What you don't like of Lindsey music.

[Villavic]

Tough question, maybe. But sometimes is insteristing to criticize what we don't like about our idols.

I fell some Lindsey songs are... monotonous

[David]

Originally posted by Villavic
Tough question, maybe. But sometimes is insteristing to criticize what we don't like about our idols. Apart from the impractical habit I have of zeroing in on specific instruments & tracking their tonal movement, I don't really enjoy listening to "Wrong," "Loving Cup," "This Is the Time," "Doing What I Can," "Turn It On," "Time Bomb Town," "Ricky," "Lola," "Come" & "Murrow."

I'm getting sick of a lot of things live, too, like "Second Hand News," "Eyes of the World," "Go Your Own Way" & "The Chain."

I still find the entire "Law & Order" album fascinating & fresh, as well as Lindsey's contributions to the "Buckingham Nicks" & "Fleetwood Mac" albums.

[sodascouts]

I think OOTC is sheer perfection, but I find Law and Order very mediocre. Nothing stands out to me on that album. It's not wretched, but I haven't listened to it straight through in years.

Go Insane has moments of brilliance and moments of inanity. I know I will probably be chastised for my close-mindedness when I say that I was completely unimpressed with the oh-so-avant-gard "Play in the Rain." Frankly, I found it completely lame. "I Must Go" isn't so much inane as it is grating to hear the same three sing-songy words ad nauseum.

On the other hand, "Loving Cup" totally rocks, "Slow Dancing" is fun, and "Go Insane" has evolved into a masterpiece (although its original version has become dated, like much of the album). Depsite the fact it's uneven, I like the Go Insane album better than Law and Order.

With BN and FM, I can say without exception I liked EVERYTHING he did - up until 1979. Then his work with them became uneven (as I've already said his solo work did). "That's Enough for Me" is one of my top 20 FM songs, but I can't even listen to "The Ledge." Mirage and Tango are the same way.

Then, the Dance, and SYW. He's back on top. I love his current work, with the exception of Murrow, which I think is a bit much. "Red Rover" and "Steal Your Heart Away" are in my top 10 FM Lindsey songs.

I don't love everything Lindsey's done, because sometimes I think he tries too hard - sometimes I've wondered if some choices he makes are based on what would be most "different" rather than what would be the most aesthetically enjoyable to the listener. Why? To prove something to others, to himself. But hey, he can do whatever he wants. I happen to like his more natural work.

JMHO!


Originally posted by David
Apart from the impractical habit I have of zeroing in on specific instruments & tracking their tonal movement, I don't really enjoy listening to [...] "Ricky,"

Did Lindsey write "Ricky"? Or was it a joint effort with Christine?

[BlueGrass]

I don't like how Go Insane sounds so 80s new Wave with the bouncy synths and fake drums. Listening to it now all I think about is the 80s, and how cheesy the instrumentals sound.

[AliP]

I don't like how it sometimes appears that he is still stuck in the 80s. I hate those weird background echoing voices he loves to still use. I think you can hear a little bit of it in EFO. Also don't like "Smile at You" how he thought having Stevie going "ahh, ahh, ahhhhh, etc" during the chorus was a good idea. yuk. I have to admit, I don't like any of his songs on Mirage except "Eyes" and I don't even listen to his songs on Tango. I know that is horrible. I guess I can tell that with Mirage he didn't feel like putting his all into it and with Tango, well we all know what the story is there.

I have to say that I do like Law and Order though. I have been listening to it alot lately. I absolutely love "Love From There, Love From There." I love Go Insane, especially "Bang the Drum" and "D.W Suite," not so much for their musical production but for the lyrics. I find "D.W. Suite" pretty inspirational and the lyrics in "Bang the Drum" somewhat sad, but definitely heartfelt especially the "one thing baby I think you should know" line.

I also agree with Nancy that he may try too hard. He seems to want to please himself more than anyone else. For instance, NGBA again is my absolute favorite song of his, but he seems to brush it off for its simplicity.

I also get a little annoyed how he is constantly talking about spontaneity but is almost the least spontaneous person I've ever seen. He repeats himself all the time by saying the same things, using the same lyrics, and almost the same production styles. In every Mirage concert I have he says the same thing he says in the Mirage video....how everyone thought they were breaking up etc. This hasn't changed much as he says the same things in every SYW concert as well.

[PenguinHead]

I have always found some of Lindsey's lyrics to be somewhat redundant. However, lyrically, I think he has shown a lot of growth in recent years.

I don't like his production technique of lately, where the harmonies of a chorus (in some songs) are blended into one generic mush...sometimes to the point where it doesn't sound like individual adults but more like the Lollipop Guild from the Wizard of Oz.

[Gazza]

The only thing I don't like with Lindsey is when he overproduces Stevies songs, which I think he did sometimes with the last album (Smile At You being the obvious example).

Other than that, from Steal your Heart Away to Come and Murrow, and Red Rover, I like just about everything of his on Say You Will (and the leftovers), and absolutely love Out Of The Cradle - which out of all of the albums he's been involved in creating, I would only put behind Rumours.

It's hard to critisize a guy who writes in so many styles and get's away with it, thanks to his obvious madness. I mean, tonight at Earls Court... The same guy who did Oh Diane had people waving the rock n roll hand symbol as he beat the living crap out his guitar on Come. Just as a performer, he's got to be one of the most underrated stars ever.

[Gazza]

Yeah sorry... His lyrics are sometimes a bit, well, crap. And I agree about him repeating the same lines every concert. That could definitely grate... But other than that... Not much else.

[Cammie]

:wavey: Well, gosh...let's see...now ;)
just like all bands their vocals and
speeches are repeated each concert!
Some songs grab at your heart...
some are so-so...some are FUN!!
Most of LB's are just great tunes!

We like Law and Order and think
TROUBLE is great both lyrically and
musically! Go Insane is a tad overly
dramatic like Stevie's songs about
romantic stuff! OOTC is just Superb!
LB's life was in a good place!!!Sky:)


ps...If YOU have ever performed you
know how easy you can say the wrong
thing when your on stage, a standard
speech saves you from that!!! Stevie
has a card taped to the floor so she
remembers which town they are in!;)

[xdreamsunwindx]

I'm sorry to say this, but I *hate* Law and Order. Save songs like Mary Lee Jones and Trouble. But other than those, blech. However, I LOVE both Go Insane and Out of the Cradle. I think that that is some of his best work.

Hmm... More Lindsey peves? Can't think of many...

I'm not that crazy of how he can over-produce some songs, Stevie's Gypsy, for example. I just think that that wasn't the feel she had wanted for the song, but that's just my opinion. But Gypsy is still a masterpiece :).

The only other things I can think of are a few of his songs, Bwana, the original Not That Funny, Red Rover and Empire State. But other than that, there's more to love about LB than there is to dislike.

