Importance of Stevie versus Lindsey

[Sugar Mouse]

Originally Posted by g. fish

To the casual fan, Stevie Nicks personifies the band. She is the face of the Fleetwood Mac "brand". Accordingly, she is the one that attracts the casual fan to Fleetwood Mac concerts.

The casual fan comes to see Stevie. But they leave the venue talking about Lindsey Buckingham and his incredible talent and stage presence.

We as hard core fans know that Lindsey is the creative genius behind the band. And yes, his guitar work is absolutely brilliant. But at this stage of the game, his stage presence is probably his most important contribution...especially since creating new material is no longer a priority to the other members.

With all due respect, Stevie and Christine are showing their age. Lindsey props them up with his high level of energy and charisma.

Neil Finn seems like a nice enough guy. And from what I understand, he is brilliant on a creative front. But I don't think he has the stage presence to captivate and energize audiences. It's especially tough taking the reins and sharing a leadership role when you're the new kid on the block.

And I understand that Mike Campbell is a great guitarist. Again, does he energize the audience like Lindsey??? Time will tell. My bet says no.

Mick and company should have learned their lesson in 1987 with the addition of Billy Burnett and Rick Vito. Both were talented in their own right. But even with new material, they never achieved a status beyond karaoke.

My wife and I have seen Fleetwood Mac 11 times. In addition, we've seen solo shows by Lindsey (6x), Stevie (2x) and Buckingham McVie (1x). Combined, that's 20 concerts in all. For me, the final chapter has been written for the band Fleetwood Mac. Sadly, they have squandered their legacy and lost their legitimacy. At this point, with their advancing age, I don't believe there's time to recover the Rumours lineup.

I do, however, look forward to new material and future LB and/or Buckvie shows.

I agree and I disagree. I agree that Lindsey has been the creative force of Fleetwood Mac since the mid-70's. And I agree that Lindsey has been the main source of energy for the live performances in recent years. And I agree that Neil is, like Lindsey, a creative superstar. Very few musicians can write, produce, and arrange music like Lindsey or Neil. Paul McCartney has famously said that Neil Finn is the best living songwriter.

I disagree that Neil and Mike won't bring at least some of Lindsey's energy. I've seen each of them many times and have always walked about impressed with their energy and charisma. Mike doesn't talk much on stage but is a musical tour de force with that guitar. And Neil is a powerful stage presence as you can see in performances by Crowded House, 7 Worlds Collide, etc. on YouTube. No one is Lindsey Buckingham, but Neil/Mike is about as good a replacement as humanly possible.