Christine's Tusk Songs
 

(Hopefully this hasn't been done already)

I've noticed over the years in reviews and retrospectives for Tusk the authors usually (and rightly) gush about Stevie and Lindsey's songs on Tusk but Christine's output rarely gets the same sort of attention. In my readings she is normally acknowledged as buffering the other two vocalists.

So what do you guys think about that? Do Christine's Tusk songs not hold up on their own merits? Are they underrated and overshadowed by the songs of her two band-mates? They're not often discussed in much depth so I'm curious what people's opinions are on each of them:

Over and Over
Think About Me
Brown Eyes
Never Make Me Cry
Honey Hi
Never Forget

I'm not entirely sure what my opinion is of this set of songs. They're certainly not her usual output of hits. The only ones that are in heavy rotation with me are Never Forget and that awesome alternate version of Brown Eyes with Peter Green.

I love love LOVE Chris's Tusk songs! Think About Me is a super catchy pop single that still sounds fresh in my opinion. Honey Hi and Never Forget are great and have probably Fleetwood Mac's best three-part harmonies. Over & Over is absolute pure BLISS; the perfect album opener. Brown Eyes is very atmospheric which I love. While Never Make Me Cry is not one of my favorites, I can still appreciate it. I really think Christine went pretty mellow with her Tusk songs (less lovey dovey pop). I think it really helped even out the whole album.

I couldn't have articulated my thoughts on Christine's Tusk songs any better.😎

I love Christine's Tusk songs, although a little spare in spots production wise, they're all great! I think Over and Over is her best song atmosphere wise and her voice is so dreamy, it just takes you to a different place.

Now, that alternate version of Brown Eyes- Yesterday's Tears- blows me away it's so damn good and way better than the final version. Puzzling that they didn't recognize the greatness of this song back in '79. I also really like the piano parts on Never Make Me Cry and Honey Hi- wish they would have used those a bit more in the final mixes.

I agree with the 3-part harmonies on Honey Hi and Never Forget- doesn't get much better before or since Tusk.

I've always thought had Think About Me been the first single, the album would've fared better on the charts- a catchy and well written song.

The one thing I can say about Christine vs Stevie and Lindsey is that she has been consistently great throughout her career with very few missteps. These 6-songs are lock step among her best- and with Over and Over- her best work.

Brown Eyes, Think About Me and Honey Hi are among my favourite tunes by Christine, lately I've also been getting more into Never Forget.
Actually I've always preferred the ladies' songs for this album with a few exceptions, because in my opinion some of Lindsey's Tusk songs feel somewhat cold while Stevie and Christine add a balancing warmth in the whole.

I've always thought had Think About Me been the first single, the album would've fared better on the charts- a catchy and well written song.

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Yes it would have been but that's exactly why Tusk was released first. I so couldn't wait for the follow up to Rumours. Even though there was no internet and we relied entirely on Hit Parade, Rolling Stone and Cream magazine for our updates, I was so thrilled with my first listens to the song Tusk. To this day it's my favorite MAC song. Getting back to the thread....... Think About Me was pure classic Fleewood Mac.

Christine's Tusk songs are weird, for lack of a better word, weird and underproduced. They're all too laid back and folky and acoustic-y. Christine is supposed to have the catchy poppy songs. Lindsey did not produce Christine's Tusk songs to their full potential. Over & Over is her best song on the album, but only because it was so awesome live, the album version should have been more like the live versions. Think About Me is okay, very forgettable, a different instrumental and vocal arrangement is in order here. I don't like that Lindsey just steals the lead, it should have been Christine on lead with Lindsey and Stevie on chorus. Brown Eyes sounds really cool, but I hate the clicking and it's too simple, it needs more catchy and poppy added to it. Never Make Me Cry is a good slow Christine song, although not as good as Songbird, Oh Daddy, Only Over You and Mystified. And Never Make Me Cry is also too short and simple. Honey Hi and Never Forget are also too short and simple, and too weird and folky. Overall, Christine's songs on Tusk are just missing her signature Fleetwood Mac pop sound that she provided on every other Rumours era album. For example, Say You Love Me, Don't Stop, You Make Loving Fun, Hold Me, Everywhere, and Little Lies.

