Full-Page 'Very Best Of' Ad in Billboard

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

I am pleased to see that it says worldwide tour... BUT... Stevie's Timespace, Enchanted and TISL tours were all called Worldwide (that's even what it says on the T-shirt of Timespace I think) I will just wait and see

Pip

[DownOnRodeo]

Really? Ah well, thanks for bringing me down to earth. I honestly have never had my hopes up that they'd come to Australia. I guess its just publicity spin ...
Meanwhile it fits with you Americans... "World Series'??? You people are crazy! LOL!

[wetcamelfood]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
I just thought I'd point out that all the songs on the set are written and/or sung by Christine, Stevie and Lindsey.
And even though Lindsey doesn't play on "As Long As You Follow," "No Questions Asked," or "Sky's The Limit," Christine and Stevie sing lead on them, so to the casual listener, there won't be a discernable difference between those tracks, and those that do feature Lindsey as a guitarist.
(Unlike what would have happened had they thrown "Hard Feelings" in there, for example... where some people would have said, "who is THAT singing??")

Oh I know, I agree JS that I'm sure you're right that this is why they are "cheating" with CM's material (and I'm sure Tommer is right with the idea that having ALAYF & NQA on here means they can now delete the '88 GH) but I just don't get why, if they're going to "cheat" with CM's stuff (to get people to think it's the same lineup) why they chose to "ignore" her Chain box inclusions, "Time" offerings & ALL of the pre 75 stuff she had done as surely they could've picked better songs (taking in to account what was on offer to them) to "cheat" with for her if this really is to be a "very best" of collection. I know that's more of a matter of opinion but I'm sure if there was a vote of some kind that more than half of the fans asked would have preferred choices from any of the above listed sources over the CM non BN lineup choices they did include, I mean that is, if there is/was any thought to "impress" the general buyer as to how this comp would serve as a "very best of" set. I'd be surprised if the majority of CM fans felt that ALAYF & STL are considered better than any of her other non BN lineup submissions. Oh well whatever, I'm glad we agree anyways!

John

[iamstevienicks]

Ooooh its all very exciting, I can barely contain my excitement!!!

[CarneVaca]

It's hilarious that the label won't even acknowledge that the post-Lindsey lineups even existed. And it's extra funny that they are using a 25-year-old picture of the band on the best-of cover. Wait till the band hits the road and concert goers start asking, "Hey, wait a minute, where's the other one, you know the keyboard player? She was the coolest band member." I remember hearing the similar comments when Stevie was missing from that pathetic Time tour. The label boobs are releasing a compilation laden with Christine McVie hits while strongly pushing the Rumours lineup, yet Christine will be nowhere to be seen on tour. The band won't be able to play her songs, except for Don't Stop. What about the people who want to hear You Make Loving Fun, Little Lies, Songbird and Over My Head?

[sulamith]

I'm on my way to Media play to buy this.......tra la la la...

AND I hope the tour is so heavy-laden with NEW stuff they won't have to rely too much on the old. I know Dreams and Rhiannon and GYOW will inevitably be there, but maybe the new stuff will be so good and popular that it won't seem too much like a Christine deficit exits.

Just trying to be optimistic.

[John Run]

Interesting how all of you who are in the "know" spent 6 months discussing how FM had left Warner/Reprise and now that is quite evident that they have not left, you drop that discussion and turn it to what scoundrels they are for making the package commercially viable and promoting it.

[wetcamelfood]

I'm not sure if you are referring to me or not but for the record I would like to say that I never claimed to being "in the know" about what label they will be on.

I had always said when the discussion came up about getting Rhino to rerelease the WB/Reprise back catalog with bonus tracks that "we must wait until the new album actually comes out before we write to Rhino (etc.) as although we may hear rumors about it/them being on (such and such) a label, we simply don't know and won't know until the new album actually comes out what label they will be on".

I won't be buying this "Very best of" album anyways but I just personally don't like those inaccurate statements they make about their history for their promoting ideas (as I don't really care how else they promote it) and just as everyone else here has the right to be happy with (or not happy with) and state their opinions about the "ignoring other lineups" statements by these promoters, I was simply stating what I felt about such statements so now that I have said that, I will leave this topic.

