25 Years The Chain Box Set...

[DaltreyPFD]

I was wondering... what are the new tracks on this box set and how are they?

I can't believe I don't have these songs!!

[Chrislit18]

Hon, I started a thread about this around April, Mayish.

There aren't really any 'new' tracks, just unreleased versions. I love the new Tusk on it. But save that the unreleased versions aren't that much better IMO.

ACTUALLY-there are a few 'new' tracks. Paper Doll is good, Make Me a Mask is basically a throwaway OOTC track, that is so Lindsey its not even funny. Heart of Stone is good, and The other Chris song...ugh forgot the title, is ok.

But I think that unless you are a new fan and don't have much of the albums or are an extreme hardcore fan, then don't waste your money. [Or get it on eBay for like 10 bucks. thats what I did. :)]

[DaltreyPFD]

Hon, I started a thread about this around April, Mayish.

There aren't really any 'new' tracks, just unreleased versions. I love the new Tusk on it. But save that the unreleased versions aren't that much better IMO.

ACTUALLY-there are a few 'new' tracks. Paper Doll is good, Make Me a Mask is basically a throwaway OOTC track, that is so Lindsey its not even funny. Heart of Stone is good, and The other Chris song...ugh forgot the title, is ok.

But I think that unless you are a new fan and don't have much of the albums or are an extreme hardcore fan, then don't waste your money. [Or get it on eBay for like 10 bucks. thats what I did. :)]

I will check eBay as I would like to hear these tracks.
Thanks.

[iamnotafraid]

You've got to get this set. The fourth disc is a great introduction to the pre-buckingham/nicks Mac. Plus it's got a great booklet with some cool pictures.

[strandinthewind]

You've got to get this set. The fourth disc is a great introduction to the pre-buckingham/nicks Mac. Plus it's got a great booklet with some cool pictures.

I agree. Some found it to be a sonic nightmare. But, it sounded okay to me. And, it has different versions of songs, e.g. Isn't it Midnight.

[wildheart048]

The other Christine track is called "Love Shines" ... I love both that, Heart of Stone (one of myfave CM tracks, actually) and Paper doll...Also worth it for Goodbye Angel (LB track) and the unedited version of Gypsy, which, IMHO is awesome...most of the alt versions available on here (which there are a lot of!) are really cool...and, as was already mentioned, the booklet is vv cool...

[SteveMacD]

IMO, the biggest treasure in the set is a previously unreleased Danny Kirwan song called Trinity. It's perhaps my all-time favorite Fleetwood Mac song these days, and really is reason enough to buy the set.

In terms of the other new/previously unreleased stuff, I think Christine's new songs are amazing. I also really liked Lindsey's Goodbye Angel (which should have been on Mirage over a few songs that actually made that record) and, to a lesser extent, Teen Beat. The alternate version of Bob Welch's Lay It All Down is pretty killer, too. But the rest, eh.

[jbrownsjr]

IMO, the biggest treasure in the set is a previously unreleased Danny Kirwan song called Trinity. It's perhaps my all-time favorite Fleetwood Mac song these days, and really is reason enough to buy the set.

In terms of the other new/previously unreleased stuff, I think Christine's new songs are amazing. I also really liked Lindsey's Goodbye Angel (which should have been on Mirage over a few songs that actually made that record) and, to a lesser extent, Teen Beat. The alternate version of Bob Welch's Lay It All Down is pretty killer, too. But the rest, eh.

I agree with everything here...

Trinity and Lay it All down Love Shines and Heart of Stone are worth the box... (amazing tunes) Make Me a Mask is great as well... I can't stand Paper Doll.... it's worse than Silver Girl.... awful!!!!

[chiliD]

I can't stand Paper Doll.... it's worse than Silver Girl.... awful!!!!

I don't necessarily agree with that. I didn't like "Paper Doll" at first, either, but right out of the gate I thought it was light years better than "No Questions Asked" (from the GH set) and it has grown on me over the years, so now I don't mind it at all...and I really hated "Silver Girl" for a long time, too, until I heard it on a jukebox in a bar between my band's sets...it sounded decent in that setting to where I find it quite listenable now. The song of Stevie's that went from "cool" to "gag me with a spoon" was "Running Through The Garden". I just threw up a little in my throat just mentioning it.

