The Soundstage Sessions: Reviews

[michelej1]

Sarnia Observer

http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1519626

Stevie Nicks Live in Chicago Classic Rock

***1/2

Also available as a CD titled The Soundstage Sessions, Nicks' latest live DVD finds Fleetwood Mac's witchy woman in good spirits and fine form, braying her hits, Mac classics and cool covers for PBS cameras in the Windy City. The two-hour set also features plenty of between-song banter, guest spots from Vanessa Carlton, and all the shawls, feathers and top hats you could want.

[bikerchic]

Not a very nice one. I shot her an e-mail

The Guardian, Observer/UK

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/20.../14/popandrock

When a performer needs an album more than the listener, you know you're in for trouble. As Fleetwood Mac embark on the latest of their reincarnations with a 43-date tour across America and Canada and with plans to return to the studio later this year, Nicks pops her own money spinner on the merch stall. These 10 tracks recorded alongside her 2007 solo tour cover career highlights such as "Stand Back", "Sara" and "Landslide", but remain bewilderingly unchanged decades on. Even a cover of "Crash Into You" receives little interpretation from the Dave Matthews Band original. Only for diehard fans.

[michelej1]

Daily O' Collegian (Oklahoma State University)

http://ocolly.com/2009/04/14/the-sou...ve-in-chicago/

By Valerie Hill
The Current Writer
Published: April 14, 2009

Hearing Stevie Nicks’s voice live once again makes it seem like the past 20 years have barely blown by.

With her latest releases, “The Soundstage Sessions” and “Live in Chicago,” Nicks gives her fans not only a CD but also a DVD of her performing classics and covers.

She breezes through Fleetwood Mac material, solo work and her own renditions of songs by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Led Zeppelin.

Nicks does her signature twirl around the stage and regales the audience with heart-touching and sometimes comical stories in between songs.

Nicks shows that musical talent and the ability to rock through an impressive, decade-spanning catalog of work does not lessen with age.

Like her songs, she is effortlessly relaxed and consistently enjoyable.

The condensed CD is perfect for carefree car rides after the last glimmer of dusk has finally disappeared behind the edge of the earth.

Final Say: 9.5 out of 10

Nicks still has what it takes to put on a killer live show, and her catalogue easily withstands the test of time.

[RockALittle250]

This review appears on some sites that are selling the album, like CD Universe and J&R music:

Rock's original gold dust woman capped a return to the road in the '00s with this stunningly on-point live collection--her first. With tracks taken from a live set in Chicago in October 2007 and later bolstered by overdubs from a Nashville session (essentially studio strings and backing vocals), THE SOUNDSTAGE SESSIONS matches the energy of a hot live set with pristine studio touches. Nicks concentrates mostly on her solo material (there are only two Fleetwood Mac era songs here--none from RUMOURS) and sounds in fantastic voice (still husky and heavily vibratoed) as she digs into synthesizer rockers like "Stand Back" and "If Anyone Falls In Love." Other standouts include "Sorcerer" from TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA, "Circle Dance" a duet with Vanessa Carlton, and an orchestrally framed--and quite moving--version of her classic song "Landslide," alone worth the collection's sticker price.

[michelej1]

Kilburn Times (UK)

http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/conten...A52%3A30%3A827

by Tim Cole, April 15, 2009

Stevie Nicks latest release is remarkable for one particular track.

How many times have Fleetwood Mac put out an album including the beautifully crafted song Landslide? How many ways can it be recorded?

It was originally penned by Nicks for the bands eponymous album, the first on which she and then partner Lindsay Buckingham appeared, back in 1975.

After the personal ructions of Rumours and the studio trials of Tusk, when the band recorded their next album, Fleetwood Mac Live, on their 1980 world tour, there was a version which carried little of the weight and charm of the original.

The haunting feel of the studio version had not been translated to the stage.

As the band moved on through its many incarnations from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, without the presence of Buckingham, the track was a live staple.

But it was with the reunion of the Fleetwood/McVie/McVie/ Buckingham/Nicks line-up in 1997 for the intimate live album The Dance that the song found new life.

