Hmmm, upon further review... I think I have to agree about "I'm So Afraid." That is a very Lindsey song, and even though Campbell would give it the ol' college try, it probably won't happen. So the bet will be that they do GYOW, then? I'm confident they'll do that one. Not 100% but it seems more likely than not to me.

Neil Finn sucks?!? Blasphemy! ;) I've been a big fan of his since his Enz days - but I've always leaned toward the softer side of rock for the most part. Surely you agree that "I Got You" is a classic tune!...? I'm not sure he'll fit into the Mac sound, though. And I kinda saw he and LB as similar musical forces - each blazing their own unique path, seeing themselves as avant-garde musical Renaissance Men. Which is why I find this move puzzling for Finn - he's never been a "go for the cash-grab" kinda guy. Much like LB, after Crowded House's huge debut album, Finn opted for a much darker, very different sounding follow-up, instead of just recording CHII (much like Tusk was certainly not Rumours II). I think he'll do a good job... but will we angry fans accept him? Judging from the reactions of these first 24 hours, maybe not.

Well, the first few days of the announcement are understandably the hardest, but things will balance out a bit as time goes on. It's not Neil's fault LB is out of FM, and I'm giving him a chance.

This is reminiscent of 30 years ago with Rick and Billy and now it's taking two (again) to replace Lindsey. Just as when Chicago lost Terry Kath 40 years ago and one of rocks's all time greatest guitarists (GOAT???) it took two to replace him and the band was NEVER the same. Nor will FM be the same (as they were not in the 80s) with LB being booted by Mick et al. Seems to me that someone is making rash decisions in their waning years.

In response to Newzchspy

I respect your opinion

But in my view the addition of Rick & Billy were excellent.
The set list was more varied than whenever LB is involved.

I enjoyed there time in FM

I think, from the 1980 Tusk tour to 2016, there were always two guitarists playing live when Lindsey was in the band... one was playing near the back so as not to take the focus off of Lindsey. When he left in 1987, FM just decided to hire two guitarists because they wanted to keep their album more like their live sound. FM could have just hired Billy Burnette for the album and then brought on a studio musician to play live like they did for Lindsey.

I think this deserves its own thread but why do you think Rick and Billy were not asked to come back to the band? They are friends. Rick plays with Stevie and Mick. Billy plays with Mick and they are all friends. They even know the songs.

Do they consider them a dud for their careers?

I mean really. They just need someone to play on a tour. Its surprising they don't go for what they know. I feel Billy's frustration and pain. Its rejection.

I get Mike Campbell. Stevie wants to keep the Heartbreakers relevant and alive. But just imagine if Tom Petty did not die. Mike would not have been considered.

Why do you think they did not get the call. I think Todd Sharpe should have been called since he should have be called in 1987 ;)

I don't think the band considered BB and RV duds, but they clearly didn't generate the excitement or interest level the label wanted. Behind the Mask went Gold but Save Me just cracked the top 40 singles. My guess is, BB was in the running to be invited back, but they decided to go with Neil instead, as it would generate more media interest, plus maybe bring along some of his fans to the Mac.

Boy, I would love to know who else was in the running. I'm sure FM would have done anything they could to get Tom Petty to join! Not saying he would have, but you gotta think they would have wanted him.

Don Henley did an interview for Musician magazine or some music magazine in 1984 when his solo album was released. There was talk about joining former Eagles and Mac members together to form some band. Lindsey worked with Don and they were good friends. Don wanted Lindsey in the band. They even had a name for the potential band but I forget it. It was more pipe dream talk though. At the time the Mac was pretty much a dead band with nothing new in sight.

Behind the Mask was considered a major flop for the band. It struggled to even go Gold for awhile. One minor hit from the album was not their standard at all. They had high hopes but the music industry was changing back then too. Because of the lack of commercial success led to the temporary demise of the band after the album's release. If the album had been a huge success who knows what would have happened. But everything happens for a reason. This decline led to the Dance later and the reunion of the Rumours lineup.