Btw, I love his speeches. lol.

[CarneVaca]

It's hard to argue with Lindsey's musical and production instincts. Keeping SYW out of the discussion for a minute, I would say my least favorite songs of his are generally those that didn't make the records. For instance, Ricky and Down Endless Street are rather mediocre, though I believe Down Endless Street might have turned into something digestable if he had really finished it. Teen Beat is a good for a couple listens, but then you get sick of it. This could have been another Eyes of the World or Go Your Own Way if finished. Book of Miracles, which I believe is actually a Stevie song, is as boring as anything.

Two exceptions: Goodbye Angel is a tremendous song. And You and I, Part I should have made the record, rather than Part II. Part I is a far superior song. I am also not crazy about Time Bomb Town, Empire State and Doing What I Can. The latter is, I believe, an unfortunate inclusion in an otherwise flawless album.

The Ledge is one of my favorite songs on Tusk. It, Bwana and Holiday Road are perfect examples of what attracts me to Lindsey's music: Simply put, it's wacky. And he proves you don't always need a message to make a song good. In fact, most of the early rock 'n roll was about attitude and fun, not message.

Go Insane must be viewed in the context of the 80s and what Lindsey was trying to achieve. This is the album in which he proved that a kitchen spoon and a toy piano can be put to good use in creating a musical masterpiece. This really is his "Pet Sounds." Go Insane is Lindsey at his creative best. Here is the mad genius at work, proving something to the world. He did it. As much as Cradle is a better album in many respects, no other work of Lindsey's has the cohesion and completeness of concept that Go Insane does. Yes, its sound is dated. Give it a few more years and it will be "in" again.

As for SYW, I've already written at length about the lack of cohesion. Lindsey failed on a couple of Stevie tunes because of a production that is too reminiscent of the 80s sound. I suspect this is more at her behest than his ultimate idea for the songs. As for his contributions to SYW, they too lack some cohesion as a body of work, but individually they are some of his best. I still do not care for Come though.

Lastly, how can one say Gypsy is overproduced but call it a masterpiece?

Gypsy is a masterpiece indeed. Great lyrics, vocals and melody coupled with a beautiful arrangement and amazing guitar work.

[xdreamsunwindx]

Originally posted by CarneVaca

Lastly, how can one say Gypsy is overproduced but call it a masterpiece?

Gypsy is a masterpiece indeed. Great lyrics, vocals and melody coupled with a beautiful arrangement and amazing guitar work.

It is a masterpiece. I just don't care for the production, but it's still a great song when it all comes down to it. I meant to call it a classic, which it is. Gypsy was a bad example, anyway. Something like the original Go Insane would've been a better example. While it's still a good song, the sound is awfully dated.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
As for SYW, I've already written at length about the lack of cohesion. Lindsey failed on a couple of Stevie tunes because of a production that is too reminiscent of the 80s sound. I suspect this is more at her behest than his ultimate idea for the songs.I actually like the slight '80s sound to "Everybody Finds Out" and "Running Through The Garden."
"What's The World Coming To" and "Come" also have some of this, so I wouldn't disregard Lindsey's influence on the sound of any of these songs.
Either way, the marriage of some of the '80s production sensibilities with those of the new Millennium worked to very good effect on recent releases by No Doubt and Sugar Ray, and I think it works really well on 'Say You Will.'
I think it also provides a nice continuity between where they were when Stevie & Lindsey last recorded a studio album with Fleetwood Mac, and where they are today.

The big complaint I have about Lindsey's music is that, for me, a lot of times after the novelty of all the sonic wizardry wears off, there's little left in the song for me to enjoy.
All the bells and whistles and panning vocals are fun and interesting the first few times I listen, but then we get into my need for something more substantive, and the songs come up fairly empty. So I may like them a great deal and enjoy listening to them, but I don't love them.
'Go Insane' is a prime example of that.

It's like, "ok, we know you can make all kinds of neat sounds, but write a song that's going to move me, and then I'll really be impressed."

One can use the "movie-making" analogy there... in that a movie with a ton of special effects might look cool on the outset, but if it doesn't have a good story to tell, it's going to fall short.

Thankfully, he's well on his way to correcting that problem, finding a comfortable union between the ear-candy and damn-good lyrics.

Though unfortunately "Say Goodbye" and "Red Rover" are needlessly fussy in their arrangements and production, and that mars my enjoyment of them (Though Chrissy is right... the 'GoS' version of "Say Goodbye" is better).
I realize I'm in the minority there, but the acoustic "Big Love" was impressive because it was new and fresh, but then he did it with "Go Insane," and now the above mentioned songs, and I'm not so blown away anymore.

A simple approach, like "Never Going Back Again," would have been more welcome... but then, that's something you can chalk up to personal taste, as I realize a lot of people here love those songs just as they are, and a lot of people dislike them for the same reasons I mentioned.
It comes down to whatever appeals to the listener. :)

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
I actually like the slight '80s sound to "Everybody Finds Out" and "Running Through The Garden."
"What's The World Coming To" and "Come"

I am going to disagree here. What's the World Coming To is copped straight out of the Go Your Own Way and Monday Morning mold, down to the acoustic rhythm strum and the electric guitar licks. The power chords on Go Your Own Way and What's the World Coming To are played exactly the same way and in the same key. The only difference is the synthesized arpeggio in parts of the latter song. As for Come, well, it reminds me a lot more of what he did with This Is The Time than anything on Go Insane. I don't see an 80s connection to that song at all, except that his 90s sound (Cradle) was an evolution from things like Go Insane and Tango.

I'm really not familiar with No Doubt's or Sugar Ray's work, other than the songs that make me leap to change the dial should I ever find myself mistakingly listening to a commercial station while driving. ;) I will say this, though: Gwen Steffani has a fabulous voice and she should stop singing in that deliberate weird way of hers. Her guest vocal on one of Brian Setzer's albums is absolutely gorgeous. She can sing.

bthankfully, he's well on his way to correcting that problem, finding a comfortable union between the ear-candy and damn-good lyrics.

Problem? No, no, no, my friend. Your lack of appreciation for it does not a problem make. There is depth in those works; it just happens to be sonic depth. You seem to prefer lyrical content, which is fine. Hey, believe it or not, most of the other stuff I listen to is for lyrical content, though there is a handful of other artists that primarily interest me for the music first. I appreciate Lindsey for the whole package, including the wonderful work he has done on some of Stevie's best songs.


Though unfortunately "Say Goodbye" and "Red Rover" are needlessly fussy in their arrangements and production, and that mars my enjoyment of them (Though Chrissy is right... the 'GoS' version of "Say Goodbye" is better).
I realize I'm in the minority there, but the acoustic "Big Love" was impressive because it was new and fresh, but then he did it with "Go Insane," and now the above mentioned songs, and I'm not so blown away anymore.

