The Dance 13 years ago this week

[Erin]

I know I've said this before (and told this story before), but I wouldn't be a fan without the Dance. I only knew them as the "barn people." My hazy recollection of the Little Lies video from when I was a kid. I mentioned this to my dad while he was watching their Behind the Music. He didn't understand what I meant since he never got past Rumours. Anyway, I also walked in on the part where Mick was stating "how he was sweating like Nixon" re his cocaine addiction, and I thought why the hell is my dad watching this crap? I left for the evening, and came home fairly late. I turned on the TV because I couldn't sleep and The Dance was on. A pretty, slow tempo song was playing and I thought it would help me sleep. Then it picked up tempo and I began to notice the death stare the blond woman was giving the guitar player. I was intrigued! Next came more songs, and I had this moment where it hit me that I knew just about all of the songs. How did I not know this was all the same band? Isn't that weird?

[michelej1]

I remember watching the Dance DVD two times one morning and saying, "Well, that's was nice, but that's enough of that." Then I went shopping and I was standing in a store line at about 9 p.m. and I remember the urge creeping upon me again and telling myself that if I got home soon enough I could watch the DVD one more time that night. So, on at least one occasion, I watched that thing 3 times in one day.

Michele

[Musicman408]

I can only imagine how freaking exciting this would be, to have this lineup like that getting back together after so many years..... could NOT even imagine!

[vivfox]

I'd like to add that the real dissapointment for me was having the songs performed in the same order as past song sets. In the same way many of us call Stevie's current tours "tired."The Dance's set list was too tired for me to enjoy.

[AncientQueen]

I saw them two times in a row in 2003 and I found it totally creepy that they played the exact same set, comments, banter, poses twice. Last year, I made sure that I only saw them once, so I have at least the illusion that they bothered to say or do something unique for the people who payed to see them live as in alive.

[tilthefirefades]

The Dance is also to blame for my fandom I still, after almost a decade watch the exact same dvd copy at least once a week. I first discovered it in a used cd bin at a video game store Soon after bought the dvd. And it all went down hill after that. The only thing I could stare at was Christine. I had never heard something as wonderful as Everywhere. Then, Say You Will turned me into a Nicks fan. Still, The Dance and Everywhere are the reason I love this damn near perfect band.

[skuncles]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

I saw them two times in a row in 2003 and I found it totally creepy that they played the exact same set, comments, banter, poses twice. Last year, I made sure that I only saw them once, so I have at least the illusion that they bothered to say or do something unique for the people who payed to see them live as in alive.

That's the biggest thing that bothers me. I don't know why their shows are carbon copies night after night but they are. Billy Joel has said that he prepares about four set lists for each tour, the sets are basically the same but with like five different songs swapped out or the order somewhat tweaked. He said he does this because otherwise the tour becomes so boring for him. He went on to say that he knows there are people who come out to see several shows, so this way they get to see something different.
I really think the reason for Fleetwood Mac being so rigid is because of Lindsey being a perfectionist. It won't allow him to loosen up.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by skuncles

I really think the reason for Fleetwood Mac being so rigid is because of Lindsey being a perfectionist. It won't allow him to loosen up.

I think the problem is Stevie, not Lindsey. Look at the setlist for his solo shows. They change AND he's not afraid to perform new music. Hers stay the same.

[Sahara]

I'd heard plenty of SYW and fell in love with the band through that, but The Dance DVD was the first time I saw them perform together. The emotion that seemed to be flying around the stage was intriguing, and Silver Springs in particular was so dramatic. But it was seeing who Stevie really was for the first time that absolutely bewitched me, for want of a better phrase! She was like nothing I had ever, ever seen before, in her voice, movement and appearance. OOAK Later on I came to fully appreciate Lindsey and Christine too, but Stevie was the hook for me.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Although I agree that a new studio album would have been ideal, in hindsight I think they made the right decision to come back with a live album of oldies. As Lindsey had stated during the press junket, this was a way to re-introduce the band to the world after the "Fleetwood Mac" brand name had been almost irreparably sullied by the preceding decade. The world at large needed to know that The Five were back and back in a big way. It wasn't Fleetwood Mac comprised of a bunch of B-list replacements. It wasn't Fleetwood Mac with one of its cornerstones missing. It was the real deal and it seems that an all-new album would not have necessarily garnered that kind of attention in terms of the MTV tie-in, PBS television broadcasts, DVD sales, etc.

I definitely agree with all of that. I became a fan in '93, saw the Time tour in '94, and it seemed to me like the Rumours 5 would never, ever regroup. When they did, it was as if a true modern day miracle had happened. I remember waiting for the album to drop, and getting posters from my local music store. For me, it was the most exciting time to be a Fleetwood Mac fan... nothing has come close since.

