Atmosphere for Live Christine Songs
 

So, this may be an interesting topic.

We all have heard Christine's songs live and in an actual setlist, but hw will they change up the atmosphere now that most of the population didn't realize Christine was in the band.
I hope I'm making sense. I mean how will the arena feel listening to a Lindsey song, or Stevie, and then head into "Little Lies"? (hopefully) Or, even "Over My Head", it's definitely a curve ball. But, of course, I'm sure it's been done before for many years, I guess I just haven't experienced it myself. Soon shall though!!!

Let me know if this should be transitioned to the "Rumours" forum.

There will be changes, certainly.

But I disagree with your assumption that "most of the population didn't realize she was in the band." I would say most of the population ONLY imagines FM as those five people.

Unless what you're saying is most of the population didn't realize she was rejoining?

I think Christine will fit right back into Fleetwood Mac like an old glove. I've seen the band twice sans Chris and I always hear people talking about her - I would definitely not say most people didn't think she was in the band.

I can't wait to see how the set evolves with Chris back in, however, my Fleetwood Mac knowing self imagines a hypothetical new set with a returned Christine McVie will end up looking an awful lot like The Dance tour.

Thank you for asking for clarifications. I might have been getting a little too dramatic. What I was trying to convey was that I felt that general music listeners didn't miss Christine and her songs or even realized she was gone.

BUT! those are dramatic assumptions just because I believe only myself and ledgies are true mac fns and know everything about everything. lol If i am unbiased, I would tend to agree with you, people know FM as the five fireflies. Right you are.!

I would say that unless you've become a fan since 2003, you didn't realize she wasn't there. I mean you just go there and sit down and they play a song you know. For myself, I went when Tusk was out and I knew Sara and I didn't really know that other popular songs actually belonged to Fleetwood Mac, but when they started playing them, I was familiar with them and I just sang along.

So, you see how Don't Stop fit in with the rest of the setlist. I think that's basically how most of Christine's songs will fit in, upon her return.

Michele

I don't know if most people have an idea who is actually in the band, other than Stevie. But it will be no more of a surprise to them to hear Little Lies than to hear Dreams. Chris' songs are known to them, even if she is not.

Michele

By golly Michelle, you hit it right on the nail. Would you say that Christine brings another kind of mood to the audience? It's definitely different than Stevie's and Lindsey's musical vibes, I would say. I have never experienced Chris live, so, what would anyone who has seen Fleetwood Mac with Chris say the atmosphere is like with her presence. Does she bring the bluesy vibe? Sultriness? Funky band vibe?

There's a general mellowness to Chris' songs when she sings them live. One of her songs usually follows are harder edged song by the other two so when you hear her you tend to be lulled again.

It felt a bit more upbeat when she sang Isn't It Midnight on the Tango Tour but then again most of those songs performed by all the singers were quite upbeat back then.

I like the way she performed Don't Stop on the Tusk Tour. She played a rocking piano solo on it at one point each night of that tour. World Turning is always upbeat for Chris as was her accordian Tusk song performance.

Well, she's not sultry or funky. She can be bluesy, but not really with this line up. Now, for me Christine's songs, and her presence, always makes it seem more like a band. More like a group of 5, giving us a concerted effort. Now, they all sing back up for each other, but there's something about the way Stevie and Lindsey come in and sing back up on Christine's songs that makes me feel like they're all one. But she makes me feel like that when she plays accordion on Tusk too, as Viv mentioned.

When she left, Lindsey said that they were careful not to change the arrangements too much. Even though there were just 2 of them, he didn't want them to duet and start doing just two part songs with Christine gone. He said he still wanted it to sound orchestral, still wanted it to sound like FM rather than a duo. Now, he said this 10 years ago and I think since then he has gotten to the point where he WAS about to try to get it more to what BN was like, but that wasn't his initial goal in 2003, when they first went out without Chris.

Still, even though they were striving for that full, orchestral vibe, even with Sharon and Lori (and Jana) there, I didn't feel it. Christine makes me feel more like they're five performers combining, rather than just Stevie and Lindsey doing heaven knows what. Christine's songs, OMH, SYLM and YMLF bring the quintet out of them, as does her being on the floor for Tusk or World Turning or even NTF or ISA (although she's not there for the entirety of those songs). I feel like they're more a part of each other than when she's not there.

These people are famous for their harmonies, but when you hear Rhiannon live today, you don't really think of harmony at all. When Chris was there, you did. If you look at (listen to) Lindsey singing the Chain with Little Big Town and you look at the current FM (quartet without Christine) singing The Chain together, to me that kind of illustrates the difference between a group/band and whatever it is that the foursome are.

I love the foursome, but not as much as I love the five.

Michele

I'll go even one step further than what is mentioned above and say that the foursome do not strike me as a working unit. The trio--John, Mick, and Lindsey--does, but as a group of four I just feel it. All I feel is absence, "a less than" vibe, in Christine's absence.

When she left, it was, in a sense, an opportunity to redefine the band sound and really take some musical risks that led the a way from the pop I formula and hit parade expectations fans had had for them. But their live shows never really opened up in this way. With the exception of an incredible new version of Tusk on the Unleashed tour, I didn't sense that the band was really innovating or creating new music. Just working with the remaining members treading commercially viable waters.

The new EP material is a further disappointment. Not only is the music unadventurous, it seems borderline generic--something I would never expect from Lindsey's much vaunted production skills. The collaborative relationship between Lindsey and Christine brought out the best in both musicians and I'd like to see that relationship at work again.

If the trio strikes you as a well working unit, it seems like you would think more highly of the EP.

I thought it was bland, too, although I suspect it was to get Stevie on board with recording a new album.

It was so bland... Thrown together quickly..

Based on the song titles and way Lindsey talked about the songs prior to their release, saying how he was writing them with Stevie in mind (which just did not bode well to my ear), I thought Sad Angel and Miss Fantasy would be awful dreck and I was pleasantly surprised. They were very catchy to me. Not comparable to FM's best work, but I was happy to get the EP.

Michele

I like the way the trio has worked live. A lot of spirit and power on some if the songs, particularly those that don't simply reproduce arrangements that are over 25 years old.


On the other hand, I felt the EP was glossy and bland and surprisingly lacking distinction.