The theme of "Mirage"

[littlelies7]

Is it just me, or does Mirage have a very French feel to it?

I mean, the penguin in the album's linear notes is wearing a striped shirt and a beret.

And didn't a tour pass have a penguin dressed in the outfit like the one above did, and it's riding a bike, smoking and carrying French bread?

Also, I'm getting also an "old Hollywood" vibe from it too. I think it's the videos.

I find nothing wrong with any of this. It just "moves a few notches up in my book"

~~

So, what do you think?

[dreams]

You are correctamundo....... Mirage was recorded (as i remember... ) in France in an old rented castle .... and Stevie galloped a white steed through a beautiful green field... or something like that... (fuzzy memory .. anyone else???)

[xdreamsunwindx]

The only vibe I get from Mirage is a Christmassy one. Probably because I played the hell out of it from mid November 'till the end of December. Also, songs like Gypsy, Book of Love, Can't Go Back and Love in Store have a very polished, glimmering sound to them, which reminds me of Christmas, etc. Same with Stevie's TOSOTM- very Christmas-like.

-Kate

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by xdreamsunwindx

The only vibe I get from Mirage is a Christmassy one. Probably because I played the hell out of it from mid November 'till the end of December. Also, songs like Gypsy, Book of Love, Can't Go Back and Love in Store have a very polished, glimmering sound to them, which reminds me of Christmas, etc. Same with Stevie's TOSOTM- very Christmas-like.

-Kate

OMG!! me too over and over and over. And the x-mas tree was up and everything. Cos it was on sale during the holiday so I bought it. I paid $7 for the album.

I remember seeing it and saying "that's Christy McVie" (i thought that was her name.)

[DownOnRodeo]

Wow....
You are spot on about Mirage being 'French'ish. I had never made that connection. Mind you, up until recently, I thought that it was recorded in Switzerland. I don't know why I thought that. Maybe cause they needed neutral territory at that point.

[EnchantedSLN]

I don't feel the French vibe (except maybe in the cover? It looks like it could be something from a film.) Mirage is one of the few FM albums that I don't get any real theme or continuity from. While I really like it, it seems like the tracks could have been culled from several different albums, whereas Tusk or Rumours or Tango or FM feel like very distinct groups of songs to me.

[macfan 57]

Mirage was recorded in a chateau in France, the same one in Elton John's song, "Honky Chateau". I heard they recorded the album outside of the U.S. because of Mick's tax/financial problems.

Originally Posted by macfan 57

Mirage was recorded in a chateau in France, the same one in Elton John's song, "Honky Chateau". I heard they recorded the album outside of the U.S. because of Mick's tax/financial problems.

was gonna post the same info but ya beat me to it!

the song "can't go back" has a very French sound to me...maybe more italian actually.

[ricohv]

I agree with the French thing but also think it has sort of a 50's doo-wop thing going on, via Lindsey's songs. Sort of eclectic but somehow itstill seems to gel, in my opinion. I love SYW, but it doesn't sound as cohesive (I know many would argue) as Mirage. One thing I certainly never thought of Mirage was that it was Rumours II, as Lindsey has so often (in typical repetative Lindsey style) said. It certainly is polished and poppy, but way more left field with songs like Empire State & Hold Me. I always thought that Love In Store should've been a huge hit and wonder if it would've had a video as splashy as Hold Me or Gypsy if it would've been bigger. Anyone agree? Maybe it was just the time it was released and FMs popularity beginning to slide + all the new wave and stuff at the time. But it is so classic Mac to me that Icould have seen it being bigger than Hold Me or Gypsy...JMO! Ricoh

[macfan 57]

Originally Posted by ricohv

I agree with the French thing but also think it has sort of a 50's doo-wop thing going on, via Lindsey's songs. Sort of eclectic but somehow itstill seems to gel, in my opinion. I love SYW, but it doesn't sound as cohesive (I know many would argue) as Mirage. One thing I certainly never thought of Mirage was that it was Rumours II, as Lindsey has so often (in typical repetative Lindsey style) said. It certainly is polished and poppy, but way more left field with songs like Empire State & Hold Me. I always thought that Love In Store should've been a huge hit and wonder if it would've had a video as splashy as Hold Me or Gypsy if it would've been bigger. Anyone agree? Maybe it was just the time it was released and FMs popularity beginning to slide + all the new wave and stuff at the time. But it is so classic Mac to me that Icould have seen it being bigger than Hold Me or Gypsy...JMO! Ricoh

"Love In Store" was a modest little hit. I think it got up to about 21 or 22. That's not really all that bad. I really enjoy the album version, but I thought it was even better live on the Mirage tour.

[David]

Originally Posted by littlelies7

Also, I'm getting also an "old Hollywood" vibe from it too. I think it's the videos.

I get that feel, too. There's the obvious references to the past & to Hollywood in the "Gypsy" video, plus all those sittings the band did for George Hurrell, the glamor photographer from the 1930s & '40s in Hollywood.

[darklinensuit]

Mick describes the horse thing in his book.
I don't get any French feel at all. If anything, the theme is early '80s pop.

- Jake