Use this thread to express your hatred of "Don't Stop"... [Archive]

Jyqm

10-15-2005, 03:10 PM

DavidMn

10-15-2005, 03:12 PM

Well, Don't Stop is definitely down on my list of Chris' favorite songs. And part of it is because it's one of like 3 Fleetwood Mac songs that get regular airplay on the radio these days, the other is that it's just a little too pedestrian for me.

Jyqm

10-15-2005, 03:31 PM

It's funny, I always think I hate this song and then when it comes on my iPod I find myself tapping my feet and humming along.
I think I'm so used to it on Rumours now, I can't tell if it ruins the flow. Maybe I'll give the album another listen, with this in mind...

I actually only came to this realization last night, after years of not disliking it. Don't let memory or habit fool you!

GateandGarden

10-15-2005, 03:38 PM

Okay, this is the thing about me and "Don't Stop." I like it except for this part--"If your life was bad to you/just think what tomorrow will do." Okay, I guess I'm the only person who can't help but take it in a completely different way from what she obviously meant. Context clues tell me it's supposed to be an affirmation (you don't say!) but it doesn't sound like it to my ears. Am I more of a cynic than I realize? To me, it's like "Man, if you think things suck bad now, just wait! You have no idea!"

I really do like the third verse. So much of the rest of it is painfully cheesy. I don't hate it. It just isn't a favorite.

SortaSavageLike

10-15-2005, 03:41 PM

Mari

10-15-2005, 03:58 PM

Oh thank you for giving this opportunity. I do really hate it and have hated it for years. It's cheesy. It's been a big hit here, which means I've heard it too much. GYOW suffers from that problem too, but at least that one isn't as cheesy.

amber

10-15-2005, 04:01 PM

It's funny, I always think I hate this song and then when it comes on my iPod I find myself tapping my feet and humming along.
I think I'm so used to it on Rumours now, I can't tell if it ruins the flow. Maybe I'll give the album another listen, with this in mind...
That's been happening to me, too. But not quite as much. I used to hate it, never listen, always skip. But now, occasionally, I don't hate it for one second. :angel:
I usually still mostly do, though. Still, I never listen to it all in a row, on rumours.
I feel like I'm losing my edge now that my hatred has faded a smidge. I'm becoming complacent to crap. :o Oh, well, it worked for RAL (the song), too.

MacFans

10-15-2005, 04:33 PM

Likes Don't Stop. Even though it is cheesy, it still makes me feel good every time I hear it. Rumours is such an intense record so it's nice to have a more playful song to balance it out.

(Syd)

David

10-15-2005, 04:37 PM

I don't hate "Don't Stop" but I do hate the way the band has played it live since 1987 all the way to the present. That's because I hate the anthemic, get-em-in-the-aisles quality of the song, which is all they emphasize these days; but I love the sharp, muscular shuffle-on-speed aspect of it, which seems to be gone.

I ... guess ... I like it on the Rumours album, although I think it's the single biggest reason that Fleetwood Mac was blasted for being a bubblegum pop outfit, which was pretty unjust even before Tusk came along.

SortaSavageLike

10-15-2005, 04:47 PM

I ... guess ... I like it on the Rumours album, although I think it's the single biggest reason that Fleetwood Mac was blasted for being a bubblegum pop outfit, which was pretty unjust even before Tusk came along.

I bet if you walked up to any ordinary man on the street and asked "Have you heard of Fleetwood Mac", they would respond "Oh yeah, they did that lame "Don't Stop!" thing for Slick Willy!" :rolleyes:

Of course, I was like that until a couple years ago, until I realized that song didn't represent the band's back catalogue in it's entirety. :thumbsup:

mylittledemon

10-15-2005, 05:21 PM

Inspired by something David posted on AMFM over on Usenet, I'm creating this thread just so people can complain about "Don't Stop."

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the song on its own. And the Dance version with the marching band is really great.

But I think it totally ruins the flow of Rumours. It's not that it's a kooky upbeat shuffle; that's cool. I think it's mostly that it's a kooky upbeat shuffle with lyrics that belong in a self-help program more than on a rock album. Chris' other contributions to the album are so perfect, but Rumours sets such a perfect desperate mood with the sequence of the first three songs... and then it all comes crashing down in a barrage of tinkling piano and "Hey, you can do it!" lyrics. Good thing we've got "Go Your Own Way" right after it to thrust us right back into the swing of things.

You may be biased like me. I think it depends partly on your age, and when you started hearing the tune. That song, now, gets associated with the Clinton-Presidential-Theme. Back in the 70s I'm sure the vibe was different. I personally dont think of Bill Clinton when I hear this song. I think it's a great "pop" song, probably the poppiest pop song on the album...nothing more.

