Live is Jive

[michelej1]

[This review from the Daily Vault is 10 years old, but I just saw it, so I posted]

http://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=3307

Sometimes, the term "live album" is used way too liberally.

Take the 1980 release from Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac Live. Released as a stopgap while the band finished up their album Mirage, this two-disc set features not only some lackluster performances, but also some songs that weren't recorded in front of a large audience. (But more on that in a few paragraphs.)

When this album came out, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie were still very much riding the crests of superstardom, despite the fact that their previous album Tusk was seen as a bit of a commercial letdown. While they worked their magic on Mirage (which wouldn't see the light of day until 1982), a collection of music recorded on the Tusk tour was packaged for Fleetwood Mac's first live release since, I think, Fleetwood Mac In Chicago. (Anyone wishing to verify/correct this, feel free to e-mail me.)

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: the live album is the most difficult thing for any artist to create, much less master. It is incredibly difficult to recapture the magic that you had on stage and translate it into one or two slabs of vinyl. For Fleetwood Mac, they were no exception.

Many of the performances on Fleetwood Mac Live suffer from bored-sounding performances. Some songs, like "Monday Morning" and "Landslide," feature performances that make it sound like people like Buckingham and Nicks could perform these in their sleep. Ironically enough, they sound half-asleep on these songs. Others, like "Say You Love Me" and "Never Going Back Again," just don't have the magic that their studio counterparts had. (For that matter, I honestly believe the studio version of "Never Going Back Again" will never be rivaled - it's an incredible piece of guitar work.)

There are some songs which rise above their studio brethren. One such example is "Oh Well," which first was released on Then Play On. Buckingham grabs this one by the throat and makes the song his own, all but erasing the memory of Peter Green from the track. This is one of the few performances on the album where Fleetwood Mac sounds excited to be performing this material. "Go Your Own Way" also shares in this magic.

But calling Fleetwood Mac Live a true live album is misleading. Two of these songs, "Dreams" and "Don't Stop" were recorded during a sound check - c'mon, guys, you mean to tell me that you didn't get one good performance of "Don't Stop" to tape on an over 100-date tour?!? Give me a break. (Per chance, should any member of the Mac be reading and wish to set me straight, I'm all ears.)

The plot sickens on three other songs - "Fireflies," "One More Night" and "The Farmer's Daughter," all of which were, as the liner notes put it, "recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for crew and friends." Ah - in layman's terms, a sound check?!?

Yes, I know that some bands have used one side of an album (or the equivalent of one side) to include new studio material - that's fine, so long as you keep the live stuff together. I honestly don't think I would have had such a problem if Fleetwood Mac had grouped these five songs together and stuck them on side four. Then again, I cannot fathom why they would use sound check takes of two of their best-known songs in lieu of live performances. (To their credit, they didn't just dub over crowd noises, as some bands have been rumored to do.)

Diehard Fleetwood Mac fans will no doubt latch onto Fleetwood Mac Live as a treasure - just watch out for the fool's gold hidden inside. Check it out if you must -- but approach this one with caution.

Rating: C

[David]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Take the 1980 release from Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac Live. Released as a stopgap while the band finished up their album Mirage

The band hadn't even begun to record MIRAGE yet.

While they worked their magic on Mirage (which wouldn't see the light of day until 1982), a collection of music recorded on the Tusk tour was packaged for Fleetwood Mac's first live release since, I think, Fleetwood Mac In Chicago. (Anyone wishing to verify/correct this, feel free to e-mail me.)

See above. The band didn't start recording MIRAGE until spring 1981, while LIVE was compiled in late fall 1980 & released that December.

Many of the performances on Fleetwood Mac Live suffer from bored-sounding performances.

Indeedy.

Some songs, like "Monday Morning" and "Landslide," feature performances that make it sound like people like Buckingham and Nicks could perform these in their sleep. Ironically enough, they sound half-asleep on these songs.

We're all from different planets. I've always enjoyed that MONDAY MORNING -- bouncy & spry. I remember one of the critics (Circus, maybe?) referred to this MONDAY MORNING as "all kinetic energy."

But calling Fleetwood Mac Live a true live album is misleading.

You could make a similar argument about virtually every live album from a rock band in that entire era -- never mind what they're doing these days! (They're not even performing live these days.)

Two of these songs, "Dreams" and "Don't Stop" were recorded during a sound check - c'mon, guys, you mean to tell me that you didn't get one good performance of "Don't Stop" to tape on an over 100-date tour?!?

