Originally Posted by bombaysaffires
Many would disagree with the first bit-- better than nothing at all.
It depends on how you feel about the second bit- that they are band reinventing themselves as they've always done.
Because in the past, when new members have come in, it was explicitly for the purpose of the band making new music and going in a new direction. NOT to bring in new members who, for example, would only ever play Peter Green songs over and over. That would not have been a "new" FM it would have been a tribute band. Instead, S&L came in (or Welch etc etc) and brought their new sensibilities to the band and the band veered into a whole new direction. FM with PG is not FM with S&L.
In the current case, no one made the case "oh we brought in Mike and Neil to take us in a new direction" The statement from the band was that they had a tour booked and needed players to help them fulfill that commitment. These guys are being hired to help FM play their existing, historical hits. It's like they are session players for the road.
Now, if this goes well and they decide, hey let's make new music with Mike and Neil, then maybe it will represent a new era in the ongoing FM musical story. So far that hasn't even been said to be the intention.
Plus, if they do in fact make new music and record again etc, and the remaining members of the Rumours5 put out new stuff, why didn't they do it before LB left? LB was never a hindrance to the band putting out new material, on the contrary he ADVOCATED vociferously for it. The stick in the mud, the fly in the ointment to new music was STEVIE. NOT Lindsey.
So if they start making new music NOW, without Lindsey, and Stevie is all onboard about it, what does that tell you? She had just as much opportunity and support to do new music when LB was still there. She chose not to do it. She was adamant about not doing it. Then Lindsey is out, and suddenly she has this magical inspiration to do new music. What does that tell you? She had no desire and made no effort whatsoever to do new music with HIM. All the bs about "the music business" is revealed for what it is. It becomes very, very clear that she withheld her participation, which totally eliminated the chance for growth of the band, because of her personal feelings about him.
Furthermore, reliable sources (people around the band who for obvious reasons don't want their names put out in public-- they still have to work) have indicated that Stevie (in addition to having refused to record with the band since 2003) then gave an ultimatum in which she refused to tour again if LB was still there.
The hypocrisy of them saying "well we're a band and when everyone is on the same page except one person, we have to cut that one person loose" is beyond words. Everyone was on the same page for making a new album except Stevie-- so by their rule, she should have been cut loose. But she wasn't. In fact the record that the other 4 all did together couldn't even get released as FM because of her.
If you can't see the bias in all this behavior, it's because you don't want to. I've been a huge Stevie fan since I was 15 (back in the 70s) so I get how difficult it is to see your idol fall. Or maybe you're a new fan and don't know all the band history. But this action on her part is in line with so much of their historical dynamic. And shame on the rest of them for putting up with it. Why would they?? MONEY. So now we know business trumps all.
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