Jyqm

10-15-2005, 05:39 PM

You may be biased like me. I think it depends partly on your age, and when you started hearing the tune. That song, now, gets associated with the Clinton-Presidential-Theme. Back in the 70s I'm sure the vibe was different. I personally dont think of Bill Clinton when I hear this song. I think it's a great "pop" song, probably the poppiest pop song on the album...nothing more.

Actually, the Clinton association very rarely occurs to me as well. And again, I don't necessarily dislike the song - it's where it is on Rumours that really bothers me.

catinthedark

10-15-2005, 05:45 PM

But I think it totally ruins the flow of Rumours.... Rumours sets such a perfect desperate mood with the sequence of the first three songs... and then it all comes crashing down in a barrage of tinkling piano and "Hey, you can do it!" lyrics.

Get out of my head!! :laugh:

That's exactly how I feel about it, too. And I agree with David, who brought up that I think FM gets cubbyholed as sugary pop fluff because of this song. Unfairly. I, too, always find myself sort of singing along when it comes on, but it's not a fave by any means. It's not a bad song, per say. It's just a bad FM song when you look over their discography.

Serrart

10-15-2005, 05:45 PM

I like Don't Stop, it's upbeat, positive, and gives space to all the band members. All good things for me, and it works at the end of the concerts like the happy ending in Hollywood movies, something a bit boring at times, but anyway reassuring. :nod:

Romy

HomerMcvie

10-15-2005, 06:08 PM

I like Don't Stop, and always have. It's a great pop shuffle song, which is rare.

WildInTheWind

10-15-2005, 07:02 PM

Oh thank you for giving this opportunity. I do really hate it and have hated it for years. It's cheesy. .

Me too. I can't stand it.

DownOnRodeo

10-15-2005, 07:32 PM

Just did Don't Stop at karaoke last night. Everyone was able to join in and sing. I even threw in some air guitar for the solo ;)

Fun song!

Richard B

10-15-2005, 07:47 PM

stargazer99

10-15-2005, 07:56 PM

Okay, this is the thing about me and "Don't Stop." I like it except for this part--"If your life was bad to you/just think what tomorrow will do." Okay, I guess I'm the only person who can't help but take it in a completely different way from what she obviously meant. Context clues tell me it's supposed to be an affirmation (you don't say!) but it doesn't sound like it to my ears. Am I more of a cynic than I realize? To me, it's like "Man, if you think things suck bad now, just wait! You have no idea!"

I totally agree! I always think the same thing when I hear this line. I always thought it was the pessimist in me!

GateandGarden

10-15-2005, 09:40 PM

I totally agree! I always think the same thing when I hear this line. I always thought it was the pessimist in me!Good to know it's not just me! :)

johndoe

10-15-2005, 09:42 PM

In general, I like the song, but there are versions I dislike.

Rumors version= Meh. Its alright, but again, does disrupt the flow of Yumors just a little bit.

Live album version= Pretty good. In the middle of the Dance and the Rumors version

Dance Version= Moy Moy good

Live In Boston Version= I liked it because it was more upbeat, but Lindsey mashed the hell out of the opening vocals. But Stevie doing Chris' part sounds really awesome.

strandinthewind

10-15-2005, 09:49 PM

Just did Don't Stop at karaoke last night. Everyone was able to join in and sing. I even threw in some air guitar for the solo ;)

Fun song!

Those crazy japanese :laugh:

Do they do it like they do in Shanghai - in a closed room with food platters - or is it on stage in front of a great big audience like in America.

dissention

10-15-2005, 10:01 PM

Live In Boston Version= I liked it because it was more upbeat, but Lindsey mashed the hell out of the opening vocals. But Stevie doing Chris' part sounds really awesome.

Stevie doing Christine's part made me weep. Never do it again, Stevie, you suck on it. It was like Chris subbing for Stevie on those Mirage rehearsals: foul.

amber

10-15-2005, 10:05 PM

Stevie doing Christine's part made me weep. Never do it again, Stevie, you suck on it. It was like Chris subbing for Stevie on those Mirage rehearsals: foul.
I totally liked it better. :laugh: Okay, not superbetter, but I thought it gave the song some needed grit and edge. It's such a pure effing song, otherwise. But not just pure, pure and annoying. So, I liked La Thing on it. Although at first I was shocked, admittedly....:shocked:

GateandGarden

10-15-2005, 10:17 PM

Stevie doing Christine's part made me weep. Never do it again, Stevie, you suck on it. It was like Chris subbing for Stevie on those Mirage rehearsals: foul.I have to agree. I think the song needs Christine.

amber

10-15-2005, 10:21 PM

I have to agree. I think the song needs Christine.
Well, I kind of look at the two versions as separate entities. Did I just mispell seperate? hmmm.

dissention

10-15-2005, 10:26 PM

Well, I kind of look at the two versions as separate entities. Did I just mispell seperate? hmmm.