Disagree on Red Rover. There's a lot going on there, and it ain't merely a retread of Big Love or Go Insane acoustic. No, no. We're talking our man taking that sound a few steps up. He truly is pushing the envelope, as he likes to say. On Say Goodbye, I agree with you. I had the same initial reaction to the song, but I've grown so used to it and I absolutely love the lyrical content and the emotion that he taps, therefore it is my favorite from the album. Besides, Red Rover and Say Goodbye in lyrical content at least rival anything Stevie contributed for SYW.

Also, keep in mind that Go Insane and Big Love acoustic happened pretty much simultaneously. Lindsey performed both those versions during his 1993 solo tour, and I was blown away.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
I am going to disagree here. What's the World Coming To is copped straight out of the Go Your Own Way and Monday Morning mold, down to the acoustic rhythm strum and the electric guitar licks. The power chords on Go Your Own Way and What's the World Coming To are played exactly the same way and in the same key. The only difference is the synthesized arpeggio in parts of the latter song. As for Come, well, it reminds me a lot more of what he did with This Is The Time than anything on Go Insane. I don't see an 80s connection to that song at all, except that his 90s sound (Cradle) was an evolution from things like Go Insane and Tango.I can't really analyze the similar power chords, etc., given that I'm not a musician... but I was commenting on the production style, in which I definitely hear some of the '80s sound.
I might have been unclear about "Come"... that one reminds me of "Tango In The Night" in both form and execution, and definitely has a retro edge to it, in my opinion. I wasn't meaning to draw any comparisons to 'Go Insane' there.
But again, these statements have to be qualified by the fact that I have no problems with those '80s touches... I thought they added yet another terrific texture to the album.

I completely agree that lyrically "Red Rover" and "Say Goodbye" are right up there. For just the lyrics alone, "Say Goodbye" could be one of my all-time favorite L.B. songs.
Which is probably why I was so disappointed with the execution. Beautiful lyrics totally lost in a production mess. Like you said, "there's a lot going on there"... but unfortunately, for me at least, there's too much going on.

Don't get me wrong, I most definitely appreciate what makes Lindsey unique in Fleetwood Mac, and in the world of music in general, it's just that I think a lot of times in the past he was too preoccupied with creating interesting sounds, and forgot to focus on the heart of the songs.
Not a condemnation, just a comment. :)

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
Also, keep in mind that Go Insane and Big Love acoustic happened pretty much simultaneously. Lindsey performed both those versions during his 1993 solo tour, and I was blown away. Oops forgot to comment on that... basically I just wanted to say that I heard the acoustic "Big Love" first, so I guess that's why I always tend to think of that one as coming first.

Also, I *think* I recall reading that Lindsey worked "Big Love" in that manner first, liked the result, then went back and took the same approach with "Go Insane"... but that's neither here or there, they both debuted in their acoustic form on the same tour, so you're right in saying they pretty much happened simultaneously. :)

[sodascouts]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
I think a lot of times in the past he was too preoccupied with creating interesting sounds, and forgot to focus on the heart of the songs.
Not a condemnation, just a comment. :)

A comment well-put. I agree. :)

[AliP]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
I
I completely agree that lyrically "Red Rover" and "Say Goodbye" are right up there. For just the lyrics alone, "Say Goodbye" could be one of my all-time favorite L.B. songs.
Which is probably why I was so disappointed with the execution. Beautiful lyrics totally lost in a production mess. Like you said, "there's a lot going on there"... but unfortunately, for me at least, there's too much going on.



Really, Say Goodbye is overproduced? How so? I always thought it was one of his more simpler songs, in a way like NGBA. Red Rover I would agree has a lot going on, though I like it - it seems to be more of a guitar oriented song rather than a song where he used all that mumbo jumbo production stuff. Sorry, I don't know much about production and though I play piano I'm not a musician in the sense that I know what is going on musicially in any of Lindsey's songs.

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by AliP
Really, Say Goodbye is overproduced? How so? I always thought it was one of his more simpler songs, in a way like NGBA.

Technically, if I understand the technology correctly, it isn't overproduced. When you consider that the guitar is set up to produce those sounds, what you essentially have is a guy playing a guitar and adding some harmony vocals. Not exactly overproduced. I suspect Johnny was commenting on the guitar sound, though. What this all means is that Lindsey, with the able help of Rick Turner, is a pioneer in a type of guitar sound that may or may not become more common. I suspect a handful of Lindsey-influenced guitarists out there might want to emulate it.

I have to admit that after Big Love, Go Insane, Red Rover and Say Goodbye, when you get to things like She Smiled Sweetly (which is very nice) and Try for the Sun (eh), you start to say, "Enough already." With one caveat: Red Rover stands apart from the rest of this bunch because the approach, as I mentioned before, was taken up a few notches.

[chiliD]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
I have to admit that after Big Love, Go Insane, Red Rover and Say Goodbye, when you get to things like She Smiled Sweetly (which is very nice) and Try for the Sun (eh), you start to say, "Enough already." With one caveat: Red Rover stands apart from the rest of this bunch because the approach, as I mentioned before, was taken up a few notches.

"Try For The Sun" uses the same techniques as "Red Rover". Being that "TFTS" is a cover tune, I'd surmise that "Red Rover" is another of Lindsey's plethora of "recycled ideas" tunes from what he learned from recording "TFTS".

Those are the only two tunes that he's done that (the "guitar as percussion" idea) to that effect. So, I wouldn't really say that "Red Rover" actually "stands apart", it stands in TANDEM with "Try For The Sun".

[CarneVaca]

Chili, that may be. I'll have to go listen to Try for the Sun again. I don't usually play it, and I was remembering it as a Big Love-type approach.

But in addition to the percussion aspect, Red Rover has several guitars going. Is Try for the Sun more than one guitar?

[chiliD]

Yes. It is the same technique as "Red Rover" multiple guitars getting that "percussive" sound.

[shackin'up]

The only, read my lips-the only thing i don't like about lindsey's music is that he uses drummachines and/or syndrums on a lot of his solowork. I think it's great that he used fairlight and other electronics. I am convinced that if he used a "live" rythmsection for the base of his songs, filled with all the electronic percussion, barstools,spoons and kleenexboxes etc. alot of his work wouldn't sound dated as much. And Go Insane and Cradle would have conquered Tusk as the best album ever recorded by anyone, which IMO, it is 'till today. Or did I mentioned that before?:nod:

gerald

[BlueGrass]

Yeah, "Big Love" & "Go Insane" really opened up for Lindsey to be using one guitar as an orchestral entity for a whole track.

Try For The Sun
Here Comes The Sun
Say Goodbye
Red Rover

All use that technique

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by AliP
Really, Say Goodbye is overproduced? How so? I always thought it was one of his more simpler songs, in a way like NGBA.When I said that it's a "production mess," I wasn't meaning that it's "over-produced."

