Gypsy appreciation...
 

So this is random, I know, but tonight while doing some work I was listening to the extended version of Gypsy (found on the Chain boxset) and was reminded of absolutely gorgeous this song is. It truly is one of the macs best produced tracks and, to me, consists of everything that defines Fleetwood Mac. Stevie's hypnotic lead vocal, Lindsey's frantic guitar playing and vocal harmonizing with Stevie, Christine's beautiful vocals and piano playing (ultimate McVie piano line - working with the rhythm section), and John/Mick's killer rhythmic patterning...I love the song as a song, but the production of it is just brilliant...definitely the highlight of the Mac's 80s output, and one of the best moments of their entire career...

I think Gypsy may be their prettiest song ever recorded, but, for me, best song by Fleetwood Mac in the 80s deffo goes to Little Lies. Tell me lies...

I must agree. Gypsy was the catalyst that made me a Fleetwood Mac fan since 1982. Let's see how Mick describes it in his book in the episode about Mirage:

Stevie's songs including the utterly majestic "Gypsy" were what she had saved for us after recording her first album, Bella Donna, which was about to sell ten million copies and make Miss Nicks the Queen of Rock. Some leftover! "Gypsy" is one of Fleetwood Mac's greatest works of art; for me it really crystallises that whole period of the early 1980s, when we were in our mid-thirties and beginning to look back on our lost youth.
.....
Mirage was released in mid-1982, an artistic and financial success. Both "Hold Me" and "Gypsy" were hit singles in the United States, and "Oh Diane" was a British chart hit as well. I think we sold about five million albums. It didn't hurt that Rolling Stone had crowned Stevie "The Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll," and that a new cable television channel called MTV was broadcasting our new videos ("Hold Me" set in desert dunes, "Gypsy" in a Stevie fantasy world) to the American suburbs twenty-four hours a day. Mirage went to number one, and it felt great to be back on top for a while.

Gypsy is my #1 Fleetwood Mac song. :nod: It was one my gateway songs that lead me into Fleetwood Mac fandom.

"Gypsy" is such a great track. One of the best of FM's career. I still wonder how could it be, that it didn't go to #1 in US. Too much of beauty for people's taste? Anyway, for me it's one of the key Fleetwood Mac songs that I play for other people to get them idea of what kind of music they perform.

I love the backing vocals and piano too. I think this song gets ruined live. It's loses the pristine intrumentation in concert.

I tend to disagree. I think the band plays it beautifully live but the vocalist just can't cut it.

And I think the same was true for Hold Me.

I sort of agree with this, but to me, the studio version is really a great demonstration of beautiful high frequencies that get lost in a live setting such as Mirage and even the lighter Dance version.

Yeah I love the Mirage arrangements. Great backing vocals, a 50's vibe, lots of Wilson sounds, and great keys, guitars, bass and percussion.

Agreed. It was never quite right to my ears no matter what tour, but I could never put my finger on why. But the album version is a masterpiece.

Totally agree. Gypsy is a masterpiece, and one of the best examples of the group coming together as a whole - each piece is in top form (meaning songwriting, production, playing, singing, etc...) AND it's my alltime favorite video to (platformed:p) boot. The unedited mix on 'The Chain' is my very favorite version...love that "I can't find you..." :angel:

I must add, that my girlfriend (who's not a big Fleetwood Mac fan) thinks, that "Gypsy" is perfect Pop hit. This song just takes you away, in an almost subliminal way.

[Rabbi links Gypsy and the Exodus for the Seder]

Wednesday, April 9, 2014, Three Jews, Four Opinions

http://www.threejews.net/2014/04/fle...and-seder.html

Fleetwood Mac and the Seder



The rock/folk band Fleetwood Mac has an interesting elaboration on the exodus from Egypt. Rabbi Adlerstein at Cross-Currents has posted his annual shiur (or talk) about Passover. These are always interesting. He comes up with Passover insights from a variety of sources that are not just smart and clever and insightful, but also that are not well known.

In one drash, he discussed the idea of the exodus from Egypt being solely the result of divine love. (I won't elaborate; listen to the lecture). This reminded my of Fleetwood Mac's absolutely beautiful and haunting song "Gypsy" which is partially about the death of Stevie Nick's close friend. One verse is

And the gypsy that remains
Faces freedom, with a little fear
I have no fear; I have only love.

Several years ago, I heard that song on the radio just before Passover, and ever since, I have thought of those lines in the context of the Exodus. (You have to get a little postmodern here; Stevie Nicks certainly was not thinking of the Exodus.)

Fear and love are not typically contrasted with each other. Fear and courage, perhaps. Or love and hate, or love and indifference. But fear and love do contrast with each other nicely.

People faced with an expansion of freedom often react with "a little fear." Perhaps not a lot; freedom is a good thing and cause for celebration. But the freedom also raises the troubling question of what to do with one's life. That requires choices, priorities, and wisdom. Before that, the slavery and narrow places had at least provided structure, albeit at a great personal cost.

The children of Israel seem to react to their freedom with fear. At the Sea of Reeds, they ask, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?" (Exod. 14:11.) They complaint about the food and water, and then build the golden calf. They incessantly whine and complain. And that attitude might have been caused, at least in part, by the fear resulting from not really knowing how to lead a free life.

Both God's response and the freed slaves' response could be the last line of that verse. "I have no fear; I have only love." God freeing the slaves was a manifestation of his love, as was the later giving of the 10 Commandments and other rules. And one principle the freed slaves could use to structure their lives was to emulate this love: try to take the morally correct action and help others, and in doing so, lead a meaningful and thoughtful life. I imagine both God and the slaves singing the last line in harmony.

I thought she wrote the song during the Tusk days...Was a verse about Robin added latter? I was just looking on the Internet and it says the Gypsy video was filmed while Stevie was in rehab (never heard that before, or maybe I did and forgot)...