Break down of Mystery to Me
 

I couldn't find a thread for this, and it appears that someone else always starts these things (obviously, seeing how I'm new) but I LOVE this CD, so I really wanted to start this thread.

Beyond Amazing: "Why," "Hypnotized"

Amazing: "Keep On Going," "Miles Away," "Believe Me," "Forever,"

Quite Good: "Emerald Eyes," "Just Crazy Love," "Somebody"

Good: "The Way I Feel," "The City"

Still a Mystery to Me: "For Your Love" (Just don't like this cover).

Hillary

Ditto - only I'd move Emeral Eyes and Miles Away up a notch each!!!

Mtm...
 

BEYOND AMAZING: everything except...
SIMPLY AMAZING: The Way That I Feel, Somebody

Amazing: Why, Believe Me
Great: Keep On Going, Hypnotized, Just Crazy Love, Miles Away
Very Good: The Way I Feel, For Your Love, Emerald Eyes, Forever
So-So: The City, Somebody

I was just watching my video of the 1973 band doing 'Miles Away' and 'Believe Me' the other night. Gosh did they kick *ss. Bob Weston was quite a hottie LOL. And John was pretty darn hot himself w/ his sexy cap on. To be honest they all looked great in that performance, except for Mick, who was sort of repulsing me the way he kept sticking his tongue out all over the place....sort of gross.

-Lis

Awesomely Euphonious: Everything except perhaps,
Amazing: The City, The Way I Feel

Shamus :)

Love: Why, Believe Me, Emerald Eyes, Hypnotized, Just Crazy Love, The Way That I Feel

Like: Keep on Going, Miles Away


Not So Much: The City, Somebody, Forever


-Curt

I love them ALL. It is absolutely my favorite album(I JUST finished listening to it before seeing this thread!). Oddly, I find it summer music(if that makes any sense). I love listening to it at the pool. It just seems to go with beautiful weather.
This album should've been their BIG breakout album. I love it alot more than Rumours.
Why, Hypnotized, and Emerald Eyes would have to be my top three songs. The rest are amazing, too.

Simply The Best: Keep On Going, Hypnotized, Why

Great: Just Crazy Love, Forever, Miles Away, For Your Love

Good: Emerald Eyes, Believe Me, Somebody

Ok: The City, The Way I Feel

A gift from God: Why(one of the best songs ever written by anyone)

Amazing: Emerald Eyes, Believe Me, Hypnotized, The Way I Feel

Great: Just Crazy Love, Forever, Keep On Going, The City, For Your Love

Good: Miles Away, Somebody

This is the best Fleetwood Mac album. It puts all the others to shame, in my opinion.

Agreed 100%.
The shame is that this lineup exploded. What might've been.......

I totally agree. It just sounds like summer. I got it in June, so it has been my album of the summer. And I just don't know why it wasn't their big breakout album. I love
Rumours, but this one seems to mesh better.

I wish all of them could record together, with Stevie, Bob, Christine, and Lindsey on vocals! I bet that would be an incredible album! They could do another double album like Tusk so all the songwriters could get a good bit of their stuff in! :blob2: :blob1:

Hillary

Beyond Amazing: Hypnotized, Keep On Going, Why, For Your Love

Amazing: Miles Away, Believe Me, Somebody, The Way I Feel

Very Good: Just Crazy Love

Good: Emarald Eyes, The City

Bad: Forever

Amazing - Believe Me
Awesome - Why, Hypnotized, Keep on Going, Emerald Eyes
Good - The Way I Feel, Forever, The City
Okay - Miles Away, For Your Love, Somebody
Ew - Just Crazy Love

-Kate

I think this has to be their best album, maybe along with Rumours. At least it's one of my favorites, solid, really solid pop/soft rock. So...

