Monthly Record Guide: Pop-Rock (2)

Pop-Rock Heart: "Passionworks," (Epic QE 38800) - The Wilson sisters (Ann and Nancy) set high standards for themselves when they burst upon the rock scene with their triple-platinum (sales over 3 million) album ''Dreamboat Annie'' in 1976. Their blend of folk, mysticism, soothing melodies, and fast-driving rock brought them swift success after being simply a local Vancouver band. However, they have since then failed to recapture the excitement and musical splendor they achieved with their first album. ''Passionworks'' is not a bad record, and it has netted them a single, ''How Can I Refuse,'' but the freshness and daring of earlier Heart albums is missing. The cut ''Allies,'' is the record's best. It's a haunting piece that combines smooth, fluid piano with distressing tales of world peace, or lack thereof. This is the Heart of old, mixing beautiful, slow-moving melodies with occasional bursts of churning guitars, setting a mood of uncertainty that can often describe the world today. The song ''Johnny Moon'' succeeds in creating a dreamlike mood with its frighteningly slow passages and eerie instrumentation. Otherwise, this record has only brief hints (''Blue Guitar'' and ''Together Now'') of the brilliance of the past.