The Buckingham McVie album! Out June 9th, 2017!!!

[jenniferuk]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

The only reason I can think of is that Lindsey wanted to let the livesound match more with the audial expectations of the big Public. They want everything to resemble those good old layered studiorecordings.

Somehow, Lindsey seems to believe in that addition of technology, because he does it during small machine too. Also in bandform. I don't like it.

^this. Here is an old interview in which Steve Rinkov talks about moving from drum tech to supporting drummer.

http://journalstar.com/blogs/ground-...9b3887b6a.html

17 hours ago • By Cory Matteson | Lincoln Journal Star
1

On Tuesday, Fleetwood Mac is scheduled to perform the band’s planned tour date in Grand Rapids or wherever. The next stop matters little to Lincoln concertgoers, who saw the show here cut somewhat short on Saturday night. But that wasn’t before the band brought out “Steve” to fill in for an unfortunately ill Mick Fleetwood on “Go Your Own Way.”

Steve performed admirably in Fleetwood’s absence, drawing a “Yay, Steve” from Stevie Nicks at the end of his “big audition,” as she called it. He also got some stray “Steve” chants at the end of the show from fans who perhaps hoped he could lead the band through the rest of the scheduled set. (You can hear concertgoers asking if he could keep playing during a fan recording of “Go Your Own Way” that has over 7,000 views on YouTube already.)

So who’s Steve? Steve is Steve Rinkov, and he’s been a drum tech with Fleetwood Mac for over a decade. He's also worked with Lenny Kravitz and Pearl Jam, to name a few. In 2004, Rinkov did an interview with Cheryl Ferguson on a public radio program about careers, “The Recruiter’s Studio” where he talked about inadvertently landing a drum tech job, and then a performing role with Fleetwood Mac. During Rinkov’s conversation with Ferguson, he also gave some insight into why he might not have been able to cruise through the band’s catalog on command this Saturday.

“You’re not there to play the instruments,” he told her, referring to band rehearsals. “Nobody wants to hear it.”

So the technicians aren’t forming Fleetwood cover bands when Mick, Christine, Lindsey, Stevie and John take tea breaks. But that doesn't mean Steve can't play some Mac. He backed Fleetwood on some songs during the show at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, as he has for years. And Rinkov told Ferguson that he was not nervous, but excited, those first times he joined the band on stage. Here's what Rinkov had to tell her about going from a drum tech to playing with the band years before he sat in for Mick at the head kit during the Lincoln show. (Here's the entire interview.)

“I was minding my business, I swear," Rinkov said. "I was just minding my business. Because you learn early on, you learn early-early on -- and if you don’t already know, someone will not be shy about telling you -- you’re not there to play. You’re not there to play the instruments. Nobody wants to hear it. Nobody wants to hear it.

"Our rehearsal days, the band would show up at, you know, noon to two o’clock in the afternoon and in some cases I’d be working with Mick, and the sound crew would have to be there until one o’clock in the morning. And the last thing anyone wants to hear is someone else banging away on a drum set or wailing away on a guitar when they’re just really not supposed to.

"In rehearsals one day, I swear I was minding my own business and we had done one small show for a group of Best Buy retail executives. And it was just 10 days into rehearsal that we’d done that show. And I think that’s when Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood heard me play drums. Because they walked in when we were soundchecking.

"About a week-and-a-half, two weeks later, they were rehearsing a song from the new album, from the 'Say You Will' album. And on that song, there are two drum parts that were recorded separately. And out of the corner of my ear, I swear I heard, what I had to question -- did I really hear it or not? -- I heard Lindsey say, ‘Well maybe Steve can just play that part.’

"And I’m typing away on my computer and I’m looking up and I’m thinking: ‘No. Back to work.’ And Mick looks over his shoulder and goes, 'Have we got any drums here?' We had every drum that Mick Fleetwood owned there. So I said, 'Yes we do, as a matter of fact.' And (I) probably was just finishing another word by the time I had the drums all set up and ready to go.

"And so that was it. That was one song. Within literally a couple of days, one song became two songs and two songs became three."

Ferguson then asked Rinkov if he was nervous about getting to play with the band as a backing drummer.

"No, no," he said. "Nervous wasn’t part of it. Excited. It’s a weird thing. Being nervous about playing drums is just something that has never happened to me. It’s never happened to me. The first show of the tour, which was Columbus, Ohio, which is where my father’s from. So my aunt is there. I have cousins there, And I’m at an arena that holds I think like 17,000 people and there isn’t an empty seat in the house. And I was excited. I wasn’t nervous at all. I couldn’t wait to do it and keep doing it. It was a blast."

