Valentine's Day is always special for Monroe resident and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Roger Fisher; Feb. 14 also happens to be his birthday. But this year, the day will be even sweeter.
Not only will the founding Heart guitarist be celebrating his own birthday, he'll be commemorating the 40th birthday of the Heart album "Dreamboat AnnieGÇ¥ and the release of his new album, "All Told,GÇ¥ co-created with his brother, Michael.
To mark the occasion, the two are hosting an all-ages release party and costume contest at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at McMenamins Anderson School in downtown Bothell. The free event will be held in Haynes' Hall and donations are welcome.
The event includes guest celebrity speakers, a photo booth and the opportunity to purchase an "All ToldGÇ¥ CD and have it autographed. Guests will be introduced to "All Told,GÇ¥ which is the first piece of a multifaceted audio-visual-literary experience conceptualized by Roger and Michael Fisher.
The brothers plan to pull out all the stops, including a top-notch Michael Fisher sound system and exclusive, never-before-seen Heart video footage.
"We'll play Dreamboat Annie and then we'll play some live footage that we've found from 1978, when the band was really, really good,GÇ¥ Roger said. "People haven't heard that before, so that'll be really cool. And then we'll play our album and movie.GÇ¥
All Told is the first installment in a larger, overarching project called One Vision. The project has been in production for eight years, Roger said, but its origins extend further back in time. The four-volume, concept-based project was inspired by 40 years of artistic exploration, said the brothers.
"It's four albums where each cover makes up the big picture,GÇ¥ Roger said. "All Told is the first of those four albums.GÇ¥
Each album will come with a corresponding artistic statement in the form of a movie, the first of which will be showcased with the "All ToldGÇ¥ album during the release party. Roger Fisher became adept at video editing and engineered the "All ToldGÇ¥ movie himself, he said, creating a roughly 71-minute psychedelic presentation that eschews normalcy as it guides inner adventure.
"As far as music and movies and art go, there are no rules. And when you see rules, you deliberately break them,GÇ¥ Fisher said. "So that's what our movie has done.GÇ¥
The Fisher brothers have been working on One Vision since 2008, after Roger gave Michael a treasure trove of music he had created over time. There were more than 100 songs, he recalled, and Michael listened to all of them. Michael realized there was an intrinsic theme that wound its way through the music, and that it was something worth pursuing.
"He realized that there was a thread of a story in 12 of these songs. They were the story of my life ' they were the story of anyone's life,GÇ¥ Fisher said. "You fall in love, you get your heart broken, you appreciate your parents, your parents die, you mourn, you rise above that and you keep your love alive, and then you die.GÇ¥
They decided to team up, having a long history of working together. Michael was the manager of Heart in its early days, and dated Ann Wilson while Roger dated Nancy Wilson. Michael was the inspiration for the song "Magic Man,GÇ¥ a 1975 Heart single written by Ann and Nancy.
The two had taken some time off from working together, and then in 2008, everything lined up. They knew they had something special, and they began to scope their vision and create the concept. In 2010 they formed Human Tribe LLC, which was established to produce the One Vision project and all its elements from start to finish.
"We have to do our best to bring this to fruition on a standard of excellence that's equal to Pink Floyd and the Beatles; it's got to be right there,GÇ¥ Fisher said. "What this is deserves that and nothing less.GÇ¥
And so for the last eight years, One Vision has been in development. Coincidentally, it was about eight years ago that Roger moved to Monroe. It was love that brought him there; he had recently returned to the United States after living abroad when he was introduced to a woman named Linda Manning. The two experienced an instant connection, becoming lost in an embrace.
He couldn't get her out of his mind.
"I emailed her, telling her that I hadn't been able to forget that hug, and could we go out to dinner,GÇ¥ Fisher recalled. "So we went to Sockeye's, and we've been together ever since.GÇ¥
Roger was a regular performer at the now-closed Eddie's Trackside Bar & Grill, and has been known to pick up his guitar or mandolin at Twin Rivers Brewing. He and Manning can be seen walking around Monroe's Lake Tye; as both enjoy the beauty of the Sky Valley region. "All ToldGÇ¥ features a song called "Dear Friend,GÇ¥ which Roger wrote for Manning and said is one of the best he's ever written.
He is also planning a live performance during the release party that will spotlight another song he wrote for her.
It's been eight years of discovery, highlighted by significant rewards, Roger said, including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Heart performed together for the first time in 34 years at the induction ceremony, and the magic was still there. Once they fired up "Crazy on You,GÇ¥ it all came rushing back, he said after the performance.
"The band Heart was a really good band because it was founded on the love of music and the creation of something worthwhile that had integrity,GÇ¥ Roger said. "The songwriting was good, but the synergy of all the players of the original lineup combined with the leadership of Mike Fisher made the band extraordinary.GÇ¥
Some of Roger Fisher's most notable songs include Barracuda, Dog & Butterfly, Dreamboat Annie, Mistral Wind, Crazy on You and Magic Man.
"We really stood apart from everybody else, and the fact that the songs were written so universally is what helps Heart stand the test of time,GÇ¥ Roger said.
Admission to the "All ToldGÇ¥ release party is free, but donations to help further the project are welcomed and encouraged. As the first album, "All ToldGÇ¥ provides the listener with a glimpse of the entire vision. The second album is called Forest Rain, third is Evolution, and the final album is called Big Game.
One Vision is meant to elevate, uplift and inspire people, Roger said, and he hopes all will get something out of "All Told,GÇ¥ both the album and the movie.
"It's going to really impact some people because it's a great thing we've made,GÇ¥ Roger said.
The winner of the "All Told" release party costume contest will win round-trip airfare to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies. For more information about the event, visit www.facebook.com/events/1560365324253835/. For more information about the project, visit www.rogerfisher.com. McMenamins is located at 18607 Bothell Way N.E. in Bothell. Photo by Chris Hendrickson Roger Fisher playing a live show last summer at Twin Rivers Brewing, located next door to AdamGÇÖs Northwest Bistro and Brewery in downtown Monroe.
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