I did have a few critiques about the Dance, though. My biggest one was the "big band" sound: it was just too damned polished, too many musicians... there were so many backup singers it sounded like a damned choir! Fleetwood Mac's signature magic harmonies were lost amidst all the noise. That was the biggest disappointment to me about the Dance. I wanted to hear Fleetwood Mac... not Fleetwood Mac and 4,732 helpers!

And I definitely agree with what others have said about following up the Dance. They totally bumbled that one. They should have had an album out by 2000 to capitalize on their renewed respect and fame in the industry. It seemed like an eternity when Say You Will finally came out in '03... and then, it wasn't the statement they needed to make, either. To me, the album just reeked of battling egos: two different artists, no common thread; too many songs... seemed to be overcompensating for lack of solid material; insanely overproduced sound was pure narcissism: all that "noise" was trying to cover up their inadequacies.

[Sahara]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

And I definitely agree with what others have said about following up the Dance. They totally bumbled that one. They should have had an album out by 2000 to capitalize on their renewed respect and fame in the industry. It seemed like an eternity when Say You Will finally came out in '03... and then, it wasn't the statement they needed to make, either. To me, the album just reeked of battling egos: two different artists, no common thread; too many songs... seemed to be overcompensating for lack of solid material; insanely overproduced sound was pure narcissism: all that "noise" was trying to cover up their inadequacies.

Yikes

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I definitely agree with all of that. I became a fan in '93, saw the Time tour in '94, and it seemed to me like the Rumours 5 would never, ever regroup. When they did, it was as if a true modern day miracle had happened. I remember waiting for the album to drop, and getting posters from my local music store. For me, it was the most exciting time to be a Fleetwood Mac fan... nothing has come close since.

I did have a few critiques about the Dance, though. My biggest one was the "big band" sound: it was just too damned polished, too many musicians... there were so many backup singers it sounded like a damned choir! Fleetwood Mac's signature magic harmonies were lost amidst all the noise. That was the biggest disappointment to me about the Dance. I wanted to hear Fleetwood Mac... not Fleetwood Mac and 4,732 helpers!

And I definitely agree with what others have said about following up the Dance. They totally bumbled that one. They should have had an album out by 2000 to capitalize on their renewed respect and fame in the industry. It seemed like an eternity when Say You Will finally came out in '03... and then, it wasn't the statement they needed to make, either. To me, the album just reeked of battling egos: two different artists, no common thread; too many songs... seemed to be overcompensating for lack of solid material; insanely overproduced sound was pure narcissism: all that "noise" was trying to cover up their inadequacies.

I will agree somewhat with the last paragraph. They should've immediately released another record by 2000-2001 and showed everyone that the Mac was actually back. And as much as I like some of the material on SYW, Louie was kinda spot on about it. That album didn't make a statement, and I'm afraid it'll become one of their "lost" records.

I will say I love the sound of The Dance. I love everything about it.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by Sahara

Yikes

I know I can be a bit scathing in my critiques sometimes. It's not that I don't think there was some solid material on Say You Will, I just feel the gems get lost amidst the detritus. The album should have been whittled down to a more manageable size, where there was a common theme, a common sound. Lindsey shouldn't have brought finished tracks to the table to splice in next to Stevie's songs, either. To me, Say You Will represents mayhem and wobbling... the Fleetwood Mac table had lost one of it's legs (Christine), and was left structurally unsound.

[chiliD]

SYW to me sounded like two solo albums melded together with the same musicians playing on both.

[AncientQueen]

Originally Posted by chiliD

SYW to me sounded like two solo albums melded together with the same musicians playing on both.

I hate that my english is so lousy, but I'll try anyway.

Total agreement with chiliD! And I would go further, the two solo artists don't even like each other, and transport that throughout the album, Stevie through her songs and Lindsey through the production of her songs. SYW is pissing contest and catfight, but not a group effort.

I've always loved the music of Christine, but after listening to SYW I felt that she never got enough credit for her work in the studio. That was criminally underappreciated.

Somehow she kept the egos in check and heavily influenced the sound towards a simplicity that SYW completely lacks.

Stevie sounds good when she is backed up but not when she is rushed by the music. Someone needs to keep the music laid back to give her space and time and to tell her to get a grip on the lyrics and song structures.

Lindsey appearantly needs to get grounded on a daily basis to keep him from ruining music by burying it under tons of effects. He sees himself as a production wizzard, when most of the time he is a hyperactive Rumpelstilzchen behind a mixing pult - with the results we hear.

And who else but Christine, weaponed with experience, ability, craftmanship, success and the cutting british humour I'm sure everyone desperately tried to avoid being target for could make the kids behave?

I've never missed her as much as when I listened to SYW and tried to like it. Hard work.