Love her Tusk songs, primarily because her voice was in such good form. The production method was largely spare, and that helped Honey Hi, Think About Me, and Over and Over.

But I have a few thoughts:

1. The Tusk Deluxe reissue shows what Christine sounded like singing Think About Me all by herself. The song sounds better, imo. She delivers a tougher, more assertive vocal, without the double-tracking and Lindsey hogging the mic.

2. Never Forget should have gotten a touch more production, perhaps an acoustic guitar layer (like the one on Silver Springs) added.

3. Brown Eyes is fantastic as it is. And I understand why the band worked toward the final version of it. But the Deluxe early version really shows off her incredible voice.

4. The biggest flaw of Tusk is no Christine track on side two. She should have contributed one more song.

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I so couldn't wait for the follow up to Rumours. Even though there was no internet and we relied entirely on Hit Parade, Rolling Stone and Cream magazine for our updates, I was so thrilled with my first listens to the song Tusk.



Amazing what we got by with then. :)

I'm the opposite, felt very disoriented by Tusk. Would have liked Think About Me to be the first. Felt Chris' songs were probably the closest to Rumours.
My Father loved Tusk though.:shrug:

I love all the songs on Tusk minus some Lindsey ones, all of Christine's are great, smooth vocals.

I love every song on the album except What makes you think you're the one and Save me a place has grown on me.

I think what they were doing with TAM, Hold Me and When I See You Again is using Lindsey to make the song between two lovers, since he was the only male in the band. Stevie said that's why she put him on the end of WISYA and she said that he never would have chosen to close the song himself. She put his voice on at the end, because she wanted it to be a conversation between lovers.

During the limousine ride, when Stevie is complaining to Christine about Hold Me, I think Christine is trying to explain to her that Lindsey is on the song instead of Stevie, because they want that male, female dynamic.

I think that's what they wanted on Think About Me and the contrast between their styles works well for me. He's demanding think about me and she's pleading. I like the Ying and Yang.

To me, I don't think Lindsey and Christine needed to trade verses on Don't Stop and that could have used more of Stevie, but I don't think that about TAM or Hold Me.

Michele

I would have to completely disagree with the premise that Christine's Tusk songs are overshadowed, overlooked, or not as good as the other's songs. IMHO, Christine's songs save Tusk. Its Lindsey's songs that were described as quirky and that was what Lindsey was going for. Christine definitely experimented too and her songs are even more raw and even more from the heart. Her songs are the icing on the Tusk cake. Her songs add the depth that Tusk needed.
Her song "Think about me" is the only song on the album that sounds like the Rumours band. Rewind time and imagine it is October 1979. The Iranian hostage crisis had not even begun. Someone gives you an advance copy of Tusk before the world hears it. If you listened to it and they asked you what should be the lead single....I think 9 out of 10 people would have said "Think About Me." Its so radio friendly and you can tell its a hit from the first time you hear it. Sara is great but its different and could take a few times listening to it to imagine it as a single. Its beautiful but is it too beautiful as a radio single?
Tusk's ingredients are impossible to toy with. However IMHO Chris adds the most flavor and consistency.

Christine's "Tusk" songs are her best on any Mac album. They're perfect in Lindsey's production and in Chris' vocals, and nothing about them should be changed. Where Lindsey's "Tusk" songs explore the beauty in ugliness, Christine's explore the beauty in beauty. In that way they provide a perfect balance to the album.

...are all sublime masterpieces which showcase everything good about Fleetwood Mac pop. I can say nothing but wonderful things about all those songs. I also love the alternate Tusk takes of those songs. And the live versions. And probably Chris singing them with a head cold and laryngitis. :)

Kevin