Why Hasn't Stevie Been Asked About The New FM Record?

[macfan 57]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

To me, it's a real blow when we life-long fans are kept on hold this way. If the band members were young, I'd say, okay, let's wait. But they are all 70 or nearing 70 and time is of the essence.

And one of those band members has serious health issues too.

I'm not getting any younger either. I just want to hear the new Lindsey/Christine Fleetwood Mac album, with or without Stevie.

As for the upcoming tour, I'd like to see a Fleetwood Mac show with a few new songs that Chris & Lindsey have been working on, not any solo songs that have nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac.

[jbrownsjr]

I'm actually happy this album will be a lot of Buckhingham/McVie. The less Nicks lead vocals the better.

[gssmith]

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

I don't see any drama here.
Everything seems to be going great with the
new Fleetwood Mac album; and they're recording
it just like they always do - first without Stevie, then with her.
She's done several solo projects while Fleetwood Mac
albums were being made.
I think it's just that our instant access to a 24 hour news cycle
makes a lot of us fill in blanks and create drama when there really
isn't any.
Everyone in this band has always had busy lives.
It's not a reality TV script - it's just 5 people in a huge
band making music like they always have.

Exactly!! It's fun to watch people get so worked up for nothing

[gypsy333]

I don't see any drama here.
Everything seems to be going great with the
new Fleetwood Mac album; and they're recording
it just like they always do - first without Stevie, then with her.
She's done several solo projects while Fleetwood Mac
albums were being made.
I think it's just that our instant access to a 24 hour news cycle
makes a lot of us fill in blanks and create drama when there really
isn't any.
Everyone in this band has always had busy lives.
It's not a reality TV script - it's just 5 people in a huge
band making music like they always have.

I agree!!

[MikeVielhaber]

Originally Posted by gssmith

Exactly!! It's fun to watch people get so worked up for nothing

Not nothing. Stevie has refused to cooperate with the band for recording for over a decade. She hasn't given them a new song since Say You Will and she still hasn't. Just because she's worked like this before doesn't mean it's the same thing. They also never went on tour without recording an album when that was happening. Now they've done it 3 times in a row and largely because of her. Combine that with comments from the band which make it seem that nothing's changed in her attitude toward recording with the band and there's justifiable cause for concern and skepticism.

[gypsy333]

Exactly!! It's fun to watch people get so worked up for nothing

[elle]

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

I think it's just that our instant access to a 24 hour news cycle makes a lot of us fill in blanks and create drama when there really isn't any.

exactly!

this access makes a huge difference. we can choose to think that what we can glance from this current access is something to be ignored and that we know better from the past... or we can choose to think that this access is giving us a window into what may have been happening in the past too, but we couldn't see it because we didn't have that access.

or we can choose to think what's really happening is somewhere in between and there's a lot of deliberate publicity involved in both what we learned in the past and what we learn via social media now - as things usually are.

definitely fun to read between the lines, even if everyone seems to choose or completely ignore different lines.


i also thought Brett Tuggle's recent interview posted on youtube was interesting and somewhat revealing of the priorities and roles of different band members. and Brett should know - he's been touring not only with FM, but also as a member of LB's solo band and SN's solo band.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

I don't see any drama here.
Everything seems to be going great with the
new Fleetwood Mac album; and they're recording
it just like they always do - first without Stevie, then with her.
She's done several solo projects while Fleetwood Mac
albums were being made.
I think it's just that our instant access to a 24 hour news cycle
makes a lot of us fill in blanks and create drama when there really
isn't any.
Everyone in this band has always had busy lives.
It's not a reality TV script - it's just 5 people in a huge
band making music like they always have.

Baloney. When Stevie has worked on solo material she was always quick to point out that she was going right back to Fleetwood Mac when she was done. This time around there are nothing but awkward reassurances from everybody but her.
Fleetwood Mac was 24 news cycle before TMZ was even a glimmer in Harvey Levin's eye. Back then you could only fill in the blanks by listening to what they were saying to each other in their music. The fans haven't suddenly become gossip mongers. This is the way it has always been with them.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by gssmith

Exactly!! It's fun to watch people get so worked up for nothing

Actually, we've waited decades for a new album by these five people. I, for one, am pretty irritated that the prospect of one is put on hold. I'm sure in the end it'll all work out but my irritation is real. And there's a real reason to be irritated. Hard core Mac fans have waited and waited and waited and instead of rewarding us with a record this year, we have to wait until 2015--at best? Nothing my foot.

Sure, it'll happen in time. I just think they're all too old to be playing the same games they played when they were 40. Do a friggin' record already. Make it THE priority. None of you would have achieved any fan base if it didn't start with the. Mac.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Actually, we've waited decades for a new album by these five people. I, for one, am pretty irritated that the prospect of one is put on hold. I'm sure in the end it'll all work out but my irritation is real. And there's a real reason to be irritated. Hard core Mac fans have waited and waited and waited and instead of rewarding us with a record this year, we have to wait until 2015--at best? Nothing my foot.

Sure, it'll happen in time. I just think they're all too old to be playing the same games they played when they were 40. Do a friggin' record already. Make it THE priority. None of you would have achieved any fan base if it didn't start with the. Mac.

Screw them. It's not Stevie's fault that Lindsey left the band for 10 years and then Christine left for like 15 years. Nicks has used her brains to keep Fleetwood Mac in the minds of people while others were doing their own thing. Give her break! And people need to Give Lindsey a break too! Jesus!!!!!