No. It's "separate." ;) :woohoo:

amber

10-15-2005, 10:29 PM

No. It's "separate." ;) :woohoo:
Yay! Thanks. You know, I almost have a fetish for good spellers???:lol:
I wonder what that one is called? It's not in the game you posted for us recently....:p

dissention

10-15-2005, 10:31 PM

Yay! Thanks. You know, I almost have a fetish for good spellers???:lol:
I wonder what that one is called? It's not in the game you posted for us recently....:p

:lol:

Too bad I'll be out of town; the season premiere for Sue is tomorrow night and I could have called to ask for you. :p

amber

10-15-2005, 10:36 PM

:lol:

Too bad I'll be out of town; the season premiere for Sue is tomorrow night and I could have called to ask for you. :p
yeah, too bad. Are you having vacay? anyway, have a good time. I guess I could look it up online? It sure is a lot better than that farting one...:shocked: :laugh:

DownOnRodeo

10-15-2005, 10:51 PM

Do they do it like they do in Shanghai - in a closed room with food platters - or is it on stage in front of a great big audience like in America.

Yep, karaoke here is a narrow building with multiple floors, full of tiny rooms that you cram into. Big difference from back in Australia where the 'karaoke guy' comes around to your local pub every Friday with his machine.

Nicksluvver

10-15-2005, 10:59 PM

This is a weird one for me. When i first discovered Rumours, I loved it very much. It rolls with album and offers up something lighter and less bleak. So it fits nicely.

However, now, after Clinton used the damn song, I can't deal with it. It just brings me back to Hilary Clinton dancing with FM on stage to it. It's just ruined it for me.

I couldn't agree more! I grew up on the song and if I listen to it today when I have the Rumours cd in, I still like it. If I hear it on the radio too much, I get sick of it. I watched my Stevie clips coincidentally tonight and that Clinton thing came on , I got nauseus and hit fast forward!! The whole thing stunk from start to finish for me. Outside of The Mac reuniting , the rest I couldn't stand. Funny back then when it happened, I knew it would be many more years before they had a real reunion again!

macfan 57

10-16-2005, 04:59 AM

I like Don't Stop, and always have. It's a great pop shuffle song, which is rare.

Once again, I have to agree with Homer.:) it just puts me in a great mood whenever I hear it. I LOVE the live versions from the Rumours, Tusk & Mirage tours. I love Christine's piano solos from those tours. Her piano on those tours gave the song a more bluesy feel. I've never heard & never will hear the SYW live versions. I consider them blasphemous without Christine's vocals.:laugh:

By the way, I have friends who care nothing at all about Fleetwood Mac, but they all think of "Don't Stop" as the Clinton song. Most of them love the song, by the way. It's still Fleetwood Mac's most recognizable song to most casual & non-fans.

johndoe

10-16-2005, 08:28 AM

Most of them love the song, by the way. It's still Fleetwood Mac's most recognizable song to most casual & non-fans.

Is that really a good thing? Don't get me wrong, I like the song, but do you want the image people get of Fleetwood Mac to be a band that steals lyrics from one of those cheesy school assemblies about "turning that frown upside down?"

GateandGarden

10-16-2005, 09:05 AM

macfan 57

10-16-2005, 10:16 AM

Is that really a good thing? Don't get me wrong, I like the song, but do you want the image people get of Fleetwood Mac to be a band that steals lyrics from one of those cheesy school assemblies about "turning that frown upside down?"

I don't think it's necessarily a good or bad thing. It is what it is. The Clinton campaign never got permission from either Chris or Fleetwood Mac to play the song at their campaign rallies. Chris said that she had no idea they were even using the song until she heard it on a news report when watching TV. I think those people who remember the song when it first came out back in 1977(like me) probably think of it a bit differently than those people who first heard it in 1992.

I like the lyrics, by the way. Chris wrote the song for John.:)

David

10-16-2005, 10:49 AM

I don't think it's necessarily a good or bad thing. It is what it is. The Clinton campaign never got permission from either Chris or Fleetwood Mac to play the song at their campaign rallies. Chris said that she had no idea they were even using the song until she heard it on a news report when watching TV. I think those people who remember the song when it first came out back in 1977(like me) probably think of it a bit differently than those people who first heard it in 1992.Fleetwood Mac fans are too fixated on the lyrics, anyway. Lyrics are Bob Dylan's claim to fame -- not Fleetwood Mac's.

