Tusk at 40: FM's defining record

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Angel
Sara
Think About Me
Sisters of the Moon
Never Forget
That's All For Everyone
Brown Eyes
Never Make Me Cry
Over and Over
Beautiful Child


Those Are My Highlights

The re-master sparkles on my speakers.

My highlights:

Think About Me
Save Me a Place
Sara
Storms
Not That Funny
Angel
Brown Eyes

And all of side 4

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

My highlights:

Think About Me
Save Me a Place
Sara
Storms
Not That Funny
Angel
Brown Eyes

And all of side 4

I love the rehearsals of Save Me A Place with Christine on guitar. Also, the harmonies on that song. And I also love the long version of Not That Funny (Mirage) on the upright. Would love to have seen Don't Stop on the Upright on the HBO special.

[BLY]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I love the rehearsals of Save Me A Place with Christine on guitar. Also, the harmonies on that song. And I also love the long version of Not That Funny (Mirage) on the upright. Would love to have seen Don't Stop on the Upright on the HBO special.

It’s so nice to see posts that still exists that I can actually agree with. Save Me a Place with Chris on guitar the three part harmonies.......��

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by BLY

It’s so nice to see posts that still exists that I can actually agree with. Save Me a Place with Chris on guitar the three part harmonies.......��

It's just really cool to see them playing as a band.

On the albums:

In their history (Rumours 5) They've also had a back log of songs. It's just that during Tusk and after. LB started recording without them. Then either leaving members off, or adding them later. I think that's my main problem with some of the final material.

Having said that, his work with Christine on Mirage and Tango is impressive. SYW, not so much of a chemistry even though some great songs came out of it.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

It's just really cool to see them playing as a band.

On the albums:

In their history (Rumours 5) They've also had a back log of songs. It's just that during Tusk and after. LB started recording without them. Then either leaving members off, or adding them later. I think that's my main problem with some of the final material.

Having said that, his work with Christine on Mirage and Tango is impressive. SYW, not so much of a chemistry even though some great songs came out of it.

Agreed. The live three-part harmonies on Isn't it Midnight and Eyes of the World are fantastic. Why, oh why were they not considered for their respective albums? Think of how cool Big Love would have been if all three of them were singing on it. When all three voices are singing on The Dance's Silver Springs, I get chills.

Love SYW as a testament to the duo's continued viability as songwriters. The set is strengthened by the trio's instrumentation. But it's so bifurcated. Christine is sorely missed.

[cbBen]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Agreed. The live three-part harmonies on Isn't it Midnight and Eyes of the World are fantastic. Why, oh why were they not considered for their respective albums? Think of how cool Big Love would have been if all three of them were singing on it. When all three voices are singing on The Dance's Silver Springs, I get chills.

Love SYW as a testament to the duo's continued viability as songwriters. The set is strengthened by the trio's instrumentation. But it's so bifurcated. Christine is sorely missed.

A real waste to leave Stevie's voice off almost any song, but particularly the wordless chorus of "Eyes Of The World."

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by BLY

It’s so nice to see posts that still exists that I can actually agree with. Save Me a Place with Chris on guitar the three part harmonies.......��

I never understood why LB didn't exploit those gorgeous three-part harmonies (where both Christine and Stevie kick some serious butt). The lp version is lovely with a hundred Lindseys harmonizing with each other, but think of how much more human and exciting those three voices might have been!

It's for this reason that I particularly love all of side 4. Honey Hi--the harmonies! Never Forget--the harmonies! Beautiful Child--the descants! Walk a Thin Line--the harmonies!

[tabruns]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

It's for this reason that I particularly love all of side 4. Honey Hi--the harmonies! Never Forget--the harmonies! Beautiful Child--the descants! Walk a Thin Line--the harmonies!

Oh yes, definitely agree. The harmonies are what save "Honey Hi", and I love all their vocal parts in "Beautiful Child", particularly at the end of the song.....I think the song fades a bit too quickly actually because i love Stevie's distant "aaaahhhhhhh" twice at the end.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I love the rehearsals of Save Me A Place with Christine on guitar. Also, the harmonies on that song. And I also love the long version of Not That Funny (Mirage) on the upright. Would love to have seen Don't Stop on the Upright on the HBO special.

A-men
Sadly Chris retired the upright after Mirage. Loved watching her play Sara and Not That Funny. It would be a dream to see Don't Stop
IMHO when the upright left the stage, the Mac was never the same

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

A-men
Sadly Chris retired the upright after Mirage. Loved watching her play Sara and Not That Funny. It would be a dream to see Don't Stop
IMHO when the upright left the stage, the Mac was never the same

Mirage was really the end of them as being "just a band". Big production started taking over by Tango. Stevie's backup singers, and off stage keyboard players.

