Ann Wilson van Heart, een van de meest kenmerkende en krachtige stemmen, brengt I Am the Highway uit als eerste track van het op 14 september te verschijnen album Immortal. Het album bevat 10 zeer diverse tracks van recent overleden muzikanten en vrienden die van grote invloed waren op haar. Met Immortal leven de liedjes van deze moderne poëten voort.
I Am The Highway, van origine een Audioslave nummer en gezongen door Chriss Cornell is de single van het album en ook de gratis track bij vooruitbestellen van het album. Beluister het nummer hier.
“The song is strong, confident, spiritual,” zegt de iconische Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee over “I Am The Highway.” “It’s about a person who refuses to be tied down to the mundane, who is constantly looking for freedom and independence on a more universal scale, not just ordinary everyday reality. It was the cry of a soul, and it’s a beautiful song. Chris and I were friends; we had a lot in common, we were both outsiders in a way. He left us with amazing music.”
Voor Immortal, haar debuut album voor BMG, heeft Ann samengewerkt met de originele Heart producer Mike Flicker (o.a. Dreamboat Annie, Magazine, Little Queen, Dog and Butterfly en Bebe Le Strange). Ann: “Mike was the first producer to believe in me, he was my first teacher in the studio and knows how to provide that special support needed to bring out my soul in the recording process. It is exciting to work with him for the first time since 1980. I have traveled many, many miles since then but the old feeling is still there and fresh on Immortal. He has fearlessly helped me bring my ideas to life once again and it’s been a great collaboration.”
De tracks op Immortal zijn niet de minste, hoogtepunten zijn Leonard Cohen (A Thousand Kisses Deep), Amy Winehouse (Back to Black), David Bowie (I’m Afraid of Americans), Lesley Gore (You Don’t Own Me) en Tom Petty (Luna). Volgens ANN waren de criteria voor het kiezen van de songs niet moeilijk: “First of all, I had to LOVE them! They had to be songs I could get inside of authentically as a singer. Lyrics are important to me but the most important thing is always the marriage of words and melody that makes the song magic!”
De internationale discussie over sexisme heeft Ann doen besluiten om You Don’t Own Me van Lesley Gore op de plaat te zetten. “You Don’t Own Me was originally an early feminist anthem in the 1960’s and ’70’s. Since then the idea of self possession has grown to be more universal…This song is about refusing to be objectified and owned. By anyone.” zegt Ann.
Immortal bevat een aantal zeer speciale gastbijdragen. Ann onthult: “Warren Haynes plays on Tom Petty’s Luna and You Don’t Own Me,”. Ben Mink is featured on Leonard Cohen’s ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep’ and Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. They are both musicians and great people whom I admire. It’s always a pleasure and an honor to work with them. Their souls shine through on these songs!”
Tracklisting Immortal
- You Don’t Own Me (Lesley Gore)
- I Am the Highway (Chris Cornell, Audioslave)
- Luna (Tom Petty)
- I’m Afraid of Americans (David Bowie)
- Politician (Cream) in honor of Jack Bruce
- A Thousand Kisses Deep (Leonard Cohen)
- Life in the Fast Lane (Joe Walsh, The Eagles) in honor of Glenn Frey
- Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)
- A Different Corner (George Michael)
- Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)