Beyond the boundaries of perfection: Why

A gift from the Gods: Emerald Eyes, Hypnotized, The Way I Feel, Just Crazy Love, Keep On Going, Believe Me, Forever

Truly fantastic songs: Somebody, Miles Away, The City

Really good: For Your Love

AMAZING: Emerald Eyes, Believe Me, Hypnotized, Keep On Going, Miles Away, For Your Love, Why
GOOD: Somebody, Just Crazy Love
COULD LIVE WITHOUT: Forever, The Way I Feel
GREAT MUSIC, CRAPPY LYRICS: The City

The Best~~ Why, Hypnotized, Believe Me, Emerald Eyes, Just Crazy Love




Fair~~~ For Your Love, Keep On Going, Miles Away, The Way I Feel, Somebody, Forever





Not My Cup Of Tea~~ The City

AMAZING: Emerald Eyes, Believe Me, Hypnotized, Keep On Going, Miles Away, For Your Love, Why
EXCELLENT: Somebody, Just Crazy Love, The City(agree that the lyrics are average)
SOLID: Forever, The Way I Feel

This is a solid album, and I think it's reaches amazing heights. Most people say Christine shined during Tango, but I think she shined her too. Bob Welch was just as solid.

Emerald Eyes have jazz harmonies that really please my ear. AAAhhh I love those harmonies and that drum kick!

I create 5 categories for this jewel of an album:

1. These songs are among the best the band-community ever did- I am thrilled listening to: Hypnotized, Forever, Miles away, Keep on going, Emerald eyes (A+)

2. Believe me ledgies - these ones are great: Believe me, Just crazy love, The city, Why (B)

3. I'm not somebody who totally loves: Somebody (C)

4. I`m not feeling too excited listening to: The way I feel (C-)

5. I want to be Miles away when this song starts to play: For your love (D)

Stefan :wavey:

Seriously addicted to: Believe Me, Why, Hypnotized, Keep on Going, Just Crazy Love, The Way I Feel

.. and the rest is great too

:woohoo:

I can't get enough of "Believe Me" since I heard the Rumours Rehearsals versions of it, those are just brilliant.

One of my favourite albums!
 

Amazing - Why, Hypnotized, Keep On Going, Believe Me, Emerald Eyes, The Way I Feel

Very Good - Miles Away, Forever, Somebody

Good - Just Crazy Love, The City, For Your Love

Gotta love digging up some of these older threads ... :p

Simply The Best: Bob Welch shines with 14 karat gold! :thumbsup:

Great: Hypnotized, Keep On Going, Miles Away, Why, Emerald Eyes, Believe Me, The Way I Feel, Somebody

Good: The City, Forever, For Your Love

Ok: Just Crazy Love

All around * CLASSIC * middle era Mac

Of Note:
- Bob Welch + Bob Weston guitar interplay, and Weston's knockout arrangement of Christie's Why
- Christie's first huge album splash with the Mac, and her dynamite delivery on Welch's Keep On Going :angel: - great strings too!
- Mick and John's rhythmic muscle
- For Your Love (the old Yardbird's cover) replaced Welch's Good Things (Come To Those Who Wait) on the album just before official release (too bad too)

I enjoy this record a lot. When I first heard it (back in 1982) I remember comparing it to Penguin and Heroes (which I already owned). I recall thinking some of the raw spark from Penguin was missing but none of the studio murkiness from Heroes was there. In all, I thought it was good: not great.

As I got older, I returned to the record and thought quite differently. At least half of the album is excellent. The rest is good--not exceptional. To my ears, only "For Your Love" and "The City" are genuine duds.

Here's my breakdown:

Excellent: Emerald Eyes, Believe Me, Hypnotized, Keep on Going, Miles Away, and Why

Good: Just Crazy Love, Forever, Somebody, and The Way I Feel

My favorite moments of the record are when Christine backs Bob Welch vocally on his tunes. "Hypnotized" is a classic in large part BECAUSE of her presence on that song. Her harmonies on "Emerald Eyes" are amazing. Her lead vocal on his "Keep on Going" is a revelation.

Revelation? I thought that was on 'Penguin.'

(ducks)

Ducks? Don't you mean Penguins?

(ducks)

aleuzzi: To my ears, only "For Your Love" and "The City" are genuine duds.

The City?? :eek: With those great guitar licks, and novel talk box guitar, all circa 1973? Move over Peter Frampton, Welch and Weston rip! Then there's the put down of NYC. That should count for extra points!

aleuzzi: My favorite moments of the record are when Christine backs Bob Welch vocally on his tunes. "Hypnotized" is a classic in large part BECAUSE of her presence on that song. Her harmonies on "Emerald Eyes" are amazing. Her lead vocal on his "Keep on Going" is a revelation..