[michelej1]

I love Paper Doll. Maybe if it had come out at a different time, I wouldn't have. But coming as it did when I was feeling so nostalgic, paired with that video, showcasing such fine FM moments, I was taken with that song and still am.

Hate Silver Girl. Hate RTTG even more. Hate Sweet Girl.

Yesterday I was fascinated by somebody else.

Michele

[Chrislit18]

HOLY CRAP!!!
I can't BELEIVE I forgot about 'Goodbye Angel'!!! :shocked:

Yeah, its worth the money just for that song!!
[Its on my Mirage mix, so I assume it's from the album. sorry :(]

I still suggest eBay is the best place to get it.

I can't believe I did that!!

I love RTTG :shrug:
Silver Gril, now thats a puker.
...

[TheWILDheart]

I love Paper Doll. Maybe if it had come out at a different time, I wouldn't have. But coming as it did when I was feeling so nostalgic, paired with that video, showcasing such fine FM moments, I was taken with that song and still am.

Hate Silver Girl. Hate RTTG even more. Hate Sweet Girl.

Yesterday I was fascinated by somebody else.

Michele

:eek:

Get out.





:laugh:

am I the only person here that totally LOVES RTTG, Paper Doll, Sweet Girl, No Question Asked and really likes Silver Girl?? Surely, I cannot be alone :distress:

[chriskisn]

Paper Doll is a great song - very much like Freedom or Affairs of the Heart which I love...

The best song on the box set IMO is Heart of Stone - one of the Christine tracks I actually can listen to without feeling like I am being tortured... ;-) String-a-long and Trinity are good also.

[wildheart048]

:eek:

Get out.





:laugh:

am I the only person here that totally LOVES RTTG, Paper Doll, Sweet Girl, No Question Asked and really likes Silver Girl?? Surely, I cannot be alone :distress:


You're not! (mostly) I love RTTG (I didn't at first...I thought it sounded too "80s" but I've grown to love it) Paper Doll, Sweet Girl (and I can't imagine any fan of Stevie's not loving that one!) & NQA...Silver Girl? Not so much...it's ok, but I don't think I'm ever gonna love it...

[TrueFaith77]

RTTG is one of my alltime favorite STevie songs!!!!

[strandinthewind]

RTTG is one of my alltime favorite STevie songs!!!!

I really like it and think the lyrics are beautiful and moving - and her vocal is scorching. I do think, however, that LB's production of it sucked a$$$ and that a better production could have propelled the song into the tep 10 - ditto for SYW, though La Nicks' lackluster vocal also killed that one.

[SteveMacD]

I really like it and think the lyrics are beautiful and moving - and her vocal is scorching. I do think, however, that LB's production of it sucked a$$$ and that a better production could have propelled the song into the tep 10 - ditto for SYW, though La Nicks' lackluster vocal also killed that one.

Those days passed the Mac a long, long time ago. Anyway, I'm not sure that having a top 10 hit these days is anything to write home about.

[Zombie]

am I the only person here that totally LOVES RTTG, Paper Doll, Sweet Girl, No Question Asked and really likes Silver Girl?? Surely, I cannot be alone :distress:

You're not alone. I adore "No Questions Asked." And I quite like "Paper Doll," too - "Yesterday, I was fascinated by somebody else" is a great line.

I have this box set, and ripped it to mp3 so I can just throw it on while I'm working and have constant music without having to shuffle around. There are songs on it that I'm neutral about, but nothing I hate enough to stop what I'm doing and skip past.

I think box sets like this are great, especially for a band like Fleetwood Mac that has gone through so many different incarnations over the years and cranked out great music the whole time via sometimes drastically different genres. So I think that a set like this serves as a good introduction to the casual fan, or even a big fan that's perhaps not familiar with the pre-Buckingham/Nicks Mac or vice versa. Disk 4 has a good sampling to check out from the Peter Green days - best British blues guitarist, bar none.

And this clip pretty much makes my life complete:

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Hef waxing philosophic about Buckminster Fuller as a means to introduce Peter Green singing a song about masturbation? Yes, please. Also, nice shirt, Mick.

All hail the dirty ol' Mac!