[MikeVielhaber]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Screw them. It's not Stevie's fault that Lindsey left the band for 10 years and then Christine left for like 15 years. Nicks has used her brains to keep Fleetwood Mac in the minds of people while others were doing their own thing. Give her break! And people need to Give Lindsey a break too! Jesus!!!!!

Lindsey and Christine quit the band. Oh, and by the way, so did Stevie. They all have. In all instances the band went on and recorded without them. Stevie could quit the band if she doesn't want to record with them...that's the considerate thing to do.... but instead she's keeping them hanging on hoping she'll join them to make an album. Who cares if she keeps the Fleetwood Mac name out there if they don't put new music out (and it's her fault)? I'd rather she be in the studio.

[BlueDenimLamp]

Originally Posted by MikeVielhaber

Lindsey and Christine quit the band. Oh, and by the way, so did Stevie. They all have. In all instances the band went on and recorded without them. Stevie could quit the band if she doesn't want to record with them...that's the considerate thing to do.... but instead she's keeping them hanging on hoping she'll join them to make an album. Who cares if she keeps the Fleetwood Mac name out there if they don't put new music out (and it's her fault)? I'd rather she be in the studio.

Again it's Stevie's choice not to record with FM...On the other hand it's quite inconsiderate of FM to keep the fans waiting 10 years for an album because they as grown men are afraid to issue an ultimatum to the one member of the band preventing a new record from coming out...It's obvious that Mick, Lindsey and John care more about their bank accounts than they care about giving the fans new music "The Boys"would rather do highly profitable oldies tour after oldies tour instead of issuing an ultimatum ( on recording )and risk Stevie not being involved in future "Cash Grab" tours...To put it simply the entire band is to blame for FM's lack of output not just one member...

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by MikeVielhaber

Lindsey and Christine quit the band. Oh, and by the way, so did Stevie. They all have. In all instances the band went on and recorded without them. Stevie could quit the band if she doesn't want to record with them...that's the considerate thing to do.... but instead she's keeping them hanging on hoping she'll join them to make an album. Who cares if she keeps the Fleetwood Mac name out there if they don't put new music out (and it's her fault)? I'd rather she be in the studio.

Thank you!

[MikeVielhaber]

Originally Posted by BlueDenimLamp

Again it's Stevie's choice not to record with FM...On the other hand it's quite inconsiderate of FM to keep the fans waiting 10 years for an album because they as grown men are afraid to issue an ultimatum to the one member of the band preventing a new record from coming out...It's obvious that Mick, Lindsey and John care more about their bank accounts than they care about giving the fans new music "The Boys"would rather do highly profitable oldies tour after oldies tour instead of issuing an ultimatum ( on recording )and risk Stevie not being involved in future "Cash Grab" tours...To put it simply the entire band is to blame for FM's lack of output not just one member...

Yes, they could do that and it would serve the purpose of getting an album out with or without her. However, I think they're trying to be diplomatic about it. Maybe 30 years ago they would've done that, but at their age now they probably would like to preserve the personal relationships they have with each other. So given that, it puts Stevie in the power position where they have to persuade her to cooperate. So while they may all have some share of the blame I would place the majority of it on Stevie.

[Phil]

The real stumbling block regarding the upcoming Mac album is the imminent band tour. There seems to be no conceivable reason for touring at this stage (so soon after the previous one and without any new product due to be released), other than a cash-grab. Yes I've read the spin about welcoming Christine back into the fold, but that's just nonsense. If the band truly wanted to get the album completed and issued, then the tour would not be occurring at this stage.
I am somewhat disappointed by Stevie's (perceived) lack of enthusiasm for a Mac album, but even if she had been available from March to April (when the recording sessions occurred), there still wouldn't have been a finished album.
It might be argued that Lindsey and Christine have ceased recording for the time being due to Stevie's lack of involvement, but it's equally possible that they don't wish to continue at this stage for other reasons. Christine has spoken about wanting to return to the UK before the tour rehearsals begin in July and perhaps Lindsey wishes to spend time with his family during the interim period (somebody here recently mentioned him usually vacationing at this time of year). There is also John's medical condition/treatment to consider - none of us know exactly what his current situation is.
I have said this before and still believe that Stevie had intended to record a solo album this year, prior to Christine's decision to re-join the band. Undoubtedly, she and Dave Stewart would have planned the Nashville sessions some time ago, with Blackbird Studios and the 'wrecking crew' of musicians having been booked some time in advance.
Dave is constantly working with all manner of artists and just to pin him down for a few consecutive weeks would be a challenge in itself. He has previously mentioned collaborating with Stevie on new compositions over the last couple of years and so they obviously have maintained a working relationship since the In Your Dreams album/tour/documentary ran it's course.
Stevie has spoken about locating the 'vault' demos for her latest album on Youtube and I suspect this was undertaken some time last year. In order for these 17 or 18 songs to be knocked out so quickly in the studio, sufficient time would have been required to become familiar with them and pre-determine arrangements etc. Therefore, I do honestly think Stevie was committed to this solo project before any firm plans were hatched for a Mac album.
As frustrating as this all might be to fans, this band always takes it's sweet time in getting anything done and this next album will be no exception. One could argue that Stevie is disinterested and non-committal; Lindsey is dictatorial and tactless; Christine might be capricious; John has been ill and Mick has been stirring the proverbial pot... who knows? There's no point apportioning blame as this won't alter the situation. We just need to hope that age doesn't wither these individuals and that eventually new music is bestowed upon us.