We can thank one Mr. Kirwan for introducing harmony to Fleetwood Mac. Christy did it additional justice, working so well with the guys in the band right to the very end, to include Bob Welch.

Keep On Going is one of the few times you'll see a Mac song composed by one but handed over to another for vocal treatment. Bob tried his voice at it initially, felt it didn't hit the intended mark, and asked Christie to give it a go. Instant magic!

Actually I can't separate the songs on this album, they are all great. I just love the Bob Welch stuff from this album, Penguin and Heroes. I think he really started doing great stuff once Danny had gone.

I bought this album (along with Penguin and HAHTF) from a second hand shop many years ago and played them until my parents were sick of hearing them! Maybe thats why they wanted me out of home? ;)

This may be true, but Bob Welch's experience with soul music in the 60s definitely helped him shape vocal arrangements. You can hear interesting harmonies on "Lay it All Down," "Future Games," "The Ghost," and of course "Sentimental Lady"--and none of these appear to have been shaped or guided by Kirwan's hand. In fact, the presence of harmonies increases once Kirwan leaves.

I liked Christine's cyberchat when she observed, "The nature of the beast, singing with them in 3 part harmonies, along with Stevie and Lindsey, created some chemical reaction that, even to this day, I don't know what it really is. With Bob Welch, there was not as much chemistry. It was harder work. Not that the sound was not as good, but just a different sensation altogether."

I've also seen her discuss how in the earlier days singing with another person would throw her off key, but then it began to feel natural SnL.

Michele

My only point was that Danny introduced that element to the band, as further proof of his impact on Mac history (and not that he was the ringleader in each instance of it). The others in the front line all added substantially, that goes without saying. Bob was a master of it, like you said, having that expansive and unique rock & soul & funk background to tap from. Not sure if it really increases after Kirwan's departure, considering the Kiln House example from early on, but it certainly didn't decrease!

Christine always found it harder to work directly with Danny, so that may attribute to the seeming tailing off you're perceiving (she was also not as sure of herself, or her place, as she was later). We have to remember, Kirwan came to FM for Peter, and not Christie or Jeremy - or to front the unit! His only true failing in the group was not being able to go front and center with confidence, shades of Green and Spencer before him. Varying degrees of insecurity got to them all, much of it drug or substance fueled. Kirwan was also innately shy and reserved (except with the guitar), which didn't help -- nor did the abrupt departure of his mentor Green.

Danny also kept the great instrumental card on the table after Peter left. Welch and Weston kept it alive during their tenures, but I'm drawing a blank as to whether Buckingham added much to it, or at all. I remember Stephanie from B&N, but surely there was more. Someone set me straight!

The Mac kind of lost me somewhere around Tusk city (and beyond). Not fully mind you, they still turned out some pleasant (and at times inspired) stuff, just as a willing accomplice.

Well, not much, but I guess Teen Beat.

Michele

Ah we're making progress. Michele to the rescue! :thumbsup:

Good to know there is something left of the tradition right into the B&N era. I also like your Christy quote from earlier. Says a lot, and directly from the source!

Compilation only I now see
 

Oh no, I see it never made it onto an original release! That appears to mean the great instrumental bonus track went down with Welch. Noooooooooooo. :sorry:

Lindsey, for gawd's sake, do something about this before it's too late!
(wonder if he ever stops in here for pointers). :rolleyes:

mystery revisited
 

It took me a couple of days to have time to focus on this Album
This is my take:
Well I will send in next transmission

back in a momentEmerld Eyes: pop song Bad choice for first cut. Probably what made it get few listens when it was released\

Believe Me soft rock, nice no substance

Just crazy Love nice song with no guitar solo when band finally gets groove

Hypnotized: best song on Album, should have been First cut topical reference to Scientology, Budism, Carlos Castenada, which begs the question of if Bob was taken in by any or all of above.

