Still think Stevie is going to do the FM album?

[aleuzzi]

Nothing any of these five musicians did alone compares in musical quality to the music they have made together. Yes, Stevie has had some commercially and artistically satisfying albums; yes, Lindsey's solo records have always been on the right side of critics; yes, Christine's three albums across 45 years show her to be a gifted and viable talent who could function independently of her bandmates--but in all cases, these musicians thrive best as a team.

Can they do it again? Judging from the quality of their recent live shows, I am certain they still have a lot of life and energy in them. The question is, will they set aside their precious egos and get it over with? It appears 4/5 of them have.

Nothing Stevie could attempt to do musically outside the band after the tour would merit breaking up the band momentum. Maybe she will see this sooner than later.

[tabruns]

I read the article with the quote. A couple things.

It's obvious its about Bella Donna. She actually says that. She frames it in that time frame of explaining to them why she was *starting* a solo career.

Second, the "Lindsey recording songs no one will ever hear" is clearly not about his solo albums, its about his studio noodling that he never releases. So all the high dungeon about how "rude" she was being there is much ado about nothing.

As usual.

[SteveMacD]

I agree. There is really no controversy here. Stevie was clearly talking about where she was in 1980. No need to manufacture controversy where it doesn't exist.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by MikeInNV

"Trouble" and "Leather and Lace" climbed the charts together, but by then SDMHA had already hit and Bella Donna had been No. 1.

I'm not sure how that factors. I wasn't comparing Trouble or Law and Order to Stevie's album, especially since I don't even like Law and Order (I do love Trouble, however). I was saying that Law and Order had an auspicious debut and looked more promising in the beginning than it did after the fact.

Michele

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I agree. There is really no controversy here. Stevie was clearly talking about where she was in 1980. No need to manufacture controversy where it doesn't exist.

I guess there isn't any controversy in being the same megalomaniac back then as you are today. The fact that she constantly has to talk about the sacrifices that she makes for the band. I've been hearing her say the same thing for 30 plus years.

I've never heard her say that about Lindsey's work, however. I've more had the impression of what Nicole posted about her love for his work, or the melody pill comments and such.

But enough about me, let me talk about how everyone else feels about me.

[nicole21290]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I guess there isn't any controversy in being the same megalomaniac back then as you are today. The fact that she constantly has to talk about the sacrifices that she makes for the band. I've been hearing her say the same thing for 30 plus years.

I've never heard her say that about Lindsey's work, however. I've more had the impression of what Nicole posted about her love for his work, or the melody pill comments and such.

But enough about me, let me talk about how everyone else feels about me.

Yeah, she's fairly consistent on some things about his work. In 2011 she said:

"Because by that time [when Buckingham Nicks was dropped] I was to the point where… You know, I’m very loyal and I certainly was Lindsey’s biggest fan and I thought he was the greatest guitar player in the world and had the most beautiful voice. He’s one of those people that I walked into the room once and he sat there and played a song and it was room’s on fire. He’s one of those. He’s one of those men.

And whatever I had to do to keep him going was okay because it was more important to me that Lindsey make it than it was that I made it. Because I knew that I could do a hundred other things and no one could ever take my music away from me. I could still write songs and play and I could take my music in whatever I did. I would be fine; I knew that.

I worried about him. I didn’t know what he would do and because I was so in love with him there wasn’t any - there was no question. There was never a question in my mind that I would stick in there until, if we didn’t both make it, at least I got him up there. And when you love somebody and you see the pain in their face when they even consider the fact that you might not make it, it’s like “don’t even consider the fact that we’re not going to make it; we are”. And in my heart I’m saying to myself “If I have to, y’know, if I have to comb this town, I will find somebody to listen to us, that we understand how good we are, that will at least know how good he is.”

It does come across a touch dismissive, the 2013 interview quote we're discussing, but she bristles if people think she didn't love him as he loved her (see Stuttgart Without You intro) or doesn't appreciate his musical genius (see below).

March, 2004

Not long before I interviewed Stevie, Lindsey seemed close to tears when he told me that she had never thanked him for all the work he’d done on the album. “Did he say that to you?” Stevie replies incredulously. “My God. All I can is that he worked his butt off. I give him all the credit. He took my little skeleton songs and turned them into fully finished pieces. The way we work hasn’t changed. He is an immense talent, a craftsman beyond belief. I knew that the first time we met.”

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Nothing Stevie could attempt to do musically outside the band after the tour would merit breaking up the band momentum. Maybe she will see this sooner than later.

A sentiment well articulated! Perhaps she needs to be reminded that when Buckingham Nicks was dropped from their record label, there was no guarantee they would be able establish a career together. Lindsey had more prospects than Stevie. He could have left her behind when he got the offer to join Fleetwod Mac. Stevie needs to drop her emotional baggage, deflate her ego a bit, and show some gratitude for Lindsey and the fact that she has a solo career because of Fleetwood Mac.

They are facing an expiration date, so this album is very significant, as it will be their last, capping off a 48 lifespan of Fleetwood Mac. They don't need to go on another two year tour. Do few high profile shows showcasing the new songs, along with a few classics, film it for posterity, stream it on the internet and release as live CD/DVD

After that, Stevie will have all the time in the world, free to follow her muse. Instead of attempting to revive 24 Karat Gold (which is pretty much dead in the water) by touring, she should just go back to Nashville and record 24 Karat Gold Volume 2, and tour behind both albums, featuring mostly these new/old songs with just one third of the same road weary song that have glutted her setlist for thirty something years. Drop most of the Fleetwood Mac songs and move on.