:laugh:

[OutsideTheRain]

I def think that most of us can agree that LB's production of Stevie's songs had been lackluster for almost all of SYW (save maybe Illume). Thrown Down was beautifully written and should have been a hit (the drum track demo was better than the studio version). As a musician, I can tell you that they should of had Chris Lord-Alge mix the entire record. The album lacked a cohesive sound. Stevie's vocals were mixed HORRIBLY (too much high end, almost no reverb). The lack of Chris' keyboards made for a weak sounding rythm section and in my opinion, gave Lindsey TOO much room to overplay on almost all the tracks. The whole album lacked the ETHEREAL sound that made Fleetwood Mac successful. Let's pray for an outside producer for the next album!!!

[nailatixela]

am I the only person here that totally LOVES RTTG, Paper Doll, Sweet Girl, No Question Asked and really likes Silver Girl?? Surely, I cannot be alone :distress:


I love RTTG, Paper Doll, Sweet Girl, and NQA as well! They are some of my favs. Sweet Girl and No Questions asked are extra great.

[wolfontherun]

Wait a minute. I thought this thread was about the 25 years box set? How did SYW get involved?

[TrueFaith77]

I def think that most of us can agree that LB's production of Stevie's songs had been lackluster for almost all of SYW (save maybe Illume). Thrown Down was beautifully written and should have been a hit (the drum track demo was better than the studio version). As a musician, I can tell you that they should of had Chris Lord-Alge mix the entire record. The album lacked a cohesive sound. Stevie's vocals were mixed HORRIBLY (too much high end, almost no reverb). The lack of Chris' keyboards made for a weak sounding rythm section and in my opinion, gave Lindsey TOO much room to overplay on almost all the tracks. The whole album lacked the ETHEREAL sound that made Fleetwood Mac successful. Let's pray for an outside producer for the next album!!!

I actually love the sound of Say You Will, but I know I'm in the minority. There've discussions about producers in the past. I agree that SYW did not have the recognizable sound of Mac. . . but I also think they should go outside the box, while remaining within the popular idiom. My initial thought was Timbaland. But also, why not?, Brian Eno! It'd be about time.

[David]

Stevie's vocals were mixed HORRIBLY (too much high end, almost no reverb).I don't like reverb.

[Musicman408]

Shoot, I may need to buy this, just for the new tracks and whatnot.:nod:

[strandinthewind]

Those days passed the Mac a long, long time ago. Anyway, I'm not sure that having a top 10 hit these days is anything to write home about.

I agree in that most of the top ten stuff is not my deal. But, I think a solid five million selling CD would have enabled The Mac to get out a few more records in they wanted to. In other words, I think SYW was a direct result of The Dance's financial success. In the end, we got two from LB, so there's that.

Plus, I just want them to go out on a high note (think History of the World :cool:

[gldstwmn]

IMO, the biggest treasure in the set is a previously unreleased Danny Kirwan song called Trinity. It's perhaps my all-time favorite Fleetwood Mac song these days, and really is reason enough to buy the set.
The alternate version of Bob Welch's Lay It All Down is pretty killer, too.

Disc four is great and turned me on to how great FM was before S&L.

[michelej1]

Newsday, December 13, 1992

25 YEARS: THE CHAIN

Fleetwood Mac

(Warner Bros.)

When Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" (" . . . thinking about tomorrow") became the unofficial Clinton-Gore campaign song, some people thought it was groovy that any putative rock song would be invoked to celebrate a major party's presidential nomination. Others wondered how groovy the Clinton-Gores could possibly be, shaking their booties to a 15-year-old Fleetwood Mac tune.

Such ambivalence has long dogged Fleetwood Mac itself, a band that has, in its quarter century, been all things to all people. It evolved, with numerous volatile personnel upheavals, from Brit blues band to pretentious art rockers to Amerenglish pop group to L. A. rock band to erratic experimentalists to arena rock dinosaurs. At the peak of its fame, in the mid-1970s, Fleetwood Mac was simultaneously the best and worst rock band in the world: the best, for its versatility and pop-craft on huge-selling albums such as "Fleetwood Mac" and "Rumours"; the worst because its finicky self-absorption, its soap opera lifestyles, and huge expenditures of time and money in the recording studio made it a symbol of everything that had gone wrong with the music business.

"25 Years - The Chain" covers four compact discs in roughly reverse chronology: Disc one begins with "Paper Doll" and "Love Shines," two of four new songs included in the package, while disc four begins with "I Believe My Time Ain't Long," Jeremy Spencer's "Dust My Broom" rip-off that was the band's first British single (1967).

