DISCUSSION: Stevie's songs from Tusk

[MacShadowsBall]

Its now time for Stevie!!! :blob1: :lol:

Anyway...here's the list of Stevie's songs from Tusk.

1. Sara
2. Beautiful Child
3. Storms
4. Angel
5. Sisters of the Moon

I've been here long enough to know that "Sisters of the Moon" is kinda popular here on the ledge. ;)

Does it bother you that Stevie only got 5 songs, compared to Lindsey's 9 and Christine's 6? I realize I just opened a big ol'can of worms, but it makes for good fighting,:eek: I mean, discussion. :lol:

[tilthefirefades]

Sara is perfection. One of the greatest songs ever recorded. Storms has grown on me, and I do love it. But, Beautiful Child has got to be the best out of all of these, and it is probably my favorite on Tusk. Sisters of the Moon is also amazing, and was a real firecracker live. Angel on the other hand, I have never cared for :shrug:

[LiquidDiamonds]

Does it bother you that Stevie only got 5 songs, compared to Lindsey's 9 and Christine's 6? I realize I just opened a big ol'can of worms, but it makes for good fighting,:eek: I mean, discussion. :lol:

It doesn't bother me because Stevie's songs tend to run long, so I think it was about even in the end.

Storms all the way. I love all of these songs, but if I had to choose just one it would be Storms. Sara, Angel, and Sisters are fantastic. I have never been a big fan of Beautiful Child. I don't dislike the song...the vocals are excellent. Lyrically I think it is the weakest.

[HomerMcvie]

For me, it would be a tie between Sara, and Sisters. With Angel following. I've never cared for Storms, or Beautiful Child. If I needed a sleeping pill, these two songs would work perfectly. I don't like sleepy sh*t. Zzzzzzz......

[TrueFaith77]

Beautiful Child MIGHT be my favorite Stevie song of all time (or Rhiannon or Gypsy--yeah, BC is THAT good). Yet, these 5 songs remain her greatest collective achievement, just as I believe Tusk represents the peak of Christine and Lindsey as well.

[louielouie2000]

Tusk represents Stevie's pinnacle as both a singer, and a songwriter in my book.

Take for instance, Storms. This is probably the best songwriting of Stevie's career. It's introspective, it's deep, it's dark, yet light. Stevie really learned how to portray emotion with her voice with this song, too... it sounds like she sang it immediately after a big cry. I just adore this song, and all the sentiments it contains. Recognizing your own faults. Wishing for better, even though you know things can't change.

Sara is Stevie's opus. I used to think this song was long, boring, and lacking in focus... but I understand it so much better with age. The song is about multiple big things going on in Stevie's life that collectively defined her psyche in this era. It's sort of her grand opera. To me, this is one of those textbook Mac songs.

Beautiful Child... definitely one of the most gorgeous songs Stevie AND the Mac ever recorded. It's a master work. So achingly sad, and heart breakingly gorgeous. To me, the song is about the innocence lost after your first big breakup. Like Storms, this is amongst the best lyrics Stevie ever wrote. This song also contains some of my favorite Mac harmonies. They're fairly subtle (ex: "I bite my lip, could you send me away?") in Mac terms, but masterful. I love how this song's volume ebbs and flows.

Sisters Of The Moon is probably the most rocking Mac song of all time... on the album, and ESPECIALLY live. I love how Stevie really played up her witchy persona mythology... and is coming to grips with how fame is surprisingly lonely, and is changing her beyond recognition. Like Camper Van Beethoven pointed out with their version of this song, the lyrics and subject matter tend to be a bit self involved, and perhaps Stevie was taking herself a bit too seriously when she wrote this one... but that's all part of the Stevie we know and love! :p Who's to say how any of us would react had we become world famous almost overnight, with the biggest selling album of all time?

Angel... blah. I just don't get this one. It's dull. It never goes anywhere musically. It doesn't really say a lot lyrically, either. I don't understand the mass adoration of this song... it's a snooze. Stevie said during the Tusk Documentary that she was really trying not to be herself, and to just write a fun, upbeat rock song... and that's just not who she is, or what she does best. This song is perfect evidence. Nice try, Stevie... but no cookie.

All things considered, Tusk contains the very best Stevie Nicks ever had to offer during her career. Like I said before, these songs contain her lyrical and vocal pinnacles. I don't care that per usual, Stevie didn't get an equal slice of the Mac pie... what matters is the material she did contribute is way, way above par. Lindsey had nearly twice the songs on Tusk that Stevie did, but you can't say his contributions as a whole are in the same league quality-wise as Stevie's or Christine's. He contributed a lot of experimental fluff... as well as some classics of his own. Stevie on the other hand knocked it out of the park with each and every song. To me quality trumps quantity.

[holidayroad]

'Sister of the Moon' is my favorite. I think the songs Stevie has on Tusk are some of her best work!!

