Fan Reviews!

[welcomechris]

Here's mine! Write your reviews here!

1. Starshine
Great Opener! Rockin' song

2. If You Were My Love
Very pretty, not my favorite but a great song!

3. Mabel Normand
Amazing! She really worked out this one! Love it

4. Twisted
10x better the original, I love the duet version but this is better!

5. 24 Karat Gold
One of my favorites, classic stevie

6. Belle Fleur
One of my faves from the whole album! Amazing love the intro!

7. All the Beautiful Worlds
Better then the original! Not to slow, nothing really changed. btw Sharon and Lori are ROCKIN on this track!

8. Lady
Beautiful sweet and lovely, can't get enough of this!

9. I Don't Care
YES A NICE HARD ROCK SONG! Amazing! Favorite song from the whole album

10. Watch Chain

I love it! Nice song
11. Hard Advice
Better then I thought, one of her best!

12. Carousel
I love it, love the strings a lot!

13. Blue Water
Good, but hate the male backing voices

14. Cathouse Blues
Bluesy, I like the horns

15. The Dealer
Good vocals, rockin' song close to the original

16. She Loves Him Still
Sweet, i love it

I'd give 24K gold a 9/10

[J.Miller]

Here's mine! Write your reviews here!

1. Starshine
Great Opener! Rockin' song

2. If You Were My Love
Very pretty, not my favorite but a great song!

3. Mabel Normand
Amazing! She really worked out this one! Love it

4. Twisted
10x better the original, I love the duet version but this is better!

5. 24 Karat Gold
One of my favorites, classic stevie

6. Belle Fleur
One of my faves from the whole album! Amazing love the intro!

7. All the Beautiful Worlds
Better then the original! Not to slow, nothing really changed. btw Sharon and Lori are ROCKIN on this track!

8. Lady
Beautiful sweet and lovely, can't get enough of this!

9. I Don't Care
YES A NICE HARD ROCK SONG! Amazing! Favorite song from the whole album

10. Watch Chain

I love it! Nice song
11. Hard Advice
Better then I thought, one of her best!

12. Carousel
I love it, love the strings a lot!

13. Blue Water
Good, but hate the male backing voices

14. Cathouse Blues
Bluesy, I like the horns

15. The Dealer
Good vocals, rockin' song close to the original

16. She Loves Him Still
Sweet, i love it

I'd give 24K gold a 9/10
I have been playing this album for 3 days and there is still so many good riffs to fully examine.

[PenguinHead]

I promised myself to avoid looking at comments posted on YouTube . There are so many mean, rude, ignorant and baseless comments about just every video/topic. It's a mixed bag of reasonable, articulate posts among a lot of passive/aggressive stupid hacks who use it as forum for their anger and insults. It gets very nasty.

But when watching/listening to Stevie's recent videos, I couldn't resist looking. I dismissed all the negative comments from the ones who obviously have no relationship with Stevie, knowing nothing about her, yet feel the need to spew very negative postings.

What's very interesting are the wide range of comments from self-professed fans. Most are extremely positive, understanding the music is in context of where Stevie is in this stage of her life, and loving all of the new songs. "Amazing" is often the reaction, and there is a strong emotional, personal connection to the songs.

Other posts are more conflicted, opinionated or hyper- critical, with serious reservations about her abilities now, not finding anything to appreciate. They have a specific expectation based on her younger self that doesn't match the older of Stevie today. To each its own! When they get older, they may form a different perspective.

However, this dissidence is actually a good thing. It shows that Stevie is still a relevant artist and making music with an impact, whether that be extreme love or abject hate. The worst thing would be indifference. That's something I don't see .

[Keith]

My first listen thoughts... about 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault (and a merry-go-round).

Side 1, Disc 1

Starshine - such a great opener and song! Uptempo, fun, but not all humor. A song called "Starshine" with lyrics like "Playing with fire was..." only Stevie Nicks. Perfect opener. Sets the tone that this album is going to rock a lot with some dark, intense lyrics.

If You Were My Love - The sadness in her voice alone steals my heart. A beautiful rock and roll lullaby of yearning for something out of reach. "Ooh, if I was the one to watch over your sleeping, you would never be frightened.. at all." Beautiful Child, part deux.. I'm in love with this song.

Mabel Normand - Vintage Stevie with a wicked touch. I had to go old school with this one, reading the lyrics from the album insert, as I tried to follow the message. All over the place, both musically with its roving guitars and sad, beautiful, exiled lyrics. This song is a gas - in a most tragic way. Favorite lyric: "Strange things to follow when you love someone." I dig it.
"so beautiful.. sad Mabel Normand.."

Twisted - I'm really enjoying the new version as I feel it elevates to a calmer space, unlike the previous versions. It's hopeful, in the dark wings of the storm, and feels more positive. Another pretty vocal by Stevie - very nicely done.

Get up, flip the groovy orange Reprise labeled vinyl to Side 2, Disc 1.

24 Karat Gold - I adore how this song came out with it's classic Fleetwood Mac feel. Great guitar weaving throughout along with that Stevie mysticism - can these Nashville players play? Oh yes, they can. One of the album's highlights.

Belle Fleur - Love how this track starts with its "No Spoken Word" sounding opening riff.. love the demo and love how this "canyon hippie dancing" song came out. "a garden for feelings to grow in.. as I run to the door of the long, black car..." :-) Classic Stevie. Yep, this is one of the better tracks. "Are you looking for a man.."always Stevie - love the song's ending. Very nice.

All the Beautiful Worlds - All the beautiful voices. Always loved the demo - to the edge of the night baby - and such a pretty melodic chorus sung with the ladies. Perfect pace - this is a winner! Skeptical from the snippet (yep, you can't judge a song by a snippet), but pleasantly surprised on how she delivered such a beautiful song..

Lady - I love you, Lady.

Ok - that was a beautiful side and I really want to hear it again, but I'm going to listen to the whole album first. Something tells me disc 1, side 2 is going to get a lot of spins on my turntable.