[David]

I think Chris played both Don’t Stop and Songbird on her Yamaha grand (or the Hamilton before that). When I was ahem much younger, I used to throw sheet music and aluminum drink coasters into the grand piano to simulate the honky-tonky sound Christine got for Sara and Not That Funny. It’s actually easier to tack a grand piano than an upright because the iron plate, the soundboard, the bridge and the strings are all horizontal—so bits of trash can be added under the lid and will just lie there. For an upright, you have to construct an entire mechanical rigmarole that offsets by pedal, and what teenager has the wherewithal to do that while his parents aren’t looking (as he trashes their Yamaha C7)?

Tacking the piano sounds as if it was originally Lindsey’s idea for the tour. But if Stevie played the tack piano originally on the demo, it may have been one of her friends’ idea—maybe Tom.

[David]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Mirage was really the end of them as being "just a band". Big production started taking over by Tango. Stevie's backup singers, and off stage keyboard players.

True. Although many of us forget that even during, say, the Tusk and Mirage tours, there was more than one extra guy playing something or other. Ray Lindsey, of course, playing rhythm guitar on Second Hand News, Gypsy, and Go Your Own Way. Jeff Sova played a tape of all that Dodger Stadium noise on Tusk and also played an Oberheim or something to simulate some brass (it didn’t sound like brass back then—it sounded like a synthesizer saw wave). Sova also played a synth pad on Hold Me in 1982. And Tony Todaro played drums on his own kit on Tusk in 1980—you could see him in silhouette playing behind Mick at the Hollywood Bowl.

But these guys didn’t swamp the show by any means, or detract any attention from the four main instrumentalists. So, yes, the nonsense started in 1987 with digital instrumentation. Remember Mick’s nonsense on World Turning that year with the Atari vest? I doubt he was triggering absolutely everything we heard—which sounded like a film soundtrack orchestra: swelling strings and brass, Mick’s digitized shouting, the percussive stuff from him tapping his vest, etc. Dan Garfield added all sorts of stuff offstage to most of the set, including Seven Wonders, Gold Dust Woman, Everywhere, and Little Lies. A few years afterward, he even sold his rig and modules on eBay.

This past year’s tour was ridiculous on that front. Weren’t there something like 14 people onstage? One of the reviews in the paper even called them out on it. It was certainly the first time that Fleetwood Mac ever played with two Hammond B3s live. Why on earth . . . ?! Why does any live outfit need two B3s?

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by David

True. Although many of us forget that even during, say, the Tusk and Mirage tours, there was more than one extra guy playing something or other. Ray Lindsey, of course, playing rhythm guitar on Second Hand News, Gypsy, and Go Your Own Way. Jeff Sova played a tape of all that Dodger Stadium noise on Tusk and also played an Oberheim or something to simulate some brass (it didn’t sound like brass back then—it sounded like a synthesizer saw wave). Sova also played a synth pad on Hold Me in 1982. And Tony Todaro played drums on his own kit on Tusk in 1980—you could see him in silhouette playing behind Mick at the Hollywood Bowl.

But these guys didn’t swamp the show by any means, or detract any attention from the four main instrumentalists. So, yes, the nonsense started in 1987 with digital instrumentation. Remember Mick’s nonsense on World Turning that year with the Atari vest? I doubt he was triggering absolutely everything we heard—which sounded like a film soundtrack orchestra: swelling strings and brass, Mick’s digitized shouting, the percussive stuff from him tapping his vest, etc. Dan Garfield added all sorts of stuff offstage to most of the set, including Seven Wonders, Gold Dust Woman, Everywhere, and Little Lies. A few years afterward, he even sold his rig and modules on eBay.

This past year’s tour was ridiculous on that front. Weren’t there something like 14 people onstage? One of the reviews in the paper even called them out on it. It was certainly the first time that Fleetwood Mac ever played with two Hammond B3s live. Why on earth . . . ?! Why does any live outfit need two B3s?

I was going to mention that. I watched the Tusk doc last night, and was going to mention the CHEESY "horn" parts he was playing during Tusk. I'd call it more like a flute sound. Is that the best horn sound keys could get back then?

I was beginning to play keyboards by 1987, but I was POOR, and a Rhodes and some Korg synth(it's been so long now, I can't remember what model) was about the best I could afford. Wish I had that Rhodes now! I sold it for $100(I paid $400) to a friend. They're going for about 2K now.

Mick's Vesturbation was just about the dumbest thing the band ever did, live.

Really, I see the need for a second guitar and a second key player(or ONE that does both[Brett]).

Two B3's are needed, because they need someone who can actually still play one. Sorry, Christine is showing the effects of being a senior citizen.

As easy as it it to mock the 14 people on stage, the Eagles do it, too. Two non member key players, 4 horns, and an extra drummer. Extra guitar player, too, if you count Steuart as a non member. And I'm still leaving out Deacon and Vince Gill(but of course that's an unusual situation, because of Glenn's death).

[bombaysaffires]

forgive my musicianship ignorance, but why do they need a backup drummer? is it just that Mick gets fatigued and someone else is carrying the actual physical load of banging away on certain songs? The early rumours5 tours certainly didn't have thin sounding drums.

Is john the only one who doesn't have a backup player on his instrument, or is there a bass player now too?