Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveMacD
No more than “Say Goodbye.”
They did Chicken Shack and Christine Perfect songs when Christine joined the band. They initially did two Buckingham Nicks songs when they joined. They did two Dave Mason songs a show, and sometimes two Billy Burnette non-Fleetwood Mac songs 94-95. Why change the rules now?
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Technically, you have a point, but it’s not really the same thing now. When Christine joined in 1970, the band was making serious bread and butter on the US touring circuit where most concert goers knew of the band generally—“British Blues Band.” They could have played John Mayall songs and most people wouldn’t have noticed. By 1975, the band had built up a respectable following but, mostly, the band’s identity as a “British Blues Band” hadn’t changed. They did a lot of old songs and some new ones, some Mac tunes, a couple BN tunes—but very quickly that combination of five people made some real headway. By 1979, the only oldie in the band’s set was “Oh Well.” When LB left in 87, his replacements reintroduced some Green material but it was mostly tolerated by fans who went to the shows to hear Rumours-lineup hits. In 1995, FM was pretty much a joke to the mass public, a dated dinosaur minus all of its famous front line. They could play anything they wanted because the stakes were so low.
Now, in 2018, the band is known to its gazillion fans primarily as a legacy act, one that features SN and LB in particular. Throughout the 2000s, there were some “deep cuts” and a BN song here or there, but it was all original material. Christine’s return meant the full and complete return to the greatest hits rundown. THIS is the band people expect to see. Now, ironically, the diehard fans have been wanting a change in setlist for years and years. The “new” FM is going to give us some of that—but at what cost? Who, after the heights of commercial success, wants to hear Crowded House or Tom Petty songs in an FM setlist NOW?
What we die-hardship wanted (and what Lindsey wanted) was a creative and fresh approach from the Rumours five. Unusual inclusions of old material mixed with the band touring and supporting NEW music. I doubt we’ll really get a fresh approach with the “new” band since its surprises won’t really be surprising. All of the twists will likely be all-too predictable and easy.