The focus...

Lisa44 · #1 07-17-2002, 01:30 PM

Hello again everybody! Do you guys ever feel that sometimes the general public misses what a great band FM actually is? It seems to me that a lot of people know the story but aren't all that familiar with much of the music, except of course Rumours and Greatest Hits. They seem to be a soap opera instead of a band. Now I realize that there wouldn't be this music without everything that went on behind the scenes but I still feel that it's unfortunate that the focus always seems to be the stories and not the music. This is just my opinion.

sulamith · #2 07-17-2002, 01:59 PM

Well, it IS unfortunate, but what I find is that alot of my friends aren't as into the music as I am because it doesn't make any sense to them since they don't know the back story.

I have a few friends who will listen to it with me, but I find they usually say stuff like, "This is a dumb song. What does that mean, 'creature of the night it's been almost a week', or 'follow those who pale in your shadow'.....I just don't get it! And why is that guy (Lindsey) so angry most of the time?" Then, when I start to try and unravel it for them, they lose interest or say they don't want to have to spend so much time reading or learning background in order to enjoy the music. "Fine," I tell them, "If FM is too much effort for ya, then go put on some Cars, or AC/DC, or Journey, or Hall & Oates (gag!) or some hair band that doesn't make you think about anything."

I guess that is what separates us from most other people, because I LIKE the studying, analyzing, and comparing. That is what takes it to another level and elevates FM/SN/LB music above sweet little poppy tunes that grab most folks.

Something in THIS music does reach out and grab me and makes me want to know more, to examine the different meanings and layers that are there, just like good poetry, it is much more than what is on the surface.

In some ways they have become more of a story than a band at THIS point, but I am hoping that once the new album comes out, it will tip the scales back into balance between their body of work and their back story. I am concerned about how "sucessful" it will be in this current climate of cutsie, perfect hardbodies, though. It will have to really get alot of attention in order to steal a little of the spotlight, but I know what I like.

BUT the back story will always be there, and I have a feeling there will be more story to come. They have wrapped their music and their lives up together as one package, so you can't have one without the other.

Sorcerer386 · #3 07-17-2002, 10:38 PM

Quote:

I actually talked to a person once and they didn't know there was anything released in the 80's except the Greatest Hits album

That's what bothers me. Fleetwood Mac seems to only be recognized these days for Rumours. It's like, there is so much more of them than Rumours. I remember never even knowing there was a "Mirage" album until I found an old tape with VH1 videos on it, and Gypsy was on it. And you know, when they show the artist and title, they show the album name too, and I looked and said, "Mirage, what's that?" This was a long time ago, but still, I was getting to be a big fan by then (so big that I was going through old tapes trying to find things on them, which I DID find a lot of including the Going Home special). Mirage and Tango are pretty much ancient history to a lot of people while Rumours seems to go on timeless. Maybe it's the sound of the music, I don't know, but damn, it's annoying. THEY'VE RELEASED MORE THAN RUMOURS!!!!

Ooh! Sorry, had to get that out.

Lisa44 · #4 07-18-2002, 01:11 PM

I knew some of you would understand! I like it here. Anyways, last night I was thinking about the new album. I'm kinda afraid that it will be like TISL, only bigger. Let me explain. The tour will be HUGE but I don't think that the album will sell as much as it should or as much as we hope. Stevie's new songs were pretty much ignored by radio and almost every single article and every single interview dealt with her story and not enough with the fact that she had just done one of the best albums of her career. I hope this doesn't happen to the band but I think that it might. Don't get mad about this but let me just say that I love, love, LOVE watching Stevie and Lindsey interact on stage but I really don't need to know what led them to break up a quarter of a century ago. Once again, just my opinion.

golddustchic · #5 07-18-2002, 01:33 PM

Man, I totally know what you mean about FM not being appreciated. Like others have said, the only time they've seem to be recognized or remembered, rather, for great work is Rumours, when they're is so much more wonderful music in other albums. I mean, to me, Tusk is a genius album, both lyrically and musically. It just blows my mind that people don't realize the greatness and depth in their songs, I thought it was obvious

And another thing, if someone asks "Who's HE" when I mention Stevie again,I'm going to be really upset