[SteveMacD]

I appreciate everyone hating the use of backing tracks and extra musicians and I strongly agree with that opinion. I think the problem is he approaches his music through the lens of producer rather than as songwriter or musician. In some interviews over the years, he almost seemed embarrassed by how stripped down and raw the songs were live. He's had moments of being able to reinvent a song (Big Love), but that's rare for him. I don't think it's easy for him to remove himself from the overall production of songs as they appeared on the album.

By contrast, Richard Thompson, who by all accounts has as much affinity for being in the studio as John McVie, has a great ability to strip a song to its core, often just him singing and playing acoustic guitar, without regard to the original production, and the essence of the song remains. I think Lindsey could learn a lot from him.

[elle]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I appreciate everyone hating the use of backing tracks and extra musicians and I strongly agree with that opinion. I think the problem is he approaches his music through the lens of producer rather than as songwriter or musician. In some interviews over the years, he almost seemed embarrassed by how stripped down and raw the songs were live. He's had moments of being able to reinvent a song (Big Love), but that's rare for him. I don't think it's easy for him to remove himself from the overall production of songs as they appeared on the album.

By contrast, Richard Thompson, who by all accounts has as much affinity for being in the studio as John McVie, has a great ability to strip a song to its core, often just him singing and playing acoustic guitar, without regard to the original production, and the essence of the song remains. I think Lindsey could learn a lot from him.

you know, while you are probably right, there's another difference between Lindsey and Richard Thompson. besides being extremely strong guitarist, Richard Thompson also has a very strong voice, is very comfortable in his own skin and is a great storyteller with dry humor and strong opinions that he readily shares. Lindsey's main strength on stage is his incredible guitar skill, which he accompanies by his singing. but his voice is nowhere near level of someone like Chris Cornell, who can rely almost solely on his voice and just accompany himself on a guitar to carry his one man show.

[nicepace]

Besides Richard Thompson, there are plenty of singer/songwriters who perform solo shows, just themselves and guitar and/or keyboards, with occasionally a harmonica. Examples include Graham Parker, Steve Forbert, James McMurtry, Marshall Crenshaw, and the late Warren Zevon. And there are also plenty of musicians who are more in the folk realm who regularly perform solo shows, such as David Lindley, Jill Sobule, Vance Gilbert, and many more. These musicians all have one or more great performing strengths: a great singing voice, fantastic musicianship, wonderful songwriting, funny storytelling.

If playing "naked" without backing tracks works for these musicians, I don't see why Lindsey doesn't give it a try. Does he actually lack self-confidence? Or has he bought into the inaccurate belief that the audiences want the songs to sound just like the record?

If he really wants more sound than he can make by himself, he could have one additional musician (guitar and/or keyboard) who can also sing backup. But backing tracks .... [shudder].

[elle]

Originally Posted by nicepace

If playing "naked" without backing tracks works for these musicians, I don't see why Lindsey doesn't give it a try. .

he does the same. his One Man Show tour was completely "naked". we were mostly referring to backing track he/Mac use on the FM shows, and i believe also his solo shows with the band. unlike many other solo acoustic shows, he didn't have anybody to accompany him, on any songs (many have cello or keys for some of the songs).

on his completely solo shows, he used backing track on just a few songs - Go Your Own Way, ISA, Stephanie and Come. and he made it very obvious that's what he was doing.

I've seen Chris Cornell the same way several times in the last few years. he does the same thing on some of his songs, with guitar loops.

[lilyfee]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I appreciate everyone hating the use of backing tracks and extra musicians and I strongly agree with that opinion. I think the problem is he approaches his music through the lens of producer rather than as songwriter or musician. In some interviews over the years, he almost seemed embarrassed by how stripped down and raw the songs were live. He's had moments of being able to reinvent a song (Big Love), but that's rare for him. I don't think it's easy for him to remove himself from the overall production of songs as they appeared on the album.

I think this is a really astute observation. His pride in his production is evident even now, when he expresses joy over working on Christine's songs. It's a shame because his tendency for overproduction can be a bit much sometimes while the raw versions are poignant.

I had no idea that the band ever used backing tracks.

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by elle

he does the same. his One Man Show tour was completely "naked". we were mostly referring to backing track he/Mac use on the FM shows, and i believe also his solo shows with the band. unlike many other solo acoustic shows, he didn't have anybody to accompany him, on any songs (many have cello or keys for some of the songs).

on his completely solo shows, he used backing track on just a few songs - Go Your Own Way, ISA, Stephanie and Come. and he made it very obvious that's what he was doing.

I've seen Chris Cornell the same way several times in the last few years. he does the same thing on some of his songs, with guitar loops.

why would he need a backing track on Stephanie??

