What she needs to champion more...

[Jondalar]

she has already championed Landslide and Rhiannon... Let's face it, Dreams has been done to death...

What I would like to see is Stevie championing some of her solo songs. In particular, these songs are definitely classics.

Leather and Lace
Edge of Seventeen
Has Anyone Ever Written
Beauty and the Beast

There are also songs that she has written such as Crystal that are still relevant today. The song is a beauty. Done right or redone. Sure to catch attention.

She has such a backlog of material. Who know what will be discovered and redone or end up in a picture - After the Glitter Fades, I Can't Wait, Rooms on Fire. Perhaps If You Ever Did Believe will find a new home.

She still has Gold Dust Woman, Gypsy, That's Alright.... I mean there is no telling what could be rediscovered. Storms perhaps....

I'm really hoping that something from her new album catches on, because it's worthy, but you haven't heard the last from Stevie, yet

[darklinensuit]

she has already championed Landslide and Rhiannon... Let's face it, Dreams has been done to death...

What I would like to see is Stevie championing some of her solo songs. In particular, these songs are definitely classics.

Leather and Lace
Edge of Seventeen
Has Anyone Ever Written
Beauty and the Beast


I think songs like "Sara" & "Gypsy" & "Rhiannon" are truer classics than HAEWAFY or B&TB ever were, though the first two never translated to the stage very well. In this respect "Gold Dust Woman" has them all beat.

- Jake

[Jondalar]

I think songs like "Sara" & "Gypsy" & "Rhiannon" are truer classics than HAEWAFY or B&TB ever were, though the first two never translated to the stage very well. In this respect "Gold Dust Woman" has them all beat.

- Jake

She needs to champion songs from her solo career. She is a good sales woman.

[bombaysaffires]

I think songs like "Sara" & "Gypsy" & "Rhiannon" are truer classics than HAEWAFY or B&TB ever were, though the first two never translated to the stage very well. In this respect "Gold Dust Woman" has them all beat.

- Jake

Oh I LOVED Sara live during the Tusk tour. On her solo tours, not so much. Needs Christine on the piano and Lindsey's atmospheric guitar.

[Jondalar]

For God's sake Edge of Seventeen may just be the best rock out song by a female solo artist of ALL TIME. Get it to gold. She can do it.

[johnnystorms]

is definitely one of her "championed" songs. she even got into FM's setlist!

[Jondalar]

is definitely one of her "championed" songs. she even got into FM's setlist!

it's not championed, she has never embraced as much as Landslide or Rhiannon. The set lists don't count. She needs to truly embrace it. People love that song. Out of all of her solo songs, it's stood the test of time the best. She can find ways to get people to talk about it more. The Lindsay Lohan crap don't count.

[WildHearted]

it's not championed, she has never embraced as much as Landslide or Rhiannon. The set lists don't count. She needs to truly embrace it. People love that song. Out of all of her solo songs, it's stood the test of time the best. She can find ways to get people to talk about it more. The Lindsay Lohan crap don't count.

How else is she supposed to embrace it, aside from playing it year after year after year after year after year?

I don't think Stevie actively tried to make Landslide so big (you can't really do that - if Stevie had it her way, Cheaper Than Free would be an insta-classic).. it just happened for a number of reasons: universal theme everyone can relate to, simple yet touching arrangement, people started covering it, etc, and as a result, it gaining more and more popularity, and people ask her to play it.

[mezzoforte]

How else is she supposed to embrace it, aside from playing it year after year after year after year after year?

I don't think Stevie actively tried to make Landslide so big (you can't really do that - if Stevie had it her way, Cheaper Than Free would be an insta-classic).. it just happened for a number of reasons: universal theme everyone can relate to, simple yet touching arrangement, people started covering it, etc, and as a result, it gaining more and more popularity, and people ask her to play it.

This!

Jondalar, I'm honestly mystified by what you want Stevie to do for these songs, other than put them in the setlist. She has very little control over which artists cover which songs. She even said recently that she wished more artists would cover GDW or any of her songs, really, other than Landslide.

There are some songs I think could win mainstream attention if given the chance. Storms comes to mind, certainly. But other than playing them, there's very little Stevie can do.

[APerfectLie]

it's not championed, she has never embraced as much as Landslide or Rhiannon. The set lists don't count. She needs to truly embrace it. People love that song. Out of all of her solo songs, it's stood the test of time the best. She can find ways to get people to talk about it more. The Lindsay Lohan crap don't count.