With an emotional performance of the song followed by the words 'Thank you Lindsay,' and 'Thank you Stevie' all the rifts in the act's most successful line-up seemed to have been publicly healed.

For their 2004 tour the feeling was even stronger and the presence of the track on the Live in Boston DVD and CD is a true highlight.

Now the band are touring stateside and performing the track again.

But just when you thought it couldn't get any better... out comes Nicks' new album, The Soundstage Sessions, with a remarkable studio recording.

The difference in the vocal are clear and the tone of the guitar is miles away from Buckingham's original or his recent live performances.

But the genius lies in Nicks' decision to bring an orchestra in half way through the song - and have the guitar break played by a violin. Very brave and very clever.

There is much more to enjoy on the album including excellent new versions of Stand Back and Sara, the Bonnie Raitt track Circle Dance and Dave Matthews' Crash Into Me.

The accompanying DVD also contains a reworking of Rhiannon, the other best-loved track from the Fleetwood Mac album, and her other signature tunes, Dreams and Gold Dust Woman.

But this is a disc that is genuinely worth buying for one song - a track that tells the story of Nicks' life and times in Fleetwood Mac.

The Soundstage Sessions album and Live In Chicago DVD are out now on Reprise Records.

[michelej1]

Edge, New England, April 14, 2009

http://www.edgenewengland.com/index....3=dvd&id=89198


Both as a solo artist and as a member of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks has earned her reputation as a legendary rock and roll diva. Now, the gold dust woman secures that legacy with Stevie Nicks: Live in Chicago.

"This is the first time since 1985 that I have had one of my live shows filmed and recorded," said Nicks, noting that she spent three years perfecting the show since it opened in Las Vegas in October 2007.

Nick’s first solo project was the 1981 multi-platinum hit, "Bella Donna." In the nearly 30 years since, she has churned out hit after hit, the best of which she performs on this DVD.

She opens strong with, "Stand Back," and moves on to a beautiful rendition of "Enchanted." Nicks has a natural rapport with the audience as she shares the stories behind her songs, from the off-the-cuff remark about love that inspired "If Anyone Falls in Love," to the dark time that evoked "Sorcerer."

The mood is haunting as Nicks, clad in a top hat and black shawl, launches into "Rhiannon." Should one question whether Nicks is truly the queen of rock, her passionate performance of "Gold Dust Woman," from the Fleetwood Mac breakout album Rumours, puts all doubts to rest. Her voice soars on "Sara" and "Landslide," sung in memory of her father. Calling it, "the meanest song I’ve ever written," she tears into "Fall From Grace." Nicks even dons the rouched lace to rock "Edge of Seventeen."

She also tackles several covers, including the Dave Matthews hit, "Crash Into Me," Tom Petty’s, "I Need to Know," and a no-holds-barred finale of Led Zeppelin’s, "Rock and Roll." Nicks brings Vanessa Carlton onstage for her song, "The One," and later, Bonnie Raitt’s "The Circle Dance."

Nicks’ battle with drug addiction may be in the past, but her high drama still has the ability to transport one back to the hedonistic days of rock and roll. "Stevie Nicks: Live in Chicago" is a flawless presentation of treasured classics.

[michelej1]

St. Petersburg Times, Tampabay.com, April 19, 2009

http://www.tampabay.com/features/mus...icle992336.ece

Stevie Nicks

Album: The Soundstage Sessions (Reprise)

In stores: Now

Why we care: Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen: Even when they were young, their voices sounded shot — great, but weary and kaput. The rare lady in that craggy company is Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks, the mystic Fleetwood Mac twirler who had a sweet solo career, too. On her first live album, the 60-year-old puts new spin on old gems plus adds a swell cover of Dave Matthews' Crash Into Me. And yes, she still sounds beautifully broken.

Why we like it: She keeps Stand Back as a cheezy disco-synth dancer, but gives Landslide Nashville strings and wisened gravitas.

Reminds us of: Although I've seen AC/DC live, Nicks remains my all-time loudest concert.

Download these: Crash Into Me and Sara

Grade: B

[RockALittle250]

Here is the iTunes review:

Drawn from a 2007 PBS TV performance, "The Soundstage Sessions" finds Stevie Nicks reconsidering her song catalog with reflective, insightful spirit. Arena rock overkill and diva dramatics are largely absent; these tines are handled with affections and subtlety, revealing fresh colors. Nicks' husky vocals are as seductive as ever, especially when applied to mystically tingled material like "Sorcerer" and "Circle Dance". Tender versions of "Landslide" and "Beauty and the Beast" achieve a poignant blend of fragility and resolve; the rockers - especially "Fall From Grace" - are muscular without being overbearing. Nicks glides effortlessly above the synthesizer-driven "Stand Back" and "If Anyone Falls In Love", wraps herself in the sultry airs for the pulsating "How Still My Love", and infuses Dave Matthews' "Crash Into Me" with her own special brand of conflicted desire. Rather than simply running through her obvious hits, Nicks chooses songs for their flow and substance on this outstanding set.

[mylittledemon]

I finally picked up the DVD at Real Groovy here in Wellington. Watched it tonight, and it was fairly enjoyable. I thought she was sexier than ever on "How Still My Love"...especially at the end.

[michelej1]

Houston's OutSmart Magazine, May 2009

http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/cms-...ut+Shorts.html

Stevie Nicks
The Soundstage Sessions

The years can't diminish the former Fleetwood Mac frontdiva's talent, as she proves with this collection of her finest hits. Recorded in 2007 at Chicago, with an accompanying DVD, this CD marks Nicks' first solo live outing. The lush version of “Landslide” is absolutely transporting. Reprise Records (warnerbrothersrecords.com).

[michelej1]

The Ottawa Express: http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/spi...iIDDisque=5351

April 23rd, 2009
Stevie Nicks - (Reprise/Warner)

The Soundstage Sessions
Bugs Burnett

Fleetwood Mac high priestess Stevie Nicks always brought a folk and country sensibility to her rock'n'roll, and this 10-track selection of some of her best and biggest, recorded live in Chicago for her 2007 PBS Soundstage performance, includes Sara, Landslide, Rhiannon and a speedy hard-rocking version of Stand Back. Her vocals are quite good - Stevie still hits all the high notes - especially on the sweeping ballad Beauty and the Beast, complete with string section.

[Dreams22]

Hey every0ne....was at my brother's house on Sunday and he saved me the "Entertainment" section of the paper from the week before. I looked through and under album reviews is "The Soundstage Sessions"!

Music Reviews
By Steve Daly
St. Petersberg Times

"The Soundstage Sessions" (Reprise) Stevie Nicks

WHY WE CARE: Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen: Even when they were young, their voices sounded great, but weary & kaput. The rare lady in that craggy company is Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks, the mystic Fleetwood Mac twirler who had a sweet solo career, too. On her first live album, the 60-year-old puts new spin on old gems plus adds a swell cover of Dave Matthews' "Crash Into Me."

WHY WE LIKE IT: She keeps "Stand Back" as a cheezy disco-synth dancer, but gives "Landslide Nashville" strings and gravitas.

GRADE: B

[michelej1]

Arkansas Democrat & Gazette, May 17, 2009

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/259889/

PHILIP MARTIN Stevie Nicks The Soundstage Sessions Reprise BHow to categorize Stevie Nicks? Back in the day, she (with and without Fleetwood Mac) was a fanciful rock star. Now her music dwells in the realm of nostalgia and easy listening.

The 10 songs here (mostly her classics recorded for the Live in Chicago DVD) are lush orchestral stuff - danceable and soft on the ears, but ultimately uninteresting. She revisits hits such as "Stand Back," "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" with mostly predictable results, although "Stand Back" sounds best when Nicks stands back and lets guitarist Carlos Rios into the spotlight.