Most listeners who respect Fleetwood Mac's best work but don't identify themselves as fans will want to avoid the extremes of derivativeness and conventionality on these two discs and concentrate on the appealing, wide-ranging pop and rock on the middle two discs. In retrospect, Stevie Nicks' songs such as "Gold Dust Woman," "Dreams" and "Rhiannon" have a toughness that contradicts the ethereal space cadet image with which she's been saddled; Christine McVie still sounds like someone with whom you'd like to spend an afternoon shooting pool and drinking beer; and Lindsey Buckingham's experiments like "Tusk," "Teen Beat" and "Not That Funny" sound like the ravings of a rich, brilliant, disturbed child.

Still, better Buckingham's primal screams than the wan Seals and Crofts-ish pop of Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady," or the Led Zep-ish shenanigans of Peter Green on "Green Manalishi," or the antiseptic newer songs featuring Buckingham replacements Rick Vito and Billy Burnette. Only the most cursory attention is given to underrated albums such as "Kiln House" (1970), from which there's only one song. But what can you do? Fleetwood Mac isn't one band: It's been at least half a dozen bands, which explains why this four-disc set seems both like way too much and hardly enough.

- Wayne Robins

[michelej1]

Virginia Pilot and Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA), November 27, 1992




FLEETWOOD MAC

''25 Years - The Chain''

(Warner Brothers) 4 CDs, 72 tracks

This compilation tracing Fleetwood Mac's transformation from British blues band to pop superstars to bickering millionaires plays to the strength of the box set.

Why? Because it does more than just package the hits. It tells the story of one of rock's most enduring - and chameleon-like - bands.

Those fans who climbed aboard with 1975's ''Fleetwood Mac'' will be astonished at the band's versatility, particularly on the first disc, which traces the pre-Lindsay Buckingham/Stevie Nicks years.

Fleetwood Mac formed in 1967 with drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie and guitarists Peter Green (one of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) and Jeremy Spencer. Their rollicking blues were a hit in Britain.

The first CD is an eye-opening retrospective, collecting 19 songs from nine different albums as well as some unreleased material. Spencer was an Elmore James fanatic and the disc opens with the band's first U.K. single, James' ''Dust My Broom.'' From there, it moves through slow, dirty blues, Zeppelin-style blues and even a horn-fired R&B raver, ''Stop Messin' Around.''

''Albatross'' is a beautiful instrumental that went No. 1 in England and ''String-A-Long'' could fit seamlessly on an Everly Brothers album.

The latter is the marker: With the addition of smoky Christine Perfect, who soon married McVie, and the departure of Spencer and Green, Mac turned towards pop.

''Fleetwood Mac'' and ''Rumours'' are heavily represented on the final three discs. Not surprisingly, those cuts hold up more than 15 years later; the news is that the dozen tracks from ''Tusk,'' which was shunned because of the pop experimentation inspired by Buckingham, stand strong alongside them.

And while Nicks may have the solo career, this collection shows Christine McVie to be Mac's most affecting vocalist. She can caress even the thinnest of lyrics in a way that gives them credibility.

Earlier this year, Mick Fleetwood said there basically was no way Fleetwood Mac would regroup. It's just as well. ''25 Years - The Chain'' is an essential set. 5 Stars

[vivfox]

Earlier this year, Mick Fleetwood said there basically was no way Fleetwood Mac would regroup.


Your love gives me such a thrill. But your love won't pay my bills. I want money. That's what I want. Just give me money...

[wildheart048]

Virginia Pilot and Ledger-Star (Norfolk, VA), November 27, 1992




FLEETWOOD MAC

''25 Years - The Chain''

(Warner Brothers) 4 CDs, 72 tracks

This compilation tracing Fleetwood Mac's transformation from British blues band to pop superstars to bickering millionaires plays to the strength of the box set.

Why? Because it does more than just package the hits. It tells the story of one of rock's most enduring - and chameleon-like - bands.

Those fans who climbed aboard with 1975's ''Fleetwood Mac'' will be astonished at the band's versatility, particularly on the first disc, which traces the pre-Lindsay Buckingham/Stevie Nicks years.

