LB`s best work? 2 questions!

[stefan]

Lindsey stated that his recent work on Say you will was the best work he ever did in and outside of Fleetwood Mac. We've been discussing the ranking of the entire albums and his guitar playing. Perhaps this has been discussed too, in this case I did not recognize it:
Say you will is now out for nearly 10 weeks and most of us know his contributions to the album a lot longer through the GOS project. Now we've listened to it over and over and I am wondering how I and all of you rate his songs from the last album in this career context. I used the following method: I listed 10 songs (FM and solo) which I would chose at the moment. If I now had to make a LB CD of 10 songs to take it on the famous island... And the result? Are there really a lot of SYW songs among our 10 favourites? And by this- is he right- is it the best work? Or was it euphemistic, just a promotional statement? I did not rank these songs. I just wrote down 10 tracks in no particular order. Here they are:
I`m so afraid (live)
Big love (studio)
You do or you don`t
Down on rodeo
Soul drifter
Red rover
Say goodbye (GOS version)
The ledge
That`s all for everyone
What makes you think...

On my list there are 3 songs from the GOS/SYW era. I probably would rate his recent work right behind Tusk and besides Out of the cradle. What about you?

The other question is: Is there a song on SYW that catches new fans? In another thread on the Rumours board somebody stated that a lot of fans seem to have been caught by the song Big love. He/she called these fans attracted by TITN "second generation fans". Now is here a "new generation grabber" song on SYW?

Personally I don`t think so because of the lack of media/radio appearance compared to f.e the TITN era back in 1987.
What are your rankings and impressions?

[wondergirl9847]

I may not be the BEST person to answer this question, since I like Lindsey's WIERD stuff that lots of others don't like, so I don't know WHAT song from SYW would hook new fans. I guess the more mainstream stuff like BTLH and SYHA.
My fave LB songs (although, making lists is something I LOVE doing...I HATE doing it too, because leaving out songs is BLASPHEMY!! LOL):
1. I'm So Afraid (Dance)
2. Red Rover
3. Big Love (Dance)
4. Go Insane (Dance)
5. GYOW
6. Come
7. Soul Drifter
8. Surrender the Rain
9. Doing What I Can
10. Peacekeeper (solo version)
ACK...that list is so incomplete, it's horrific!! LOL They are pretty much ALL my faves, well, except the Tusk version of NTF...hehe.

[Les]

I agree with you, Christy, it is hard to come up with just a list of ten. I still find it a little bit hard to compare a song I've known for 20 years to a song I've known for a fraction of that time. But yes, I think the best of his new songs do hold up to the best of his old.

I don't think Lindsey says the new stuff is his best for any other reason than because he really feels that way. With an exception here and there (i.e., Mirage), I think he's naturally going to feel that the thing he finished most recently is the best because it contains his most recent ideas and emotion and hard work. In ten years, after more new ideas, he might feel differently about each past project, but right now, yes, I think he means it.

As for my list, well, here it is...as of now...

Go Your Own Way
That's All For Everyone
I Want You
Countdown
Say Goodbye
Eyes of the World
Red Rover
Second Hand News
Without a Leg to Stand On
I'll Tell You Now

I don't think the Mac gets the kind of radio exposure needed anymore to grab new fans in the way that Tusk or Big Love did when they were released. But Steal Your Heart Away might have been a candidate once upon a time.

[DownOnRodeo]

I Know I'm Not Wrong
Go Your Own Way
Book of Love
Murrow Turning Over In His Grave
Say Goodbye
Big Love (The Dance)
Never Going Back Again
Go Insane (The Dance
Red Rover
(Oh no, solo too?? )
You Do Or You Don't


Stefan I think Lindsey was speaking honestly when he said he thought the GOS stuff was the best they'd done yet - and I have to agree in many ways - even if you just consider it the best stuff Lindsey has done by himself, and not in some downtown studio.

I reckon SYHA will keep attracting people (once/if ever it becomes a single ). And really this time around have they had any less press than TITN? I don't know what it was like to compare, but I'm guessing that Warners has pretty much given them a lot of promotional opportunity in the States. It was always going to come down to how many good singles were on the album - and without Christine I guess that's an ask. Meanwhile it's interesting how the Lindsey version of Peacekeeper has got airplay. I think we can safely say they know what they're doing as much as we do!

