Quote:
Originally Posted by stevierocks87
This is a joke, right?  |
Yes, this was a sick joke. But it would be perversely fascinating to hear, wouldn't it?
It was partly inspired by Blondie. I'm a pretty big Blondie fan, and in 2014, they rerecorded most of their best known songs on the collection Blondie 4(0) Ever, including a second disc of new material. They admitted in interviews that the remakes were because they could own the masters of these versions and make more money licensing them for films/commercials, etc. (their original record deal was crappy).
In fact, there are a lot of "rerecorded" versions of '70s/'80s hits on Spotify by other artists so that they can make more they would otherwise. Usually they end up sounding like karaoke versions.
The Blondie remakes aren't totally wretched, just not nearly close to as satisfying as the originals. Debbie's voice had changed by then, though not nearly as much as Stevie's. (BTW: Blondie's 2017 album Pollinator album is actually their best in years; I love it!)
I'm not sure if Fleetwood Mac ever regained control of their masters, but they're so loaded (besides maybe Mick) that they probably don't even have to worry about that issue. I think the intention for the remake would be another excuse for a world tour and to legitimize the new lineup without actually having to come up with anything new. As a bonus, I technically couldn't take any flack for posting something like this in the "Rumours" forum instead of the little loved "Present Band" category.
For the hypothetical Rumours II, I would want Stevie and Christine to be heavily autotuned (even more than Madonna on her latest album), and I normally hate when I can detect autotune. But hey! Let's make it sound current and tuneful. Also needs layers of backing vocals from Sharon, Lori, Marilyn, etc. I want Stevie so autotuned on "Dreams" that she hits those high notes like a robotic Welsh Witch. Without them, the song is almost a dirge live now.
I'd also want overlong interludes where Stevie gives the backstory of her songs, without ever actually mentioning Lindsey. She's great at revisionist history. "Silvers Springs" is now the album opener btw. "Go Your Own Way" is listed as a bonus track (with the "shacking up" lyrics changed to "backing up").
Concerning the earlier "Rumours II," the Mirage album, I actually think it's a good balance between the commerciality of Rumours and Lindsey's weirdness on Tusk. I listen to this album a lot, and I enjoy all of Lindsey's songs. They're mostly pretty quirky without being too grating. Christine's side closers aren't the strongest, but overall an interesting collection IMO.
I love legendary music critic Robert Christgau's nutshell reviews, and this is what he said about Mirage when reviewing 1988's Greatest Hits:
Greatest Hits [Reprise, 1988]
To my surprise, I had more fun replaying side two of Mirage, which turns out to have some weird and pleasant sh*t on it. Reminding me that what distinguished them from your average great pop band was that their hits were improved by their putative filler. So with some obvious--in fact, all too familiar--exceptions, the radio-ready format makes them seem blander than they actually are. B
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Tango came closest to being Rumours II in terms of sales and number of hit singles, but it's a little too '80s slick for me now (as it was then). And I'm primarily a Stevie fan ('73-'83 vocals), and her songs are usually my faves on the albums, but not that go round. I just listened to "When I See You Again" as I typed this. And, Stevie, girl, cocaine really is a Helluva drug.