To my ears, it just feels that the two main parts of the song... the guitar part, and the vocal melody... work against each other, rather than in a complementary way.
The technique Lindsey used to record the guitar part(s) sounds fussy alongside the vocal melody, and the vocal melody sounds rushed and overpowered, in turn.

So, for me, this is one of those cases where Lindsey's desire to do something experimental, didn't benefit the song... which is a damn shame, since it has some of his most heartfelt lyrics.

I will say that the idea does work better on "Red Rover." It might not be my favorite, but that song has the cohesion "Say Goodbye" seems to lack.
"Red Rover" really is pretty incredible on the "and the lips you were kissing," parts.

You have to keep in mind that I don't hate anything Lindsey has done (not even "Here Comes The Sun"), I just find that there are a few songs that leave me cold, for one reason or another.

[joe]

i don't like the little synth "80's" stuff he uses...especially now...it seems to cheapen the overall sound. I also don't like how, in the past, a lot of his stuff sounded like tv theme music: "you and i pt.2", some of the stuff on OOTC. and i don't like how he says the same speeches over and over again.

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by chiliD
Yes. It is the same technique as "Red Rover" multiple guitars getting that "percussive" sound.

Yeah, I listened to Try for the Sun yesterday. It is the same technique indeed. I also figured out why I don't listen to it that often: The muffled vocals drive me nuts as I try to figure out what he's saying. It's odd because in some songs that doesn't bother me.

[face of glass]

Apologies to everyone who feel like reading this; I’m coming to the thread very late and some of this is very random. But “the tale grew in telling”, as some guy who was born 111 years ago once said.

Note: I’m someone who likes every song that the Rumours line-up and the SYW line-up have done. I’m also someone who likes every song Lindsey has done on his own. Keep that in mind when you read this.

First of all I definitely agree with those who think he’s musically the antithesis of spontaneity on stage these days. But I guess I’ve never had any big problems with any LB studio song. Sure, there’s a tone colour here and there that I’d like to change but I’ve never had any major gripes with the way he approaches his songs. Except for two occasions, but more on that later.

While discussing LB, I think it’s necessary to compare him to the other songwriters of the most famous line-up. I’ve never thought that any songwriter of the Rumours line-up could be called “the greatest songwriter of all time”. I’d say that of the three main writers tunes Chris’ survive the best. They’re the ones I could easily imagine done in other arrangements, used as jazz standards (oh, if the times were only different) etc. She’s the one who understands the rules of classic songwriting. As for Stevie, her songwriting, voice and lyrics form a unique relationship with each other, to the point where the appeal of her music would disappear if one was to either replace or remove one part of the trinity, as I’ve claimed before. This makes her music very appealing to people. Performers that have such a way of writing/performing usually have a very fanatical following. Not that I mind it that much; I still get lost in her world very often. But what sometimes gets forgotten is that not too many of her songs would survive as done by other performers. The lyrics and the vocals are still, to this very day, her main strength, whereas her the musical ideas she likes to use have lost their freshness a long time ago.

In a way what I said about Stevie could be said about Lindsey too. I’ve never thought of Lindsey as a great songwriter, more like a good one. In that way I agree with CarneVaca; I also think that a lot of Lindsey’s music should be taken as a whole. He’s stated himself that he only knows a few keys and is very aware of his limitations. It’s not like he’s using unusual chord progressions; the likes of “Miranda”, “Come”, “Murrow” and “Loving Cup” are still mutated blues progressions, no matter what. If I was to compare him to his main inspiration, Brian Wilson, he would clearly lose to the master. Some of LB’s tunes would fall flat if taken out of their finalized arrangements or left in embryonic form. Here’s a quote from Bob Josef’s Tusk review:

It's Lindsey trying every idea in the kitchen sink. But the main problem is that his tracks are more idea than actual composition. I remember playing the title track for a friend of mine. He said, "That's a nonsong."
That's an interesting point. I mean, it's special effects, production experimentation. Which is OK, but it seems that these are fragments as opposed to fully fleshed out songs (wonder if he got this idea from the Beach Boys' Smiley Smile, which has the same problem). And his lyrics are basically worthless.

Here’s one from All-Music Guide’s Out Of The Cradle review, by William Ruhlmann:

Perhaps the biggest difference from his previous solo work, however, was that Buckingham actually wrote a group of songs that were about something, not just riffs full of aural tricks.

And here’s one from our beloved Johnny Stew:

All the bells and whistles and panning vocals are fun and interesting the first few times I listen, but then we get into my need for something more substantive, and the songs come up fairly empty. So I may like them a great deal and enjoy listening to them, but I don't love them.

So basically, we have the two most common “accusations” against Lindsey here:

A) Weak lyrics, at least in the early days. This I can agree with.

B) No “substance” behind all the production
I think Johnny Stew should remember by now what I’ve said before: substance depends on the listener. If you’re looking for classic songwriting from Lindsey, which I believe Bob Josef and William Ruhlmann are after, you won’t find it too easily. Chris beats him in that area. If you’re looking for “good”/”meaningful” lyrics, which, for Johnny Stew at least, are the most attractive thing in a song, you’ll see that those are difficult to find from his pre-Go Insane work. If you’re looking for musical revolutions from the FM catalogue (as some unmentioned web reviewer has), you won’t find any.

However, I don’t think that “Go Your Own Way” (his only recognized classic) is any more substantial than LB’s work on Tusk, Law And Order and wherever. What has, and always will, separate his Rumours work from Tusk is that his musical values changed somewhere in between the two. He could have gone down the classic rock route forever, but he didn’t. Punk/New Wave shook him up; suddenly he wanted to strip off the easily accessible arrangements of Rumours. He didn’t want to do carbon copies of the “I’m So Afraid” solo anymore. Not that I’m saying he could do no wrong during those years; I believe that some of Stevie’s and Chris’ songs on Tusk could have benefited from arrangements not too different from the ones on White Album/Rumours. The main point remains though, LB began to question things. He decided that his songs could do more than convey the feelings the American mainstream accepted at the time. Hey, it might not even do any harm if those feelings weren’t obvious, if they were shrouded. But more on that a bit later.

So, as of now I will try to explain why LB’s work appeals to me the most of the Fleetwood Mac canon.

