The Ledge

Go Back   The Ledge > Main Forums > Stevie Nicks
User Name
Password
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read


Make the Ads Go Away! Click here.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:08 PM
nicole21290's Avatar
nicole21290 nicole21290 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
Supporting Ledgie
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,256
Default 24 Karat Gold: Reviews

Uncut Magazine, November 2014. Thanks to FM News for the heads up and text.



Stevie Nicks
24 Karat Gold - Songs From The Vault

Fleetwood Mac star heads to Nashville, chasing the songs that nearly got away.
by Piers Martin

Rating: 7/10

As if Stevie Nicks hasn't done enough soul-searching during her 40 years in one of the world's biggest bands... On her eighth solo album, Nicks immerses herself in her past, gathering 16 of her long-lost songs together like errant children and dressing them in traditional costume - the billowing robes and gypsy shawl - before sending them out, fully Nicksed, into the world.

24 Karat Gold - Songs From The Vault finds the 66-year old getting her memories in order with the help of longtime associates Waddy Wachtel (he first played with her on 1973's Buckingham Nicks) and Dave Stewart, producer of Nicks' last solo set, 2011's In Your Dreams, and a band of hired hands in Nashville who knocked out new versions of Nicks' old songs in 15 days last May. In Your Dreams, somewhat tarnished by Dave Stewart's sweet tooth, took 14 months. Fleetwood Mac records take far longer.

The songs in question stem from demos Nicks wrote at various stages in her career between 1969 and 1995, intended for her solo or Fleetwood Mac albums. One ballad, the bonus track "Twisted", written in 1995 with Lindsey Buckingham for the film Twister, she felt deserved a wider audience. "When songs go into movies you might as well dump them out the window as you're driving by because they never get heard," she tells Uncut.

Many of these songs will be familiar to Mac devotees, having appeared online and on bootlegs or boxsets in one form or another. Indeed, Nicks' main incentive for the project was to record definitive versions of those unauthorized tracks floating around online that her assistant had drawn to her attention. Nicks hates computers and was once so worried about internet piracy that she didn't release a solo record between 2001 and 2011, so this principled stance represents some sort of progress; if you can't beat'em, join'em. "Just because I think computers are ruining the world, I can't expect everyone to be on my wavelength," she reasons. But to most, 24 Karat Gold is effectively a brand new album, albeit one that one occasion has the luxury of revelling in the twists and turns of a vintage Nicks number like "Lady", formerly a fragile piano demo from the mid-'70's called "Knocking On Doors" that's now a footstep away from "Landslide".

With these demos newly upholstered as mid-tempo soft-rock ballands by a solid Nashville outfit, it's tempting to view the collection as an alternative look at Nicks' life in music, each song offering a slightly different take on key moments in her colourful career. Nicks, too, her live-in voice stained with experience, seems to relish the chance to reacquaint herself through her lyrics with the girl she once was. The earliest cut here, a corny speakeasy pastiche called "Cathouse Blue", was written by a 22-year old Nicks in 1969 before she and Buckingham, who played on the original, moved to Los Angeles. By "The Dealer", a mustky Tusk-era tumble, she's already worldweary: "I was the mistress of my fate, I was the card shark / If I'd've looked a little ahead, I would've run away", runs the chorus.

On Bella Donna cast-offs "Belle Fleur" and "If You Were My Love", Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone reprises his original role and plays on these new versions. Her trusted foil, Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers, rolls up his sleeves for AOR james "Starshine" and "I Don't Care", trakcs he just about remembers writing with Nicks in the early 80's. "Mabel Normand", a moving parable based on the tragic life of the 1920s silent movie star, came to Nicks when she herself was dancing with the devil in 1985. Following the death of her godson from an accidental overdose in 2012, the song has a more profound resonance today.

As befits a compilation of songs that weren't up to scratch first time around, 24 Karat Gold contains a few tinpost tracks that even the Nashville boys couldn't fix. Most, too, spill over the five-minute mark. but as fresh testament from one of Rock's great survivors, it makes for a fascinating listen.

24 Karat Gold - Songs From The Vault will be released October 6th in the UK.

Q&A STEVIE NICKS

How did you end up recording in Nashville?
The last album I did was with Dave Stewart in my house and we let it take a year because we were having so much fun. So I called him and said, "Dave, I know we spent a year doing In Your Dreams, but how can we do a record in two months?" And he said, "Go to Nashville. Those guys are on the clock." So you go to Nashville and hire six or seven of the best players in the workd and give them your 16 demos and they give you 15 days. You do two songs a day, which is unheard of in the way that we record, usually, but they are union people so they get there at nine in the morning.