I just thought of a theory. Because Stevie no doubt wanted to tour with Campbell he was first pick. Maybe they thought if they could not pick both Rick and Billy it would be unfair to just pick one.

I think it's in poor taste to perform Lindsey's songs, especially given the personal nature of their content and the circumstances (whatever they may be) of his current departure.

I would like to see a different set list than we are used to - without The Chain, even - focused on more rarities and older gems. Probably not going to happen but I feel this is more respectful than being relegated to what fans have already deemed to be a cover band.

Considering what just happened, I think it's in poor taste to go onstage and perform "(NEVER BREAK) THE CHAIN" right now. It's almost hypocritical.

The Burnett/Vito incarnation of Fleetwood Mac was dead on arrival. It's hard to put a finger on it. Both Burnett and Vito are outstanding players and the band sounded good......BUT, the magic was gone. You just can't replicate the Rumours lineup. Try as he may, Mick Fleetwood will NEVER replicate the magic that happens with Stevie, Lindsey, and Christine onstage together. It even fell flat without Christine McVie. BUT, without Buckingham, The Fleetwood Mac machine will be dead on arrival. This ship will sail in the same direction as the 1987-1990 years.

Pesonally I think there may have been an unpleasant discussion with Billy too because to take upon himself to leak this private info unconcerned of the possible consequences and surely when the band was unprepared he must have been very miffed. I don't see him as a childish guy.

You know what annoys me about all this, personally if Lindsey is in or out, its just another twist in the tale of FM. Liked his playing, hated his singing, thought Peter Green and Rick Vito were better... :shocked: Reckon Mike Campbell might just turn out to be the best guitarist since PG that the band has seen.

Yet I'm one of those guys who has tried to collect all the solo albums of all 16 members. So while there isn't much solo stuff for Mike to chase, Neil has been quite prolific, and I'm not a massive fan of his (I mean he's ok but wouldn't choose to listen to him).

If he has joined though, as a member, I'll have to go and hunt up his albums (good thing the wife actually already has some I can steal).

I remember the time Sheryl Crow almost joined and dreading having to buy her stuff...

Oh and if anyone has any Dirty Knobs stuff with good sound quality, I'll be just over here...:thumbsup:

I saw Bekka Bramlett singing Gold Dust Woman ... ;)

The one time I briefly met Mick, I asked him if they would ever play Why again, knowing that it wasn't really on the cards but I thought it might be an interesting opening gambit. After a bit of pleasant reminiscing about the song he quietly said, slightly forlornly "you know, one of these days we should go out and play more of those songs from way back when".

I can remember suggesting to him doing such a thing for their 50th anniversary. That's been and gone (sort of) but how strange that he may well get that wish, albeit in circumstances that he would have hoped to have avoided. I somehow doubt that Lindsey could have been persuaded to do even Oh Well again; I just hope that the same few Peter Green oldies that Rick and Billy (and I am glad those two are not coming back) performed aren't wheeled out- that would be a missed opportunity. At least give us Green Manalishi - maybe Mike could handle that- he does sing, after all. A Bob Welch song would be such a curveball that time and space would probably implode in on itself but imagine Neil doing Hypnotized with Christine on backing vocals, maybe morphing into Brown Eyes.

Perhaps there are blessings in this venture, even if they are very well disguised. I wish this wasn't happening, I wish we had got that last album from the Five and I hope we get some studio recordings out of these six out of curiosity if nothing else. But musically, I'm looking forward to Lindsey's solo album far more.

Would I go and see them again? 80-20 against is how I feel right now, but even another tour with Lindsey and a virtually unchanged set might have made me ask the question as well. I never really expected Christine to come back so to see the Rumours line-up was beyond my expectations since becoming a fan in 1987. Living in the UK, the Dance tour never made it here.

We are where we are, I'm afraid.