I want to know what Christine meant when she said (several times) that they laid down studio tracks for the inaugural. I heard the single rerelease at that time, & it wasn't new tracking, although it may have been edited. Is it possible that the band tracked the song fresh instrumentally to serve as a sort of backup to their TV performance? I can't tell when I watch it: is everyone playing live? They're certainly singing live. Lindsey looks to be playing live, but is there any guitar sounded in the performance that he doesn't appear to be playing? You can't really tell whether Chris is playing, despite that you can see she's playing the arrangement -- but is there prerecorded Christine being piped in? Same with Mick & John. They're both playing, but is there prerecorded Mick & John?

To what extent is it live & is it Memorex?

What else could Chris possibly mean by laying down tracks? And why would they lay down new tracks, if this theory is correct? Why not just use the Rumours tracks?

macfan 57

10-16-2005, 11:01 AM

Fleetwood Mac fans are too fixated on the lyrics, anyway. Lyrics are Bob Dylan's claim to fame -- not Fleetwood Mac's.

I want to know what Christine meant when she said (several times) that they laid down studio tracks for the inaugural. I heard the single rerelease at that time, & it wasn't new tracking, although it may have been edited. Is it possible that the band tracked the song fresh instrumentally to serve as a sort of backup to their TV performance? I can't tell when I watch it: is everyone playing live? They're certainly singing live. Lindsey looks to be playing live, but is there any guitar sounded in the performance that he doesn't appear to be playing? You can't really tell whether Chris is playing, despite that you can see she's playing the arrangement -- but is there prerecorded Christine being piped in? Same with Mick & John. They're both playing, but is there prerecorded Mick & John?

To what extent is it live & is it Memorex?

What else could Chris possibly mean by laying down tracks? And why would they lay down new tracks, if this theory is correct? Why not just use the Rumours tracks?

I just watched some old video coverage of the inauguaration. In an interview, John mentioned something about the whole thing on stage being surreal. He also mentioned something about "air guitar". I'm beginning to think that perfomance may not have been completely live. That's why I think they re-recorded "Don't Stop" at that time.

Edit: Now I remember, I got the "air guitar" comment from John from one of my Dance era promo interviews.

Lindsey Jr.

10-16-2005, 11:36 AM

it's not my favorite FM song, but I don't hate it either.

UnwindedDreams

10-16-2005, 12:11 PM

:confused: :confused: :confused: I think it's one of their greatest...I love it:nod:

GateandGarden

10-16-2005, 12:24 PM

Ever get into a really horrible argument with someone, and about a third of the way through, someone completely spaced out would wander into the room, cheerfully requesting that "everybody quit the fussing and the fueding!" and offering to make coffee or to freshen up the room a bit?

Don't Stop is like that.:]You know, this thread has been a curse. It has made me think about that song way too much. Your assessment is both humorous and dead-on. :thumbsup:

I don't like to think about this song because then I realize how bad it is. If I don't think about it, I think Oh, it has a nice beat and it's Christine and awwww...she wrote it for John.

If I allow myself to think about it any further, it pisses me off, knowing a bit of the story. They were getting a divorce. He didn't want to get a divorce. He was very much in love with her. Okay, I'm putting myself in his shoes. I would be feeling really, really ****ty. And then she writes this song for me, this "oh, you'll get over it" and "turn that frown upside down" song. That would make me want to say "Go f*ck yourself!" The last thing I want is the person who rejected me saying, "Oh, you'll get over it. Tomorrow is a brand new day!" :] If I were the suicidal type, that might be the nail in coffin. I would be like, "Lady, get a clue! You are the love of my life! 'It'll be better than before' is not going to alleviate a damn thing!" I mean, it's just so amazingly shallow and it doesn't acknowledge the pain he must have felt at all. The third verse tries to but still misses the mark, I think. And you know, it would be the last thing I would want to hear after "You Make Lovin' Fun." The only thing worse than that is knowing that she's say "You make lovin' fun and I don't have to tell you that you're the only one" and "I never did believe in miracles" etc. and she's talking about someone else!

Obviously I'm using this thread as something cathartic and I'm in a vile mood but I really believe what I'm saying.

Of course David does have a point when he says that for FM, it's not all about the lyrics by any means. I would say that it's more about the lyrics than it is for, I don't know, Barry Manilow, though. I didn't think they were known for crappy lyrics. I also know, as I said before, that Christine and all the others can write better lyrics than that.

