"Crystal" Live?
 

Hello Ledgies,
A thought entered my mind today. To my knowledge the mighty Mac has
never performed "Crystal" live. WHY?:distress: You'd think that in their
current incarnation it'd be apropos... What do you all think?
Love,
celestenadia

I just posted this on the setlist thread. I've always wondered the same thing, as well as the other forgotten classic, I don't Want to Know. I adore Crystal, it's possibly one of my favorite songs ever, and I would litterally die if they played it live! Woah, bad play on words... Anyways, I would love to see it played live.

i just mentioned the other day in some other thread that i thought Crystal would be a perfect way to end the current set list.

I find Goodbye Baby really flat and anti-climatic for the kind of show FM is doing right now.

I also think Crystal is sort of a cool "bridge" from the Buckingham Nicks era into Fleetwood Mac. It kind of feels like the right song to sum up what's happened with Lindsey and Stevie musically over the past few years.
It was the one Buckingham Nicks song that FM recorded in the studio -- and I think to end the show with Crystal is a nice send off and a nice introduction into Buckingham Nicks being released on cd (next year I hope).

Well.......
"Goodbye Baby" is certainly NOT flat.... Stevie pouring our her emotions is a very GOOD way to end the concert. And her vocals are fantastic!!

"Crystal" is such a great, classic, beautiful song that it could be put almost anywhere in the setlist, if only they would do it (with Stevie signing the lead, of course...).

I agree that FM has classics they've never played live OR released at all (i.e. Stevie's "The Dealer"). Crystal... that would be soooo enchanting to hear.

While we're on the subject, which version of Crystal do you all prefer? My favorite is Lindsey's version on The White Album, I love the harmonies on it, and if you listen close enough, you can hear Chris singing the higher register on the "Drove me through the mountains" part. I just love that version. Plus I find it vair cool that it was my parents' wedding song.

The white album version is okay, but nothing IMO compared to the Pratical Magic version by Stevie. That one just blows me away everything I hear it. It is definetly an amazing version of an already amazing song.

The practical magic version is so much better! I heard this version first, because this was before I got the white album. Anyway, I think Stevie sounds great singing this song....

Crystal is a beautiful song
 

The only problem with adding it is that FM wants to be seen as a rock & roll band, and this would be another slow song in the set (along with Landslide, Goodbye Baby, Say Goodbye, etc). While Crystal might have been perfect for Lindsey's recent PBS gig with Stevie guesting, I don't know that it would necessarily add anything to the rock & roll aspect of the band. (Although it would be a crowd pleaser for long time fans, along with "Sara.") FM could/should toss in other FM songs that would kick folks out of their seats. They need to do more power songs IMO.

I was just thinking to myself the other day....I wonder what made them choose Goodbye Baby to end the setlist this tour? I agree - it is anti-climatic. I never thought of it until now - but yes, Crystal would be a great closer for this concert! It's FM and BN and so perfect!

CRYSTAL Live...
 

:( :rolleyes: Stevie's Goodbye Baby is a pretty
little sad song...not a show closer!!!:eek:
You want to send the fans away with
a solid Stevie & Lindsey tune...CRYSTAL!:laugh:

Re: CRYSTAL Live...
 

I agree that Goodbye Baby is definitely an appropriate show closer....it's far too slow and sad. As much as I'd LOVE to see Crystal be added to the setlist, I wouldn't really want it as the show closer (again...too slow)....I wish they would end the show on a massive, energy packed, explosive, high! Perfect candidate is Sisters Of The Moon.

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

An Upbeat Fiery Climax!!!
 

:p Hi LB Fanatic seteca!
Oh, yah, I see what you mean...
Maybe they should use a Fiery :]
Finish such as SOTM or Don't Stop!

Perhaps they are trying to fill in for
Chris's lovely Songbird but can't!!!
Her meaningful piano tune is sweet
but not bitter sweet nor so darn sad!
Fans Crying ... At a Rock Concert?:eek:

I definitely prefer Lindsey singing Crystal. I really love the white album version but I do not like Stevie's version from Practical Magic. I don't like her voice on it especially at the beginning.

I think Stevie intended 'Goodbye Baby' to be her 'Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You' for the FM tour, another sad, emotional way to end the show, but it is kind of a boring song to begin with, especially considering they're NOT doing 'Running Through The Garden', 'Thrown Down', ETC.

I always wondered why they ended their shows on such a down note. I've never heard their current closing tune, but ending shows on a down note is kind of a crappy idea to me. After a show I want that exileration of "Yeah, that kicked ass!" not "Aww...how lovely. That was nice."

