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Originally Posted by SteveMacD;1220599
[I
The new leadership at WB following the December, 1992 death of WB head Steve Ross (not the guitarist) brought in changes that didn’t necessarily benefit the band. Ross had had a hands off approach to Warner Music, but the new head was described as a bean counter. By August, 1994, Mo Ostin and Lenny Waronker, both champions of Fleetwood Mac, were out at the label. Given the poor performances of OOTC, Street Angel, and Time (and the lack of promotion for the latter two albums), I think Lindsey was being very cautious about how to proceed. He could have released a solo album a few years earlier, but he was encouraged to wait and see what was going on at the label and was entertaining offers from other labels. I suspect what was going to be GoS was recorded with the durability of becoming a Fleetwood Mac album, if needed. [/I]
What you describe are the politics at the record label. He didn't have to agree to merging his solo album into a Mac album, but he did. They made a case that his stuff would reach a wider audience via FM than solo because he'd been off the scene for a number of years. He processed that advice and chose to take it. Maybe they pressured him. But what you've described isn't the band pressuring him, it's all the machinations at the label. Again, if he felt that strongly about keeping it a solo album, he should have. There were ways to get your own music out "to the right ears" without a label even then.
No, they just stuck a producer they knew he’d hate working with to force his hand (which Mick bragged about in 1987).
Bringing in a producer he would hate to work with made him do a band album? You've lost me here.
John has said in numerous interviews that he makes songwriters take the bass out of their demos and that Lindsey was especially bad about telling him what to play. It’s not an assumption, it’s what he’s said over the years.
Yes, that was part of what I said in my previous post. Lindsey tried telling people exactly what to play and it didn't go over well with Mick and John.
But that’s the whole point of what I’m saying. The fact is Lindsey, as well as Mick, John, and even Christine, began working on the project in late 1995/early 1996. They weren’t going to change the vision for the album at that point. (“What you don’t realize, Stevie, is that we’ve just spent the last six months trying not to be ourselves.”)
Firstly, Mick's comment was a joke. It's very British. He was very much taking the piss. Second, the band DID change the vision for it, and everyone but Lindsey was on board with that, i.e. he wanted a double album and everyone else felt it should be a single album. Lindsey fought hard for his vision and they pushed back. That isn't just Stevie. Mick is in the documentary saying he agrees with his manager's opinion that the album shouldn't be Lindsey's vision. That's why Lindsey is seen saying he feels betrayed and like he doesn't have an ally in the band at that point
That’s also why Lindsey wanted to do something from scratch with Stevie so that she would have equal input on the direction of the album.
But which is it? They already had it worked out and she needed to come in and fit into it, or Lindsey was willing to start all over totally from scratch? These two comments seem contradictory.
Which he said he’d be willing to give up, and why he brought Mitchell Froom on board for EP.
I think from Stevie's perspective and years of experience working with him she has seen it can be very hard for him not to still try and control the process even with an outside producer at the board. You get glimpses of it on the BuckVie making of video.
But, Stevie can’t just send over demos, be completely removed from the creative process, and be upset when it goes in a direction she doesn’t like.
I don't disagree with this point at all.
Not necessarily. I see people on here who are critical of his production techniques. I think many, myself included, think Lindsey could get back to doing more basic, fundamental songs and production. And, I think he’s open to it in the context of a Fleetwood Mac album.
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