GypsySorcerer

10-16-2005, 12:25 PM

David

10-16-2005, 12:43 PM

Of course David does have a point when he says that for FM, it's not all about the lyrics by any means. I would say that it's more about the lyrics than it is for, I don't know, Barry Manilow, though. I didn't think they were known for crappy lyrics. I also know, as I said before, that Christine and all the others can write better lyrics than that.My view on lyrics is misunderstood, or at least not completely understood. I don't mean that lyrics aren't important to the experience of a Buckingam/Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac track. I mean that extrapolating the lyrics from the surrounding track & then examining them discretely -- as parts unconnected with the other parts -- is about as revealing as discretely examining the bass track, or one of the guitar tracks, or even one of the lead vocal tracks. In other words, not terrifically revealing of the overall impression the complete track makes on one, or the meaning one gleans from it.

The phrase that's often bandied about in relation to the band -- the whole is greater than the sum of the parts -- makes more sense to me not as it might pertain to the five individuals but to all the elements -- lyrics, chords, arrangement, production, vocals, engineering, etc. -- that constitute the entire track under examination. Fleetwood Mac was better than virtually any other pop band except the Beatles at combining elements in a way that magnified the whole affair well beyond what the simple artistic sum would be of each element put together with the others. "Alchemy" is the only word for it. When you combine cotton with feathers, you get cotton & feathers. But when you combine the various aspects of Fleetwood Mac's art -- including the shape of the words coming out of the singers' mouths & the puzzling idiosyncrasy of their instrumental semi-prowess -- you get a jewel: something that you didn't expect & something whose elements weren't there before.

GateandGarden

10-16-2005, 12:50 PM

My view on lyrics is misunderstood, or at least not completely understood. I don't mean that lyrics aren't important to the experience of a Buckingam/Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac track. I mean that extrapolating the lyrics from the surrounding track & then examining them discretely -- as parts unconnected with the other parts -- is about as revealing as discretely examining the bass track, or one of the guitar tracks, or even one of the lead vocal tracks. In other words, not terrifically revealing of the overall impression the complete track makes on one, or the meaning one gleans from it.

The phrase that's often bandied about in relation to the band -- the whole is greater than the sum of the parts -- makes more sense to me not as it might pertain to the five individuals but to all the elements -- lyrics, chords, arrangement, production, vocals, engineering, etc. -- that constitute the entire track under examination. Fleetwood Mac was better than virtually any other pop band except the Beatles at combining elements in a way that magnified the whole affair well beyond what the simple artistic sum would be of each element put together with the others. "Alchemy" is the only word for it. When you combine cotton with feathers, you get cotton & feathers. But when you combine the various aspects of Fleetwood Mac's art -- including the shape of the words coming out of the singers' mouths & the puzzling idiosyncrasy of their instrumental semi-prowess -- you get a jewel: something that you didn't expect & something whose elements weren't there before.Okay, yes, I see what you're saying there. Well put, and understood by me, save for a few parts that appear to be too complicated for me at the moment because I am too angry to think clearly. That is a very compelling argument as to why someone cannot look at the words and no other elements. Still, I can't stop myself from doing that in the case of this band because I do it with every other band and vocalist. It's a hard habit to break, especially for someone who typically listens for lyrics and then dismisses a lot of things if she doesn't care for lyrics. But then again FM has been one of the very few bands to bring me out of that box.

HomerMcvie

10-16-2005, 12:50 PM

Once again, I have to agree with Homer.:)
That's because we both suffer from having impeccable taste!!!:xoxo:

HomerMcvie

10-16-2005, 12:53 PM

It's okay. Part of the reason I dislike the song is the fact that it has been played too much, but so has GYOW, and I never tire of that one. I skip it on Rumours and the compilations most of the time. However, I enjoy the Dance version.
I'm honestly COMPLETELY sick of the Rumours album. I've just heard it too many millions of times in my life. It's my own fault. I bought the reissue(the day it came out), and STILL have only listened to the bonus disk!:lol: Track #8, please...:thumbsup:

David

10-16-2005, 03:02 PM

I'm honestly COMPLETELY sick of the Rumours album. I've just heard it too many millions of times in my life. It's my own fault.Being sick of it has practically nothing to do with judicial appraisal of its aesthetic achievements or flaws. Being sick of it is, as you rightly note, a function of overplay & force-feeding at the trough of modern marketing. I'd like to hear you offer an appraisal of the formalistic, thematic or conceptual aspects of the work on the album, irrespective of your personal oversatiation.

