Best/Worst Career Moves

[ontheEdgeof17]

What were Stevie's best and worst career moves?


For me, her best move was going solo. Without that decision, most of her songs would never had made the light of day.


Worst: Not being around during the Tango sessions. "Better" (I love all three, btw) songs on her behalf and more backing vocals would have really skyrocketed the album....and maybe the fight between Lindsey wouldn't have happened if she was there more often to have the right for more input, and he would have stayed....maybe. Just my thought on that.

[Hawkeye]

Going Solo was great for HER maybe, but it also (not just her though) kind of destroyed Fleetwood Mac in the 80's. All the best songs were going to solo projects. 2 albums in 10 years? That sounds like today's standards, and they were in their 30's then.

[catinthedark]

Best Move: Well, I guess it'd be a little obvious to say joining Fleetwood Mac.

So... inviting DH and TP to sing with her on her first solo album. Gave her credibility, and showed she didn't think herself too important, famous, above-all-others. Plus, I'm sure they gave her great advice.


Worst Move: Rupert Hine. What a nightmare.

[amber]

Best Move: Well, I guess it'd be a little obvious to say joining Fleetwood Mac.

So... inviting DH and TP to sing with her on her first solo album. Gave her credibility, and showed she didn't think herself too important, famous, above-all-others. Plus, I'm sure they gave her great advice.


Worst Move: Rupert Hine. What a nightmare.
Good Call. her work with TP is some of my favorite, evah.
it's hard to say as to her worst moves. I think her solo career was a good move, as well. I think the coke was probably a bad move, as it (IMO) degraded her lyrical abilities considerably. i can't be positive that is true, but it seems that *most* of her most cohesive, concise, beautiful lyrics were written before the most coked out years. :shrug: But then again, maybe if there was no coke, there wouldn't have been some of the over the top indulgent live vocal performances that I love Oh so much. :shrug:

[ontheEdgeof17]

But then again, maybe if there was no coke, there wouldn't have been some of the over the top indulgent live vocal performances that I love Oh so much. :shrug:


Remember........no coke = no Sister Honey :lol:

[amber]

Remember........no coke = no Sister Honey :lol:
:lol: :laugh: :lol:
Oh, no! *shudder* What would the world be without "well you will LIKE! SISTER HONEY! She will help you, make up your mind!"
Thanks for reinforcing my perspective on that!!! :laugh:
I also have to say, perhaps, no coke, no debauched GDW Japan! :laugh:
and don't even get me started about the "squat and shake booty tambourine slap" of Golden n Braid on the Bella Donna tour! :laugh:

[GypsySorcerer]

I agree that her work with Petty is among her best career moves. I also think her touring for the BD album (no matter how briefly) was a smart move.

Worst - Releasing an album recorded in the haze of Klonopin.

[ontheEdgeof17]

:lol: :laugh: :lol:
Oh, no! *shudder*
Thanks for reinforcing my perspective on that!!! :laugh:
I also have to say, perhaps, no coke, no debauched GDW Japan! :laugh:
and don't even get me started about the "squat and shake booty tambourine slap" of Golden n Braid on the Bella Donna tour! :laugh:


I think the problem arose when it became more than recreational. It was like brushing teeth for her.....after every meal. That wasn't cool. I'm glad she kicked the habit.

Another bad career move was going straight black. I think (and we all agree) that color does wonders for a person's career. ;)

[amber]

I think the problem arose when it became more than recreational. It was like brushing teeth for her.....after every meal. That wasn't cool. I'm glad she kicked the habit.

Another bad career move was going straight black. I think (and we all agree) that color does wonders for a person's career. ;)
Well, I loves me some black, but, I don't think anyone should wear the same thing all the time. There should be some colors, and mostly, COULD YOU WEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT? SOMETHING MORE FLATTERING? :lol:
God, I would go nuts if I wore the same thing every day. Half of the fun of being a rock star is that you get to wear anything you want, anytime, and millions of people see it. Hello? I mean, sesly, mostly why I'd want to be a rock star is to be able to wear a bunch of crazy sh** to my "job". :nod: :laugh: Maybe when you wake up from your coke binge, you don't have the energy to pick out clothes... :D JK.

[skcin]

Best - Hooking up with, then breaking up with Lindsey! I know, I know it's not like their relationship was directly a "career move" or anything. But damn, he has fueled her songwriting for years. We wouldn't have half her tunes (or maybe more, but I'm not going to start that debate right now!) if it weren't for their relationship - good times and bad.

