she finally comes to terms with the conflict between her self-image and what others expect of her. Nancy's struggles to be taken seriously as a musician, her marriage to Cameron Crowe, and her fertility issues, also are a major part of the "behind the scenes" pieces that help to fill in the story behind the albums and the changes in HEART over the years.
The major flaw in the book is that there are huge sections that seem to be skimmed over or mentioned only in passing, especially during the 1980's. There is also an internal inconsistency in the format. At times, certain players are allowed to tell the story in their own words in the style of an "oral history" like PLEASE KILL ME or THE GOOD WAR. Other times, their stories are told inside the Wilson sister's story. I wish this had been consistent -- if you're going to let one person tell their side of the story, you should let everyone have their chance.
If you can, try to get the paperback edition, which adds an epilogue that goes through their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their unforgettable cover of "Stairway to Heaven" at the Kennedy Center Honors.
A recommended read, especially if you are a Heart fan, or want to read about the struggles of women to break into the "man's world" of rock and roll.
KICKING AND DREAMING fills in many of those gaps as it follows the lives of the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy, through their lives, musical growth, and personal changes. The sister's alternate their stories in first person, with sections labeled "Ann" and "Nancy," with each giving their take on the events of their lives. Along the way there are many celebrity cameos, including Elton John, John Mellencamp, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell. There are some of the usual tales of celebrity excess, as is expected, but the book mostly centers around the struggles of two women to simply make music in a business that forced women into stereotyped roles that the Wilson sisters simply did not want to play. Ann's struggle with her weight, in particular, is a running theme throughout the book, and it isn't until nearly the end that she finally comes to terms with the conflict between her self-image and what others expect of her. Nancy's struggles to be taken seriously as a musician, her marriage to Cameron Crowe, and her fertility issues, also are a major part of the "behind the scenes" pieces that help to fill in the story behind the albums and the changes in HEART over the years.
The major flaw in the book is that there are huge sections that seem to be skimmed over or mentioned only in passing, especially during the 1980's. There is also an internal inconsistency in the format. At times, certain players are allowed to tell the story in their own words in the style of an "oral history" like PLEASE KILL ME or THE GOOD WAR. Other times, their stories are told inside the Wilson sister's story. I wish this had been consistent -- if you're going to let one person tell their side of the story, you should let everyone have their chance.
If you can, try to get the paperback edition, which adds an epilogue that goes through their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their unforgettable cover of "Stairway to Heaven" at the Kennedy Center Honors.
A recommended read, especially if you are a Heart fan, or want to read about the struggles of women to break into the "man's world" of rock and roll.
richa700's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
stapilus's review
5.0
A good joint memoir, lively and evidently quite honest, about the Wilson sisters and their many years in Heart. It was well balanced between the personal, professional and artistic.