Remember, dave, if we let oversatiation stand in the way of our inclination to experience art, our views & our appreciation of works of art hundreds of years old -- whether we're talking about Shakespeare's plays, El Greco's paintings or Beethoven's symphonies -- would be seriously compromised & skewed. We must dig deep within ourselves & extricate the core essence of our experience, treating it as a first exposure if we are to understand all the artists whose work technology & the marketplace have made ubiquitous in our lives.

danax6

10-16-2005, 04:53 PM

Hate is such a strong word. :distress: While it may not be my favourite Mac song by a long shot, I still don't think it's that bad as some have stated here. It's just a part of Rumours, I never thought there was anything wrong (or off) with it. :shrug:

SteveMacD

10-16-2005, 04:55 PM

Fleetwood Mac was better than virtually any other pop band except the Beatles at combining elements in a way that magnified the whole affair well beyond what the simple artistic sum would be of each element put together with the others.
Well put. Somewhat ironically, the vibe I get from "Don't Stop" is the same vibe I get from "Hey Jude." Both have the "hang in there, everything is going to be okay" message throughout and a grand sing-a-long at the end

Alexbt

10-16-2005, 05:09 PM

I really like Don't Stop from The Dance, even though Lindsay looks and sounds like he's going to pass out from heat stroke.

The album version always sounded very stale to me, but I still like it--just not as much as The Dance.

I really hate the SYW versions for 2 reasons.
1. Stevie singing Christine's part. She doesn't even sing the right lyrics!
2. Brett Tuggle sucks at playing anything like Christine

Does anyone have the inaugural version (Live?) and whatever was rereleased? I can defintely tell you if anything was rerecorded for release or if there's a video who's faking. ;)

I'd love to see it.

shackin'up

10-16-2005, 05:26 PM

I actually only came to this realization last night, after years of not disliking it. Don't let memory or habit fool you!

Well I understand what you say, but for me this irritating feelgood-song really helped me through difficult heartbroken moments when I was a little boy in love between 12 and 18. So memory in this case cannot be cut off for me in the analysis or critization of the album nor the song. It's there and it made the mac big several times. I think it's an irritating song but it makes me feel happy and strong. How can you be against that.:shrug:

shackin'up

10-16-2005, 05:31 PM

I'm honestly COMPLETELY sick of the Rumours album. I've just heard it too many millions of times in my life. It's my own fault. I bought the reissue(the day it came out), and STILL have only listened to the bonus disk!:lol: Track #8, please...:thumbsup:

Well, it's amazing but I've heard it as much as you did and still it's an album so strong that I can't get sick off it. I even heard Tusk ALOT more in my life and that one is still the best thing ever brought out by anyone. The california cocaine trilogy is just something that has so much power that it will stand the test of time forever.

ThePenguin

10-16-2005, 07:40 PM

If I were the suicidal type, that might be the nail in coffin. I would be like, "Lady, get a clue! You are the love of my life! 'It'll be better than before' is not going to alleviate a damn thing!" I mean, it's just so amazingly shallow and it doesn't acknowledge the pain he must have felt at all.

This gave me a chuckle, as this is what i think too whenever I hear Don't Stop. I have heard from a source that John really was in a very bad way for awhile regarding depression, just withdrawing from life etc. He has alluded to the fact that 'it would have been easy just to dig a pit and jump in it' so I think it's safe to say there were occasionial suicidal thoughts. (Frankly, hearing Songbird for the first time might have been enough to make me jump in front of train if I were him, but I digress.)

And in Chris' defense, she must have been worried sick about him. And this was all during the time when she and John weren't even talking, so it must have been a really horrible, helpless feeling seeing him that way. and i guess she couldn't write "i still love you, but I'm not coming back to you... please don't kill yourself." Doesn't have the makings of a hit single LOL. so maybe writing that lighthearted little ditty was just the only way she could express to him that she was thinking about him, and worried about him. and i also think it was a nice added touch that it was a blues shuffle,something she knew he'd probably enjoy playing.

The only thing worse than that is knowing that she's say "You make lovin' fun and I don't have to tell you that you're [I]the only one" and "I never did believe in miracles" etc. and she's talking about someone else!

Agreed. And yet how amazing is the bassline on that song?! Amazing. it's the little stories behind the songs that always made FM so special to me. :woohoo:

-Lis

HomerMcvie

10-16-2005, 07:42 PM

Well, it's amazing but I've heard it as much as you did and still it's an album so strong that I can't get sick off it. I even heard Tusk ALOT more in my life and that one is still the best thing ever brought out by anyone. The california cocaine trilogy is just something that has so much power that it will stand the test of time forever.
I don't know. I don't wanna date myself(even though I'm damned good at it!;) ), but I think it was three 8 tracks, 2-3 cassettes, one album, and two CD's. All but the CD's worn completely out.
Is it the most important album of my life? Yes.
Is it still my favorite? No, by my own overplaying.
What IS the greatest FM album ever? Mystery To Me. Hands down.:woohoo:

GateandGarden

10-16-2005, 07:53 PM

This gave me a chuckle, as this is what i think too whenever I hear Don't Stop. I have heard from a source that John really was in a very bad way for awhile regarding depression, just withdrawing from life etc. He has alluded to the fact that 'it would have been easy just to dig a pit and jump in it' so I think it's safe to say there were occasionial suicidal thoughts. (Frankly, hearing Songbird for the first time might have been enough to make me jump in front of train if I were him, but I digress.)