How did "Hard Advice" come about?
Hard Advice" was a lecture Tom Petty gave me on his way through PHoenix one night. I was having a littel problematic moment in my life and he gave me one of his seriously hard advice lectures. He looked at me straight in the eyes with those big clear blue eyes and said, "This pain's gone on too long. Go home, light up your incense and your candles and go to your Bosendorer and write some real songs."

This could be an alternative greatest hits.
Or a greatest hits that never came out. Somebody said at one point, "If you took the last line out of this chorus it would be so much more of a hit record," and I just flat out said in front of the record company and everybody else: "I'm not trying to make a hit record here, I"m trying to make a great record." Hit records don't even sell anymore, anyway. Records don't sell anymore.

Sleeve Notes
Recorded at:
Blackbird, Nashville; Rock A Little Studio; Weapons Of Mass Entertainment Studio; Village Recorder, LA

Produced by:
Dave Stewart, Waddy Wachtel, Stevie Nicks

Personnel:
Stevie Nicks (Vocals), Dave Stewart (Guitar), Waddy Wachtel (Guitar, bk vocals), Mike Campbell, Davey Johnstone (Guitar) Ann Marie Calhoun (Violin), Sharon Celani, Lori Nicks (bk vocals) Tom Bukovac (Guitar), Michael Rhodes (bass), Dan Dugmore (Banjo), Chad Cromwell (Drums), Benmont Tench (Keyboard), Lenny Castro (Percussion).
__________________

"There’s nothing going on between you and me except that there will always be something going on between you and me. Until the day we die"
Reply With Quote
.
  #2  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:21 PM
sorcerer999's Avatar
sorcerer999 sorcerer999 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,077
Default

Great article. A lot more new info. LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing.

"As befits a compilation of songs that weren't up to scratch first time around, 24 Karat Gold contains a few tinpost tracks that even the Nashville boys couldn't fix." Too bad the person who wrote this article didn't "name drop" THOSE song titles.

It would appear that "Hard Advice" does indeed stem from the Tom Petty conversation, although, just going by the lyric snippets "You have to let him go..." it would seem it's about a different topic other than "writing her songs herself".

It's nice to read the full studio personnel who helped record the album. Also, could Rock A Little studios be, in fact, Stevie's living room?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:35 PM
sorcerer999's Avatar
sorcerer999 sorcerer999 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,077
Default

Also interesting to finally hear her reasoning for re-recording "Twisted". But "Twisted" as a ballad??? Hmmmmm.....
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:37 PM
Lisa W Lisa W is offline
Senior Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Los Angeles CA
Posts: 117
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sorcerer999 View Post
Great article. A lot more new info. LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing.

It's nice to read the full studio personnel who helped record the album. Also, could Rock A Little studios be, in fact, Stevie's living room?
Rock A Little studios was referenced on the IYD album, so I understood that to be Stevie's home.

Interesting to see that Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench are studio players. I've been wondering who played that killer organ on Starshine, so am now thinking that could be Benmont.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:45 PM
BlueDenimLamp's Avatar
BlueDenimLamp BlueDenimLamp is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,115
Default

Early on everyone was wondering why Christine was in Nashville looks like she was just hanging out with Stevie since she's not on the personnel list..
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:50 PM
Johnny Stew's Avatar
Johnny Stew Johnny Stew is offline
Addicted Ledgie
Supporting Ledgie
 
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 12,145
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sorcerer999 View Post
Also interesting to finally hear her reasoning for re-recording "Twisted". But "Twisted" as a ballad??? Hmmmmm.....
That gave me pause, too -- but I'm not putting too much stock in it until I hear the actual track. After all, "The Dealer" was also referred to by some critic as a "ballad."
__________________
"Although the arrogance of fame lingers like a thick cloud around the famous, the sun always seems to shine for Stevie." -- Richard Dashut, 2014
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-23-2014, 09:56 PM
Josh2003's Avatar
Josh2003 Josh2003 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 1,441
Default

Interesting that Mike Campbell wrote/co-wrote Starshine and I Don't Care...or at least that's what the article implies.

Now maybe someone will remove from Stevie's wikipedia the note that Dave Stewart wrote the music to I Don't Care...
__________________


http://www.twitter.com/jtwill84
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-23-2014, 10:02 PM
BombaySapphire3 BombaySapphire3 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Posts: 4,499
Default

Thanks for posting..it does appear that the indie press may give 24KG better reviews than IYD ..in fact this critic even takes a moment to slam IYD again.
__________________
Children of the world the forgotten chimpanzee..in the eyes of the world you have done so much for me. ..SLN.

Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 09-23-2014, 10:15 PM
BombaySapphire3 BombaySapphire3 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Posts: 4,499
Default

"Mabel Normand", a moving parable based on the tragic life of the 1920s silent movie star, came to Nicks when she herself was dancing with the devil in 1985. Following the death of her godson from an accidental overdose in 2012, the song has a more profound resonance today."
That this song was singled out for praise by a hard to please "Uncut" critic is an indication that it may have transformed into something great.
__________________
Children of the world the forgotten chimpanzee..in the eyes of the world you have done so much for me. ..SLN.

Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-23-2014, 10:31 PM
DauphineMarie's Avatar
DauphineMarie DauphineMarie is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Somewhere in Your Gypsy Soul
Posts: 565
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3 View Post
"Mabel Normand", a moving parable based on the tragic life of the 1920s silent movie star, came to Nicks when she herself was dancing with the devil in 1985. Following the death of her godson from an accidental overdose in 2012, the song has a more profound resonance today."
That this song was singled out for praise by a hard to please "Uncut" critic is an indication that it may have transformed into something great.
I always had faith in you Mabel!! Please don't disappoint me, or apparently everyone else
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 09-23-2014, 11:33 PM
Jondalar's Avatar
Jondalar Jondalar is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,695
Default

Yay they liked the album, the long version!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 09-23-2014, 11:38 PM
Jondalar's Avatar
Jondalar Jondalar is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,695
Default

He called cathouse blues corny.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 09-23-2014, 11:42 PM
Johnny Stew's Avatar
Johnny Stew Johnny Stew is offline
Addicted Ledgie
Supporting Ledgie
 
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 12,145
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jondalar View Post
He called cathouse blues corny.
That was a typo. He meant to call it "horny."
__________________
"Although the arrogance of fame lingers like a thick cloud around the famous, the sun always seems to shine for Stevie." -- Richard Dashut, 2014
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 09-24-2014, 04:32 AM
StreetAngel86's Avatar
StreetAngel86 StreetAngel86 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: somewhere...being strange & elusive...
Posts: 2,888
Default

When songs go into movies you might as well dump them out the window as you're driving by because they never get heard

THIS is why I love Stevie friggin Nicks


she's so negative. i relate

Quote:
Originally Posted by sorcerer999 View Post
It's nice to read the full studio personnel who helped record the album. Also, could Rock A Little studios be, in fact, Stevie's living room?


THIS is hilarious lol
__________________
she thought she was out there...but nobody saw...

Last edited by StreetAngel86; 09-24-2014 at 04:38 AM..
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 09-24-2014, 07:36 AM
Danielle's Avatar
Danielle Danielle is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Brazil
Posts: 594
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by StreetAngel86 View Post
When songs go into movies you might as well dump them out the window as you're driving by because they never get heard

THIS is why I love Stevie friggin Nicks


she's so negative. i relate
I relate too.
And as much as I agree with the song/movie comment, I think they did a pretty good job with her songs (and Joni Mitchell's) in Practical Magic.
__________________


Crystallineknowledge
Dedicated to Stevie.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


FLEETWOOD MAC FUTURE GAMES FEAT JOHN & CHRISTINE MCVIE 1971 LP RS 6465 picture

FLEETWOOD MAC FUTURE GAMES FEAT JOHN & CHRISTINE MCVIE 1971 LP RS 6465

$12.00



Rare Scene 1981 Benatar John Denver Christie McVie HUGE ADS picture

Rare Scene 1981 Benatar John Denver Christie McVie HUGE ADS

$12.00



FLEETWOOD MAC 1971 CLASSIC 8x10 BW MATT PROMO GROUP PHOTO CHRISTINE McVIE MICK picture

FLEETWOOD MAC 1971 CLASSIC 8x10 BW MATT PROMO GROUP PHOTO CHRISTINE McVIE MICK

$12.99



Fleetwood Mac John McVie Guitar Pick 006.6 Vintage picture

Fleetwood Mac John McVie Guitar Pick 006.6 Vintage

$69.00



John McVie : Blues Breakers, John Mayall with Eric Clapton CD   LN picture

John McVie : Blues Breakers, John Mayall with Eric Clapton CD LN

$6.99




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:26 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
© 1995-2003 Martin and Lisa Adelson, All Rights Reserved