DISCUSSION: Stevie's songs from Mirage - Page 3

jcalzaretta · #31 02-21-2012, 09:11 PM

Love the songs. Gypsy is incredible. Perfect. Classic - simply one of the best songs ever recorded.

I love That's Alright. Love it. Gorgeous song.

Straight Back. Love the beginning but hate the ending. Starts off great but does not end great. Hard to explain.

drzubritsky · #32 02-21-2012, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcalzaretta

Straight Back. Love the beginning but hate the ending. Starts off great but does not end great. Hard to explain.

I do like the way Mick's drums really explode in the mix after the initial soft guitar strums. And at first the verse sounds really promising, with that rather ominous melody and lyric and some well-rounded lower register vocals. But then it begins to meander a bit and there isn't much of a chorus. Well, at least it has a striking intro!

PolishStevieFan · #33 02-22-2012, 12:32 PM

"Gypsy" is a classic and there's nothing more to add. "That's Alright" is a country song that in the beginning didn't set myself on fire. With time I've learned to appreaciate its simplicity. Definately it's not a hit worthy song but on the other hand I think it possesses very strong melody which goes hand in hand with lyrics and general mood of the song. I don't know why but I've always felt that this song should have been released on one of her solo albums, especially "Street Angel" (as a companion for "Rose Garden"). "Straight Back" sounds like a forecast of her "Wild Heart" days...especially those synthesizers...

**jbrownsjr** · #34 02-22-2012, 06:50 PM

^^^^ What cliffdweller said

Travisevian · #35 02-27-2012, 02:25 PM

That's Alright - Good song but not cohesive. Smile At You and If You Were My Love would've been more suitable tracks.
Gypsy - Great. The video is beautiful, too.
Straight Back - Dark, melodic, haunting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

Although, the LP version of "Straight Back" is different (and a whole lot better) than the version that was released on the CD.

I wasn't aware of this. How does the LP version differ from the CD version?

Quote:

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

That's Alright: Country garbage has *NO* place in Fleetwood Mac!!!

Country garbage?

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiliD

"Straight Back" -- Sounds like Flesh & Blood-era Roxy Music. Not a bad thing.

Stevie once said in a 1983 radio interview that she liked Roxy Music.

JohnL · #36 02-27-2012, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tilthefirefades

That's Alright-Easily my favorite. Just superb writing, and her voice is spot on.

Straight Back-Absolutely love this one too, especially Christine's harmonies.

Gypsy-IMO it was never done justice live, except maybe on the RAL tour. The album version just has a spark she couldn't recapture.

If You Were My Love & Smile at You-Oh yeah

I agree with everything you said!!

moon · #37 02-28-2012, 01:29 PM

Well, I've been listening to the long demo version of If you were my Love...
Why it's not in the album? Is amazing, I especially love the keyboards, and the final part with the Lindsey's vocals. I include it when I listen Mirage!

WildHearted · #38 02-28-2012, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moon

Well, I've been listening to the long demo version of If you were my Love...
Why it's not in the album? Is amazing, I especially love the keyboards, and the final part with the Lindsey's vocals. I include it when I listen Mirage!

Could you link me to the version you're listening to? I don't think I've heard that one.

KarmaContestant · #39 02-28-2012, 09:53 PM

I really like all of three of Stevie's Mirage tracks. Gypsy is the best, I feel, but Straight Back and That's Alright are great tunes as well.

moon · #40 02-28-2012, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Could you link me to the version you're listening to? I don't think I've heard that one.

Hi! Here's the link to one of the discs of the Mirage Sessions (thanks to bangdrum!!). There's three versions of the song, the second is my favourite! Enjoy!

Mirage sessions, disc 2

Dodfather · #41 02-29-2012, 06:31 PM

I love all of her songs on this album! Gypsy is one of my all time favourites and I never get tired of it. That's Alright is so different for FM at that time, especially for fans who had no idea about Stevie's country influences. I really, really like it and think it's a totally hidden little gem of a track.

Straight Back is dark and atmospheric and, again, pretty forgotten about. Great stuff.

On Ice · #42 03-03-2012, 08:48 AM

I think Mirage represents the end of an era for Stevie as both vocalist and writer (until In Your Dreams); that is, where she sounded amazing and wrote consistently good songs. Everything after was all over the map in terms of the quality of her writing and the consistently good vocals from beginning to end. The Wild Heart was the first example of this, vocals were stellar but her writing began to show cracks. Back to Mirage...

That's Alright: beautifully sung, well structured, simple song from her early days, I thought fit nicely onto this album. I'm surprised nobody has covered this song in new country, it is that good.

Gypsy: if Stevie could've captured this brilliance in writing and singing in every song she did after, she'd be more than a living legend, and her career would never have been ruined by her inconsistencies and sloppiness that we saw on records after Mirage.

Straight Back: Slightly lower in terms of quality, I agree with others that there is something about Straight Back that could've used some fine tuning, it seems to drag near the end, but again, her wonderful vocals make up for that.

The others....If You Were My Love with some more work could've been a delicious Stevie/Lindsey duet and sort of a wrap up of the hard feelings that came out of Rumours.
Smile at You: The "angry" version, pure perfection (with some work in the studio) could've been an awesome ending tune and concert staple, one of the many, many missed opportunities of the Mac.

bangdrum · #43 03-03-2012, 11:16 AM

I absolutely love If You Were My Love as the band did it, but wasn't the issue with that one that Stevie thought it was a "sad" song so it shouldn't have rocked so much or something?

I'm not as bothered by the SYW Smile At You as most people. Besides, I don't think they could've had both Smile At You and Straight Back on the album. One would have to go.

Christopher · #44 03-03-2012, 11:29 AM

I LOVE all Stevie's Mirage contributions! Of course Gypsy is the crowning jewel of them all. Every song she gave the band for this album were top notch including If You Were My Love & Smile At You. I still maintain if they had finished and included SAY on Mirage, it would have been a big FM radio staple back in 82' it just had a great grand rock vibe & perhaps that's why it was left behind. It didn't fit the pop polish the rest of the production was leaning towards.
But I adore "That's Alright", what a beautiful and cohesive composition. I like one of the outtakes better, but Stevie soars on this song. Straight Back was more straight ahead and predictable, but Stevie sounds so hypnotic on this as well. Great stuff & the last of Stevie's golden age with the band until SYW.

turquoise5 · #45 03-05-2012, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CreepingDeath

I actually love all three of Stevie's songs on Mirage.

I love them too. Straight Back, especially, is a hidden gem. Gypsy always makes me happy when I hear it. I love That's Alright because part of Stevie's musical roots are country, and this song really shows it. I only wish it was officially titled Designs of Love, like the demo.