Reason #1: diversity. I think there are only certain areas that Chris and Stevie can reach on their own. Chris can convey a sense of darkness (“Oh Daddy”, “Behind The Mask”, “Sooner Or Later”), she can do the uplifting numbers (a lot of her catalogue) and she is capable of romantic longing (“Warm Ways”, “Songbird”, “Never Make Me Cry”, “Only Over You”). But that’s pretty much about it for me.
Stevie knows/knew how to rock (you know the songs I’m talking about) and she shines on the romantic, poetic numbers of hers. Sometimes she even gets downright vulnerable. But for me she doesn’t really get any more diverse; she’s stated herself that all her songs are extensions of each other.
Basically, you can all disagree with that. You can tell me that I’m biased, that I don’t hear all the “subtle diversity” that’s apparent in the music of these ladies. Let me tell you however, that before I became a fan I thought that Chris basically recycled “Don’t Stop” all the time and that Stevie’s songs on Tusk were all a part of the same murky drone. Of course I think differently now but that’s because I’ve become a fan. In many cases only fans are likely to hear the “subtle differences” between each song, simply because they’ve listened to the tracks long enough. Thus the songs have developed personalities of their own inside the fanatics’ heads. This is how you develop a bias.

So, how is Lindsey that different then? Let’s see:
Playfulness: (“Lola”, “That’s Enough For Me”, “That’s How We Do It In LA”, “Red Rover” etc.) checked.
Romanticism: (“Stephanie”, “Trouble”, “You And I Part One”, “Steal Your Heart Away”) checked.
Longing: (“Down On Rodeo”, “Say Goodbye”)
Uplift: (“Second Hand News”, “The Ledge”, “Turn It On”, “Deep Dense”, etc.) checked.
Darkness: (“I’m So Afraid”, “Street Of Dreams”, “Someone’s Gotta Change Your Mind”) checked.
Anger/Violence: (“Go Your Own Way”, “This Is The Time”, “Come”, “Murrow”) checked.

And there is also music that I can’t specifically put into any of these categories. Bottom line is: Lindsey’s diversity is more obvious than that of the ladies.

Reason #2: experimentalism. This is a common complaint:

I don't love everything Lindsey's done, because sometimes I think he tries too hard - sometimes I've wondered if some choices he makes are based on what would be most "different" rather than what would be the most aesthetically enjoyable to the listener. Why? To prove something to others, to himself. But hey, he can do whatever he wants. I happen to like his more natural work.

I guess it’s opposite for me. His “natural” work, the likes of “Oh Diane” and “Steal Your Heart Away” can rub me the wrong way, especially if I feel that he’s trying to make the songs too listener-friendly. As someone who came into FM after years of being into experimental, non-mainstream artists, it was Lindsey’s weirder work that first drew me in and taught me to appreciate the other members too. I can get songs like “Oh Diane” and “SYHA” from just about any mainstream performer, not with as many interesting details though.

I mean, I could just as easily criticize Stevie for “not trying hard enough”. That’s my main problem with “the Nicksian drone”; it doesn’t vary itself enough. She’s had that mainstream production on her work since the beginning of her solo career. She knows what her devoted fans want and she’s not going to change her music because of that. She knows her limits and unfortunately she’s afraid of stretching them.

Alright, so Law And Order is an “insubstantial”, childish joke of an album. But it has a sense of fun. A sense of spontaneity. Out Of The Cradle doesn’t have that. Where one can easily criticize L&O for being shallow and empty because it’s about “having fun”, I could easily criticize OOTC for being overly serious and having this pretentious “I’ve finally seen the light” concept to it. I don’t think “having fun” is any less worthy than “preaching the truth” or whatever. Actually I think of Gift Of Screws as LB’s best solo work, because it strikes a balance between the two, even though seriousness still rules there in the end.

The thing is that I love Law And Order almost as much as Out Of The Cradle. I don’t think that the older Lindsey, with his childish musical humour, was any less shallow a person than the mature one that raises its head with Go Insane and flourishes on OOTC. Tgee of Burnish.net has said that L&O has Lindsey acting, not being himself. I’d like to think, though, that Law And Order has Lindsey just as revealed before us as OOTC. No one here knows who is the real Lindsey Buckingham and I believe that the roles the actor chooses for himself tell us as much of him as a personal biography would.

Reason #3: my own gut feeling:

I don’t think that songs always have to convey emotions. I think that LB songs people think of as “unemotional” are like abstract paintings; the emotions and the images in them are not obvious. What I am going to try next is describe my subjective feelings and images that come into my head and my body when I listen to a particular song. This is written under no influence of anything and listening to the songs hasn’t involved substances of any kind either:

“Play In The Rain”: I get this image of a woman standing in heavy rain (and not just because of the song title). She gets down on her knees and looks completely alienated. She looks at a puddle only to find her image completely distorted. By the end of the part one of the piece her body has begun to twitch uncontrollably. That gets interrupted soon and she falls into self-reflection again. At the end of part two she’s just shouting at nothing.

“Come”: The verses give me an image of falling into a web where every fibre is fragile. I just keep on falling deeper with thoughts filling my head. I find myself looking at the totally calm surface of an ocean. Suddenly the surface breaks, it feels like someone’s slapping my face.

“Red Rover”: Suddenly I have become a young pup who is running around on grass. I run across the lawn only to find people shouting at me in agony. I ignore them and start scratching my body intensely.

“The Ledge”: This, to me, is like I was standing in the middle of three conversations at once. It’s impossible to follow any of them; I only hear snatches and try to combine them together in my mind but fail. Eventually I just start laughing at the craziness of it all”.

I guess this reveals more of me than of the pieces themselves. But I can get lots of these images from his songs, even the ones that seem unemotional to people. Not every emotion in every song has to be obvious. Life itself isn’t obvious anyway; there have been many situations where I just haven’t known how to react, where I haven’t felt a particular thing because the situation is new to me. I think that’s what some of his “unemotional” songs reflect, it’s like he’s watching at something new through the eyes of a kid. I recall what Les once said; Lindsey’s songs on Tusk are like “flashes of emotion”. They describe a particular moment, something that you can’t grasp too easily because it goes by quickly. Like watching a little girl dancing on the train station while passing it. Or like watching your cat catch a bird. Things like this we may brush off as “insignificant”. I think, though, that they’re just as valuable as wallowing in misery. The latter may be longer lasting and therefore may feel more substantial, but it’s not that way for me. Not at all.

Of course there are cases when I do not get anything particular from a song except a big question mark on my head. I love that too, however. Everything in this life should not be easily explained. LB does not bow to “the lowest common denominator”; he knows that life is more than just a bunch of “simplistic” feelings and his music reflects that. This is not to say that I think Stevie’s and Chris’ music is “simplistic in emotion”. They are more natural writers, they very rarely question what they write and they follow their heart. At the same time they limit themselves to certain areas. Lindsey may not be as natural a writer, he may appear as self-conscious very often. But I’ve never doubted his complete involvement in his music and I don’t believe I ever need to. Who is to judge anyway what is natural and what is not? Just because you feel a particular idea irks you the wrong way doesn’t mean that it’s unnatural. Ugliness has its value too, it’s a part of life and LB reflects that while the ladies of the Rumours line-up do that only very rarely.

