Ken Caillat's book...bits and tidbits

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by David

Based on what Chris herself has said about her musical training in the Keyboard magazine interview and elsewhere, her classical training wasn't very extensive. She abandoned it early on to start playing early rock and roll, like Fats Domino. From there, she played rock and blues, learning how to replicate the styles of Bob Hall and Sonny Thompson.

I'm going to assume that she can still read staff notation, but at an intermediate level. In that sense, you never truly forget everything you ever learned about notation, but you get better or worse over the years, depending on how much practice you're getting. (By the way, there's plenty of classical music that an intermediate reader can amuse himself with.)

I'll second the opinion already given that there isn't any Fleetwood Mac music that would have required the keyboardist (or any of the other guys) to be able to read staff notation, let alone read it fluently.

So why would Ken bother to bring it up I wonder? I haven't gotten that far into the book, but there is a definite passive-aggressive undertone manifested in lots of backhanded compliments at best and outright swipes at the band members at worst.

[iamnotafraid]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

but there is a definite passive-aggressive undertone manifested in lots of backhanded compliments at best and outright swipes at the band members at worst.

Wait until one or more of the 5 dies. That's when
we will find out all the seedy details of their lives.
The players always think themselves more important
than they are.

[Gailh]

Christine was classically trained and in one of the interviews for ITM she mentioned "ploughing through some Mozart" just to see if she can still sight read

Of course she can read music

Gail

[GoldDustGypsy]

The more little tidbits I hear about this book the less I want to read it. I know the members of the band probably aren't as PERFECT as what my mind likes to think they are but it just seems like Ken Caillat just has some sour grapes and a bank account that's running a little low.

....and that interview? Come on. How can you blame people for supporting their fellow band mate instead of a producer they knew long ago?

He should hook up with CAH and just throw the biggest pity party the world has ever witnessed.

[darkcat]

He definitely comes off as snarky towards Stevie, saying several times so far(I'm halfway through the book) that AT THE TIME she was really sweet and approachable, implying that she is no longer.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by darkcat

He definitely comes off as snarky towards Stevie, saying several times so far(I'm halfway through the book) that AT THE TIME she was really sweet and approachable, implying that she is no longer.

Well, I think SN's army of fans would REFUSE to believe anything other than their own fairyland view of their drone, err....queen.


Do you REALLY think that massive stardom didn't change her?

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by darkcat

He definitely comes off as snarky towards Stevie, saying several times so far(I'm halfway through the book) that AT THE TIME she was really sweet and approachable, implying that she is no longer.

I suspect that in Ken's dictionary, "sweet and approachable" = "I could get her." I am sure that, in the throes of heavy drug use and heavy drama, some decidedly awkward behaviors were probably on exhibit in the workplace.

[pwyll]

I don't think anyone should really comment until reading the book.

I only have about 50 pages left and find it very interesting.
This isn't a tell all and gossip. It is more about the technical aspects of the recording process and the equipment used, etc. In fact, for the Stevie fans (including myself), I was surprised to find that there really much about Stevie in the book for the most part. As she is not a "musician", there was not much at all for her to do. A lot of decisions - even about some of the vocals were done when she wasn't even there.
The intent was not to minimize Stevie in the process, it is just the way it was. The instrumentation and retakes consumed much time in the studio. In fact, somewhere in the book, Ken estimates that Stevie's work on the album was only approximately 10% of the total recording. That makes a whole lot of sense.

The book is very interesting. I'm enjoying as it is NOT a gossip.

I recommend it to ANY fan.

[mezzoforte]

Honestly? I'd probably be more interested if it were a tell-all. So shoot me.

I couldn't get through the book. Ken's style of writing didn't work for me. A shame, in my mind, that he reserves his sass for interviews.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by mezzoforte

Honestly? I'd probably be more interested if it were a tell-all. So shoot me.

Agreed. I'm no musician... I want to know about group politics, how songs came to be, what went into the creation of an epic album, the boring details of daily life, what the band did outside the studio, etc.

Originally Posted by mezzoforte

I couldn't get through the book. Ken's style of writing didn't work for me. A shame, in my mind, that he reserves his sass for interviews.

Honestly, this is exactly why I didn't buy the book. Technical details would be totally lost on me. Plus, the Rumours story is played to death anyway. I'm far more likely to buy such a book about Tusk. IT was the album that was interesting artistically, especially how it unfolded in the studio.

[iamnotafraid]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I'm far more likely to buy such a book about Tusk. IT was the album that was interesting artistically, especially how it unfolded in the studio.

Same here.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Agreed. I'm no musician... I want to know about group politics, how songs came to be, what went into the creation of an epic album, the boring details of daily life, what the band did outside the studio, etc.



Honestly, this is exactly why I didn't buy the book. Technical details would be totally lost on me. Plus, the Rumours story is played to death anyway. I'm far more likely to buy such a book about Tusk. IT was the album that was interesting artistically, especially how it unfolded in the studio.

oh come on, from all your posts we know you are cheap!

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Well, I think SN's army of fans would REFUSE to believe anything other than their own fairyland view of their drone, err....queen.


Do you REALLY think that massive stardom didn't change her?

AND...It's not like Ken's the first to make that type of comment about Stevie. Remember around "The Dance" when Lindsey said something like the girl he had been in love with years ago was back and Christine had commented that Stevie had once gotten to the point of taking herself too seriously. I don't recall those comments being an issue 15 years ago.

[darkcat]

well, I realize that of course people change with fame, I just thought it was an interesting "tid bit" and gives an idea about Caillats current thoughts about her.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Maybe not, though. From personal experience, that's a skill that can go away if unused for a great length of time, and I seriously doubt that she would have needed to read music in the decade leading up to Rumours.

She never lost her sight-reading skills. She has said in comparatively recent interviews that she likes to work through Beethoven, et al at a leisure pace at home. Most likely, she is what a classical musician would term an "intermediate" player, certainly not concert level, but not a novice either.

For what it's worth, I didn't lose my sight reading skills either. I stopped playing piano for two decades when, this past year, I returned to it and started working through some Bartok I had never played before. It was a little rough at first, but by the end of the second week, I was working through those pieces pretty quickly.