[MissLadyLoki]

Every member in the band has the album they shined on the most (except for Chris, who has 2, namely Mystery to Me and Tango in the Night). This is where Stevie shines.

1. Sara- When I first heard it, I thought it was a tad too long, but over time, I came to love Stevie's 6-and-a-half minute epic that I'm still unsure of what it's all about
2. Beautiful Child- can't say much about the lyrics (I listen to my CDs in the shower, the sound was a bit low on the MP3 CD I got of Tusk, and I had a bit trouble hearing it), but it's still a very pretty song
3. Storms- Stevie's finest lyrics to date, and for a while, my favorite Mac song
4. Angel- Tusk doc version rules, including the a capella bit and the live part, but the album version could've used a few harmonies
5. Sisters of the Moon- Awesome on record, awesome live, just plain badass during the Mirage show

[Sleepless-Child]

(I have to post something, when it comes to Stevie's song on Tusk)

Sara.Beautiful, and this is so Stevie. Long, vague, simple. I love this song, and i think it really has that Fleetwood Mac sound, with those harmonies, and the guitar-piano mix.

Storms. Makes me want to shoot myself, but still love it. Seriously, this is depressing, and i was worried for Stevie when i first heard it. Poor girl. As you said before, great lyrics.

Angel. I thought everyone loved this song, i guess i was wrong :). I love it, especially live, but i'm a sucker for Lindsey/Stevie moments, and this was like the cutest thing they've ever done. Anyway, good pop song, to me. AND after Storms, this cheers me up.

Beautiful Child. Makes me cry of joy and sadness in the same time. This ending is perfection, those harmonies, Lindsey's work on guitar, the haunting lyrics "I'm not a child anymore"/ "i wish that you were mine". Excelleeent.

Sisters of the moon. I don't like this song on the record.


Afterall, i think Sara is the one that hits me the most, and this song pretty much sums up who was Stevie at this time of her life.

[GypsySorcerer]

IMO, Tusk features the finest material Stevie ever submitted to any album. Her songwriting was superb, and I think her vocal ability was at its peak also.

Sara -- In the past, I liked this song. Just liked. It was kind of....drifty to me. But I absolutely adore it now. The imagery, the romanticism, is all undeniably Stevie.

Storms -- Lyrically, it's her best song IMO. Actually, I think it's one of FM's best ever. She absolutely nails the vocal. I really like Chris' subtle playing on this one too.

Beautiful Child -- Just a beautiful song. I love the incredible harmonies of Lindsey and Stevie on "Your hands held mine so few hours," followed by Christine's "I fell into love." Perfection!

Sisters of the Moon -- LOVE it. "The people, they love her, but still they're the most cruel." Simple, but absolutely true.

Angel -- Good on the album, even better live.

[luckydimecaper]

Louie pretty much nailed it on the head for me - This collection of songs is the highlight of Stevie's career as a writer and performer. All 5 songs are faultless - Including Angel.. I like it's simplicity, and the nice groove John and Mick have going on through it is sick :D

[Nikolaj]

I think her 5 songs on 'Tusk' are the best five songs she's had on any album, I'd say they're perfect, though I liked the live versions of 'Angel' even better than the studio version, which is paced a little too slowly.
Many here disagree, but I think her other batch of best-written songs were on 'The Other Side of The Mirror' with 5 standout songs. On most of her solo and other Fleetwood Mac releases, I'd say she averaged less than 3 really significantly great songs , not always her fault, as she deserved more songs on the first two Fleetwood Mac albums, 'Mirage' and on 'TITN'.
The SYW songs were ambitious, and she finally had her fair share, percentage wise, but a number of the songs, for me, just were not that good. So, I'd say 'Tusk' is SN at her best.

[soul_drifter333]

I agree!! These are Stevie's finest achievements, BUT you have to wonder what they would have been like without Lindsey's superb productions abilities. I have always been amazed at the "3D" sounding qualities of Storms. It sounds like the song literally jumps from the speakers. I don't know how else to describe the instrumentation qualities of this song. I have NEVER heard this type of technique used anywhere else before or since.

[Kayli]

I'll be the broken record and agree with the lot of you :) I think Stevie's Tusk work is some of her best in the songbook. Sara is my probably my favorite song of all-time. Beautiful Child, Storms, Angel and Sisters of the Moon I love with the same heart. So much is emoted from one single line on all of these tracks (like all of her songs). A cop-out answer much? :lol:

[LiquidDiamonds]

Sara is Stevie's opus. I used to think this song was long, boring, and lacking in focus... but I understand it so much better with age. The song is about multiple big things going on in Stevie's life that collectively defined her psyche in this era. It's sort of her grand opera. To me, this is one of those textbook Mac songs.