And if someone still thinks of Lindsey as the most far-out, experimental, unnatural musician out there, you’re dead wrong. ;) Believe this from someone who six years ago listened to only “pure noise”. You can be as experimental as you want. If someone farted into a microphone for the first time it would be experimental and innovative, alright, but most likely the idea wouldn’t be appreciated by the public. The best artists, for me, are the ones who straddle the fence between the experimental and the accessible. Lindsey belongs into that group and I’d say that even Stevie does because despite the mainstream production she’s very rarely tried to please the common public in her writing. If I felt that was the case, I wouldn’t be a fan.

I recall a comparison that John (Wetcamelfood) made a while ago; he drew a parallel (modestly) of his and ChiliD’s writing between Clapton’s and Green’s guitar playing; that Green needed only one note to express what Clapton conveyed in five. So, does this make me Eddie Van Halen of the Ledge? ;) A couple of points though, before I go:

"Say Goodbye" could be one of my all-time favorite L.B. songs.
Which is probably why I was so disappointed with the execution. Beautiful lyrics totally lost in a production mess. Like you said, "there's a lot going on there"... but unfortunately, for me at least, there's [I]too much[/I[ going on.

I understand Johnny. But I think that the song would appear too simplistic if it wasn’t arranged the way it has been. Live versions are a different thing, that’s where the contrast between the drunken crowd and the gentleness of the arrangement can be harsh. But why did LB then arrange it the way he did?

Because he didn’t want to play the drama game that obviously, that’s why!

“Say Goodbye” could easily be “When I See You Again (Lindsey’s version)”. Written in 1987, a simple acoustic ballad, lyrics about leaving a formerly loved one (he’s admitted this himself). A perfect object of worship for the Buckingham/Nicks romantics. FM did this with “WISYA” earlier; a very simple arrangement, focusing on Stevie’s voice, just contributes to the drama. And then there’s Lindsey’s vocals that sound very distant during the fade-out. So why not do it again with “Say Goodbye”? That’s what the romantics want and that’s obviously what Johnny Stew wants. After all, JS, we know that “When I See You Again” is still your favourite Stevie song and it’s the simplicity of it all that does it for you. ;)

I’m glad Lindsey arranged “Say Goodbye” the way he did. It shows that he’s above the obviousness, that he doesn’t need to repeat a former pattern just because the circumstances would demand it. He wanted to be above the cheap sentimentalism with this one and so he is. That he arranged it as a quirky song, with shades of Law And Order combined with the finger-picking, just proves that he’s still questioning the obvious. The questioning is still there in his work, has been there since 1979. And if he chooses to keep that attitude then I have no worries of LB becoming a stagnated old studio musician.

[golden braid]

Wow. Some of you have really deep thoughts. I'm pretty simple. I tend to like a song more for the music than for the lyrics. I'm definitely into the lyrics of Stevie, Lindsey, and Christine's songs but a lot of the other music I listen to I like because of the music itself.

[Les]

Originally posted by face of glass
[B]Apologies to everyone who feel like reading this; I’m coming to the thread very late and some of this is very random. But “the tale grew in telling”, as some guy who was born 111 years ago once said.

Please, no apologies necessary. This is a great post, Gaius. From reading all that you said, I think you and I must be kindred spirits of a sort, because you captured much of what I also hold to be true and dear about Lindsey.

I don't know if I've ever really thought of Lindsey as a fantastic songwriter or lyricist, and I'm sure some of that stems from his own self-deprecation in that area. He always backs off from even calling himself a "writer". I think maybe what he means by that...or maybe how I interpret what he's getting at...is that he isn't a narrator. He doesn't appear to try to tell a coherent story about something, or straightforwardly plead his case about something in 4 minutes or less. To me, what he does is capture an intense emotion by giving it back to us through images and intensely colorful sounds. I love that about his writing. I get so much emotion from that. I don't necessarily understand what motivated some of the songs, but then I don't feel like I need to. I still feel something very visceral from the way the whole atmosphere of the track speaks to me.

Plus, I think it speaks to the complexity of emotion. He rarely sets out to just create "a sad song." Usually, the communication of the an overall emotion is mingled with all sorts of other feelings too, which just makes it so much more real and dear to me. "I'll Tell You Now" is one of my very favorite songs of his. It appears to basically be a song about depression. But he never actually gets to telling you that upfront. He muses about how people must think he's odd that he stayed home today instead of going out. It's sort of funny. And the track lopes along in this lazy, but sort of dreamy pace of a horse casually strolling along. It not only works on the level of communicating how depression can sap your energy and swallow you up, but it adds this sense of comedy and sweetness to a song all about sadness. You can see him looking at himself and smiling in amusement at the state of his wallowing. How many of us do that too? I love this stuff and can think of so many other songs of his that do this same sort of thing.

What I also think he does, with every one of his solo albums, is put those songs together to collectively communicate a theme that then reflects back on the songs, providing more meaning to them. That's something else I love about his work. It truly is impressionisitic in that way. Some of the songs alone may show a flash of something that can sometimes be nebulous, but when taken with the whole album, a portrait emerges. And add to that the great thought behind the song constructions - the conviction to try to stretch himself, and the refusal to be pigeon-holed artistically or emotionally - and I think that too then reflects on the theme of the album. I think tremendous thought has gone into each album in that way, and it makes the experience so deeply rich for me.

Anyway, very interesting to read your post, Gaius. Thanks for taking the time to type it all out.

[Les]

Oops, still a few thoughts bubbling up...about the albums and what they reveal about Lindsey.

I don't feel like any one of his albums doesn't represent him in a very tangible way. In fact, I think Law & Order, Go Insane, and Out of the Cradle all communicate a similar sort of almost socio-political view that says a lot about Lindsey the person, even though each album is dressed up quite differently from its predecessor.

Take Law & Order's songs collectively and see how many of them touch upon the idea of personal integrity - committment to family, friends, values, trying to do the right thing. The title is all about that. The covers he selected for that album are all about that. "Mary Lee Jones" is about a woman who has lost that because she's lost herself. "Johnny Stew", an incredibly funny/goofy song, is, at its heart, about the cruelty of a world that has left a man of integrity, John Stewart, out in the cold. Given this context, I think "I'll Tell You Now" is also indirectly about Lindsey's own feelings about wondering how to fit in a world that doesn't much reflect what he thinks is important.

Look at the songs from Go Insane. In microcosm, they're about a painfully failed relationship. In a broader sense, they're also about valuing committment, responsibility to self and others & love, and trying to deal with the feelings of the loss of control when those things don't last - when those core values and desires don't seem to be able to find a foothold in the crazy world. None of these are preachy songs in any respect, but they're very internal conflicts about the successes and failures he seems to see in himself in pursuing these values. Even for all the sexual innuendo in a song like "Loving Cup", it is still a song about wanting committment reciprocated in the same strong way that he feels it.