Also - agreeing to reunite for The Dance - I don't know if she needed much convincing, really, but it was a good move.

Worst Putting out Street Angel when she herself said it was not good. I know she really didn't have a choice, I believe she was under contract & had to release it & that she tried to "fix it" after she got out of rehab & everything else. But its mediocrity (sp?) really must have made people think she was washed up. Of course, the tour was great but who knew except diehard fans.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

Best - I agree making Bella Donna...working with Sheryl Crow...whether u love her work with Sheryl or not I think it helped Stevie come back...MANY Sheryl fans bought TISL and other works of Stevie, because of hearing about her through her work with Stevie--plus Stevie garnered many guest TV appearances from being friends with Sheryl--as well as many mentions in hundreds of Sheryl interviews...I think it all worked out for the best


Worst - Signing to Reprise in 98


Chris

[Kelly]

BEST.......working with Tom, getting Jimmy to produce her first couple of solo albums...really working Silver Springs the night they recorded the Dance...

Worst.....Rupert Hine...getting hooked on the booze and coke (although it has its positive points too like loss of her inhabitions)..allowing her bro to run her fan club...not writing an autobiography....not getting her reissues out more quickly........not releasing BN on cd. (stupid move for Lindsey too..they should do it for their fans, not the sales)



Just curious Chris...why was signing with Reprise in 98 a bad move for Stevie?

[David]

What were Stevie's best and worst career moves?Best: The decision to join Fleetwood Mac, thereby writing herself into the history of American popular music.

Worst: Kind of an ongoing thing -- the decision to tour as a solo act eight separate years. That combined with another seven years spent on Fleetwood Mac tours, plus concert appearances scattered throughout an additional four years, all means that over the last 23 years, Stevie has performed 21 out of those 23 years (the only years I don't remember her doing anything were 1984 & 1993). I think she has oversaturated the market with her own appearances & touring, & I don't think it's been especially good for her career in some ways. It's probably been a two-edged sword.

[HejiraNYC]

BEST: Trying to plagiarize Prince's "Little Red Corvette."

WORST: Ugh, where to begin?! a) smoking, b) Jon Bon Jovi, c) Brett Michaels, d) Mike "Desert Angel" Campbell, e) "Tango in the Night" concert video, f) "Just Like a Woman" and "Jane," g) Tango-OSOTM-era pirate hats, h) Frankenbocks, i) Sheryl Crow (I love Sheryl Crow as an artist, but she blows chunks as a producer :eek: ), j) leaving "Sleeping Angel" off of Bella Donna.

So what's up with all the Rupert Hine hatred??

[NicksIllume]

BEST: All of the above mentioned.

WORST: Some of the above mentioned. Singing with Jesse Camp on My Little Saviour...wtf, Stevie?

[David]

WORST: Ugh, where to begin?! a) smoking, b) Jon Bon Jovi, c) Brett Michaels, d) Mike "Desert Angel" Campbell, e) "Tango in the Night" concert video, f) "Just Like a Woman" and "Jane," g) Tango-OSOTM-era pirate hats, h) Frankenbocks, i) Sheryl Crow (I love Sheryl Crow as an artist, but she blows chunks as a producer :eek: ), j) leaving "Sleeping Angel" off of Bella Donna.Bunch of good ones here that I wasn't thinking of! That three-run losing streak of Bon Jovi, Brett Michaels & Frankenbocks is enough to destroy most other careers.
So what's up with all the Rupert Hine hatred??Hine's seems to me a totally synthetic personality & vapid talent. He managed to take Stevie's Dying Swan appeal & turn it into the Croaking Goose. (She herself must take some blame for that, too, because the 1989 persona was the first major step into that Mae West-inspired female impersonatorish style she clung to for years.)

Hine surrounds her in sonic plod & stodge nonsense (what was he trying to do? bring back the Oberheim?), & then doesn't even have the engineering skill to carry out his middling producer's vision without botching the recording technically. Was it his bright idea to record an entire Stevie Nicks album with drums with no low end?

If Stevie's lyrics on that album appeal to fans, I'd say fine. But if the sound of her & her band appeals, I'd say those fans have cauliflower in their ears.

[AliceLover]

I have to agree with you there David. The band on the record really does sound bad. There was no pizazz or anything. But i did like her band on the tour. great keyboardists.



Jimmy

[Serrart]

Hine's seems to me a totally synthetic personality & vapid talent. He managed to take Stevie's Dying Swan appeal & turn it into the Croaking Goose. (She herself must take some blame for that, too, because the 1989 persona was the first major step into that Mae West-inspired female impersonatorish style she clung to for years.)