And in Chris' defense, she must have been worried sick about him. And this was all during the time when she and John weren't even talking, so it must have been a really horrible, helpless feeling seeing him that way. and i guess she couldn't write "i still love you, but I'm not coming back to you... please don't kill yourself." Doesn't have the makings of a hit single LOL. so maybe writing that lighthearted little ditty was just the only way she could express to him that she was thinking about him, and worried about him. and i also think it was a nice added touch that it was a blues shuffle,something she knew he'd probably enjoy playing.

Agreed. And yet how amazing is the bassline on that song?! Amazing. it's the little stories behind the songs that always made FM so special to me. :woohoo:

-LisLis, you rule. Thanks so much for giving me some insight into their whole situation and showing me that I'm not the only one who has thought of those songs in those terms. And I've never thought of "Songbird" that way; I think you have a point. I can see how she would have been limited in how she could express her feelings to him, especially if those feelings were going to be made public and musically so. I can see (as much as I possibly can) what she must have been going through, wondering what she could do to make things better and not having that many options. What a truly horrible time it must have been for them both. And you're right about "You Make Lovin' Fun." Nothing takes away from how irresistable it is.

Thanks for that post in general. :)

The Chain

10-16-2005, 07:59 PM

I just can't get into it...:shrug: Too cheesy

ThePenguin

10-16-2005, 08:03 PM

Lis, you rule. Thanks so much for giving me some insight into their whole situation and showing me that I'm not the only one who has thought of those songs in those terms. And I've never thought of "Songbird" that way; I think you have a point. I can see how she would have been limited in how she could express her feelings to him, especially if those feelings were going to be made public and musically so. I can see (as much as I possibly can) what she must have been going through, wondering what she could do to make things better and not having that many options. What a truly horrible time it must have been for them both. And you're right about "You Make Lovin' Fun." Nothing takes away from how irresistable it is.

Thanks for that post in general. :)

Why, you're very welcome. :xoxo: I could probably write endlessly on those two, they fascinate me. :p

-Lis

estranged4life

10-17-2005, 02:26 PM

in all the languages of the Earth to describe my dislike for this song...Hated it years ago & when Slick Willy used it for his camapign for the 8 years he spent in the Oral Office I decided this song has to be one of the worst of the worst songs ever.

"Don't Stop"? No, please do...I have had more than enough of the Rumours album.

Nicksluvver

10-17-2005, 09:13 PM

I think at this point in time the haters should take out their copy of Rhino records Making of the classic album Rumours - lol. I watched it tonight for the first time in a few years and I have renewed appreciation for Don't Stop , as well as the whole record. Don't get me wrong, I am never sick of Rumours, but another person here said something along the lines of that its good go back and reappreciate the art of something, to see why it stands the test of time. Well Rumours I continue to appreciate you in a new way yet again, and I will date myself and admit that I have been listening to you for 28 years! :shocked:

xxxmx

10-18-2005, 10:30 AM

umm, i don't like this song. at all. and i never ever did. i remember listening to the album when i was a kid and running to turn it over before this song came on.

saccharin = no thank you

and also, i'm not a christine fan in general. and neither was my mom. genetically predisposed to not like this song? it's possible. i'm just so tired of it.

We must dig deep within ourselves & extricate the core essence of our experience, treating it as a first exposure if we are to understand all the artists whose work technology & the marketplace have made ubiquitous in our lives.
periphrasis kills.