Out of the Cradle does this too. So many of the songs seem to touch upon the idea of rediscoverying himself, his values, after a period of having felt like he lost touch with them. I'd say this one is more sober than Law & Order, certainly, but not nessecarily more "serious" - as I think Law & Order was just as serious about its underlying values too. Again, Cradle seems to touch upon the pressures of life that intrude upon what he wishes it could be, and he ruminates on the successes and failures against the measuring stick of committment, family, friends, values, responsibility.

I think a similar type of theme can also be seen underlying many of his Mac songs. That's how I see them anyway. ;)

[Johnny Stew]

Wow, excellent post, Gaius!
Many of the points you made are the exact reason I tell non Mac-fans that if they'd just get over the prejudice that Fleetwood Mac is some outdated pop band, they'd realize that there truly is something for just about everyone in this band's catalogue.

It's another reason I don't get into the bashing that sometimes occurs, and why I don't like to pit Stevie & Lindsey against each other, or Christine.
It's no secret that I have a preference towards Stevie, but there's so much to love about Christine & Lindsey too. And as a group, they're damn-near unstoppable.

A few comments on your post....
I can see why you, and anyone, would feel that Lindsey's music is the most diverse within Fleetwood Mac.
I tend to think sometimes that he's too self-conscious in his attempts at diversity though, but that's ok.
I've told my friend Anne that she's "self-consciously non-conformist," and sometimes that seems to fit Lindsey too.
Individuality is a VERY good thing, but it's always best when it's not forced or over-thought.

Stevie was once quoted as saying (I'm paraphrasing here), "If you tell Lindsey something he's working on sounds similar to something he's done before, he'll tear it apart and go in a completely different direction."

I love that Lindsey has an offbeat approach to making music... in fact, I don't think you can be a Buckingham fan without having an appreciation for that aspect of his creativity... but I've always felt that production touches... even the most avant-garde ones... should be done to benefit the song. Not just for the sake of being different.Originally posted by face of glass
“Say Goodbye” could easily be “When I See You Again (Lindsey’s version)”... A perfect object of worship for the Buckingham/Nicks romantics. FM did this with “WISYA” earlier; a very simple arrangement, focusing on Stevie’s voice, just contributes to the drama. And then there’s Lindsey’s vocals that sound very distant during the fade-out. So why not do it again with “Say Goodbye”? That’s what the romantics want and that’s obviously what Johnny Stew wants. After all, JS, we know that “When I See You Again” is still your favourite Stevie song and it’s the simplicity of it all that does it for you. ;)Not sure if you have this misconception or not, but I just wanted to clear it up in case you did... I'm not a Lindsey & Stevie Romantic.
I think the mercurial nature of their relationship has made for some great music and performances, and for that reason I dig it... but I'm not hoping they someday get together, or wondering if they're carrying on a clandestine affair.

Not that there's anything wrong with the folks who do that... we all need a little romance in our lives, after all! :)

Also, "When I See You Again" isn't my "favorite" song... though I can see why people might think that! :laugh:
It is definitely in the Top Five though. :D

Even still, that wasn't the song I had in mind when talking about "Say Goodbye." I was thinking more along the lines of "Never Going Back Again." Something that could give the vocal melody and harmonies room to breathe.

Again, terrific post, Gaius! VERY insightful, and a must-read.

(By the way, you might be surprised to know that one of my favorite L.B. songs has always been "The Ledge." :) )

[face of glass]

Ah, the Christmas rush. No time to post when you want to. And the Ledge can be down sometimes too. Sorry about that; I won’t be digging up this old stuff anymore.

But Johnny Stew deserves a proper answer, as usual: ;)

I tend to think sometimes that he's too self-conscious in his attempts at diversity though, but that's ok...
Individuality is a VERY good thing, but it's always best when it's not forced or over-thought.[/b]

I agree about Lindsey’s self-consciousness. I sometimes get this feeling of some ideas of his being “forced”; they can just jump at me and startle me. It was a bit like that with “Say Goodbye” too; I didn’t feel instantly comfortable with that guitar percussion and the fast tempo. However, I’ve always felt that if there’s something for me to like in a track, it will eventually win me over. Go Insane may be dated in the terms of tone colours but otherwise I have no problem enjoying it. With “Say Goodbye” I got over certain things very fast. But I agree that music should often appeal to one naturally; you shouldn’t force yourself to like it.

Yes, individuality can be “forced or over-thought” (God knows how many times I’ve been guilty of that). But when you’re doing works of art, plenty of them, you’re bound to start repeating yourself if something/someone doesn’t shake you up once in a while. Stevie is very natural in her writing but I’ve always felt that she too often presents the same thing from a different angle and it can wear me off. But it’s my problem, I have my preferences in this band’s canon too. ;)

I've always felt that production touches... even the most avant-garde ones... should be done to benefit the song. Not just for the sake of being different.

I understand. If it’s “songs” you’re after, then I accept your viewpoint with no qualms whatsoever. When I listen to music I’m not always after songs though. A simple keyboard drone can be enough, provided that it creates an atmosphere I haven’t heard before. If it creates a picture of something into my mind, if it makes my back shiver or if it moves me in any way, then it’s good for me.
Les said it better and in a much more up-to-the-point way than I ever could, but I’ll try this again: Lindsey can often work like an abstract painter. He may not try to create a portrait with a single song; he’s just trying to grab a particular random/senseless/significant moment into a recording. In Les’ site LB says the following on the “Artwork” page:

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Jackson Pollock paintings before he threw away his brushes? They’re making this attempt to get to this sense of something, and he can feel it with his body and he can see it in his mind and he’s not getting there! And then suddenly, one day, he says, “Well, screw this!” And he throws the canvas down on the floor and he starts dripping paint on it and you see this tremendous sense of release and energy! And that’s, you know, a fairly apt analogy, I think, to what can happen in music as well if you sort of break through barriers and find new ways to work with colors.

That, I think, is what happened to Lindsey too, when he went from Rumours to Tusk.

Not sure if you have this misconception or not, but I just wanted to clear it up in case you did... I'm not a Lindsey & Stevie Romantic.

I knew you aren’t, although my post may have suggested that. And I’d like to apologize to all romantics who may have read the previous post; I do not think that you people are “cheap sentimentalists” or whatever. I just got way too carried away with the whole thing.

Even still, that wasn't the song I had in mind when talking about "Say Goodbye." I was thinking more along the lines of "Never Going Back Again." Something that could give the vocal melody and harmonies room to breathe.