Side 3, disc 2.

I Don't Care - Rock and roll Stevie with a twist. "sometimes the beauty overwhelms you" especially when you actually do care. Simmering a little, but this is one of those Stevie songs that tend to grow on me. I like the twist in the lyrics.

Watch Chain - Love the groove of this song and how it penetrates these really intense lyrics, "Be careful of strangers who are new to your eyes." I love how this album rocks a lot - nice beat, nice feel, but oh, those words.

Hard Advice - I love everything about this track. The music. Stevie's seasoned, weathered voice, so tender and sad. The acceptance in the lyrics that are still so very hard.. "You have to let him go, he gives such hard advice.... turn off the radio, it was finished long ago.." I feel this one.. really feel it. One of my favorites that I am probably going to love even more as I continue to listen to it.

Carousel - Pretty song, but seems out of place. "Where in the world did you come from?" I do like the lyric "I thought I heard your voice in the thunder." Next.

Probably would have been my second favorite side if it wasn't for the merry-go-round. :sorry:

Side 4, disc 2

Blue Water - Hmm. I will need to think about this one... starts out slow and pretty, but like the changing tides, I guess, perks up a bit when the instruments chime in. Didn't expect it, and didn't expect the male singer at the end ( I'm not feeling the dude at all). Ok track, but I love the simplicity of the demo better. A bit disappointed, to be honest. Maybe it may grow on me because I love the sentiment of the song. "Blue water.. I sit and I wait for the morning to come.."

Cathouse Blues - Fun for what it's worth. So far, side 4, disc 2 is my least favorite. I mean, the album was rocking.. and kind of took a left turn starting with Carousel. Cathouse Blues is a cute track, but it doesn't feel right for this record.

The Dealer - I really like this song, and it helps to get the album back on track and back to its rock feel.

and finally, the song I have been waiting for..

She Loves Him Still - I've always loved the lyric "I miss my friend.. I miss the sound of his laughter" as I had a friend who passed and I still feel his loss and can hear his laugh. She captured it beautifully here.. love, love the end. . "And the sands of time like shattering glass go past her." Well worth the wait - you did this demo proud. Beautiful finish to an overall great Stevie Nicks record. Now on to a second listen.

[louielouie2000]

I'm going to do a stream of conscious review as I listen to it the first time.

1. Starshine I can't imagine a better opener. Bouncy, rocking, FUN.

2. If You Were My Love Simply gorgeous. It's long been my favorite unreleased demo, and it's been done justice. I love how reverently this one was treated. The added electric guitar in the background is spooky & lovely.

3. Mabel Normand I knew by the clip that this song was going to be the big surprise of the album. I dig the stream of conscious style of the song. There's no traditional verses, chorus, or song structure. But it's chugging & keeps your interest, and there's a great little instrumental bridge. What an interesting experiment Stevie did by recording & releasing this song. She's taken a risk & broken convention. To me it's proof she's still an artist.

4. Twisted The original will always have my heart. I didn't need another version of this song- I wish another had been recorded in it's place. I do have to say, it's nice to finally hear Stevie singing with her inside voice for the first time in 2 decades, though.

5. 24 Karat Gold Easily the best song Stevie's recorded in over a decade. Classic, classic Stevie Nicks. Sounds like it could have been plucked straight from Bella Donna or Mirage. Witchy, atmospheric, and rocking.

6. Belle Fleur Holy crap, the intro surprised the hell out of me. :lol: I expected this song to go in a much more country/folk direction, and that intro just totally caught me off guard. It's got far more of that 70s southern California rock sound than I was expecting. I dig it! :thumbsup:

7. All the Beautiful Worlds SO true to the original! Very, very Wild Heart. Love those prominent vocals with the girls. The chorus still sounds slow to me, though.

8. Lady Meh.

9. I Don't Care Very 70s Heart sounding. Love the intro & those softer interludes.

10. Watch Chain Wow, it's an electric guitar rock song! It's the first song that's made me grin! :D I never thought this demo could be turned into a legit, finished song... but here it is.

11. Hard Advice I expected this song to be bad, and it's really not. I figured we were in for another That Made Me Stronger, and it's much better than that.

12. Carousel I have to say, I cringed when I read Stevie was covering a Vanessa Carlton song. I think Vanessa is first rate awful. This song is really not bad, though. However, the lack of musical interludes & quick switching between verses & choruses really bugs me. Sounds rushed. I like the strings... nice touch.

13. Blue Water Ugh, this song sounds it was fished from Lady Antebellum's porta potty. This was a make or break one for me... and they definitely broke it. To me, this is the one song the really should had handled solemnly, but totally didn't. It's not bad, but it's just not good. And the demo was just magical. This is just awful. :distress:

14. Cathouse Blues So, so corny. I had to switch to the next song.

15. The Dealer Just okay. The demo never did much for me, so this newer version isn't any different.

16. She Loves Him Still I thought the original was sappy, but this is lovely. Seems very poignant for her to record it now. I think her older voice actually lends this song far more credibility. Color me surprised I like this one. :) What a perfect little prayer to close the album out.

The overwhelming impression I take away from this album is: my God, the woman has her voice back! :shocked: She's rediscovered how to sing softly, with inflection, tenderness, range, and feeling. She isn't just shouting at us with a flat tone anymore!

I'll have to listen to it several more times before I can rank it compared to her other solo works. Side 4 was just awful, and really stains the whole thing for me. That being said, as a whole, this is the album many of us have been waiting for Stevie to make for decades. It's a true return to form. There's a lot of greatness here, but also contains the requisite turds every Stevie album showcases.

[sorcerer999]

How they came to the decision that "Watch Chain" was going to be one of the bonus tracks, while lackluster tracks like "The Dealer" and "I Don't Care" made the "official" cut, is BEYOND ME!!! "Watch Chain" is one of my favorite tracks I keep revisiting. So much fun!!!