[elle]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

why would he need a backing track on Stephanie??

you saw some shows on his One Man Show tour, right? what did you think? not sure why, he'd start it with the click track and i guess had another guitar recording of himself under his playing? it really didn't need it, no idea why he wanted it that way -

[dreamsunwind]

Originally Posted by elle

you saw some shows on his One Man Show tour, right? what did you think? not sure why, he'd start it with the click track and i guess had another guitar recording of himself under his playing? it really didn't need it, no idea why he wanted it that way -

I wondered this too. He can play it without needing a backing track so it just seems unnecessary. Maybe for a fuller sound?

[AncientQueen]

Originally Posted by lilyfee

I think this is a really astute observation. His pride in his production is evident even now, when he expresses joy over working on Christine's songs. It's a shame because his tendency for overproduction can be a bit much sometimes while the raw versions are poignant.

Yes. Imho he uses production and guitar gimmicks to cover up that he is not a that good composer, songwriter and singer. He is a wonderful, underrated guitar player, but his 80s style overproduction killed TiTN and especially SYW. I'm not looking forward to finding Christines songwriting gold buried under his "skills" on the duett album. But of course I will find it .

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

Yes. Imho he uses production and guitar gimmicks to cover up that he is not a that good composer, songwriter and singer. He is a wonderful, underrated guitar player, but his 80s style overproduction killed TiTN and especially SYW.

I agree completely!

TITN SUCKS, because of the production! SYW sucks because of the sh*tty songs and the production!

But yeah, he hides "so so" songs under fancy studio gimmickry.

[bombaysaffires]

Well I think all this discussion of his production/over-production gets to the heart of why Stevie doesn't want to work with him on another album. I know the romantic stuff makes a better story, but that sh*t's been whatever it is forever. They haven't been on the same page about making albums since she went solo. The IYD doc shows her preferred style of working--- very social, lots of laughter, breaks for dinner, as well as working on the music, which she did in a very collaborative way with Dave...and which she doesn't get with Lindsey because he's such a control freak. He tried on SYW, but there's always a palpable tension in the room when they are trying to work something out (you can really get it from that doc). Lindsey's just way more of a solo producer, he makes his music alone in his studio, writing and playing all the parts. When Stevie's writing and recording demos and everything (even before going into the studio) she's got a bunch of her pals/assistants/whoever around her. She totally needs an audience; he doesn't.

The more she's recorded solo, each time, has made it harder to go back and record with FM because she finds the process with Lindsey as tedious as John does. But she's got more at stake than John coz they're her songs LB is working on and she wants them to sound how she wants-- but she's not technically competent enough to just play a part how she wants it herself. And his vision of how her songs should sound these days (and for a while) is just not how she wants them to sound. She's very concerned with commerciality and he's way more about subverting a traditional commercial sound... They have just musically grown in very different directions and I understand why the pieces won't fit anymore. He's got very strong opinions and philosophies about how songs should be done and though he's tempered the manner in which he expresses those opinions, you can't totally change your personality and so he still can be sharp, judgmental, and a bit condescending and dismissive of her ideas when they don't match his. She's become more and more attached to her status as a Legend and thinks, I'm STEVIE NICKS I don't have to take this crap (even when his ideas make her songs better).
So as much as it breaks my heart, I get why it won't work.

[BLY]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

Yes. Imho he uses production and guitar gimmicks to cover up that he is not a that good composer, songwriter and singer. He is a wonderful, underrated guitar player, but his 80s style overproduction killed TiTN and especially SYW..

I don't believe that is why he uses "gimmicks to cover up"anything. It is his vision and it's what makes him a unique craftsmen (IMO) It made Tango and SYW great Albums that us Buckingham fans apreciate.

[FuzzyPlum]

He polished a couple of turds on Tango In The Night and Say You Will and ended up producing a great album with the former and a decent album with the latter.

[dreamsunwind]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

Yes. Imho he uses production and guitar gimmicks to cover up that he is not a that good composer, songwriter and singer. He is a wonderful, underrated guitar player, but his 80s style overproduction killed TiTN and especially SYW. I'm not looking forward to finding Christines songwriting gold buried under his "skills" on the duett album. But of course I will find it .

I can kind of agree on SYW for certain songs but I think Tango was great Yes it had 80s style production but it was the 80s after all, that production style was a thing then and I think the album had a lot of great songs. Everywhere, Little Lies, Isn't it Midnight, Big Love, Tango the song etc. I definitely don't think anything killed Tango because for me, it's a good album. If you don't like 80s production then you probably won't like it or a lot of other albums from that time.
I think his problem isn't that he's trying to cover anything up at least not intentionally but just that he's got too many sounds in his head now. I think he's definitely a good composer/arranger, he's not a super technically amazing guitarist but musically, but in more recent times has been overproducing on some songs, I think Christine might be able to be the yin to his yang for this album. At least I hope.