“Never Going Back Again” has, for me, a sense of bitterness. As Les suggested, Lindsey likes to run two or more emotions alongside. Therefore it makes sense that the playful arrangement of “NGBA” goes with those lyrics. With “Say Goodbye”, the lyric of which communicates mainly sadness to me, the same approach wouldn’t work, at least for me.
And I think it’s also about the vocals too. Stevie is more convincing in slow ballads of this type than Lindsey; “When I See You Again” appears as simplistic with those lyrics, but when that woman is using that voice of hers it immediately clicks, because she has that songwriting-voice-and-lyrics relationship. If Lindsey was to approach “Say Goodbye” in a very stripped-down manner then I would probably lose a lot of my interest. The same goes for “Save Me A Place”; if it didn’t have those harmonies the tune would be a time-waster on Tusk.
So, “Say Goodbye” communicates sadness, loss, things like that. The fact that he put it in a faster tempo immediately makes clear that this isn’t your usual “sad song”. The “rush” of it all tells me that the two lovers have to separate quickly; that the whole song and the whole separation is just a natural thing to get over with. That’s what life can be like; we don’t always have the time to wallow in a certain emotional state like “When I See You Again” seems to suggest.
The fact that Lindsey put these weird harmonies and these percussive sounds to the song is similar to a way a cameraman would use a filter on a camera. “When I See You Again” shows us Stevie with no filter at all, completely bare before us. LB hides behind his arrangement and shows us that he’s not totally through with the separation. These “bells and whistles” give us a distorted picture, one that’s not as clear as the one in “When I See You Again”. But it’s not any less moving for me.
Yes, I definitely read too much into things there. :laugh:
I honour Les’ posts. She obviously reads into Lindsey’s music more than I do; a song that I may brush off as “fun” or “lightweight” will mean more to her. And the fact that she’s capable of looking at Lindsey’s albums as a whole, as a continuation of the same thread, is impressive. So, even “Steal Your Heart Away” isn’t that obvious, even though I still may think so. ;)
In the end I agree with Johnny Stew; pop music shouldn’t be that easily brushed off as “shallow” or “just-for-kicks”.


(By the way, you might be surprised to know that one of my favorite L.B. songs has always been "The Ledge." :) ) [/B]

It just goes to show that "no one falls into a simple set of labels". ;)

[cliffdweller]

Originally posted by AliP
I don't like how it sometimes appears that he is still stuck in the 80s. I hate those weird background echoing voices he loves to still use. I think you can hear a little bit of it in EFO. Also don't like "Smile at You" how he thought having Stevie going "ahh, ahh, ahhhhh, etc" during the chorus was a good idea. yuk.


Ditto.

Also, ironically enough, I hate "The Ledge."

[cliffdweller]

Originally posted by trackaghost
But saying that, I know almost as many people who felt the same way about Steal Your Heart Away. For some it was a wonderful, sweet tune and for others they thought it was too sugary and throwaway.

then they're missing the point. STHA is very bittersweet and sad if you listen to it closely. Achingly beautiful song, especially when Lindsey plays it unaccompanied and acoustic only.

[wondergirl9847]

Well, you can all gang up on me and talk smack, but I love every damn thing he's ever done. I have this crazy, twisted mind that finds the good in every song he's done.

He's the ONLY artist that I feel that way about. I can find fault with other singers/songwriters/guitarists/groups (etc.), but with Lindsey, he's really captured my heart (in more ways than one obviously. LOL).

Even on Mirage, which is STILL a terrific album despite all the smack talked about it, IMO, I love his songs, even Empire State, which has the coolest plink plink sound and his voice is really unusual too.

Totally off topic: One of the coolest things that I heard at all the concerts I went to on this tour was his voice, the way he breaks his voice. Seteca knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's the way a country artist sings, if they are PURE COUNTRY. It's like a yodel, but not a full on yodel. :laugh:

So, if I were to dig deep and say what I don't like about Lindsey's music, I'd say that I don't like that he only has THREE solo albums out. ;)

What a cop-out, eh? :laugh: I'm so friggin enamoured by this man, and after seeing him in concert 6 times and getting to strum his guitar, getting pointed to, eye contact and smiles from him, my admiration is even MORE intense now. No, he's not the Messiah, he's just my favorite artist in the world. :)

[madformac]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
Well, you can all gang up on me and talk smack, but I love every damn thing he's ever done. I have this crazy, twisted mind that finds the good in every song he's done.

He's the ONLY artist that I feel that way about. I can find fault with other singers/songwriters/guitarists/groups (etc.), but with Lindsey, he's really captured my heart (in more ways than one obviously. LOL).


I'm so friggin enamoured by this man, and after seeing him in concert 6 times and getting to strum his guitar, getting pointed to, eye contact and smiles from him, my admiration is even MORE intense now. No, he's not the Messiah, he's just my favorite artist in the world. :)

Hahahaaaaa.. Nice to have you back on the Buckingham forum Wondergirl... the 3 weeks without your posts here have been rather black and white... Now the colour has exploded once again!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Welcome back girl.. :nod: :nod:


:wavey: :wavey:

[wondergirl9847]

Thanks MFM!! I've missed so much, but now I'm back with my crazy commentary and blatant positive fandom of Mr. Buckingham...or Buckinghum. :laugh:

[seteca]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
One of the coolest things that I heard at all the concerts I went to on this tour was his voice, the way he breaks his voice. Seteca knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's the way a country artist sings, if they are PURE COUNTRY. It's like a yodel, but not a full on yodel.

Yep...it's awesome. The greatest example EVER is the way he says "when the liars come around" during "Say Goodbye" on the opening night of the SYW Tour in Colombus. Listen to the word "when".:cool:

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
No, he's not the Messiah, he's just my favorite artist in the world.

Hmmm....I wonder if I should contact my lawyer to take action for breach of copyright....

;)

(Private joke)

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[shackin'up]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
No, he's not the Messiah

shall we start an argue about that?:laugh: :wavey:


welcome back!

[wondergirl9847]

Originally posted by seteca
Hmmm....I wonder if I should contact my lawyer to take action for breach of copyright....

;)

(Private joke)

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

LMAO!!! Sorry, if I could find the friggin copyright symbol, I'd make the correction. :o

[seteca]

"I don't think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread and I don't believe he's the next Messiah, but he is a musical genius and my favourite artist of all time."

&copy Seteca, 2003.

:D

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[wondergirl9847]

*sticks tongue out*

Nah nah.

LOL

So, to all Ledgies, if you use the Lindsey = Messiah comparison thingy (LMAO!!), please credit Seteca with a copyright.

[sodascouts]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847


Totally off topic: One of the coolest things that I heard at all the concerts I went to on this tour was his voice, the way he breaks his voice. Seteca knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's the way a country artist sings, if they are PURE COUNTRY. It's like a yodel, but not a full on yodel. :laugh:


I know exactly what you're talking about. The first time I noticed it was a live 1975 performance of Blue Letter: "Do I reh-heed the message in your eyes, you wahn-hna love to stay another night." I can't really write it out but he does it where those dashes are and it is SOOO country!