David

10-18-2005, 10:48 AM

umm, i don't like this song. at all. and i never ever did. i remember listening to the album when i was a kid and running to turn it over before this song came on.

saccharin = no thank youAnother example of "dislike" being a direct function of dislike of lyrics, no? What would you think of the track if you were listening to just the instruments & no vocals?
and also, i'm not a christine fan in general. and neither was my mom. genetically predisposed to not like this song? it's possible. i'm just so tired of it. Again, help me understand. Does "not a Christine fan in general" refer specifically to Christine's lyrics? It surely couldn't refer to her chord progressions, since those are on the same basic pop-song level that Lindsey's & Stevie's are. And since the members of Fleetwood Mac played her songs in the studio, it wouldn't seem to me to refer to the musical performance . . . or does it? And if so, how? In other words, how could one love the band playing on, say, "Sara" & not love the band playing on anything Christine happened to write?

chiliD

10-18-2005, 10:52 AM

I'm using this thread to CONFESS my NON-hatred...and actual fondness...of "Don't Stop". If I were to say I hated it, I would have to hate the songs of Christine's it was spawned from, ie, "Dissatisfied", "Get Like You Used To Be", "Morning Rain", "Homeward Bound", "Just Crazy Love", etc. Can't do it, won't happen.

I love it...sure, I'm a bit TIRED of it, but I still LIKE it all the same.

I HATE Elton John's version of it.

I LOVE KC & The Sunshine Band's version of it.

David

10-18-2005, 10:59 AM

I HATE Elton John's version of it.Wasn't that awful? What he did, of course, was to bring out all the potentially worst aspects of it & bring them right to the surface, while burying or obliterating all the best aspects of the original.

A cover like that just makes me seriously question the "understanding" a singer has of his or her material.

Which is weird for Elton John, of course, because he has built a career on, among other things, having a keen vocal stylist understanding of the song -- as Robert Hilburn has rightly noted. But his main problem with his "Don't Stop" cover is a conceptual problem -- one directly related to production ideas being based on a misconception.

macfan 57

10-18-2005, 11:37 AM

I HATE Elton John's version of it.

I definitely agree with that & HATE might not even be a strong enough word to describe it. "Songbird" was even worse on that Rumours tribute album. Two of Christine's Rumours songs were completely butchered.

Jyqm

10-18-2005, 11:45 AM

Another example of "dislike" being a direct function of dislike of lyrics, no? What would you think of the track if you were listening to just the instruments & no vocals?

Personally, I'd probably like it quite a bit more. With different or no lyrics, I think it might actually serve as an interesting counterpoint on the album, rather than disrupting the mood and flow as I think it does in its current form.

jbrownsjr

10-18-2005, 06:20 PM

Stevie doing Christine's part made me weep. Never do it again, Stevie, you suck on it. It was like Chris subbing for Stevie on those Mirage rehearsals: foul.

OMG christine singing stevie's songs was horrible!

GateandGarden

10-18-2005, 06:26 PM

OMG christine singing stevie's songs was horrible!I know! It kills me! I have to listen but I wind up cringing.

And ditto to what Mary Anne said about that cover of "Songbird." That was just wrong.

SteveMacD

10-18-2005, 06:34 PM

Just curious what everybody else thinks of Mick's late friend Eva Cassidy's version of "Songbird." Personally, I like it. Not necessarily say as much as Christine's, but it's still good.

David

10-18-2005, 06:39 PM

Just curious what everybody else thinks of Mick's late friend Eva Cassidy's version of "Songbird." Personally, I like it. Not necessarily say as much as Christine's, but it's still good.It's too conventionally pretty. I don't connect with it. I like my own cover of Songbird better, with its hip-hop prerecorded drums & its space-age zortch.

UnwindedDreams

10-18-2005, 06:39 PM

This thread is making me cry:distress:

macfan 57

10-18-2005, 06:45 PM

Just curious what everybody else thinks of Mick's late friend Eva Cassidy's version of "Songbird." Personally, I like it. Not necessarily say as much as Christine's, but it's still good.

Same here. I don't usually like cover versions of my favorite songs, but this one I like, although certainly nowhere nearly as much as the original. I didn't know that Mick was a friend of Eva. If that's the case, I wonder why he didn't use Eva's version on that tribute CD.

GateandGarden

10-18-2005, 06:55 PM

chiliD

10-18-2005, 06:59 PM

Just curious what everybody else thinks of Mick's late friend Eva Cassidy's version of "Songbird." Personally, I like it. Not necessarily say as much as Christine's, but it's still good.

I'm an Eva fan. The more I listen to her version of "Songbird", the more I think it edges out Christine's original. Same with her cover of Sting's "Fields Of Gold".

MikeVielhaber

10-18-2005, 07:27 PM

You may be biased like me. I think it depends partly on your age, and when you started hearing the tune. That song, now, gets associated with the Clinton-Presidential-Theme. Back in the 70s I'm sure the vibe was different. I personally dont think of Bill Clinton when I hear this song. I think it's a great "pop" song, probably the poppiest pop song on the album...nothing more.

Yeah for me...I was only 7 during the 1992 elections....so I've never associated the song with Bill Clinton. I've always liked it. It's not my favorite and it's overplayed but....it's a good solid upbeat song.