Those two were not recorded on that tour. Still, point taken: Why were soundchecks used, & why of performances of songs that hadn't yet undergone their "evolution" in concert that all FM songs ultimately underwent?

The plot sickens on three other songs - "Fireflies," "One More Night" and "The Farmer's Daughter," all of which were, as the liner notes put it, "recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for crew and friends." Ah - in layman's terms, a sound check?!?

More like rehearsal for the final leg, but point taken: not "live" in concert.

[starshine]

Some very interesting points taken in this review. Also why?? Did they not use one 'full' recording from one concert? I also don't believe that they didn't have 'one' full complete concert during these tours that they couldn't have used. Plus as much as I love the song 'Fireflies' by Stevie those last 3 songs shouldn't have been included really. They are sounchecks...so technically its really not live. They should've been saved for something else really. Kinda a sad way of doing things really. Those extra songs were just 'filler' but they had enough hits at this point were they should've been needed really. Sad really. This is another that should be re-issued with many other extras. They've (FMac) have got to have some great soundboards someplace. Same with a re-mastering of said 'Mirage' LP with many, many extras same with Tango (though not my favorite LP by them) and Mask ...all with extras. IMO anyway......

[GoldDustOrphan]

technically its really not live

I have to disagree entirely. While enjoyment of any track is entirely subjective, a live performance recorded during soundcheck just prior to entertaining a sold-out house is still a live performance. The only difference is the size of the audience. It can be argued that a full-house - as opposed to a small gathering of crew, friends and family - can either enhance or diminish enjoyment levels for either audience or band member, but that is also relative to any number of factors. The roar of a crowd can certainly motiviate a performer, but stagefright can turn an otherwise lucid performer into a robot.

Personally, I would love to be present during a full-set soundcheck prior to a sell-out show because it would be a novel experience to actually hear an entire song not disrupted by consistent talking, screaming, drunken antics or those that exhibit a complete disregard for the performers and their true fans when they sever that connection with disruptive behavior. It's a sense of entitlement that they can behave any way they want because they purchased a ticket. And a personal note to the guy who screams "Stevie!" until he's hoarse during every performance of Has Anyone Ever Written, I've been plotting your death since 1986.

[UndoingTheLaces]

So... if it's not a "Live" recording what is it? A dead one?

I think the purpose of a concert album is to preserve the arrangement of a song as it is done on a particular tour. If the band was performing the song all together does it matter that it was recorded in front of thousands of people or a handful? It's all about the arrangement. I'm glad he didn't go into the massive overdubs, like how Stevie's vocal on Sara was completely rerecorded later. But even so, I love the versions of those songs as done on that album. I also love The Dance and it wouldn't matter if it was done at a soundcheck or performance. It's the way the song is done live that makes for an interesting concert album.

And I don't know how he could say Landslide sounds bored. It's a testament to Stevie, voice going hoarse from a long tour, the way she sounds so emotional, almost of the verge of tears. No matter how many times and ways she does this song, the Live 80 verion will always be one of my favorites.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

I have to disagree entirely. While enjoyment of any track is entirely subjective, a live performance recorded during soundcheck just prior to entertaining a sold-out house is still a live performance.

I agree. It's live. Also, if it turns out better than the performance done in front of a crowd, I approve its use on the album wholeheartedly. One thing I don't like about "live" concert DVDs is the fact that some times they seem to be edited to highlight the crowd's enthusiasm rather than to show us the performer's best. I don't care about the crowd. I AM the crowd and I don't really care to see other people like me on a dvd. That gets on my nerves.

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

And a personal note to the guy who screams "Stevie!" until he's hoarse during every performance of Has Anyone Ever Written, I've been plotting your death since 1986.

What about the guy who screams, "I'm your Beast!" to Stevie during BATB. Each time, he thinks he's the first one to have thought of that line and is not only drunk and ungainly, but extremely proud of himself for being so.

Michele

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by David

I've always enjoyed that MONDAY MORNING -- bouncy & spry. I remember one of the critics (Circus, maybe?) referred to this MONDAY MORNING as "all kinetic energy."

I agree, it's a great performance

I remember whan I bought the album (my very first FM album) and reading the inner sleeve, I realized they didn't use one 'full' recording from one concert, but parts from several. I wasn't disappointed, but, kind of.. deceived, don't know why, maybe because other live albums were supposedly from one show, like Supertramp´s Paris.

But I loved the album anyway, and with the Gypsy video was one of the main reasons I became a Fleetwood Mac album. It's a great selection, anyway.