The Rumours phenomenon was very much connected to its innovativeness. Here was this album, full of songs that were designed to stand alone, to be HITS, potential singles, perfect little units. Yet, here was this album -- a proverbial dessert platter -- that actually ended up telling a story: it's a collection of love songs sung to each other. It subverted the merely commercial dictates of the record medium. in that way, its title reflects how the album exemplifed the ways that vernacular culture (and its truths) enter the mass-production mainstream ("run in the shadows!"). I think that makes it a mighty achievement. In other words, the dictates of capitalism are subverted by the meaning-making of the band's use of the album medium.

I'm not sure how well I articulated all that.

Anyway, the challenge with an album like Mirage is that its themes are less concrete; it really does play like a dessert platter of perfectly constructed ditties. But each of the artists (even when making songs about each other, as with "Gypsy") seems disconnected in artistic pursuit and thematic concerns (Tusk is a complex matter for another day). I don't think that that sense of cohesion returned (entirely) to the Mac after Tusk until Say You Will -- the sound of which may have been primarily dictated by Lindsey, but the meaning derives from Stevie's belief that 9/11 changed everything.

And I'm not sure how to approach or define the thematic, artistic unity of early Mac. Green and Spencer shared a sense of spiritual crisis, for example.

I think Mick's LOVE subtly unites the farewell of Christine, the youthful hopefulness of Billy/Bekka's musical chemistry, the rugged perserverance of Dave Mason on Time.

A million or two more than the white album is still quite a ****load of albums! But let's say for the sake of argument that the album sold three million copies (like Mirage)- a hit by any metric, but not exactly setting the world on fire- would Stevie have had the cred to put out a solo record with top shelf producers and musicians? Would Tom Petty bother writing songs for her? Would Lindsey have been allowed such creative control on Tusk and every one of his quirky solo albums? If there was no Tusk and if Bella Donna was a half-assed affair, and they continued to crank out Mirage Parts I, II, III and IV, I am pretty sure I would not be too interested. And for me part of the allure of FM has been this built-in tension whenever they regrouped- almost as if they are doing it under protest and that any spark could blow up the powder keg. And of course they worked together because of the immense reward as well as, some shred of artistic cohesion lying far beneath the layers of jealousy, resentment and antipathy. If it wasn't for the big tours, private jets and lofty advances and artistic freedom, I suspect they would have finally called it a day after Mirage (or whatever album that would have followed Rumours).

In my case, not well at all, I'm afraid. It reminded me of a University of California Press book my teacher once told me to read.

Here's the part where we appear to be listening to different music. :]
:xoxo:

That reminds me of the Steve Pond review of the Hollywood Bowl Sept. 1, 1980, show. He referred to the "powder-keg detonation of Go Your Own Way" ... the "awesome momentum of The Chain and Tusk" ... the "oppressive brilliance of a slow I'm So Afraid" ... the "deft keyboard touches that illuminate Over & Over."

And then he says that Stevie's "dying swan poses & Fairie Queene pretensions" are "still essentially decorative."

Its probably a few more than that today with all the people who bought it after The Dance, etc. 35,000 was the figure being tossed around in the music press after the album's lack of success.

But Time was already in the cutout bin by the end of 1995. And given Lindsey's none-too-subtle put-downs of that lineup at the time of the Dance, I doubt there was a rush to buy more copies. I think 35K is probably the extent of it, which I assume are the officially scanned numbers. I suspect that many more copies were actually shipped but considered "returns."

Ok. Thanks.

Michele

I have been listening to Time a bit today after throwing my 2c worth in this thread. Currently listening to Blow By Blow, and you know what I realised, this album is actually just out of chronological order, it needs to be slotted in somewhere around Penguin or Mystery to Me.

Take a listen to Blow By Blow and you'll see it is almost a more modern version of (I'm a) Road runner, listen to Hollywood (Some Other Kind Of Town) and you'll see it was pre-Rumours Christine all over again.

