Buckingham McVie - First Impressions - Rank the Songs

[TrueFaith77]

TOP TIER - INSTANT CLASSICS - THE (Chris) MAC(vie) IS BACK!!!
1. GAME OF PRETEND - CM - Maybe greater than Songbird (the controversial chorus: it's Songbird meets Scritti Politti!)
2. CARNIVAL BEGIN - CM - Probably the greatest remake of I'm So Afraid! (Its competition: Tango in the Night, Murrow Turning Over in His Grave, and Come)
3. TOO FAR GONE - CM/LB - Maybe greater than World Turning (funkier, that drum break!!, sexier, shorter -- though nobody could claim it's a premonition of 9/11 NOW COULD THEY??!)

WAITING ON THE DOORSTEP OF CLASSIC (aka - these are all better than any song on Seeds We Sow, not counting When She Comes Down, which is sublime perfection beyond all human imagining -- FACT!)
4. LAY DOWN FOR FREE - LB - Insanely catchy chorus = nobody does this better than Lindsey
5. SLEEPING AROUND THE CORNER - LB - Ideal hooky album opener that harkens back to Monday Morning and Second Hand News via Trouble and Holiday Road
6. ON WITH THE SHOW - LB - The most moving contribution to the Lindsey/Stevie mythology on the album which also means it's a manifesto; gorgeous natural vocal

THESE ARE ALL WORTHY OF SEEDS WE SOW OR IN THE MEANTIME
7. IN MY WORLD - LB - John is a "monster"!
8. RED SUN - CM/LB - Just about Perfect
9. FEEL ABOUT YOU - CM/LB - Also just about perfect but not Perfect
10. LOVE IS HERE TO STAY - LB - A song about the permanence of love, yet it remains diffuse after 7+ listens

[elle]

argh i should have saved reviews i posted before but here's another try!

my ranking:


EXTTREME LOVE for these: (extremely happy to have these songs!)

LOVE IS HERE TO STAY - Rock Away Blind meets She Acts Like You, gorgeous natural vocal, gorgeous guitar picking that never reaches the sublime guitar picking gorgeousness levels in Rock Away Blind, especially outro, but I actually like the melodic verses and chorus a bit better.
LAY DOWN FOR FREE – Your typical soft Fleetwood mac-y Lindsey at his best, but with gorgeous natural vocal
ON WITH THE SHOW - Gorgeous natural vocal from Lindsey, especially in verses

LOVE these:

RED SUN – this song is like a far better version of Say You Will, building off Christine’s superior melodic and musical abilities. When I first heard the whole song lalalalalalas at the end about ruined it for me but now I’m back to ignoring that part and loving this song like a guilty pleasure it is.
CARNIVAL BEGIN - nice marriage of ISA background from Lindsey, Mick and John with some nice additional drums from Mick and Christine’s slower Tusk songs, with bets of slower melodic Christine weaved through the song ending up in a song that’s superior to her slower Tusk songs. I love her happiness in rejoining FM and uplifting new lease on life that’s so clearly coming through here.

LIKE these:

TOO FAR GONE – mashup of Tusk, Wrong and World Turning that resulted in a nice fun bluesy track, but not quite reaching the level of greatness that is World Turning.
FEEL ABOUT YOU – we already discussed this one a lot. Crafty Christine pop songs that sounds a bit like a musical and a bit schmaltzy, yet there’s a lot to enjoy here.

just OK:

GAME OF PRETEND – Songbird meets some schmaltz, sometimes I’m in a mood to listen through it, other times not, but some nice piano, guitar, and h typical warm Christine singing.

Can't stand:

IN MY WORLD – Still have utter disdain for this one.

Non-ranked but LOVE nevertheless:

SLEEPING AROUND THE CORNER – since I knew and loved this song for years, as your typical Fleetwood Mac-y pop-crafting Lindsey (which made all the sense for not adding it as a solo album track on Seeds), I can’t rank it with the new songs I just heard for the first time.

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by elle

argh i should have saved reviews i posted before but here's another try!

my ranking:


EXTTREME LOVE for these: (extremely happy to have these songs!)

LOVE IS HERE TO STAY - Rock Away Blind meets She Acts Like You, gorgeous natural vocal, gorgeous guitar picking that never reaches the sublime guitar picking gorgeousness levels in Rock Away Blind, especially outro, but I actually like the melodic verses and chorus a bit better.
LAY DOWN FOR FREE – Your typical soft Fleetwood mac-y Lindsey at his best, but with gorgeous natural vocal

just OK:

GAME OF PRETEND – Songbird meets some schmaltz, sometimes I’m in a mood to listen through it, other times not, but some nice piano, guitar, and h typical warm Christine singing.

Non-ranked but LOVE nevertheless:

SLEEPING AROUND THE CORNER – since I knew and loved this song for years, as your typical Fleetwood Mac-y pop-crafting Lindsey (which made all the sense for not adding it as a solo album track on Seeds), I can’t rank it with the new songs I just heard for the first time.

Only two rankings in, and I think it's clear there will be a LIHTS vs. GOP divide. I don't think GOP is schmaltzy at all: it's vulnerable and those manipulated harmonics on the chorus raises the song to the sublime. LIHTS is fascinating because it's pure Lindsey solo impulses integrated into a Mac album context, something I have been curious to hear for the last 11 years (since Under the Skin). However, I wish the song had been stronger and more impactful to me (or maybe it doesn't stand out from other Lindsey SWS tracks). It's my mom's favorite track also, so you are in good company.

