Straight Back....

[EricBliss12345]

Holy ****.

The sheer amazingness of this song didn't really hit me until a couple days ago.

How could I have ever said this song sounded "lazy, like they didn't care what it sounded like?" I'm such a stupid moron! :mad:

The vocals here are some of the best I've ever heard. I get crushed under the sheer weight of that chorus every time it hits me.

For being such a relatively subdued song it sure is godawfully powerful. How did they do that?

Anyways, this song just totally kicks and makes me realize that I would still be very happy with Mirage if I had payed full price for it and not found it used. God, even Oh Diane grew on me.

:eek:

Haha.

[goldustboi]

I used to despise straight back, it always seemed like a crappy attempt at another SOTM. I dont dislike it as much now but it still aint one of me favourites.:cool:

[strandinthewind]

I have always loved this song. I think it is just an amazing take on how Stevie composes a song, etc. Also, the harmonies by CM are just amazing!!!!!

[joe]

are you kidding me? this song is fantastic!!! it's the product of "sisters of moon" meets "outside the rain" in my opinion....anyway, Lindseys harp is really cool in this.

[Jason T.]

That is the only song I listened to when I first purchased "Mirage" last summer. I understand the amazingness of it. The lyrics and the harmonies by Christine just make the song awesome in all its creativity. :)

[dontlookdown]

the Chris harmonies are gorgeous...
it makes me wonder how much better illume would have been had she sung on it.

i think illume is one of the strongest tracks on Say You Will

along with Thrown Down, Miranda, Murrow, Red Rover....

[The Tower]

"Fingers find the ivory.......
Keys and a song....
Begins to begin, like a wolf on the run....."

"And you will find in the wind... something that you lost!!
The dream was never over, no...
The dream was only... lost!!!!!"


This is one Stevie's most overlooked songs. It IS derivative of her other earlier material, but that is what make so mystical and charming.

Great song- highly underrated....

[EricBliss12345]

Aren't every songwriters songs derivative of their older material somewhat? Nobody ever said "Golden Years" was derivative for being in the same vein as "Young Americans." And AC/DC don't really get too much slack for having an entire catalog of songs that sound pretty similar to all the other ones. I don't think "Straight Back" sounds anything like "SOTM" besides the fact that they're both in the key of A.

:laugh:

To be honest I think "Gypsy" was a major attempt at another "Dreams." The feel of each song is extremely similar, and have identical drum beats and the exact same kind of bassline, although with different notes (Doom, duh-doom, Dooom, duh doom etc.) That doesn't make the song any less enjoyable though.

To be honest I think the studio vocals of "Straight Back" are way more explosive than on "SOTM." Even though that's a great song she doesn't really cut loose like she does on "Straight Back." In the studio version of "SOTM" I always find myself wishing that the vocals were a little more wild and projected more.

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by EricBliss12345
To be honest I think the studio vocals of "Straight Back" are way more explosive than on "SOTM." Even though that's a great song she doesn't really cut loose like she does on "Straight Back." In the studio version of "SOTM" I always find myself wishing that the vocals were a little more wild and projected more.

I do not hate, but really do not care for the studio version of SOTM. :eek: I think the vocal is very weak and they cut great lyrics. I think this is a song that to me is an example of LB and perhaps La Nicks and trest of FM tinkering way too much with a great and haunting paino demo. The whole song just never "takes off" for me on the record. Now live - well that is a whole other story; she took it to a height not realized on the anemic sounding vocal on the album cut. See Tusk Documentary and Mirage live concert VHS.

Conversely, compare the soaring vocals on all of the Mirage tracks for Stevie. They just shine loke a super nova to me, esp. in Straight Back, when comapred to the vocal on SOTM and, to me, Angel, which I also like but do not love.

:cool:

[TwoTricky]

I absolutely LOVE this song!!!


I too, think that Stevie's vocals are very powerful on this song...I love the 'Hours and hours of waiting for you..." and the rest of the chorus of this song....hearing Stevie's vocals 'meshing' together and Chris' added harmonies.

It's such a mystical song......and I agree....HIGHLY underrated...although I do wish that they didn't 'fade' her voice out too much....it'd be a blast to hear her 'belt it out'.

[iamstevienicks]

Underrrated and overlooked definitely!!

Fantastic song

[goldustboi]

u are all wrong, wrong i tell u!!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[ryan8472]

Straight Back is one of my favorite songs on Mirage. I think that while Gypsy is a good song, it overshadows songs like Straight Back and even That's Alright, which in my opinion are better.

[chiliD]

I've always disliked this one. I think the CD is a different version than the vinyl because I didn't quite dislike it as much when I got the CD. Still a subpar tune (IMO). This should've been on a solo album (Bella Donna?) along with "That's Alright", too. "Gypsy" is the only Stevie tune on Mirage that I thought was even passable.

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by trackaghost
Does anyone prefer the vinyl version of Straight Back?

I have no way of listening to the vinyl version. But the version on my cassette (purchased in about 1983) sounds the same as the CD version. What is the difference?

[Cristian]

I think this is a fantastic song. I love the rock/keyboards combination, and I do believe that the very rare Christine/Stevie duet should have gotten more opportunities to shine in more FM songs, because they sound terrific together. Also good lyrics. I think Stevie did no wrong in Mirage. Three great songs.



Song of the moment - Songbird

[David R]

I have the vinyl of "Mirage" but I don't have a record player... haha...

I love this song, it is my favorite Stevie song on "Mirage"... The vocals on this song are done really well by Stevie and I love how the intensity increases at the end... Great Song..

[cliffdweller]

Originally posted by dontlookdown
the Chris harmonies are gorgeous...
it makes me wonder how much better illume would have been had she sung on it.

i think illume is one of the strongest tracks on Say You Will

Finally! Amen to that.

[HejiraNYC]

I bought "Mirage" on vinyl and wore out the grooves on "Straight Back" so I picked up the CD in Germany a few years ago because I was homesick and wanted to listen to it badly for some reason. The CD version of "Straight Back" totally shocked me- I was not expecting those extra vocals and the extra guitar solo at the end. Personally I think it's a really lame guitar part, and it definitely does not sound like something Lindsey would do. I suspect that's Ray Lindsey's noodling because Ray is given "additional guitar" credit on the song.

I have loved this song since the first time I heard it. It has such a haunting, ethereal quality... and such a passionate vocal. And the production is lushly textured... it's ear candy!

[EveryHour]

Originally posted by strandinthewind
I have always loved this song. I think it is just an amazing take on how Stevie composes a song, etc. Also, the harmonies by CM are just amazing!!!!!

Amen to all of this! One of my absolute all-time faves!!!

[greatdarkwing]

Has anyone else noticed how Stevie's songs on Mirage and Rumours are quite the same?

Dreams-----Gypsy---a little mystical, strong singles, very much alike.

That's Alright-----I Dont Wanna Know---A little bit o country

Gold Dust Woman----Straight Back--Dark, mysterious, hard-rockers

Did anyone else ever notice that? Or am I officially insane?

~Alex

[gldstwmn]

if you want to hear an incredible performance of Straight Back listen to the Mirage rehearsal version. It's my favorite.