Songbird was cool and a trademark, but I don't think it should be their trademark to put you to sleep at the end of the show with a song that's NOT Songbird. I've never heard their current closer, but Tusk And Don't Stop worked great for the Dance, go ahead and stick to that minus Songbuzzard. Some bands keep their same encores for years and it's still cool every time you hear them.

With Lindsey so excited about their new rockin' direction he needs to be proving just how muscular, masculine and maneuverable the new Mac is during the encore.

Let's recall what types of songs Fleetwood Mac has closed their set with over the years (or actually since 1975):

Hypnotized
Sunny Side Of Heaven
Songbird
Imagine
Farmer's Daughter
Goodbye Baby

The reason they close with "slow" (or spacey, in the case of "Hypnotized" & "SSoH") songs is to get the audience to mellow out before they leave the show...for all intents musically commanding people to leave after the song and don't be asking for another encore.

So, yeah, songs like HAEWAFY, Crystal, etc are GREAT concert enders. But, the two songs BEFORE them better be of the "SOTM", "Blue Letter", "Rattlesnake Shake", "Don't Stop", etc., variety.

I don't know why everyone finds Goodbye Baby so darn sad. Yes, some of the lyrics are sad, but the theme of the song is hope. At least, that's what I get from it.

But I agree, Crystal would be AWESOME. But Frozen Love would be better. :laugh:

Re: "Crystal" Live?
 

I dunno if they have or not. Weren't both "Crystal" & "I Don't Want to Know" performed by the Buckingham Nicks troupe in 1974? Didn't Hoppy Hodges spill that?

"Crystal" is really one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac tracks. It really captures that moment in time -- 1975 -- getting going with a new incarnation, where you'd think everything would be sunny & light, but "Crystal" casts a wistful, somewhat dour shadow on the vigor of a new lineup & a new road ahead.

Hello Ledgies,
Thank you for all sharing. To clarify my original question though...
Why do you think they've never performed "Crystal" live?
Too challenging to reproduce live (ala "Sara")?
Too "emotional" for them to do (ala "Sara")?
I'm just curious to know if anyone has any speculations
as to just exactly why this gem has yet to see the light of day live.
Love,
celestenadia

Do we know for certain that they never played it? Maybe they played it during their first year or two of touring. It's perilous to discount something like that. Nobody in this country (USA) ever thought Fleetwood Mac played "That's Enough for Me" until a tape surfaced from the Wembley shows with that song on it.

I don't think "Crystal" would be challenging to present live. In fact, just the opposite: it would be a very suitable song to perform live because it's arranged very traditionally.

What would be any more challenging about Sara than any of their other songs? I think this is one of their most basic.

I could swear I saw a bootleg from early/mid 1975 that had both "Crystal" AND "Frozen Love" in the set.

I think the BN version of Crystal is the best. I think Lindsey sounds fantastic doing this rendition and by kicking it up a little higher as heard on the White album, it sort of changed the dynamic of the song and he sounded even a little unsure of himself. I also think Stevie had Lindsey sing it for a reason -- his voice just fits the song a lot better, in my opinion.

Tomara

I always thought I knew what Goodbye Baby was all about, until the Jones Beach show that is. While waiting for the show to start I was standing talking to some friends right at the stage, we all had front row seats. I was just about to go take my seat and as I turned, walking towards me was a long lost, very dear friend who I have not seen in 20 freakin years. Basically I had pulled back from the friendship cuz I was just starting to come out and did not know how she would handle it (we were from Brooklyn, albeit different neighborhoods...ya know) Anyway we embraced for what seemed like forever, shedding tears that were comforting. If thats at all possible. We try and catch up and she informs me that she lost her huband in the World Trade Center attack. This made my heart just like collapse............

When Goodbye Baby started and Stevie sang those lyrics I again started to tear up thinking of my friend and her very tragic loss. This little song had more power than I had ever imagined. Don't get me wrong I always liked the song but it really hit home that night. I turned to look at my friend (she was like 7 rows directly behind me) and she was just transfixed with a smile and light tears, I got the feeling that she was being comforted by those words. My heart went directly to her at that moment, I don't think I have ever had that feeling before.

While talking after the coccert she said that song was all about that morning and she said "I'll be with him one day"

We will never lose touch again and that song should stay exactly where it is.......................

Hello All,
Maybe "challenging" was the wrong word when I was relating to "Sara"...
Didn't Stevie say that it didn't "translate" well live as one of her/their
"excuses" for not doing it live anymore?
If somebody does know if FM HAS in fact played "Crystal" live,
I'd love to know... I can't seem to recall any old boot set lists
with "Crystal" on it...
:confused:

i could have sworn that in Mick's book he included "Crystal" as one of the songs that they did on the White album tour. I'm at work now so i can't check it.

It would be nice to hear it now. I'm really over expecting or wishing them to do some lost gems cause it just aint gonna happen.