Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna

Title

1.    Bella Donna
2.    Kind Of Woman
3.    Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
4.    Think About It
5.    After The Glitter Fades
6.    Edge Of Seventeen
7.    How Still My Love
8.    Leather And Lace
9.    Outside The Rain
10.    The Highwayman

Stevie Nicks had a lot to prove when she first went solo and recorded “Bella Donna.” Although she had enjoyed huge success with Fleetwood Mac, the singer was often overshadowed by the other band members –  the group's approach meant that she was unable to really establish herself as a songwriter. This was set to change for good with “Bella Donna”: The public enthusiastically received her solo debut and the album rose to number one on the charts and sold over four million copies! This makes “Bella Donna” more successful in the US than any other Fleetwood Mac album – except “Rumours.” On the first single, “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around,” Nicks sings a duet with songwriter Tom Petty and almost all of the Heartbreakers. The rousing song reached number 3 on the Billboard charts. She landed a second hit with Petty and his Heartbreakers: “Outside The Rain.” On the following single, “Leather And Lace,” Nicks turned to another famous personality: the singer and drummer of the Eagles and her former lover Don Henley. The ballad climbed to number 6 on the charts. “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around” also made it high up in the charts. The highlight of the album is undoubtedly “Edge Of Seventeen,” which Rolling Stone ranked 217th in its list of the best songs of all time!

The enthusiastic response from audiences and critics was well deserved, and from a musical point of view, the interplay between the musicians alone deserves the highest praise: The provisionally assembled band consists mainly of guitarist Waddy Watchel, drummer Russ Kunkel, organist Benmont Tench, bassist Bob Glaub, percussionist Bobbye Hall, and guitarist Davey Johnstone – all skilled musicians with impressive credentials. Nicks also brought Roy Bittan, the E Street Band's pianist, on board for five songs and began a long-standing collaboration with backing singers Sharon Celani and Lori Perry. Working with producer Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty, Nicks took control of the creative process for the first time in her career. She let the material develop spontaneously – which is immediately apparent in the natural, balanced sound and raw emotionality. The warm, expansive, rich soundscapes that convey a live feeling and the chemistry between the musicians involved make “Bella Donna” a very personal, outstanding album. In fact, Nicks' voice on this album is among the best performances of her career. She puts her heart into every word, uses her distinctive raspy voice with precision and explores a wide range with apparent ease.

MoFi's lovingly remastered reissue presents “Bella Donna” in audiophile sound quality that surpasses previous editions in terms of realism, presence, clarity, dynamics and balance. As is customary with MFSL, the strictly numbered Hybrid SACD comes in a high-quality mini LP-style gatefold sleeve. “Bella Donna” is not only an absolute collector's item for fans of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac – this Hybrid SACD simply belongs in every well-stocked music collection!