John

[CarneVaca]

I second my friend WetCamel. During all the wild speculation about potential label switches, I always pointed out that the discussion was nothing but conjecture. I also have blasted the label repeatedly, so I haven't changed my tune. And, like my friend Camel, I won't be buying this greatest hits either.

Sulasmith, I wish I could be optimistic too. Perhaps the band will surprise us, but one thing I find rather vexing about Lindsey is his refusal to mix up the set lists. You'll see the band playing the same 20 songs throughout the tour if history serves as an indication. And don't expect them to do more than four new songs. It has been Fleetwood Mac policy to keep new songs on tour to a bare minimum. Again, perhaps they'll surprise us. Anyway, stay positive, my friend, and perhaps you'll infect us curmudgeons.

[sulamith]

Well, thanks, I try....

But you are right, Carne, about Lindsey. I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with him, myself, so I can understand why a certain person by the last name of Nicks would, too. On the one hand he is so fresh and innovative, and on the other he is resistant to change with alot of things.

I'll just wait and see. Maybe he's been attending a few concerts himself lately and getting ideas.

[joe68]

This kind of says to me that the band might be making appearances on Letterman, Leno and shows like that?

Or do you think they will hold off on that stuff until the new album comes out?

Thoughts anyone?

[David]

Originally posted by John Run
Interesting how all of you who are in the "know" spent 6 months discussing how FM had left Warner/Reprise and now that is quite evident that they have not left, you drop that discussion and turn it to what scoundrels they are for making the package commercially viable and promoting it.

Never mind who's in the know; Fleetwood Mac themselves don't even know half the time what they plan to do or how. I don't remember how solidly sure everyone was sounding the past six months that the band had changed labels, but the fact is that Fleetwood Mac -- as of last December -- was shopping the studio album at other labels, with the figure of $10 million being thrown around. I got the information from an extremely reliable industry sheet that gets circulated at all the labels; it's not a gossip sheet. The band's label question was definitely up in the air for a time. It appears that it's been settled.

[Johnny Stew]

(***David and I must have been posting at the same time!***)

The discussions of Fleetwood Mac being dropped by Reprise were based on industry reports that stated the band was shopping around for other labels.

I *think* it was always understood (and I believe I brought this fact up on more than one occassion), that based on the band's existing contract with the label, Reprise *still* had "first choice" on the album... but if they passed on it, only *then* would the band be able to move to another label.

Apparently, in the time since these reports circulated, Reprise's confidence in the marketing potential of this new album must have improved... so obviously they have exercised their "first choice" option.

Personally I don't care if Fleetwood Mac releases their next album on Don't Have A Cow, Man Records... I just want that CD in my grubby little mits!



And yes, Tommer, I do believe you're right... beyond anything else, "As Long As You Follow" and "No Questions Asked" were most likely included so that Warner/Reprise can let 'Greatest Hits' go out of print, while keeping those two songs on the market.
But I also share John's confusion as to why "Love Shines" and "Heart Of Stone" were then not included, when '25 Years - The Chain' is also out of print.
Unless they assume, based on the fact that 'Greatest Hits' has sold something like 6 million copies, that more people would be familiar with "As Long As You Follow" (which, by the way, was a top 40 single.... I know, here i go with chart-placings again! ), than "Love Shines," for example.

Quite honestly though, "As Long As You Follow" is one of my all-time favorite Chris tunes... so I'm very happy that it's being included here.
In fact, I really have no major quibbles with the track-listing... though I think I would have swapped "Storms" for "Fireflies," "Never Going Back Again" for "Oh Diane," and "Sky's The Limit" for "Save Me."
But that's just me.



Johnny Stew

[John Run]

Greatest Hits was last certfied at 8 million copies sold in the US and is currently the 3rd best catalog seller for FM behind Rumours and The Dance. So I am not sure if they will stop prodution of the disc or not. However with that said the new double disc will retail for more and which may allow for a larger margin, depending on the cost of the disc. Usually GH packages are not too expensive to produce and recoup large profits if they sell well and even if the don't they easily break even.

[tommer]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
But I also share John's confusion as to why "Love Shines" and "Heart Of Stone" were then not included, when '25 Years - The Chain' is also out of print.

are you sure The Chain is deleted?
i still see this set (in it's 2 disc format tho) in about every second record store here, it's about as easy to find a copy as it is to find a Tusk copy for example.
i think all the previously unreleased tracks from the 4 piece set are in this 2 disc set.