[johndeb420]

We were there Tuesday and they were awesome and seemed to be getting along great, even walked out for the encore holding hands.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

Stevie needs to drop her emotional baggage, deflate her ego a bit, and show some gratitude for Lindsey and the fact that she has a solo career because of Fleetwood Mac.

Not just from you Bob, because I don't want you to accuse me of picking on you, but I am real tired of hearing this same sentiment from so many Fleetwood Mac fans. Everyone says how Stevie should be thankful to FM for jump starting her career. How many times is one person supposed to be thankful and feel the need to payback for something that happened 40 years ago? That's almost like saying I started my restaurant career off as a busboy and then became a waiter. Eventually I managed the restaurant and now I am Mr. Puck and I own and operate a series of NY eateries. But you all want me to humble myself and go back to being a busboy for a year just to show my gratitude to the restaurant that gave me my big break in my youth? Should a movie star be compelled to return to the tv show that made them famous? Should an NBA athlete be compelled to play for his high school basketball team?
No one here can debate my Fleetwood Mac fandom. I am a fan of all 3 singers. Always have been and always will be.Yes I would love to see Stevie contribute songs to another FM album but if she decides that is not what she wants to do, I am not going to berate and insult her and try to guilt her into doing so.
To quote a line from SOTM: Well the people they love her but still they're the most cruel.
I also understand the argument that because she is in a band she must do what the majority of the band wants to do.I just don't understand the negativity some of you state in trying to convince us and her that, that is what she (Stevie) should be doing.

[pauls90]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

They are facing an expiration date, so this album is very significant, as it will be their last, capping off a 48 lifespan of Fleetwood Mac. They don't need to go on another two year tour. Do few high profile shows showcasing the new songs, along with a few classics, film it for posterity, stream it on the internet and release as live CD/DVD

This this this this this this this this.

I just want to scream it from the rooftops.

[pauls90]

Originally Posted by vivfox

I also understand the argument that because she is in a band she must do what the majority of the band wants to do.I just don't understand the negativity some of you state in trying to convince us and her that, that is what she (Stevie) should be doing.

I don't want her to be unhappy. If she really doesn't want to record then she shouldn't. But she shouldn't agree to tour with them, making millions of dollars and getting to play the worlds biggest arenas, all the while complaining about how she's had to sacrifice all this stuff, how no one in the band cares about her music, and how she'd rather be focusing on her solo record, etc. If she REALLY doesn't want to be in the band any more, then leave. It seems a bit unfair to stick around for the cash tours and then be like "PEACE B*TCH" when the band wants to really get to work again and are asking something that they naturally would expect her to want as well. If it's THAT hard then she shouldn't have agreed to anything in the first place.

If she wants to screw up this last big push of momentum and relevancy for the band, then that's fine. It IS her life and her career. But she's going to have to realize that that's how it will be remembered by a lot of fans and most likely the media.

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I'm not sure how that factors. I wasn't comparing Trouble or Law and Order to Stevie's album, especially since I don't even like Law and Order (I do love Trouble, however). I was saying that Law and Order had an auspicious debut and looked more promising in the beginning than it did after the fact.

Michele

My bad. When you said it looked like Lindsey's album might gain more attention at first, I thought you meant more attention than Bella Donna.

[Aussie W/Heart]

When their On With The Show world tour is over, a well deserved break will be on cards for all 5 members.. after that I honestly think Stevie will do one last album with F/M. I have this niggling feeling when Stevie was putting together her songs for 24 Karat album, Christine arrived in Nashville at one point. Why would that be investigating how Dave Stewart operates as a producer.. or maybe Stevie and Christine picked out a few suitable demos that the Mac could use from Stevie's vault.. Who knows!!

Stevie will get this new album out of the way, then move on with her solo work..

[MikeVielhaber]

Originally Posted by Aussie W/Heart

When their On With The Show world tour is over, a well deserved break will be on cards for all 5 members.. after that I honestly think Stevie will do one last album with F/M. I have this niggling feeling when Stevie was putting together her songs for 24 Karat album, Christine arrived in Nashville at one point. Why would that be investigating how Dave Stewart operates as a producer.. or maybe Stevie and Christine picked out a few suitable demos that the Mac could use from Stevie's vault.. Who knows!!

Stevie will get this new album out of the way, then move on with her solo work..

Christine hasn't been withholding with talking about the new album plans. She also seemed to be a bit frustrated with Stevie that she was non commital to an album while the rest of the band was working on it.

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by Aussie W/Heart

When their On With The Show world tour is over, a well deserved break will be on cards for all 5 members.. after that I honestly think Stevie will do one last album with F/M. I have this niggling feeling when Stevie was putting together her songs for 24 Karat album, Christine arrived in Nashville at one point. Why would that be investigating how Dave Stewart operates as a producer.. or maybe Stevie and Christine picked out a few suitable demos that the Mac could use from Stevie's vault.. Who knows!!

Stevie will get this new album out of the way, then move on with her solo work..

if by 'new album' you mean new FM album, then I have to respectfully disagree with you.

I think she will put off the Mac and do something solo and then maybe return to do another FM album… at which point, IMHO, the momentum of Chris's return will have been lost.

I think she's wrestling with the winding down of time… maybe regretting time not spent doing more solo stuff, who knows.. but I think she's underestimating the time window for closing out the FM chapter. I think she still thinks she can jump back and forth between the solo career and FM one more time, and I'm not sure that's so true. I think at this point in time there are too many variables outside of their control (foremost among them being mortality, followed by health).