LOVE & ADORE
"If You Were My Love"
"24 Karat Gold"
"Belle Fleur"
"All The Beautiful Worlds"
"Watch Chain"
"Hard Advice"

LIKE A LOT
"Starshine"
"Mabel Normand"
"Lady"
"Carousel"
"Cathouse Blues"

JUST OKAY
"Twisted"
"I Don't Care"
"Blue Water"

MEH
"The Dealer"

INITIALLY DISLIKED BUT IS SLOWLY GROWING ON ME:lol:
"She Loves Him Still"

Already, this album is "Classic Stevie Nicks" and I adore it! It has trumped TOSOTM, SA, TISL, and IYD!!! I think it's the best thing she's put out since the early 80's "Holy Trilogy", in my opinion. Her voice is youthful, strong and full of emotion once more. This is the exact kind of record that I want to see her continue to put out there...and ESPECIALLY with that 5 month "start to release date" pace!!!

[KarmaContestant]

I've only listened to the album one time through, but I really liked it. This is a great album from Stevie that will get a lot of play from me, especially in the car, probably all winter long. Cause I listen to Stevie all winter long. lol. anyway....

Starshine:
Right in the first 10 seconds, this album says 'I was recorded in Nashville.' The choruses in this song are done well.

If You Were My Love:
OK, this is not a good follow to Starshine. No no no. The harpsichord is great, and feels really vintage. I have to say, this is my first time listening and I want to skip it right now. But I don't like lifting and dropping the needle on the record so I'll just keep listening.

OMG I thought it was over and then it kept droning.

Mabel Normand:
My first thought is 'groovy'. Rich with an 80's synth rock vibe. This song is interesting because it has such an untraditional structure. It does not have choruses. More like verses and bridges. I like this style of writing from Stevie, with less editing, when it's good like this is. If The Nightmare had been allowed to be freeform like this, instead of arranged so oddly, it might have worked better.

Twisted:
So right off the bat I think 'OK, this sounds like I'm at a small Stevie show and her acoustic band is performing Twisted. It sounds great and the vocals are good, but at first I wonder if it was necessary...but by the end of the song, I've decided this needs to be in her live set-lists. Probably one I'll push the back button on the CD player for.

24 Karat Gold:
I love the guitar in this song. So 80s. So California. The overlapping lyrics are great! I could listen to this all day. On repeat. In the car - yes, that's it. I want to get in the car and drive, nowhere and anywhere. Through the mountains or up the coast or across the desert, with the windows open and the stereo blasting this song.

Belle Fleur:
The intro is so cool. I can totally hear this in her live shows, used as an instrumental showcase where she can do wardrobe changes. Overall I like this song, but it feels a little monotonous vocally and instrumentally. The ending portion and fadeout of the song are excellent - I am loving the dance-outro.

All The Beautiful Worlds:
Some musical drama in the intro that is nice. This is easy to sing along to, assuming you know the demo, because it so closely mirrors that. There's a narrow gap between the end of the first chorus and the start of the second verse, and it's awkward sounding. As this song goes on, I'm thinking it sounds like the backdrop to an AARP add or a nursing home commercial. "Bring your loved one to us at All The Beautiful Worlds." I do with the choruses had more layers, but I have to say, the backing vocals are great - so well done and on point and tight. As the song closes, I'm thinking about what a travesty it is that this was excluded from The Wild Heart, because the vocal from that era is so appropriate to the song. By the time this version finishes, 30 years later, I'm feeling a little sexy granny vibe from Stevie and I don't like it. :laugh:

Lady:
Good on the stereo, finally. I find this song easier to take seriously without the video. It's more serious, I guess is what I mean, without the knock-knock gestures and stuff. To be honest, Stevie's vocals were croaky and annoying in the beginning, and then as the song goes on that changed and I found that the vocals were just right, a richness crept in and they became strong. It grows on you, but you know, I agree finally with the assessment that the song might be a little bit too long, but no sooner did I think that, then it ends.

I Don't Care:
Sounds like the Eagles to me. Like Eagles, with some Stevie sauce, but then a side of Eagles. It's a good song, and I like hearing something from Stevie in this genre. You can see how this fits in with what Stevie was dong around Bella Donna, with that country rock sound in After The Glitter Fades or Think About It. That sound is present in this song, too. Stevie's vocals are killer though at the peak of the song. Damn, gurl!

Watch Chain:
Song starts and I'm smiling like an idiot right from the start. I'm delighted. This sounds like what I know, but updated and modern. Classic. The harmonies are standing out. This song screams out to me "I should be on a Fleetwood Mac record!" It's good, but Chris and the boys would have brought that special thing that they bring. This song was written for that thing; it's all over the song.

Hard Advice:
Neat. Not stellar or standout. Clever, even catchy. This song doesn't grab me. That may change with more listens. Right now, it's not one of the songs I'm excited to go hear again. But - at the end - there are these great lyrics about the doll, "don't buy that doll", and my mind immediately goes to At The Fair's lyrics.

Carousel:
I'd be pissed if this were the end of the album. I know it's important to be positive, but I have to say that this doesn't do it for me. The lyrics are good and writing is nice, but I want to hear Stevie's songs. Stevie's point of view and the way she expresses it, is what makes her music so appealing to me. And of course, incredible musicianship. Stevie singing Vanessa's words doesn't interest me at this point in Stevie's career, and of all places, on an album that is promoted as her collection of songs from 'the vault' of unreleased songs.

Thank goodness there are four more songs.

Blue Water:
Off the bat, I worry I'll be bored. It's If You were My Love all over again. Then it gets nice, the song kicks in, I can feel for a brief moment a glimpse back in time to the late 70's. Stevie's vocals here are very relaxed, and she sings this in a way I can't recall her singing in a long time. The guest male vocalist is barely noticeable. he has some lines of his own, but then he passes, and the song is over. Over too soon, honestly. The vocals here are great. Whatever she did the day that this vocal is recorded, is what she should do every day she records a vocal.