The only problem I can see with moving the album to about 1973 is that Bekka would only be 5 :)

:eek:
If you're trying to make a case FOR the merits of Time THAT comparison actually works against you. ;)

The two Dave Mason songs just sound like...well, Dave Mason songs. Those could be on any of his albums (and, on second thought, maybe Split Coconut or Mariposa De Oro specifically).

For all the energy I've put into DEFENDING the Time album, I don't think I've ever really stated my criticisms of it (other than the running order). There's something blatantly missing (and I don't mean Buckingham or Nicks! :mad: ) Fleetwood Mac's legacy is one of having great lead guitarists...but, other than some run-0f-the-mill solos in a few of the songs, there's no real kick butt lead in any of them. They recruited Dave Mason, one of the all-time greats, but where IS he on the album? Except at the end "I Wonder Why", but what bugs me about THAT, is that Dashut & Fleetwood decided to mix Bekka's vamp OVER Dave's one & only real expressive lead guitar part on the album. Those "I wonder why-ee-ayes" that are mixed way too high bug the hell out of me.The solo on "Winds Of Change" starts out great, but then really goes nowhere. It just seems like the INTENSITY of the guitar work is really what's missing throughout the album. It's as though they sacrificed stellar guitar parts for the sake of the songs, when actually had they had more intensity in the guitars, the songs would've benefitted from it. The songs themselves are just fine, but the lack of "in your face" guitars overly softens the entire production of them.

The best lead guitar work on the entire album is on "These Strange Times" played by the one & only MICK FLEETWOOD!!!!! Now what does THAT tell you?? (Obviously, after all those years of rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest guitarists on the planet, something must've rubbed off...even if he IS "just a drummer".)

Ok, back to "sing the praises of Time mode. :thumbsup:

This.

...though I love using the "vocal remover" feature on my mp3 software as it does a good job of taking Bekka's part out or at least pushing it to the back and you can hear Dave's lead guitar solo pretty good.

Also, just regarding DM in general, it seems like he didn't like to solo much on his own albums, after Alone Together and some of the live stuff, he doesn't really have many long solos on record (a few exceptions, "Side Tracked" from ILYNL, "Long Lost Friend" from SC, etc.) and I always wondered why (no pun intented) someone that has such a great talent (based on what we HAVE been able to hear him do on leads) didn't seem to want to put those skills to use, at least on record?

Anyways, like you, back to the praises. :)

John

Oh yeah I forgot this is the Ledge, home of the anti-Time anti-Dave Walker people... :laugh:

;)

EDIT: I was listening to Dreamin' The Dream today and decided it was one of the three most beautiful post-1975 FM tracks - the others in my opinion being Songbird and Beautiful Child.

You have also just described most of the albums Eric Clapton has released in the past twenty years too...

Maybe once you achieve guitar god status it is all downhill from there?

My choice for best guitar part on the "Time" album goes to Michael Thompson for the solo on "Hollywood (Some Other Kind Of Town)". That is so soulful.
Does this man have his own band? So far, I've only found his appearances on other people's records, but he always sounds great.

This is one of my criticisms as well come to think of it. There really are not great guitar solos on this album. With the exception, as you point out, of Mick (of all people!!!!!:shocked:) on "These Strange Times". Which begs the question you posed: With great/good guitarists already on board (Dave Mason and Billy Burnette), why does the drummer get the best guitar solo and why are there additional guitarists needed??

Now, now, now. Don't lump all of us into one pile!!:laugh:

I'm not anti-Time, nor really anti-Dave Walker. I just don't think Time lives up to its potential given the personnel/talent present. (Dave Walker is a topic better left for another time.:thumbsup:)

I personally very much like Dreamin' The Dream and would agree with you that it fits into (but not as good as) Songbird and Beautiful Child (one of my all time favourite Stevie songs with or without FM). See there? We agree again!!:thumbsup: