1980 LIVE album

[PenguinHead]

Ever since The Dance album emerged, their LIVE album seems (to me) to be fading inexplicably from history. I rarely see it mentioned or even listed in recent discographies.

It's such a great album for so many reasons:

The Buckingham Nicks track- Don't Let Me Down Again
The Peter Green track -Oh Well
The new songs- Fireflies, One More Night, Farmer's Daughter
The Tusk Songs -Over and Over Sara, Not That Funny

While there was some studio over-dubbing here and there, it is essentially the five of them alone - no other drummers, singers, guitarists, keyboard players etc..

It's a very different band compared to their current touring band.
I enjoyed hearing their more stripped down live versions - it was interesting to see how the song changed as they they took it from the studio into a live setting.

With the addition of the support band, they sound more like the records, I guess. I still enjoy seeing the band grow and change. I'd like to hear your comments on the LIVE album.

My only gripe is that they could have selected more inspired performances for songs like Say You Love Me and Don't Stop.

[BlueGrass]

I agree, those songs you listed are my highlights. I think the guitar solos on Go Your Own Way are incredible, they sound like atomic bombs going off. I'm So Afraid is also another good one.

[darklinensuit]

The ones you mentioned are great. My college roommates loved Landslide when I would play this album, though it's so different from the other versions.
I'll add that I LOVE this version of Rhiannon.

- Jake

[sparky]

I love this album. The Sara is so smooth and hypnotic. And the Rhiannon - awe inspiring. I still play this version to friends who think Stevie is somehow insubstantial and wimpy. It's made many a convert. Spine chilling performance.

[desertangel]

Okay, gotta go dig out my "Live" CD and throw it in the changer. I gotta yen now. It's the best recorded version of Rhiannon that I own... and Landslide, makes me cringe... poor Stevie... sounds like she's losing her voice. Something about the "rawer" live Mac is so great, isn't it? :nod:

~Laura

[joe]

i must agree....i like the five of them together live only.....the newer live version is good but there's more support than the actual musicians...plus, it makes it difficult to pick the original members out of the mix-especially the vocals...rhiannon is killer on this album....it's one of the best live versions i've ever heard....it was recorded early in the rumours tour right before stevie's voice forever changed and she stopped doing the high parts....if you listen to bootlegs of this era you can hear similar performances....the thing i don't like about the version of sara is that they took the st.louis original vocal off and she overdubbed a new vocal which is the worst vocal i've ever heard on this song....i don't get it....sorry, that's just my opinion....she sounds very hoarse to me....i do like the landslide though...there's something very emotional there due to the quality of her voice. All of Lindsey's tracks rock totally...

The only thing missing is The Chain and Sisters of the Moon....ooh, and i'm sure they could've thrown in a Rumours tour version of Gold Dust Woman when Stevie did the opera thing at the end.

[dissention]

I love the live album. Rhiannon is awe-inspiring. It's the best version out there; released or bootleg. It blows Rosebud out of the water.

And the Farmers Daughter...oh my. So lush and hypnotic. Beautiful.

[cliffdweller]

Stevie's version of "Landslide" on this album is very interesting. She sounds worn out! "...but the woman is so tired".... yeah, she sounds in dire need of some rest. I like this version though, I think because it sounds so road weary and raw. "Rhiannon" kicks ass too, it's probably my favorite version ever.

[David]

Originally posted by joe
i must agree....i like the five of them together live only.....the newer live version is good but there's more support than the actual musicians. Another agreement here. On this new tour (& on the last reunion tour) there are too damn many people onstage playing & singing. Thank God the Stones never did that. The Stones always sound like the Stones when they gig: spare, raw, intense. In short, live.

I dislike the idea that Fleetwood Mac -- once one of the greatest & most instrumentally inventive live bands -- nowadays sounds like a floor show at the Vegas Hilton.

[seteca]

Originally posted by BlueGrass
I agree, those songs you listed are my highlights. I think the guitar solos on Go Your Own Way are incredible, they sound like atomic bombs going off. I'm So Afraid is also another good one.

lol..! That's a good way of describing them!!:nod:

Those slides he does at the start of the chorus of I'm So Afraid (just before he sings "Days when the rain...etc")...also sound like an A-bomb going off!

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[joe]

Originally posted by David
Another agreement here. On this new tour (& on the last reunion tour) there are too damn many people onstage playing & singing. Thank God the Stones never did that. The Stones always sound like the Stones when they gig: spare, raw, intense. In short, live.

I dislike the idea that Fleetwood Mac -- once one of the greatest & most instrumentally inventive live bands -- nowadays sounds like a floor show at the Vegas Hilton.

i know...however, i still paid to see them....i'd just like to know if they have all these people because, as Lindsey says, they just feel that their live presentations seem empty without the extra accompaniment or is it that THEY feel that they're not as good and they need extra people to make up for it....i don't think the latter makes sense cause you know they're still damned good musicians....you know, the best part of the new tour is that middle part with "What's the World Coming To" and "Beautiful Child" etc cause i think it's just the 4 of them....maybe Brett on the piano on the latter song....but that's it.

[gypsysara]

I agree, I love the Live album because it sounds so au natural.

Do you have "Dancing Alone"? Its The Dance stuff minus the back up, just the five of them. Reminds me of Live in a way - unique and raw.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally posted by joe


The only thing missing is The Chain and Sisters of the Moon....ooh, and i'm sure they could've thrown in a Rumours tour version of Gold Dust Woman when Stevie did the opera thing at the end.

Joe: what opera thing are you talking about? I'd like to get my hands on a copy of one?

J

[joe]

Originally posted by JazmenFlowers
Joe: what opera thing are you talking about? I'd like to get my hands on a copy of one?

J

well....during the earlier live versions of the song at the ending, Stevie hit these incredibly high notes (almost in the vain of Mariah Carey)....anyway, it was almost as if she got stuck there and couldn't get out!!! you gotta hear it to believe it!!!

If you give me your email address or pm me i could try sending it to you. I think i have a clip from Philadelphia 3-77 where she does it.

[WednesdaysChild]

Originally posted by gypsysara
I agree, I love the Live album because it sounds so au natural.

Do you have "Dancing Alone"? Its The Dance stuff minus the back up, just the five of them. Reminds me of Live in a way - unique and raw.

What is this Dancing Alone? And where did you get it?

[gypsysara]

I traded it in with another Stevie/FM CD trader. From what I can tell it was some kind of MTV thing (unplugged??) but not all tapelists Ive seen reference the MTV thing. Its a SBD sourced tape with just the five of them called "Dancing Alone", much like the bootlegged "Dancing Again".

[macfan 57]

I have this bootleg CD. It sounds like it is from the Dance CD with just the 5 of them & mostly the drums & bass. There is some of the guitar work left in, but unfortunately the keyboards are gone. You can hear the vocals of Christine, Stevie & Lindsey perfectly, though. I would recommend this CD for that alone.

[TwoTricky]

I love listening to this CD...it's one of those you can play without skipping a song....It really captures that era of Fleetwood Mac well...Listen to it and you are literally thrown back in time and you can almost see Stevie whirling around in her chiffon!!

Stevie's songs are strong here, even though her voice fades in and out, it gives it a kind of 'reflective' tone, which is what the song is about and it makes it more special....Plus this CD gave us "Fireflies" which I absolutely love.....it's Stevie's beautiful tribute to Fleetwood Mac.

Obviously, Rhiannon is a favorite....I love to hear any version where Stevie 'tears it up'!! And she and Lindsey are great together on the BN song "Don't Let Me Down Again."

It captures Lindsey at his finest...He truly is a 'live performer'...the studio only captures a hint of what Lindsey is about...He really was made for the stage!!

I love Christine's "Farmer's Daughter"...the harmonies are beautiful...with all due respect however, there really is no difference between 'studio' Christine and 'live' Christine....Stevie and Lindsey seem to 'come alive' on stage...Christine doesn't...at least not that I have seen...Can you picture her 'headbanging' a the keyboard or something?? Dancing or doing 'high kicks' (J/K)...She's a class act, just a little bit more 'subdued' than Stevie and Lindsey.

[David]

Originally posted by TwoTricky
with all due respect however, there really is no difference between 'studio' Christine and 'live' Christine....Stevie and Lindsey seem to 'come alive' on stage...Christine doesn't...at least not that I have seen...Can you picture her 'headbanging' a the keyboard or something?? Dancing or doing 'high kicks' (J/K)...She's a class act, just a little bit more 'subdued' than Stevie and Lindsey. Her keyboard playing is actually quite a bit different onstage, typically. She loosens up, doesn't keep so firmly planted within the confines of the rhythm pattern, gets bluesier. Fans always give short shrift to Chris as a keyboardist, oddly enough. What little appreciation I've ever heard for her playing has generally come from either critics or non-fans.

Also, that "Dancing Alone" thing was just a fiddle-and-diddle job with the various channels of the 5.1 DVD. It was NOT taken from some vault or some alleged soundboard. It's cool, though, because with some of the channels turned down or off, you can hear some of the weird vocal harmonies & instrumental flubs.

As for the "Live" album, I love it!

[The Tower]

Originally posted by cliffdweller
Stevie's version of "Landslide" on this album is very interesting. She sounds worn out! "...but the woman is so tired".... yeah, she sounds in dire need of some rest. I like this version though, I think because it sounds so road weary and raw.

This version is heartbreaking!!!. Remember, for whatever reason, Stevie couldn't hit those low E-flat's during this era- so they upped the key into "G". She would never do it the same again....

"I'm still.... afraid of... changing....
Because I.... I built my life....... around you....... "


PRICELESSS!!!!

[joe]

Originally posted by The Tower
This version is heartbreaking!!!. Remember, for whatever reason, Stevie couldn't hit those low E-flat's during this era- so they upped the key into "G". She would never do it the same again....

"I'm still.... afraid of... changing....
Because I.... I built my life....... around you....... "


PRICELESSS!!!!

it's so funny cause she goes from soft to loud so many times in that song....don't turn up the volume cause she'll come blaring out of nowhere:

ohhhh...take this love....take it down...climb a mountain and then you TURN AROUND!!!