[michelej1]

Listen, if it seems like he does, Lindsey shouldn't be hogging all of the credit for FM's success. But it's ridiculous to act like he didn't have the production "lion's share" in the group when everyone has acknowledged that he did, especially Christine. I mean whether she was happy with him and complimenting him or mad at him and complaining about him (like saying that after only being produced by Lindsey for so many years it was like a breath of fresh air to be with Patrick Leonard), she always acknowledges him as being the one steering the band's sound, for better or for worse.

which makes it more ironic that he felt he could tell John exactly what notes to play on Tusk.

Oh, I doubt that he did tell John exactly what notes to play on Tusk. Carol Ann's description really contradicts what Mick, John, and Lindsey have said about John's interraction with Lindsey. I don't think Lindsey had/has a lot of control over John. Although John has said it was tough getting anything done in the studio without Lindsey there, I think he was pretty territorial over his bass playing and didn't let anyone push him around.

Lindsey has acknowledged in interviews (and Mick also said that Lindsey has in Mick's book) that he was selfish where Tusk was concerned. And he tried to remedy that by being a team player with Mirage and Tango.

so she may be impressed with his guitar work but not his drumming.

I don't think it's Lindsey's guitar work that impressed Christine. He didn't get a production credit from the band for playing the guitar.

She said other than not having a #1 song of her own, her other regret about Fleetwood Mac was Lindsey leaving: "In many ways he defined what people now recognize as Fleetwood Mac’s sound. And which was missing from our last album Behind The Mask. Not that I’m criticizing the guys we got in to replace him: Rick Vito and Billy Burnette. They’re both fine musicians. But I do regret that Lindsey’s gone. There was a creative chemistry there which, when it was right, was absolutely amazing. Our individual approaches to music were so different, but there was this point where they met that was quite magical. To find that quality with other musicians is very difficult. It’s a once in a lifetime thing."

Lindsey's not oblivious to that chemistry himself. Christine said she would tell him when his work was "caca" and he was good about changing it and he said, "There's an exquisite sense of checks and balances in Fleetwood Mac and that's one of the things that makes the band work. Everybody's always checking each other out to a certain degree, not only in choosing the material but on every level of our creativity. Maybe that contributes to the albums taking as long as they do. It's not the most efficient way to so things But it does seem effective in the end."

As far as Christine working on Stevie's songs, I've never heard her say she has. She talks more about Lindsey's work on Stevie's songs. She has spoken about working in collaboration on Lindsey's songs, not only The Chain and the ones they co-wrote for Tango, but Eyes of the World too. I don't think I've ever heard her say anything about World Turning. I remember Stevie said she was jealous when they wrote it and she came in and saw Chris and Lindsey singing it together.

Anyway, I definitely think Lindsey needs an outside ear on his songs, be it Christine, Keith, Ken or Richard. I don't think he has enough objectivity to know when they need work.

Michele