Hine surrounds her in sonic plod & stodge nonsense (what was he trying to do? bring back the Oberheim?), & then doesn't even have the engineering skill to carry out his middling producer's vision without botching the recording technically. Was it his bright idea to record an entire Stevie Nicks album with drums with no low end?

If Stevie's lyrics on that album appeal to fans, I'd say fine. But if the sound of her & her band appeals, I'd say those fans have cauliflower in their ears.

Incredible... you're not being sarcastic (at least I think ;) ) and I agree with you. Rupert Hine and that damn synthetizer... he brought up the worst ghosts of the eighties for me..

Other bad moves: be a workaholic (i'm guilty too though); not having ask for help before; have an entourage that sometimes damages her instead of protecting her; be afraid to change look; going too safe in terms of videos and singles; touring even when she felt ill.

Good moves: believe that Lindsey and her could have make it; join Fleetwood Mac; create a unique look; going solo; choose Jimmy Iovine; have the courage to get finally out of addictions; work and keep the friendship alive with Tom Petty; understand that Sheryl Crow could have been TISL producer and keep collaborating with her; involve John Shanks in TISL; rejoin Fleetwood Mac for The Dance; never forgetting to bring empty diaries with her; be very generous with her fans; write new songs for Say You Will; accept to do Destiny Rules; sing in Chris Isaak Christmas album and the PBS special; go to Hawaii after Christmas to write new fantastic songs for us (at least I hope :D ).

Romy

[Johnny Stew]

Hmm... I'd say her best career move, was creating an identity separate from Fleetwood Mac and embarking on a solo career when she did.
The mercurial personalities and tense relationships pretty much guaranteed that they'd either start working together less and less, or break up. Or both.

In regards to worst career move, I have to agree with David on much of this:Worst: Kind of an ongoing thing -- the decision to tour as a solo act eight separate years. That combined with another seven years spent on Fleetwood Mac tours, plus concert appearances scattered throughout an additional four years, all means that over the last 23 years, Stevie has performed 21 out of those 23 years (the only years I don't remember her doing anything were 1984 & 1993). I think she has oversaturated the market with her own appearances & touring, & I don't think it's been especially good for her career in some ways. It's probably been a two-edged sword.I don't necessarily think she oversaturated the market by touring so often (though I can definitely see that point), but I do think she over-extended herself once too often, and that lead to the burnout and listless performances on some of the latter-day tours.

I've always thought she would have been better off doing a solo tour for every second album, rather than for each and every release. She could have easily skipped the 'Timespace' tour, for example... as it really wasn't anything different from her other setlists, etc.
The 'Enchanted' tour, however, I thought was terrific... because of the refreshing setlist, and the amount of fun Stevie was obviously having.

[henryscutter]

Good Moves
Joining Fleetwood Mac = She and Lindsey are very talented, but how many people actually "make it"
GOING SOLO = gotta get those songs out
Having Lindsey as a muse = this goes both ways; they have such an intense connection and make each other more interesting to the public.
Capitalizing on publicity = "striking when the irons hot" usually having something out there to keep people interested

Bad Moves
Drugs = Letting things get out of control
Shady characters in business dealings = Her brother, The Knight :rolleyes: , sometimes Mick :(
Touring to long = Not good for your health ( SYW Tour)

[Mageboy25]

WORST MOVE EVER: NOT releasing Fall From Grace as the 1st single from TIS, and instead releasing those CRAPY songs Everyday and Sorcerer.

WTF was the record company thinking? Esp after they performed Fall From Grace at the Blockbuster awards. That performance rocked, the fire on the screens in the background kicked ass. I could just picture a kickass video, with fire and all. Everyday YUK!

I disagree with the touring thing. If she didnt tour as much as she has, which isnt that much really you all would be bitching about all the years she never toured.

[tynan88]

WORST MOVE EVER: NOT releasing Fall From Grace as the 1st single from TIS, and instead releasing those CRAPY songs Everyday and Sorcerer.

Totally agree, FFG had soo much potential that was neevr tapped, I think they should re-release TISL lol, or put the full FFG on a new album, the extra verse just adds soo much to the song.

[dissention]

Best: Hooking up with Lindsey and breaking away from Fritz. It was all uphill from there.

Worst: Rock A Little. It was all downhill from there.

[David]

Incredible... you're not being sarcastic (at least I think ;) ) and I agree with you.Are you feeling quite well?