Cathouse Blues:
Just like the demo. Just. You can hear Stevie grinning in the opening lyrics. :D This song turned out very, very well. It's a vignette of sorts, a temporary escape from the normal sounds and moods of the album. I wish Stevie had more of these short escapes on her albums, with which she experimented with short lyrical content or unusual styles and tempos. Like Melacine or Forest of the Black Roses.

The Dealer:
As this song kicks in, It becomes apparent to me the sequencing of this album is unusual. Back to the song, The Dealer sounds great on the stereo. So much better than the computer speakers. The bass is great, and the bridge starts, and then I know before I even do it that I'm going to crank up the volume. Oh year. The only thing, the only criticism, is that this song needs that like 'ahohah' that she used to do in the older versions, right after the bridge, after she says 'I was the card shark.' If you know the Bella Donna versions, you know what I mean.

She Loves Him Still:
I'm sad as this begins, because I know the album is soon to be over. This track sounds nice. The flute...well, I'd say the flute sounds unusual on a Stevie Nicks album, but not out of place entirely. I'd have preferred a harp, but whatever. :laugh: The end result was nice overall, but it really does lack the desperation and hopelessness of the vocals she delivered for the rock A Little outtakes of this song. They really gave it that Stevie Nicks cred that this newer updated version lacks, somewhat. The 'sands of time' part at the end is nicely done, and the track closes out *perfectly*, ending the song and the album in a way that just makes you want to play it all over again.


Packaging:
I think the white paper sleeves were a cheap-out but they're so common I can't really complain. I wish the liner notes included more information. I'd have liked individual credits by song, including musicians and vocalists. Background stories for each song would have been so cool - all the space that could have carried liner notes was taken up by white paper sleeves. The lyric insert, on glossy paper with color photos, is a nice touch. The gatefold jacket is strdy, and Stevie's hand-lettering stands out beautifully. The polaroid photos shown on the inner gatefold panels are nothing like the artistic lovelies that are on display right now in New York, but are candid personal photos, instead.

[Frankenstein]

Starshine: Good track to open the album. I was never crazy about the demo but this version is nice.

If You Were My Love: Very pretty instrumentation, but something about it seems a little off to me. Not sure if it's the vocal or what, but I do like it.

Mabel Normand: One of, if not THE, best songs on the album for me; which is surprising because while I enjoy the demo in an off-kilter way, I never knew it could reach THIS kind of potential. Amazing!

Twisted: Nicely done, but a third version doesn't feel necessary. Out of the 3 though this one is probably my least favorite.

24 Karat Gold: Probably my favorite of the demos chosen for this album, and it doesn't disappoint! Classic.

Belle Fleur: The intro is a nice touch, never have been a huge fan of this one but it fits in nicely with the rest of the album.

All the Beautiful Worlds: Also one of the best songs here. Lori and Sharon sound exactly the same! And surprisingly Stevie does the vocal justice as well. I was worried when I heard the Instagram clip but it turned out SO well. I've listened to this one the most so far.

Lady: Gorgeous, emotive song, I think it actually sounds a lot better with her older voice. Love the simplicity.

I Don't Care: She wasn't kiddding when she said Led Zeppelin; it reminds me quite a bit of their "Over The Hills and Far Away" in the opening. Great rocking track.

Watch Chain: So happy this one was included. It's very catchy, love it.

Hard Advice: Not bad at all but not one of my favorites, the lyrics are just a taaaaad weird IMO. For some reason I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Stevie and the life-sized cutout at the store. "Don't buy that doll!" :lol: Nevertheless, it's a decent song and I'm glad we get to hear it.

Carousel: I wasn't too jazzed to see that Stevie included a cover on an album of her vault songs, but after learning the reason she recorded it, I feel bad :( It's very pretty though, I think it suits her voice.

Blue Water: Starts off great! But then as others have said it takes a sort of strange direction. I really could have done without the Lady Antebellum vocals.

Cathouse Blues: Very fun song, and while it isn't a masterpiece or super deep in meaning, it's different from anything she's ever done before and I really appreciate that.

The Dealer: Upon first hearing this song my thoughts were "Blah". BUT after repeated listenings, I have to say it's really grown on me. I like the fact that it stays very close to the Bella Donna version.

She Loves Him Still: Hmm... I'm not blown away by it and it does sound a little cheesy at times but I enjoy it for what it is.

Overall I really don't think there's a single bad song on this record. They are all enjoyable in their own ways, and I certainly like this more than In Your Dreams. I'd rate it 8.5 out of 10 and probably place it as my third favorite Stevie album. My only hope is that she decides to record the rest of her vault songs because this project turned out very well. (This is my first post. Hi everyone. :woohoo: )

[sorcerer999]

24 Karat Gold:
I love the guitar in this song. So 80s. So California. The overlapping lyrics are great! I could listen to this all day. On repeat. In the car - yes, that's it. I want to get in the car and drive, nowhere and anywhere. Through the mountains or up the coast or across the desert, with the windows open and the stereo blasting this song.

^^^This is the PERFECT sentiment for this song! I want to drive through the mountains (with the sun setting) with this song on repeat as well!!! :thumbsup:

[sorcerer999]

(This is my first post. Hi everyone. :woohoo: )

:wavey: WELCOME!!! I enjoyed reading your review. :D

[Jondalar]

Songs I love
If You Were My Love
Hard Advice
The Dealer
24 Karat Gold
She Loves Him Still
Belle Fleur
Twisted
Blue Water

Song I really like
Watch Chain
Beautiuful World
Lady
Starshine
Carousal
Cat House Blues
I Don't Care

Songs I don't like
Mabel Normand

[BlueLight]

OK, here goes.

First and foremost, how often can one say, I came home tonight, to find a pre-release date vinyl copy of Stevie Nicks' new studio album waiting for me? Truly the best feeling.