[darklinensuit]

My 10:

Without a Leg to Stand On
I Know I'm not Wrong
Book of Love
Second Hand News
You Do or You Don't
I Want You
Never Going Back Again
Slow Dancing
Murrow
Steal Your Heart Away

- Jake

[Johnny Stew]

My opinion is a wholly subjective one, because it's based on my own personal attachment to the songs... but I'll say that 'Out Of The Cradle' is actually Lindsey's best work.
Overall, there just seems to be more of a sense of Lindsey's own emotions and psyche being laid bare.
I don't quite get that vibe from his 'Say You Will'/'Gift Of Screws' tracks.

The songs are still tremendous, and lyrically there is far more for me to appreciate than in his earlier songs... but they don't quite seem to have the level of emotional connection that the 'OotC' songs do.
That album found Lindsey in a more introspective mode, while the newest songs largely cast him in the role of an observer (with a few exceptions).
I tend to prefer the former, so I know my opinion is skewed in those regards.

Anyway, my Top 10....

1. Murrow
2. Bleed To Love Her
3. I Know I'm Not Wrong
4. Trouble
5. I'm So Afraid
6. Turn It On
7. You Do Or You Don't
8. Tango In The Night
9. D.W. Suite
10. Doing What I Can

[CarneVaca]

I was just listening to the solo Peacekeeper on my way to work, and it strikes me that version far outshines the SYW cut. There's so much more life to it. Which brought me to another thought: The production on SYW is OK, but not brilliant by any stretch. There are some sequencing problems too, and, yes, the album is way too long. I would have pared it to 14 songs. When Wilco released a double CD, they put 10 songs on each disk. That makes more sense. When you go above, say, 55 minutes of music, it's too much.

I have no doubt Lindsey believes his best work is his latest work. And in some ways it is. Lyrically he has never been better, though as far back as I'm So Afraid he could strike a profound emotional chord with very simple, anguish-laden words. From a guitar-playing point of view, he has never been better. But from a production point of view, something is lacking. Yes, I said it. SYW is unacceptably uneven from a production standpoint. There's no excuse for forcing me to fiddle with EQ buttons from song to song. None.

Out of the Cradle had a cohesion of sound that is not evident in SYW. From the first note, there was a sense of being pulled away to experience something. When Lindsey shouts "Don't Look Down," he surprises you, throws you a curve ball. You smile and delight in the musical journey that you know is going to be something special. Not until Doing What I Can does the album lose a little steam. But then it ends on a brilliant note.

SYW? Well, I question his song choices: Drop Come, Steal Your Heart Away and Bleed to Love Her. Add Down On Rodeo, Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind and Gift of Screws and Twist of Fate. It would be more exciting, both musically and from a perspective of freshness. I could even understand including Steal Your Heart Away, but Bleed to Lover Her simply makes no sense, great song though that it is. Come, well, I just don't like it.

My choices:

Say Goodbye
Save Me a Place
Go Your Own Way
Eyes of the World
I'm So Afraid
Don't Look Down (with intro)
You Do or You Don't
Surrender the Rain
Down on Rodeo
Big Love (acoustic)

[stefan]

Well Joe, I guess you are about to change you're alias name as "Down on rodeo" is missing on your list.

Carne, what do you mean by saying the album is too long? Is it too long, because you suppose that the casual listener loses interest after 55 minutes? Or do you also think for yourself that it`s too long? I think it's an interesting point as nearly every reviewer mentioned that. Personally I would have been throwing things, if they had cut it down to 14 tracks after saying it would be a double album. Without knowing anything about the project (and not knowing that I would miss songs, ready to be released) that would have been different of course. As a fan suffering from 16 years of waiting I was happy to get as many new songs as I could.

I realized that nearly every reviewer who mentioned the length, made different proposals which songs should have been left out. That speaks for the variety of different ideas on the album imo. On the other hand everyone complained about certain songs too, so that's the different side of the coin.