I think Edge of Seventeen is Stevie's opus. Much more engaging than Sara :shrug:

[TrueFaith77]

I think Edge of Seventeen is Stevie's opus. Much more engaging than Sara :shrug:

Concur. And that's after saying that Sara is plenty opus-worthy and mighty engaging.

[LiquidDiamonds]

Concur. And that's after saying that Sara is plenty opus-worthy and mighty engaging.

Yes it is...

[aleuzzi]

All of her Tusk songs are excellent. It's her best grouping of songs on any single Mac record.

Storms is especially moving to me, but Angel runs a close second.

Sara is a beautifully orchestrated song with a great drum-bass backing track and these incredible vocal harmonies and swirling guitars. There's really nothing like this song in all of rock.

[Artemis]

Tusk is one of those rare albums where every one of Stevie's songs is absolutely wonderful, sure, her songs on the White album, Rumours and even Mirage are excellent, but, Tusk shows Stevie at her very best.

Sara - It draws me in from the opening "wait a minute baby" and those harmonies are gorgeous.

Storms - I find the opening few lines to be a little too nasally for my taste, but the rest of the song is gorgeous, so much emotion in the song.

Sisters of the Moon - One of Stevie's best "rock" songs, in my eyes. Although the "mooo-oooo-oooo-oooon" parts sound a little awkward, the rest of the song is perefection. I love the witchy wails, they're a small thing, but brilliant.

Angel - I don't think Stevie's done another song like this, but that's why I like it so much. The lyrics are great, and it's super-catchy. I found myself singing it in the shower this morning. So fetch.

Beautiful Child - My favourite Stevie song of all time at the moment. It's so emotional, and she has such control over her voice. Hitting those high notes in the "I'm not a child anymore" parts... gives me goosebumps. I'd happily cut off a few toes to have had her sing this live back in the 70s.

As for Stevie only having 5 songs to Lindsey's 9, and Christine's 6... I totally geeked out a while ago, and added up all the run times of the songs. If you count the 6 minute version of Sara, then Stevie narrowly beats Lindsey for taking up the most time on the record, while poor Christine really gets screwed. I don't have the file on this laptop, but, next time I go home, I'll be sure to check it out on my PC to get the exact times. /nerd.

[aleuzzi]

As for Stevie only having 5 songs to Lindsey's 9, and Christine's 6... I totally geeked out a while ago, and added up all the run times of the songs. If you count the 6 minute version of Sara, then Stevie narrowly beats Lindsey for taking up the most time on the record, while poor Christine really gets screwed.

I don't think Christine would have seen it this way. She writes shorter songs in general (though since 1990 some of her songs, like Hollywood and Love Shines, are longer because of several repetitions and extended guitar solos in the verses-choruses).

She wrote six songs on Tusk, which I think extended her as far as she wanted to go. As a listener, I wished she'd written--or at least performed-- two more songs to equal Lindsey's output, but from her point of view she probably felt she said everything she wanted to say. If she gets screwed at all on Tusk, it's in the running order of the songs: no song on side 2 is ridiculous. If Warners execs had their way, they would have printed only the first of the two discs, and she'd have only had two songs! Weird, since the most of the best material in Tusk comes from the second disc...

I once asked Bob Welch (in his second Q and A) why Christine only wrote four songs to his seven or eight on Mystery and Heroes, especially since by the time Heroes came out Bob felt fried and claimed he didn't have another song in him. His answer was vague: "that's just the way things worked out." I think a more realistic answer is Christine wasn't then, nor is now, too keen to extend herself beyond her comfort zone. To this day she does not possess a good deal of self confidence in her abilities either.

Just some thoughts.

[David]

I don't think any of Stevie's material on Tusk compares favorably with "Dreams" or "Rhiannon" or "I Don't Want to Know." But I like the parade of sounds that the band created for her tracks. The sonic variety is greatest on her tracks, & each of those tracks has a very different atmosphere from the other four.

On Tusk there's an interesting pull within Fleetwood Mac to both support the Stevie Nicks mystique from the year before & to yank it back & forth a bit.

[EnchantedKiwi]

Everyone of her songs on this album are masterpieces in their own right. And the great thing is they're all such different songs.

AND i was so super happy to see them do Storms last year :thumbsup: amazzzzzzinggg.

Sara is just like this classic ballad, and is so whimsical and fantastic.

Sisters of the moon, is so dark and i consider it the best song she has ever performed live to date

[bluefox4000]

Tusk Is actually my fav album for Stevie. I just think every one of her song's is just Great. Sara has this calming vibe. It's a song that could go on forever and I wouldn't care. Beautiful Child and Storms are two of her most emotional and beautiful ballads. Angel is just a boat load of fun. makes me smile. Sisters of the Moon rocks. I just love the musical vamp in the intro. It just builds perfectly. Tusk is Easily Stevie's best with the Mac.

Mick