Second, big picture: I love this album - I've had two full listens so far, and it's taken me on more of a journey than any of her recent albums have - the vocals are great, the production is pure perfection, and as my husband pointed out as we listened, it's hard to pin down the genre or sound of any given song - a timeless album, in my view - and far more than any of her recent albums.

Third, the track listing - it's so great to get an album that is sequenced specifically for vinyl - I haven't listened to the tracks in the order of the non-deluxe album, but I love how each side is its own EP.

Fourth, as much as I love IYD and TISL, this album works better as a whole, and has very few duds. Despite the variety of musical styles, it feels more like a "Stevie Nicks" album than anything she's done in nearly 30 years. LOVE.

As far as first impressions of the songs:

Starshine - perfect opener. As with Enchanted, I just want to see Stevie shaking her tambourine on stage with this one. And that bridge! Tambourines! Hammond organ! Her vocals are amazing on this - "we've been together..." Amazing.

If Your Were My Love - confession: I've always preferred the Mirage version of this song, but I gotta say, I love what we got here. Her vocals are stellar, the production is perfect, and it has a mystical, witchy sound that the Tusk version (and certainly other versions), lacked. Very pleased.

Mabel Normand - LOVE. Her vocals are awesome. I had never heard the demo before I saw the track listing for this album. And although I didn't dislike the demo, it never quite clicked. I love, love RAL, and this channels the best of that album, while at the same staying focused and smart. Very few artists can pull off a song without a chorus. Amazing. "Since you've been gone, Rome burned down."

Twisted - I always thought that the Twister version was perfection, but I must say, I prefer this version. It straddles the line between the demo and the Buckingham/Nicks version, and I love it. Her voice sounds so young. Happy.

24 Karat Gold - Surpisingly my fav song on the album. I never liked the demo. But wow, this is pure perfection. The vocal, the production, the atmospherics. I have listened to this song more times than I care to admit.

Belle Fleur - One of the demos that I was most excited about. I like this song. Production is stellar, and Stevie's voice is solid. I also like the new opening, and the tempo for the chorus. That said, I don't love, love this song. Frankly, I think my main barrier is knowing how the demo sounds, which is pure perfection.

ATBW - I liked, but never loved, the demo. This song, as released, is perfection. I love her voice - those high notes! She sounds amazing. It's pure '80s, but also timeless. The end of the song is pure perfection. Loving this song.

Lady - As I've said in other posts, I love this song. Her vocals are among the most impassioned we've heard from her in years. And the song itself is so gorgeous. It reminds me so much of a Tom Waits song. And I far prefer this version over the demo - her voice just works on this one.

I Don't Care - LOVE the vocals here. This is the rock-iest album we've received from Stevie since RAL. And I'm loving it. Love the arrangement, the production. Love that she improvised the lyrics - something that I don't believe she's done in quite a long time. Only quibble is that it could be a bit shorter.

Watch Chain - What to say? What a jam. Vocals, lyrics, production - all perfect.

Hard Advice - This song is gorgeous, and I love her vocals on this, too. Lyrics - meh. But I will still listen to it on repeat.

Carousel - Frankly I prefer Vanessa's version, but I still love this version - the harmonies are gorgeous. And the dedication to Stevie's mom in the liner notes is touching. And I gotta say, I disagree with those who say this song doesn't work on this album - I think it fits perfectly.

Blue Water - After reading others' comments about this song, I was concerned. But I actually LOVE it. It's not the demo (nor could it ever have been the demo, because the demo is PERFECT). And because Stevie could never recreate that, I love what's she's done with this song. Still gorgeous harmonies, amazing vocal, and a great blues song. LOVE. LOVE.

Cathouse Blues - Nothing bad can be said about this song. Such a nice diversion before the end of the album. Horns are gorgeous, as are Stevie's vocals. And I can't stop thinking about Stevie's interview, talking about how they aren't "hooker cats," but definitely "street cats." She is truly one of a kind.

The Dealer - I was most excited about this song for the album. I love the various demos. And I really like this song, even if I was initially disappointed with the vocals. Frankly, I think her vocals on this song are the weakest of all of her songs on this album. That said, I still love this song, and somehow it sounds SO MUCH better on vinyl than on mp3. The ending is perfection.

She Loves Him Still - I never knew of this song until recently. I like the demo, and I think the released version is perfectly true to it - her vocals are amazing, and I think it's a gorgeous song. Excited to become more acquainted with it.

[SameGlassTable]

Ok ..my resequenced, seriously edited down
idea of the perfect Stevie album

And the version I will share with friends who are casual fans

1: BELLE FLUER

2 : TWISTED

3: THE DEALER

4 : STARSHINE

5 : ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WORLDS

6: 24 KARAT GOLD

7: I DONT CARE

8: WATCH CHAIN

9: MABEL NORMAND

10: HARD ADVICE

11: LADY

[SameGlassTable]

And the EP would look like this :

Belle Fluer
Twisted
STarshine
I Don't care
All the beautiful worlds

Dj tracks would be :

Starshine
I don't Care

[Lisa W]

I just finished my first play of the entire vinyl album and have to say I am thrilled! I feel like this is the album that Bella Donna should have been! I loved the BD album, but 24KG has such a freer spirit to it that I think we are finally seeing Stevie unfiltered. You can feel her really letting loose on some of these tunes with more raw passion than I can remember. I am soooo grateful she went forward with this project!

Here are my quick and brief individual notes for each song:

1. Starshine
Blistering rocker – love the organ solo!

2. If You Were My Love
Love this – the vocal moves me so much and the lilting arrangement is so nice

3. Mabel Normand
Great! Has a real foreboding feel to it that works so well. Really witchy feel to the vocal

4. Twisted
Like that the vocal is so prominent in the mix. Love when she sings “lifted up to God..,”

5. 24 Karat Gold
Classic Stevie arrangement with her signature mystical sound

6. Belle Fleur
This is one of my favorites! !Totally rocks and I love the lyrics

7. All the Beautiful Worlds
This song was always just OK for me and I still think so

8. Lady
Such an emotional and vulnerable song and sounds better on vinyl

9. I Don't Care
Absolutely rocks!! I can hear the Led Zeppelin influence

10. Watch Chain
Really nice melody and arrangement

11. Hard Advice
I love how this builds into such a rocking conclusion

12. Carousel
I actually liked this version much more than I thought I would. I think having Stevie as the prominent voice brings out a mystical quality in the lyrics that I never noticed on the Vanessa Carlton original.

