Let's Show Some love For... "Straight Back"!

jaycee · #1 01-12-2010, 04:23 AM

Well, we've shown our love for "Brown Eyes". We've shown our love for the album Tango In The Night. We've shown our love for The Beatles (on the now aptly titled thread "FM is just so good"). Now it's time for "Straight Back"!
Mirage is probably best described as a mixed bag for most fans. Personally I love Mirage, although I wouldn't care to play any of Lindsey's songs from it to friends being introduced to FM. But I think that Christine's and Stevie's songs on this album are lovable, and I wouldn't hesitate to play them for anyone new to FM!
So, let's hear it for "Straight Back"!

ragrsrocalot · #2 01-12-2010, 08:41 AM

I love Straight Back. I think it is a really strong vocal, I love Stevie's voice from this era. I also love the demo of this song with Stevie and Christine working out the harmony, you can totally hear Stevie's voice ready to fly, she sang effortlessly. Great, great song.

skuncles · #3 01-12-2010, 08:44 AM

I've always liked "Straight Back" however I would have preferred that the the song it replaced been left where it was. Back when the "Mirage" album was being recorded Stevie was asked what she had on the new album. She said "I have three songs, one called "Gypsy", one called "That's Alright" that goes back to the Buckingham Nicks days and another called "Smile At You"."
"Smile At You" was dropped when Lindsey decided that the song was too angry and that wasn't the direction they wanted to take the album. Too bad, because the version of "Smile At You" recorded then is vastly superior to the "Say You Will" version. I think too much time had passed and the anger was gone.

GypsySorcerer · #4 01-12-2010, 08:45 AM

I like all of Stevie's songs on Mirage. She was in great form vocally. "Straight Back" is probably my least favorite of the three, but it's still quite good. I like the Stevie/Christine harmony. Too bad we didn't get more of that on other albums.

#5 01-12-2010, 10:17 AM

I can totally see Lindsey's point. However, Smile At You is a much stronger song than Straight Back. But I love Straight Back too, albeit, as predictable as it sounds. I think I liked the demo a little better too.

HejiraNYC · #6 01-12-2010, 11:06 AM

But are we talking about the version of SB on the first pressing of the vinyl LP or the version on the subsequent CD release with all of the extra guitar overdubs? I much preferred the LP version- I think all that extra guitar noodling only detracted from the spooky sparseness of the original.

Why did they feel the need to do this? From what I've read, it's not even Lindsey playing the guitar- it's Ray!

**jbrownsjr** · #7 01-12-2010, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

But are we talking about the version of SB on the first pressing of the vinyl LP or the version on the subsequent CD release with all of the extra guitar overdubs? I much preferred the LP version- I think all that extra guitar noodling only detracted from the spooky sparseness of the original.

Why did they feel the need to do this? From what I've read, it's not even Lindsey playing the guitar- it's Ray!

Is there an LP version out there?

trackaghost · #8 01-12-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

But are we talking about the version of SB on the first pressing of the vinyl LP or the version on the subsequent CD release with all of the extra guitar overdubs? I much preferred the LP version- I think all that extra guitar noodling only detracted from the spooky sparseness of the original.

Why did they feel the need to do this? From what I've read, it's not even Lindsey playing the guitar- it's Ray!

Isn't there less vocals from Stevie on the LP version as well? It's been a while since I've listened to it but it's a lot more spacey and sparse from what I can remember.

skuncles · #9 01-12-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Is there an LP version out there?

Yeah it's on the LP. I don't think that version has ever been issued on CD though. I know when I got the Mirage CD (which has THE worst sound of all of the Mac albums!!! It needs to be remastered NOW!) I was very surprised to hear the mix of "Straight Back" that is on there.

David · #10 01-12-2010, 01:54 PM

Straight Back has really stupid words, but it's kind of a cool track. The band gave it kind of a funk quality -- John's bass, I think. The one recording we have of it being run down live in rehearsal is super-cool, too. Would have been killer on the '82 tour.

I think this is the song about which Christine said that some of the parts that sound like keyboard work are actually guitar work. (I essentially hear only the Yamaha CP-30 being played on a single track on this one. Is there also a phat synth pad?) Typical of Lindsey: To employ his own voice & the voicings of his guitars to simulate other voices or other instruments. Once again, it's all part of the Mac's experiments in confounding listener expectations, in getting us as listeners to think outside the box (the box being the typical pop song on the radio).

ragrsrocalot · #11 01-12-2010, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragrsrocalot

I love Straight Back. I think it is a really strong vocal, I love Stevie's voice from this era. I also love the demo of this song with Stevie and Christine working out the harmony, you can totally hear Stevie's voice ready to fly, she sang effortlessly. Great, great song.

I meant to say rehearsal not demo. Anyway here is a copy of what I meant. http://www.sendspace.com/file/uqzdxh

michelej1 · #12 01-12-2010, 02:39 PM

The lyrics actually remind me of Daedalus and Icarus a bit.

But my favorite part of the song is the "hours and hours of waiting". Waiting is as heartbreaking and compelling a component of unfulfilled love as loss is, but I don't think it gets the same representation in poems, music or literature. There's something about this song that captures both the hope and emptiness of waiting. Anticipation can buoy you one minute and then turn around and stab you in the chest, when nothing comes of it. Yet, you'd do it again, open yourself up for the same disappointment. You'll continue to wait.

I love the feelings this song stirs up. Love Christine on it. Loved the way this song preceded Hold Me on the album. Stevie talked about a rumpled ball of tuskness, but Mirage is like a rumpled ball of yearning. It's like a wound you don't feel yet, because you're still drugged. So, you're drifting in a dreamlike state, floating in gauze, anesthetic and pretty orchestration. Feels really good now, but you know the pain is coming down the line.

Michele

michelej1 · #13 01-12-2010, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Typical of Lindsey: To employ his own voice & the voicings of his guitars to simulate other voices or other instruments. Once again, it's all part of the Mac's experiments in confounding listener expectations, in getting us as listeners to think outside the box (the box being the typical pop song on the radio).

Oh, one of my favorite things that Mick ever said was that it was like pulling teeth just to get Lindsey to play the GUITAR sometimes, because he would spend hours trying to make his guitar sound like a violin, for instance.

Michele

DavidMn · #14 01-12-2010, 03:04 PM

Yes I love this song! I dunno what it is, but it just counds really cool to me.

**jbrownsjr** · #15 01-12-2010, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skuncles

Yeah it's on the LP. I don't think that version has ever been issued on CD though. I know when I got the Mirage CD (which has THE worst sound of all of the Mac albums!!! It needs to be remastered NOW!) I was very surprised to hear the mix of "Straight Back" that is on there.

I used to have the LP but don't anymore... would love to hear the difference... I should have stored all my LP's digitally...