Really? She has played Stand Back in EVERY tour(solo and Mac) since 1983. She has also done it on TV another 18 million times. Really, she championed Stand Back almost as much as Landslide, if not more.

[GoldDustWoman22]

I agree that there is nothing Stevie can do for "Stand Back" not only has she done it on tour but she has also done it on numerous TV appearances...I don't think she can promote it more than she already has:shrug:

However, I do agree that for her setlist she should drag out some potentially classic songs (a la "Storms" on the unleashed tour) and try to get people to listen to the deeper cuts. Stevie does have an amazing back catalogue of material from both her solo and FM albums and she should definitely bring one or two out of the vaults. I really do think that if she were to do Crystal it would definitely be just as relevant today as in the early 70s when she wrote it:nod:. And there are a ton of other songs that come to mind that she should do on tour.

[mikephxaz]

hhhhmmmmm...I'm not sure what Stevie could do to better establish any one particular song but it seems that Landslide has reached a level that her other songs haven't obtained....If Standback was covered by a modern day pop diva and made into a dance mix and hit big on the charts I think Standback could be elevated...like the newly released remix of "Smiling" at You and the old Dreams mix and Planets of the Universe remixes..it seems Standback being covered by a current songstress could make it big again...Lady Gaga could put one hell of a twist on Standback....
By the way I'm sick of Standback but its sooooo commercial

[Blueletter18]

I always wondered why she didn't ever do Enchanted and Gate and Garden more- those could be really great live!! And Beautiful Child would be a great ballad to end concerts, although Love Is was a good choice for this tour.

[Amlyn]

If Stevie was targeting an audience like that she had at the Wiltern everytime she went out touring, then I absolutely agree that she should dust off some gems and dig deep into her catalogue.

However, most of the time Stevie tours, her promoters throw her into huge venues that she can't really sell out because the interest in Stevie nowadays is not what it was in the mid-80s. And for no fault of her own really. I mean other than Betty White, I can't think of a single celebrity over the age of 50 who is constantly in the limelight...for a good reason that is. And really, what expectation is there? That she will replace Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez on the covers of People and US and lead off ET and Extra every night? Not going to happen...probably ever.

So while her music truly is timeless and relevant to all ages, there is no sellable, relevant hook to draw the fans in like a Gaga or Katy Perry and get Stevie the level of fame that some people feel she should have today. Stevie's sell is not one that is achieved by dangling a carrot, but rather more of a journey that is not marked out on a map. And once you start down that path and arrive at that destination, you wondered why you never travelled down that road before.

So my point is that until she starts playing venues in small cities with the intent to play for her superfans (i.e. people here on the ledge), she will always go for the most commercially successful hits to appeal to the audience she is drawing in and then maybe a few songs that are personal for her to perform.

Having said all that, I'm ecstatic that with 2 nights left on this tour, she only dropped one IYD song (although I would have loved to hear it, but it was just one right?) I"m hoping the setlist departure for this tour will be a template for how future shows get structured. I think she may finally realize she can go out and do both the hits and the lesser known tracks and still have an amazingly received performance. It's the confidence boost she's long needed.

[bombaysaffires]

If Stevie was targeting an audience like that she had at the Wiltern everytime she went out touring, then I absolutely agree that she should dust off some gems and dig deep into her catalogue.

However, most of the time Stevie tours, her promoters throw her into huge venues that she can't really sell out because the interest in Stevie nowadays is not what it was in the mid-80s. And for no fault of her own really.


So my point is that until she starts playing venues in small cities with the intent to play for her superfans (i.e. people here on the ledge), she will always go for the most commercially successful hits to appeal to the audience she is drawing in and then maybe a few songs that are personal for her to perform.




Well said!

Until she tours more like Lindsey (gasp) playing to "the right ears"....she can't dig as deep into her catalogue. I would love love love for her to do that kind of tour..... whether it will ever happen...another story. But I think it would put more of a spotlight on her music and not just her image, on her craft, not just her looks and her twirling.

[Amlyn]

Well said!

Until she tours more like Lindsey (gasp) playing to "the right ears"....she can't dig as deep into her catalogue. I would love love love for her to do that kind of tour..... whether it will ever happen...another story. But I think it would put more of a spotlight on her music and not just her image, on her craft, not just her looks and her twirling.

Exactly. With her its never "expect the unexpected."