13. Blue Water
Overall I like it and the vocals, but think the rhythm section is too heavy handed for this song

14. Cathouse Blues
Nice variation from the other tunes and enjoy Stevie’s vocal

15. The Dealer
A solid, mid-tempo rocker and also sounds great on vinyl

16. She Loves Him Still
So glad to finally hear the full version of this after being concerned about the Instagram snippet. Love her vocal on this and the arrangement is just right. Great way to end the album!

[Jondalar]

I love when a new album drops and we get to share our opinions.

[Keith]

just to listen to 24 Karat Gold again. After three listens, the album is really solid on so many levels.. musically, vocally. I'm even starting to warm up to "Blue Water" a bit.

Also, checked on my Amazon.com order vinyl order and noted the album is being streamed (http://www.amazon.com/24-Karat-Gold-Deluxe-Version/dp/B00M7LN7SM/ref=tmm_msc_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=) (CD version) - different sequence than the vinyl, and scratching my head on why Watch Chain is not one of the 14 tracks.

[Tango]

My first listen thoughts... about 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault (and a merry-go-round).

Get up, flip the groovy orange Reprise labeled vinyl to Side 2.

I enjoyed reading what you wrote Keith, and laughed out loud at the "Get up, flip . . . . "

I haven't used my record player in quite a while, but had to last night for Ms. Nicks new double album. It's always a special night when you get a new album and Stevie did not disappoint me at all. I was smiling, listening to Cathouse Blues--I loved the demo, and enjoyed what they did on this song on the new LP. I am grateful that we got this new "old" album with all the funky pictures, but I admit I had to use a magnifying glass in addition to my reading glasses to read along with the lyrics. It's sure not 1975 any more!

There is a pretty picture of Jessi and her aunt together with Stevie drinking what appears to be a GIANT coffee-- a special intimate moment with her beloved niece that she shared with us, along with the rest of this wonderful 24 kt gold album.

[deribish]

I too find it odd that WATCH CHAIN Is a bonus track. But my most head-scratching thought is about the difference sequence between the standard and deluxe version. The standard version (even though its missing 2 tracks) has a MUCH better running order. The Dealer sounds SO good after Starshine, as opposed to the immediate mood change that is IYWMY. The standard track list really makes it a better collection, IMO.

Starshine
The Dealer
Mabel Normand
Blue Water
Cathouse Blues
24 Karat Gold
Hard Advice
Lady
I Don't Care
All The Beautiful Worlds
Belle Fleur
If You Were My Love
Carousel
She Loves Him Still

[BlueLight]

I too find it odd that WATCH CHAIN Is a bonus track. But my most head-scratching thought is about the difference sequence between the standard and deluxe version. The standard version (even though its missing 2 tracks) has a MUCH better running order. The Dealer sounds SO good after Starshine, as opposed to the immediate mood change that is IYWMY. The standard track list really makes it a better collection, IMO.

Starshine
The Dealer
Mabel Normand
Blue Water
Cathouse Blues
24 Karat Gold
Hard Advice
Lady
I Don't Care
All The Beautiful Worlds
Belle Fleur
If You Were My Love
Carousel
She Loves Him Still

I think the Deluxe running order reflects the space constraints of vinyl. I'm excited to listen to the 14-track order, but at least on vinyl, I think the sequencing works well - each sides tells its own little story, almost like 4 separate EPs.

[deribish]

I think the Deluxe running order reflects the space constraints of vinyl. I'm excited to listen to the 14-track order, but at least on vinyl, I think the sequencing works well - each sides tells its own little story, almost like 4 separate EPs.

yes! agreed. When you think of it as 4 mini-eps, each one has a great running order.

[saradorna]

Also, checked on my Amazon.com order vinyl order and noted the album is being streamed (http://www.amazon.com/24-Karat-Gold-Deluxe-Version/dp/B00M7LN7SM/ref=tmm_msc_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=) (CD version) - different sequence than the vinyl, and scratching my head on why Watch Chain is not one of the 14 tracks.

Thanks I'm listening to it! :thumbsup:

[MusicInferno]

Thanks I'm listening to it! :thumbsup:

I listened to it for the first time now! I'm not familiar with most of the song's demos, but I have to say I'm impressed. There is so much diversity and not one single track I don't like.

I have some concerns about the vocal mixing or rather the obvious change of quality of different vocal takes (especially audible on "The Dealer" and "Mabel Normand"), but all in all I have to say this collection of songs sounds fresh, timeless and interesting.

[markolas]

I'm listening to the streaming version on Amazon as I type!

Starshine - I like this song. In some of her phrasing, I hear Janis Joplin, who Stevie has always spoken of as a major influence, but I rarely hear it in her music.

The Dealer - The demo/outtake versions never seemed quite finished to me, and I've never been able to pinpoint exactly why. This is the first time I've ever been excited about this song. I like her vocal a lot - her more mature voice suits the lyrics very well.

Mabel Normand - Okay, here's the first song I haven't heard. It's starting out promising. Fierce vocal. Same rambling lyrics, but it rocks and that makes it work.

Blue Water - Here's the one everyone seems to be disappointed with. Starting out exactly like the demo...here are the drums and guitars and voices. Sounds great. Here's the Lady Antebellum guy. I could take him or leave him. It's not bad, though.

They could've done a few different things with this, and I can understand why some are disappointed. They turned it into a very country-influenced song, and I know some people here hate that, but I enjoy it.