[KenB]

I did this already but it was in a thread that got deleted, so here goes:

LOVE
1. On With The Show
2. Too Far Gone
3. Feel About You

LIKE A LOT
4. Red Sun
5. Carnival Begin
6. Lay Down for Free

LIKE
7. Love Is Here to Stay
8. Sleeping Around the Corner

COULD TAKE OR LEAVE
9. Game of Pretend
10. In My World

[vivfox]

So far my fave songs are:

1. Lay Down For Free
2. Carnival Begin
3. Sleeping Around The Corner
4. In My World
5. On With The Show
6. Game Of Pretend
7. Red Sun
8. Feel About You
9. Too Far Gone
10. Love Is Here To Stay

[lennonfan]

I pretty much like all of them and have no problem listening straight through the album.

Only thing sort of but not really negative is that on Game Of Pretend Stevie's backing voice would have been a good low end balance but that is pretty minor.

[blinker12]

Right now:

1. Lay Down for Free
2. Love Is Here to Stay
3. Sleeping Around the Corner
4. Carnival Begin

5. On With the Show
6. Game of Pretend (for the verses, hate the chorus)
7. In My World

8. Red Sun
9. Feel About You
10. Too Far Gone

I generally love Christine, but I think she could use a bit more time woodshedding to build her songwriting chops back.

[Murrow]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

TOP TIER - INSTANT CLASSICS - THE (Chris) MAC(vie) IS BACK!!!
1. GAME OF PRETEND - CM - Maybe greater than Songbird (the controversial chorus: it's Songbird meets Scritti Politti!)
2. CARNIVAL BEGIN - CM - Probably the greatest remake of I'm So Afraid! (Its competition: Tango in the Night, Murrow Turning Over in His Grave, and Come)
3. TOO FAR GONE - CM/LB - Maybe greater than World Turning (funkier, that drum break!!, sexier, shorter -- though nobody could claim it's a premonition of 9/11 NOW COULD THEY??!)

WAITING ON THE DOORSTEP OF CLASSIC (aka - these are all better than any song on Seeds We Sow, not counting When She Comes Down, which is sublime perfection beyond all human imagining -- FACT!)
4. LAY DOWN FOR FREE - LB - Insanely catchy chorus = nobody does this better than Lindsey
5. SLEEPING AROUND THE CORNER - LB - Ideal hooky album opener that harkens back to Monday Morning and Second Hand News via Trouble and Holiday Road
6. ON WITH THE SHOW - LB - The most moving contribution to the Lindsey/Stevie mythology on the album which also means it's a manifesto; gorgeous natural vocal

THESE ARE ALL WORTHY OF SEEDS WE SOW OR IN THE MEANTIME
7. IN MY WORLD - LB - John is a "monster"!
8. RED SUN - CM/LB - Just about Perfect
9. FEEL ABOUT YOU - CM/LB - Also just about perfect but not Perfect
10. LOVE IS HERE TO STAY - LB - A song about the permanence of love, yet it remains diffuse after 7+ listens

Judging by this ranking, they've started with the turkeys. But having seen the short documentary I couldn't help thinking Carnival Begin sounded like a classic. Can't get the NPR stream here alas so can't check it out till Friday.

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by Murrow

Judging by this ranking, they've started with the turkeys. But having seen the short documentary I couldn't help thinking Carnival Begin sounded like a classic. Can't get the NPR stream here alas so can't check it out till Friday.

Oh, "turkeys" is a strong word.

Yet, almost as if back in the vinyl days, I often find myself listening to the album. Then listening to Side 2 again. Or starting with Side 2. Then listening through Side 1 until the end of Side 2.

Put in silly star-rating terms, I would say Side 1 is a solid 4.5 (par for the course for a Lindsey solo album--SATC is top-notch solo Lindsey). Side 2 is a 5-star thing of wonders (for me).

[k115810]

Can't get the NPR stream here alas

I think those of you outside the US can probably just download a proxy add-on for Chrome so that it seems as though you are accessing NPR.org from the US.

Perhaps this one: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...fbnlmeio?hl=en

[Say You Will]

Yet, almost as if back in the vinyl days, I often find myself listening to the album. Then listening to Side 2 again. Or starting with Side 2. Then listening through Side 1 until the end of Side 2.


So the first 5 songs are side one?. And the last side 2?.
I like it.

Find myself breaking it down that way too. Five at a time.

I am enjoying this album. Favorite so far is [I]Lay Down for Free followed by Carnival Begin.

Still a fan of In My World as well. But lets face it. All are great...

[lennonfan]

There's wonderful personality in these tracks...Mick's fills, Lindsey with lines we all wish we could play....John, melodic as always, Chris...coming up with some winners here. Best album since Tango.

[BLY]

At the moment the order would be:

1. Too Far Gone
2. Carnival Begin
3. Sleeping Around The Corner
4.Feel About You
5.Red Sun
6.On With The Show
7.Game Of Pretend
8.In My World
9.Lay Down For Free
10.Love Is Here To Stay

I love what Lindsey does with Christine's songs...and I can play in the running order. I'm digging all of them!

[aleuzzi]

1. Carnival Begin
2. On With the Show
3. Red Sun
4. Lay Down for Free
5. Feel About You
6. In My World
7. Too Far Gone
8. Love is Here to Stay
9. Game of Pretend
10. Sleeping Round the Corner

The only song that doesn't excite me is #10.

[elle]

my ranking still the same -

1. Love Is Here to Stay
2. Lay Down for Free
3. On With the Show

4. Red Sun
5. Sleeping Around the Corner
6. Carnival Begin

7. Too Far Gone
8. Feel About You

9. Game of Pretend

10. In My World (the only song i still can't stand)