Christine's absense

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

*note* They are free to continue to tour if they wish, but they must NOT ever use a Christine McVie song...EVER! So please stop mutilating "Don't Stop" Stevie!

How can you say it's mutilated if you've never seen it live? Personally, I would prefer they had done something else- with so much to choose from I didn't think they needed to do one of Chris's songs.

[Brwn_eyes0511]

Originally Posted by jannieC

How can you say it's mutilated if you've never seen it live? Personally, I would prefer they had done something else- with so much to choose from I didn't think they needed to do one of Chris's songs.

LIB and various bootlegs....were enough, trust me!!!

I totally agree with your last point. They have so much stuff between the two of them that they have NO NEED to attempt any of Christine's songs without her...there is simply NO NEED FOR IT! (Can I stress that enough? )

HELLO STEVIE (like she is ever going to read this): Storms, Angel, Crystal, Twisted....have you ever heard of any of these songs??? Great songs that you haven't done in ages...It wouldn't hurt to try.

And Lord knows they could dust some of those ol' Buckingham Nicks songs off and give them a shot...whatever they want to do with their own damn material...just stay away from Christine's...PLEASE!

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

LIB and various bootlegs....were enough, trust me!!!

I totally agree with your last point. They have so much stuff between the two of them that they have NO NEED to attempt any of Christine's songs without her...there is simply NO NEED FOR IT! (Can I stress that enough? )

HELLO STEVIE (like she is ever going to read this): Storms, Angel, Crystal, Twisted....have you ever heard of any of these songs??? Great songs that you haven't done in ages...It wouldn't hurt to try.

And Lord knows they could dust some of those ol' Buckingham Nicks songs off and give them a shot...whatever they want to do with their own damn material...just stay away from Christine's...PLEASE!

Agree, agree, agree. With all points. Except. Stevie didn't mutilate Don't Stop. It was different, but not horrible, imo.

[SteveMacD]

I think we all know how I feel on the issue. "Time" and "Say You Will" were both validly released as Fleetwood Mac. Those who are exclusively fans of the "Rumours" band are the last group of people who can legitimately say "it isn't Fleetwood Mac because X isn't in the band." Unless X is either Mick or John (and really, only Mick if we're being technical), then you simply do not have a leg to stand on (pardon the pun). Stevie and Lindsey joined the circus seven years in. There was a band before them. It stands to reason that there would be one after them. 'Nuf said.

[jbrownsjr]

First, I miss Christine McVie period. I miss Joni Mitchell, Bob Welch, Nina (God i miss Nina) anyway. I did not like Say You Will initially, but it grew on me. I was a little pissed at LB's comments regarding Christine. I am still pissed at LB for no solo album. I was waiting for GOS for so long and can't believe CM got an album out before him. He should have way more albums than her!! My point is that I miss Christine, and sort of annoyed with FMac.

2 main reasons I'm pissed at Mac. One the entourage of performers on stage is ridiculous. And it would have been same if CM was there!! Secondly, setlists are mundane. As good as Rush is they do the same thing to me. They play the same core of 2 hours and splash in a few off tracks.

ok ... having said all my biases I'm glad people like DavidMN get to see FMac because you take what you can get. But I wish David you got a better setlist and I wish you were able to go to the Tusk or Mirage tours....And I wish you could see Songbird at the end. And I wish you could see YMLF live, and Oh Daddy, and see Christine pound the piano on "Not that Funny" and I wish you could see her play Maracas on sing on same mic with LB on World Turning and see her go THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU or STEVIE NICKS!!!!!!!!!! in her shrill voice.. or see her getting bombed and smoking on stage!!! damn i miss that ****!

[Brwn_eyes0511]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

ok ... having said all my biases I'm glad people like DavidMN get to see FMac because you take what you can get. But I wish David you got a better setlist and I wish you were able to go to the Tusk or Mirage tours....And I wish you could see Songbird at the end. And I wish you could see YMLF live, and Oh Daddy, and see Christine pound the piano on "Not that Funny" and I wish you could see her play Maracas on sing on same mic with LB on World Turning and see her go THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU or STEVIE NICKS!!!!!!!!!! in her shrill voice.. or see her getting bombed and smoking on stage!!! damn i miss that ****!

Gawd you rock!

I miss that **** too, and I never got to see ANY OF THAT!!!

NEVER EVER will I get to see Christine live, unless by some miracle....

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

Gawd you rock!

I miss that **** too, and I never got to see ANY OF THAT!!!

NEVER EVER will I get to see Christine live, unless by some miracle....

I wish you did too! She was so equally important to me in every incarnation she was in. Whether it be the Kiln tour or the Dance she was always fun to watch.. those who say she wasn't animated well that's just a matter of opinion and taste...

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by chiliD

AhEM! (nearly 12 years and counting...it still doesn't sink in with some people)

What's the cover say on the Time album? Oh yeah, "FLEETWOOD MAC"...it counts. Always has, always will. It's as legitimate a Fleetwood Mac album as any other with the Fleetwood Mac name on it (and that includes Behind The Mask as well)

Ok, MacDougall, your turn.

Regarding Christine's absense (absence, or absinthe)...whatever...she didn't want to be involved, she wasn't, that's how Fleetwood Mac was for that album. With Fleetwood Mac, you just never know what the lineup of the next album is going to be...that's the legend of the band. Some people just won't let go of the fact that the Rumours lineup was a friggin' ANOMALY in the history of Fleetwood Mac. That they released six consecutive albums with the same lineup won't ever happen again.