Forever, pseudo Rasta beat breaks into nice groove and back. Aimless

Keep on Going, Take off on Masquerade by George Benson. Without groove of Bensons tune

The City. Take off on Don Nix’s Going Down, a lot of riffing but no gut when it counted at the end

Miles Away, Messrs McVie and Fleetwood do a solid on this and band grooves, second good song throughout. Brings back another reference to Carlos Casteneda.. Might Welch have been hypnotized.


Somebody: This song appears to be a screed aimed at Peter Green. Awhile back I read on Welch’s website his encounters with Green. I sense animosity turned into contempt. Song is not memorable in any event.

The way I Feel. Another pop song

For Your Love not a straight cover, song can’t make up its mind. So so

Why: third good song, starts off with a nice slide part. A cross between Showbiz Blues and Ry Cooder’s rendition of Vigilante Man. Then the song shfts to Christine showing her possibilities.

Ummm...Leon Russell wrote "This Masquerade", not Benson.

mea culpa
 

you are right, but I was thinking of Bensons version.

I could have said Freddie King's Going Down....still the best by anyone.

Agree about Freddie King's version of "Going Down" - and another Leon Russell connection there, of course.

No surprise
 

Oh boo hoo to pop. Vinnie, you and your pop aversions! Well at least I'll give you credit for sitting down and spinning 'er up. Must have been like going to the dentist though. At least you see a few shining flourishes! Emerald Eyes was hardly a bad choice for first cut, and MTM got plenty of listens by the Mac devoted when it was released -- where were you back then? Oh yeah, lost in the blues. Hypnotized was too good a song to open the disc with. You kinda build up to a climax, ya know?

The City, a lot of riffing but no gut when it counted at the end

Well then enjoy the early talk box guitar novelty. That riffing is great, only a blues fanatic couldn't appreciate it.

"Animosity bordering on contempt"? Welch has and holds nothing against Green! He always points to Peter's brilliant guitar takes (though he does state Kirwan pretty much matched it - could that be the issue here?). Kindly want to furnish a few quotes to back up yer accusation? Inquiring minds would love to see them. :D

Your read of Why is good though. That slide is Bob Weston, who also arranged the song (later converted to strings nearly note for note, sans Weston credit). Great CM composition for sure.

Keep on Going, Take off on Masquerade by George Benson. Without groove of Bensons tune.

Uh, hate to ring your bell big boy, but how can that be a rip-off of Benson's Masquerade when it was recorded + released 3 years prior? Maybe Benson was ripping off Welch, eh! Groove-wise, Masquerade burns no brighter imo.

So 3/12 = 1/4 good. :eek: I'll say it again, getouttahere!

which came first
 

Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has them


lyrics to "Somebodt"
Don't think your dreams are sane
They're taking over your life
I stuck to you but I found out
That you was the crazy kind
Now way inside your heart
Do you have a grain of love for me
'Cause all I see is decadence
And the end of everything

You can bend over backwards
I ain't gonna kiss your ring
Somebody

I looked into your eyes
And saw a real bad thing
I saw desires that burned in you
The need for power to be a king
And I saw that you would use this world
You know you might have to crawl
But it's one of my eyes for one of yours
And you'll never get no love at all

what do you think?

as far a s which came first. I did not check the dates but that is hardly relevant to what they sound like. comparing two pop songs is judged by which gets airplay. "truly the work of the devil" and if it were true that Benson got inspiration from Welch...thats good aint it? Benson moved into the Pop realm too. Oh Well
There are thousands of incredibly gifted musicians. I don't trash em. It does not mean that everything they do is gold. I have heard all stars play badly together.

doodyhead

as far as "getoutahere" I wish you would stop saying that unless you mean it in the "brooklyn sense"

Lost in The Blues
 

Dear Snoot,

in 1973 I was a working musician in a "blues band". The blues boom had subsided and I got a day job. I never stopped listening to music. My tastes evolved. I don't know what you remember of the 60's and 70's but Fleetwood mac was not on the top of everybody's musical tastes in any era including PG to B/N to poor dave mason.
The pop event of the non music side of FM has obviously had a wilder ride


I am still a musician and I do respect the abilities of Bob Welch and Mr Weston.

taste is relative when it comes to how a song is presented

doodyhead