I nonetheless too think, that the average/casual i.e. (not diehard fans like us) CD listener and the critics too have to struggle to work through the 18 songs, so my conclusion after all is:
from a marketing point of view 14 would have been the better choice to get better reviews and better sales. As a fan I use the skip button for Silver -fall asleep- girl and play different tracks every time I turn the record on.

I agree with Carne- to include Bleed to love her didn't make much sense imo. A left opportunity to introduce a new track instead.
As for Twist of fate and Gift of screws (the song) I like them O.K. but somehow feel they are quite similiar and represent the 70's sound of the band like Monday morning or Blue letter or Second hand news. I feel like this style is represented with What's the world coming to. Another one of that would have been to much imo.

The production thing is new to me. I have a 14 year old stereo (and no earphones just speakers) so maybe that`s not the best equipment. I did not recognize something I had to adjust. It surprises me, that there are deficits, as LB always was praised as studio wizard. Perhaps the missing of a co producer comes into play here? Any other opinions? The things about the production which disturbed me was the way RTTG was turned into or left in the 80`s style. And I think Say you will as a song is left as a work in progress. The single version is better because it's shorter and doesn't repeat the chorus that often.
What surprises me is that nobody seems to like Peacekeeper in the album version. I like the solo version a bit better too, because the voice mix somehow disturbed me especially in the beginning. But is there really such a large difference?
Great to read your thoughts, CU later- Stefan

[DownOnRodeo]

Well Joe, I guess you are about to change you're alias name as "Down on rodeo" is missing on your list.

Believe me Stefan I wanted to include it... but I thought t was cheating since he hasn't released it yet - plus it may not do him justice... the actual released version could even surpass the ones we have!

[Hawkeye]

oh i like christy LOVE and HATE making lists. It's especially hard when we have to combine his FM work and solo work. this is tough, real tough, but it would be impossible for me to do a top 10 stevie list.

My Top 10 Lindsey Songs:

1. Go Your Own Way
2. Blue Letter
3. Countdown
4. I'm So Afraid (live)
5. This is the Time
6. Don't Look Down
7. What's the World Coming To
8. Steal Your Heart Away
9. Monday Morning
10. Surrender the Rain

oh man, no Tusk, SHN, or Come. Well if i could extend this, they would be the first three includued

[macmar71]

I will say that Lindsey's best works were on OOTC and Tusk, even on Rumours-he had some shining moments. Say You Will has some great Lindsey songs but I don't think it tops what he has done in the past.


As far as the new album grabbing new fans with any particular song, I don't hear much promotion for it here in Connecticut other than Peace Keeper still recieving airplay so maybe this would be the song to grab in the new fans here unless they purchase the album and develop a liking to one of the other tunes, I would say the opening tune WTWCT or the title track or EFO are three tunes that could hook newbies

Now the ten songs I would put to disc or tape and bring with me to the island or beach this summer are.......Drum Roll
......
1) I'm so Afraid (Live 1980 album)
2) Eyes Of the World (Live 1982 Video)
3) Save Me a Place
4) Surrender the Rain
5) What's the World Coming To
6) Holiday Road
7) I Know I'm Not Wrong
8) Soul Drifter
9) Bleed To Love Her (The Dance version)
10) Second Hand News

[Barbara]

Today's top ten (subject to change any minute).

Don't Look Down
Eyes of the World
Bleed to Love Her
Steal Your Heart Away
Go Your Own Way
Monday Morning
Twist of Fate
Someone's Gotta Change Your Mind
Second Hand News
What Makes You Think You're the One?

Barbara

[darklinensuit]

It occured to me earlier today that I forgot to list The Ledge!

- Jake

[Wayne2]

10 songs in no particular order

-I'm So Afraid (Live)
-Never Going Back Again
-The Ledge
-Big Love (Studio)
-You and I Part 1
-Trouble
-Wrong
-Murrow
-Red Rover
-Come


I really think Illume should have been released as a single. Good music, good lyrics. There's a lot of imagery in the song and i think they could have made a really good video with this song.

It would need some editing of course, but that's my pick for a SYW "catchy song"

[macmar71]

I know we said top ten but of course I am reviewing my entry and a few songs pop into mind as is always the case


Bwana
Empire State
On the Wrong Side