I have to say that I admire your persistence, always, and you know I absolutely agree with you. But I just don't think I could do it the way you do. I can't even be bothered to respond to these people. They're talking out of their asses and they know it, and there's simply no possible way they're ever going to respond to something as mundane as "logic" or "history" or "fact." Regardless, godspeed.

[HomerMcvie]

I, pretty much, am done with FM live. Partially because Chris is no longer there, but ALSO because they are now long in the tooth, unable to hit any higher notes actually on the original songs, but also for the fact that they play the same old tired **** every single night.

Know when, to say when(and I don't mean myself).

[ontheEdgeof17]

I'd rather have a band who enjoys touring...instead of someone who didn't want to tour after Mirage but continued getting suckered into it somehow. To me, that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I can't watch someone up on stage knowing that they really don't want to be there.

[elie]

I have never been a huge fan of Christine - even though I like some of her songs- and at first I thought that her absence would not be a big loss for me, but when I bought the Dance DVD I realised that I was wrong. In a way it is some much better than the Live in Boston. Not just the songs, but her vocals as well..
It 's perhaps because (as a previous poster said) she sort of balances out Stevie's & Lindsey's extremes.

[Gailh]

I miss Christine in the band.

I liked Say You Will (even though I think it's too long) but the balance that Christine provided is now lacking. the very first song on the album when you know the chorus is about to kick and then..... well that doesn't sound right. Musically I think she's the only one who can command Lindsey's respect even if it annoys him! I'm not sure that it would have sold more if she'd taken part though.

I saw them twice at Earls Court in 2003 and the first time I REALLY missed Christine on stage - but that was the first time I'd ever seen FM without Ms McVie on stage.

They were very good except for there now being three occasions to go to the bar, have a wee etc which I found tedious. On the other hand Lindsey and Stevie sang Say Goodbye beautifully.

I agree with what some others have said about doing Christine's material. I'd rather they didn't or if they must can Stevie please LEARN THE DAMN WORDS! The two times I saw them she buggered it up each time.

Gail

[Miss Vicky]

Originally Posted by GypsySongbird

time doesnt count, although i like chris' time songs, they did a fantastic job with what they could, but its just not fleetwood mac, like time wasnt, and even behind the mask wasnt quite there.

Not to pick on you personally (since you are not the first and probably not the last to make such a comment), but this **** drives me nuts.

"Behind the Mask, Time, and Say You Will just aren't really Fleetwood Mac." Then WTF are they? If lacking a key member of the Rumours lineup equates to not really being "Fleetwood Mac" then I suppose by that estimation Then Play On, Bare Trees, and anything pre 1975 "aren't really Fleetwood Mac" either. Dislike those albums all you want, but THEY ARE REALLY FLEETWOOD MAC.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I have to say that I admire your persistence, always, and you know I absolutely agree with you. But I just don't think I could do it the way you do. I can't even be bothered to respond to these people. They're talking out of their asses and they know it, and there's simply no possible way they're ever going to respond to something as mundane as "logic" or "history" or "fact." Regardless, godspeed.

Can't help it, I'm a "Blue State-er".

[dontlookdown]

i didn't have time to read every entry but here's my reponse to those that i did read.
Say You Will was a really great album. Musically, I thought it was pretty adventurous. I could have done without a lot of Stevie's songs. I thought the title track, Silver Girl, Goodbye Baby, and Running Through the Garden were very mediocre (if not shrill and annoying). It's a shame that she didn't save the best of Trouble In Shangri-La for Say You Will.
I've always thought that one of the reasons why Stevie really shines on Fleetwood Mac albums is because there are usually just 3 tracks. She's best in small doses. So for that reason, maybe Say You Will would have been stronger had Chris contributed.
(If you remove those tracks from the album and insert the title track from TISL and add It's Only Love, it's a much stronger album).
Ahh the wonders of itunes and my ipod...

I liked the show that I saw on the tour in LA. In general, I thought they played better than they did on the Dance tour. I don't like all the extra back-up musicians and singers. I'd rather hear them as a 4 piece even if it means hearing some off-key harmonies. I like my rock and roll loud and raw. Fleetwood Mac has the loud part down, but they need to get away from the over-produced/huge production thing on tour.
And yes, I agree - the same old set list night after night got really stale.
It's not fun going to a show knowing what you're going to hear before they play it - but maybe the internet is to blame for that.
Christine is surely missed. I absolutely loved her version of Oh Daddy on the Dance tour. (If anyone has an mp3 of it please let me know).
And I agree, it was a bad choice to play Don't Stop on the Say You Will tour.
It came off as being really cheesey and nostalgia-act esque. In a bad post-Brian Wilson Beach Boys kind of way.
But Don't Stop has always been the only Fleetwood Mac song I've never liked - so maybe it's just me.
I also cringe when FM plays Stand Back, so I have some unpopular opinions.
After hearing Chris's solo album, I was relieved that she was no longer in the band. I kind of feel like she's done everything she can do as a songwriter. All the new stuff feels really average and I sometimes wonder if it would have taken away from the "electricity" of Say You Will.
I think Stevie and Lindsey are still into taking chances and trying new things. Who knows - they may even work with a younger/more progressive producer for the next album.
Christine sounds very much set in her ways, so it was probably a wise decision to opt out of the Fleetwood Mac machine.

Just my 2 cents...