[RockALittle250]

STEVIE NICKS THE SOUNDSTAGE SESSIONS
If you are looking for new Stevie Nicks on this new Stevie Nicks CD, you won't exactly find it. And if you are looking for live music on this live Stevie Nicks CD, you won't exactly find that either. But then again, you'll find both. What????
"The Soundstage Sessions" CD is comprised of ten songs that were lifted from the LIVE IN CHICAGO DVD (released simultaneously). However, on the CD, the songs were worked over in Nashville and all semblance of live performance has vanished...no applause, no audience noise, no "THANK YOU CHICAGO"s, no flaws. It's disconcerting at first if you don't know this. I kept thinking why would Stevie go into the studio to re-record these songs. Now we all know. Stevie said that she wanted everything on this to sound perfect and it pretty much does.
Stevie co-mingles songs from her Fleetwood Mac repertoire as well as her solo ventures. "Stand Back" is here as is "If Anyone Falls" representing her work outside of the band. , And I was delighted to be reminded about "Sorcerer", a song co-produced by Sheryl Crow from the 2001 LP TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA. It's a great folky haunting taunt that should've had more lasting power. The lovely "Sara" is included (and is also in the set list on the current Fleetwood Mac tour). An orchestral version of "Landslide" is also found on this "live" set. Speaking of "live", she performed the Dave Matthews song "Crash" on her last solo tour and it shows up here too. She's been wanting to record this song for the last ten years and now she finally has.
She still looks fairy tale princess beautiful....all gossamer and lace and shawls and plumage. The hair still cascades in a blinding blonding.She still commands the big girl boots. The pictures included in the package all reflect her ethereal timelessness. And in her liner notes, she gives thanks to her long time best friend Waddy Wachtel who is her musical director and guitarist for many years now.
For the Stevie Nicks collector and fan who MUST HAVE EVERYTHING, you will need to get this as it's just different enough from her studio efforts and just different enough from her live efforts too.

http://www.wmgk.com/DJs/DebbiCalton/...-SESSIONS.aspx

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by RockALittle250

STEVIE NICKS THE SOUNDSTAGE SESSIONS
If you are looking for new Stevie Nicks on this new Stevie Nicks CD, you won't exactly find it. And if you are looking for live music on this live Stevie Nicks CD, you won't exactly find that either. But then again, you'll find both. What????
"The Soundstage Sessions" CD is comprised of ten songs that were lifted from the LIVE IN CHICAGO DVD (released simultaneously). However, on the CD, the songs were worked over in Nashville and all semblance of live performance has vanished...no applause, no audience noise, no "THANK YOU CHICAGO"s, no flaws. It's disconcerting at first if you don't know this. I kept thinking why would Stevie go into the studio to re-record these songs. Now we all know. Stevie said that she wanted everything on this to sound perfect and it pretty much does.
Stevie co-mingles songs from her Fleetwood Mac repertoire as well as her solo ventures. "Stand Back" is here as is "If Anyone Falls" representing her work outside of the band. , And I was delighted to be reminded about "Sorcerer", a song co-produced by Sheryl Crow from the 2001 LP TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA. It's a great folky haunting taunt that should've had more lasting power. The lovely "Sara" is included (and is also in the set list on the current Fleetwood Mac tour). An orchestral version of "Landslide" is also found on this "live" set. Speaking of "live", she performed the Dave Matthews song "Crash" on her last solo tour and it shows up here too. She's been wanting to record this song for the last ten years and now she finally has.
She still looks fairy tale princess beautiful....all gossamer and lace and shawls and plumage. The hair still cascades in a blinding blonding.She still commands the big girl boots. The pictures included in the package all reflect her ethereal timelessness. And in her liner notes, she gives thanks to her long time best friend Waddy Wachtel who is her musical director and guitarist for many years now.
For the Stevie Nicks collector and fan who MUST HAVE EVERYTHING, you will need to get this as it's just different enough from her studio efforts and just different enough from her live efforts too.

http://www.wmgk.com/DJs/DebbiCalton/...-SESSIONS.aspx

I really like this review. thanks for sharing.