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Originally Posted by louielouie2000
I definitely agree that Peacekeeper was a disastrous choice for lead single. That whole chicken noise was embarrassing to listen to even as a hardcore Mac fan. And you couldn't be more right about what people thought the motives were behind the song. Peace was a very, very dirty word in '03. Use it, and you were called an un-American Commie Hippie Liberal Flag Burning Faggot. Have we all forgotten how when France refused to be involved in the Iraq invasion that Americans retaliated and started calling French Fries "Freedom Fries" etc?  What an effing maddening mob-mentality time in history. I do disagree about Thrown Down being a good single, though. I heard it on the radio a couple of times and it just didn't sound good coming out of the speakers. What Fleetwood Mac needed for their lead single was something easily accessible, politically neutral, and instantly recognizable as Fleetwood Mac: Destiny Rules.
I don't know if the whole Wal Mart thing would work for the Mac like it did the Eagles, either. The Eagles are viewed as American as Apple Pie. So is Wal Mart. Fleetwood Mac is not now, nor has ever been, viewed as American or patriotic. The Eagles had such a giant success because they were both of those things, and to boot they have a country flair to their sound. This past decade has been a total renaissance in country and country tinged music. It's suddenly very hot. I'm guessing because Country is a very textbook American genre, and it's a back to roots SUPPORT WAR LIKE TOBY KEITH sign of patriotism. Even freaking Bon Jovi did a country tinged album this past decade, to great success. Fleetwood Mac and especially SYW are about as country as Tupac  .
I think we can definitely agree though, that Warner Bros does no favors to Fleetwood Mac or it's various solo artists anymore. I feel they half @ss market the band at best, and are very staid and unimaginative in their approach. Yes, the Wal Mart thing was a home run for the Eagles. But what would work best for Fleetwood Mac? I'm not sure. Perhaps they're more of a Target kinda league  . |
Indeed, if you are not a rap/hip-hop/dance/pop artist today, you pretty much have to decide whether or not you want to sell albums. Country music seems to appeal to that strange demographic that actually still buys physical CDs. What a concept, eh? Buying CDs?!! Who would have thunk that Darius "Blowfish" Rucker would have made this unbelievably successful comeback as a country singer?
But I think it's not just country music, per se. I think it's about appealing to Middle America in general- flyover country. And Wal Mart truly is the most enduring Middle American icon of them all. The Eagles hit paydirt by country-frying some songs AND teaming up with Wal Mart. But what about AC/DC? Their last album
Black Ice was also a Wal Mart exclusive, and I believe it was their best selling album ever. Accordingly, I do believe that if FM records an album with a country radio-friendly lead single and signs on to a distribution deal with Wal Mart, it will most assuredly go multi-platinum, especially if they stunt price it at, say, $8.99. I'm sure Stevie has another "That's Alright" or "After the Glitter Fades" sitting in the vault somewhere.
I'm sure Lindsey could pick up the pedal steel in no time!