Cathouse Blues - I always loved the demo of this and I'm happy she recorded it and fleshed it out. The vocal isn't great, but it's a fun song.

24 Karat Gold - This is my favorite of the singles. The demos were very bare bones, but it was always catchy as hell and they did really beautifully with it. Love, love, love.

Hard Advice - More country influence. Interesting vocal. It's not really grabbing me...some people seem to really love it, so I guess I was expecting to be more blown away than I am. Some of the lyrics are a little cringe-inducing ("stay out of music stores"?? Lordy.) Meh, I'm underwhelmed.

Lady - I really like this. The raggedy vocal is perfect, IMO. It's like she's shouting to the universe in exasperation.

I Don't Care - Starts out with kind of Joni Mitchell-ish guitar intro, but then it kicks into more of a Led Zeppelin classic rock song. Passionate vocal. Very "Ghosts Are Gone."

All the Beautiful Worlds - Very "Wild Heart" dark and mystical. The vocal is amazing...she rarely lets loose like that anymore. It's very faithful to the outtake without sounding dated. Another favorite.

Belle Fleur - Love the swampy intro. Kind of a Laurel Canyon feel to the song, which I love. It's nice, but I dunno if it's a favorite. Hmm.

If You Were My Love - Oh lord, this is the one I was waiting for. It's already better than the Street Angel outtake, which is promising. Atmospheric. It's like they took the best parts of all the different versions and put them together. The electric guitar really makes the song...it would sound very sleepy without it. I like it very much.

Carousel - I have never listened to Vanessa Carlton at all. It's a nice song and fits with the classic rock/'70s singer-songwriter feel of a lot of the album.

She Loves Him Still - The last song already? The demo was always "meh" to me, but I like this a lot so far, even if it is one of those classic, depressing Stevie album closers (The Highwayman, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You, Love Is). Did the demo have the "sands of time like shattering glass" part at the end? Another one of those Stevie-isms where she sneaks in lyrics from another song(s). Love it.

This is a very strong album, certainly one of her best. I don't know that it blows IYD out of the water as some have said; they are both excellent, but I'd say this one has a couple of songs I'm not crazy about and there really isn't a song on IYD that I don't like. But these are my very first impressions.

[jkmaletic]

How can I stream tbis on Amazon? I can't find for the life of me how to do that. I tried signing in too. All it offers are samples. Can someone tell me where to go to stream it?

I'd love to be able to hear it thru headphones, because when I played it on my record player last night it sounded warbly. (Probably my player)


That said, I liked it, but I think a lot of the songs will grow on me versus loving them at first listen. A lot of the slower songs sound similar to me. There's a lot of steel guitar, which I'm not crazy about. A few of the songs seem to go in different melodic directions, which makes me feel, "where is this song going" kind of thing. A critic wrote that one of the strengths of this album is that it's not "overly-polished" like IYD was. Well, I guess I like overly-polished, because I LOVED 99% of IYD at first listen. This one, like I said, will likely grow on me.

[kak125]

If you go to this link and select the big green play button you can hear the entire cd. beware the songs are not in order.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7LN7SM/ref=dm_ext_psw_bd_dm_stream_stevienicks-detailpage?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1412061555&sr=8-1

[Danielle]

I *think* this should be a direct link to the player: http://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/public/dynamicWidgets/prerelease-streaming-full.html/ref=dm_ext_psw_pu_ns_dm_stream_stevienicks-detailpage?ie=UTF8&albumImage=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51zw7eX0IQL.jpg&backgroundColor=%23101c11&cdAsin=B00MGS1UNA&cdLink&heroImage=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FG%2F01%2Fdigital%2Fmusic%2Fmerch%2FStreamingWidget%2FSNicks_093014_Streaming_9 00x405.jpg&justPlayer=1&mp3Asin=B00M7LN7SM&mp3Link&pitchHeadline=Stream+the+new+album+now&pitchText=Listen+to+the+entire+new+Stevie+Nicks+album+%28Standard+Version%29+through+October+6.+&popupLink=1&qid=1412061555&ref=dm_stream_stevienicks-detailpage&shareLink&sr=8-1&streamFile=US%2Falbums%2FB000APXKAM%2F24CaratGold_Stream-182&streamServer&topOffset=50&translucentBackground=0&widgetHeight=260

[MusicInferno]

If you go to this link and select the big green play button you can hear the entire cd. beware the songs are not in order.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7LN7SM/ref=dm_ext_psw_bd_dm_stream_stevienicks-detailpage?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1412061555&sr=8-1

They are in order, but it's the standard version playing and not the deluxe running order which is listed below. ;)

[saradorna]

I've already listened the album for the first time and now I'm going for a second one. My first impression is that I really love this album a lot!! But there's one song that I don't get why Lori and Sharon are not singing and that's Blue Water:shocked: and it shows. I don't think that the guys of Lady A did a bad job but I miss Lori and Sharon :shrug: I'm gonna listen again to reviewed song for song.

[kak125]

They are in order, but it's the standard version playing and not the deluxe running order which is listed below. ;)

oh ok i was wondering- thanks!

[saradorna]

1. Starshine - Well everybody has said it! Its a great opener. The organ solo its great! Stevie's voice is great and so are Lori and Sharon.

2. The Dealer - Its good, solid song. I said it before it feels like it needs more of the organ that the demo has. Stevie's voice its okay

3. Mabel Normand - I love it and never expected that to happen! I've heard the demo and never like it. So this is pretty :shocked:. This songs its about a chaotic life and she sings it just like that and her voice is great.

4. Blue Water - Okay gave it a second listened and really like it. Love the ending but still I miss Lori and Sharon.

5. Cathouse Blues - :D Love everything about it. Voices, horns fun!!!

6. 24 Karat Gold - I think this is my favorite for now! It's just well done! Stevie's voice amazing but I think I'm gonna be surprise about a little later on another song. ;)

7. Hard Advice - How do I put this, see I love the song but the lyrics in some places of the song don't flow. I don't know about songwriting and don't know if I'm saying it right but its like to many words :shrug: Love the ending.