Fleetwood Mac formed in 1967 with drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie and guitarists Peter Green (one of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) and Jeremy Spencer. Their rollicking blues were a hit in Britain.

The first CD is an eye-opening retrospective, collecting 19 songs from nine different albums as well as some unreleased material. Spencer was an Elmore James fanatic and the disc opens with the band's first U.K. single, James' ''Dust My Broom.'' From there, it moves through slow, dirty blues, Zeppelin-style blues and even a horn-fired R&B raver, ''Stop Messin' Around.''

''Albatross'' is a beautiful instrumental that went No. 1 in England and ''String-A-Long'' could fit seamlessly on an Everly Brothers album.

The latter is the marker: With the addition of smoky Christine Perfect, who soon married McVie, and the departure of Spencer and Green, Mac turned towards pop.

''Fleetwood Mac'' and ''Rumours'' are heavily represented on the final three discs. Not surprisingly, those cuts hold up more than 15 years later; the news is that the dozen tracks from ''Tusk,'' which was shunned because of the pop experimentation inspired by Buckingham, stand strong alongside them.

And while Nicks may have the solo career, this collection shows Christine McVie to be Mac's most affecting vocalist. She can caress even the thinnest of lyrics in a way that gives them credibility.

Earlier this year, Mick Fleetwood said there basically was no way Fleetwood Mac would regroup. It's just as well. ''25 Years - The Chain'' is an essential set. 5 Stars

My box had disc 4 being the pre Buckingham/Nicks disc...does anyone actually have this with it being Disc 1? I just always assumed that it was the way mine is? I'm intrigued...

[holidayroad]

My box had disc 4 being the pre Buckingham/Nicks disc...does anyone actually have this with it being Disc 1? I just always assumed that it was the way mine is? I'm intrigued...

My disc 4 is the same as yours. Disc 1 starts with Paper Doll.

[wildheart048]

Yup, mine too! Thanks!!:angel:

[Dodfather]

Mine too. It's always irritated me that this is the last disc. Surely it would have made more sense to have this as disc one so we could have a chronological order to the 25 years?? Oh well.

[Heartboy]

This box set is special to me. I got it as a Christmas present in 1992 when I was 17. I was a big Stevie fan. I love 'Paper Doll' & 'Heart of Stone'...I think Stevies harmonies on that one are great. I'm amazed Stevie did Paper Doll because after recently seeing an interview on youtube from 1991 (She was promoting the Timespace album) Stevie said she was done with the Mac because Mick wouldn't let her put 'Silver Springs' on Timespace! What do you know, a year later it ends up on the Box set.:rolleyes: lol

Songs that stand out for me are the extended version of 'Gypsy', the remix of 'Say You Love Me' , 'Paper Doll', The live version of 'Stand Back', 'Not That Funny' (I would of loved to be there) of course 'Silver Springs' although the best version of that song would end up on Stevies 'Crystal Visions' from 2007. That version is extended a little. I love her "OOOOOOO's" at the end.

This is fun to get out once in awhile or blue moon and listen to it. :)

[holidayroad]

This box set is special to me. I got it as a Christmas present in 1992 when I was 17. I was a big Stevie fan. I love 'Paper Doll' & 'Heart of Stone'...I think Stevies harmonies on that one are great. I'm amazed Stevie did Paper Doll because after recently seeing an interview on youtube from 1991 (She was promoting the Timespace album) Stevie said she was done with the Mac because Mick wouldn't let her put 'Silver Springs' on Timespace! What do you know, a year later it ends up on the Box set.:rolleyes: lol

Songs that stand out for me are the extended version of 'Gypsy', the remix of 'Say You Love Me' , 'Paper Doll', The live version of 'Stand Back', 'Not That Funny' (I would of loved to be there) of course 'Silver Springs' although the best version of that song would end up on Stevies 'Crystal Visions' from 2007. That version is extended a little. I love her "OOOOOOO's" at the end.

This is fun to get out once in awhile or blue moon and listen to it. :)

I got it for Christmas that year too!!!!!! I was 18 and Thrilled!!!

[iamnotafraid]

Surely it would have made more sense to have this as disc one so we could have a chronological order to the 25 years?? Oh well.

A pun?

Did any of you get the CD single from the box? I had to,
or at least I thought I did.

What about the double CD version?

Anybody have double inserts (I think the Stevie autograph)???