8. Lady - I love this one too and love her vocals.

9. I Don't Care - This a rocker! I feel that it needed more lyrics :lol: She repeats the same lyrics A LOT in this one. I like it but should've been shorter. Live she can go crazy with it.:D

**Sometimes too many lyrics sometime not enough**;)

10. All the beautiful worlds - :shocked::shocked: This is pure perfection! She found her voice here like where hell was it?!! Loooove this one! Lori and Sharon are awesome too! :nod:

11. Belle Fleur - So awesome! Love everything about this one!

**Maybe she should do all her albums like this one and in Nashville. Awesome!**

12. If You Were My Love - I was nervous about this one but I love it. The harmonies between Stevie, Lori and Sharon are perfect.

13. Carousel - I like Vanessa and I've heard the live version with Stevie and it works perfectly in this album. Love this one too!

14. She Loves Him Still - Beautiful sad song! Love love love.

Wao this is a great album! Okay Stevie do more demos!! I'm ready! Go to Nashville a make 2 o 3 albums of the demos.

[Artemis]

Starshine: A very fun song, a great album opener.

If You Were My Love: I like what she's done to it, but I wish it had a little bit more attack, it works on many levels though. I love the vibe it creates.

Mabel Normand: Such a weird song. It's like Stevie trying to be RAL Stevie without the coke. And it's fabulous. Fantastic vocal. Sad Mabel Normand.

Twisted: IF I hadn't heard the Stevie/Lindsey duet, I'd be much more enamoured with this song. That being said, it's a pretty fantastic version. Lovely soft vocal. While I miss the I know / You know / watching you go is like dying, part. I LOVE the "in this game that you play with God" lyric. So glad it's back.

24 Karat Gold: Mystical. Epic. She's showing such a command of her mature voice in this song. Breathtaking.

Belle Fleur: I wasn't familiar with the demo, so I came to this song fresh. It's a really great song, I felt like it could have ended a minute sooner than it did... but what else is new with Stevie's work? :laugh:

All The Beautiful Worlds: It doesn't quite eclipse the original demo, but it's not overshadowed by it either. Such a fantastic vocal, I just wish she'd really let loose on that last "come" like she does in the demo. THEN it would have eclipsed the original.

Lady: I still think this song is absolutely gorgeous. That review that described her voice as "a perfectly ruined rasp" sums it all up for me. Like I said after I'd first heard Soldier's Angel, Dave doesn't try to make her voice pretty here, and it works so much more.

I Don't Care: Found myself really enjoying this song. Made for a fantastic driving song.

Watch Chain: WHY is this a bonus track!? It's brilliant. I love that they still kept some Stevie harmonizing with Stevie near the end. Sharon and Lori are great on this album, but no one sounds better with Stevie than Stevie.

Hard Advice: It's basically That Made Me Stronger, with better lyrics (in comparison to the former). Still a little hokey, but I loved the music and her vocal, and found myself really enjoying this song. I'd love the original demo to emerge somewhere on this.

Carousel: It's pretty. And that's all I can really say about it. You can tell it's not a Stevie song, it's the only song on the album I'd say is really a throw-away song. It's not horrible, and I love the voice in thunder lyric, very Stevie-esque, but it just didn't grab me.

Blue Water: I've never heard the demo, but my gosh, what a beautiful song. I love Stevie's forays into country. I found the male vocal jarring when it came on, I was like "woah. Where did THAT come from?" but it hasn't really got to me like it has some fans :laugh: I'd have died if they could have got Lindsey to sing on this song. It would be perfect on a Fleetwood Mac album.

Cathouse Blues: I love the new instrumental. It's a very fun little song, and I'm glad she didn't flesh it out. I'd still say I prefer the original, mainly cause her youthful vocal is just sublime, but this remake is not horrible by any means. I could see a jazz singer having a lot of fun covering it.

The Dealer: Still really like this song, I think it's going to share Secret Love's fate - a perfectly fine song chosen as lead single... but because it isn't the strongest on the album, it gets unfairly criticized.

She Loves Him Still: Again, never heard the original demo, but such a pretty song. I really enjoyed it. APART FROM that god-awful flute solo. I half-expected the Titanic to pop up, Celine Dion and all. Eliminate the flute and it would be sublime. Gorgeous vocal too.

[jkmaletic]

I *think* this should be a direct link to the player: http://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/public/dynamicWidgets/prerelease-streaming-full.html/ref=dm_ext_psw_pu_ns_dm_stream_stevienicks-detailpage?ie=UTF8&albumImage=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51zw7eX0IQL.jpg&backgroundColor=%23101c11&cdAsin=B00MGS1UNA&cdLink&heroImage=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FG%2F01%2Fdigital%2Fmusic%2Fmerch%2FStreamingWidget%2FSNicks_093014_Streaming_9 00x405.jpg&justPlayer=1&mp3Asin=B00M7LN7SM&mp3Link&pitchHeadline=Stream+the+new+album+now&pitchText=Listen+to+the+entire+new+Stevie+Nicks+album+%28Standard+Version%29+through+October+6.+&popupLink=1&qid=1412061555&ref=dm_stream_stevienicks-detailpage&shareLink&sr=8-1&streamFile=US%2Falbums%2FB000APXKAM%2F24CaratGold_Stream-182&streamServer&topOffset=50&translucentBackground=0&widgetHeight=260

Thanks. It unfortunately won't work on a mobile phone though.

[BlueLight]

Thanks. It unfortunately won't work on a mobile phone though.

Perhaps look into whether downloading the Amazon player app will let you stream on your phone?

[Turn It On]

I find it so difficult to listen to If you were my love and think about it objectively. I think it's probably quite a good song, but I really miss the whole band feel of the Mirage demo. There was something about the jauntiness of the uptempo sections that I feel is missing.

[Jondalar]

I find it so difficult to listen to If you were my love and think about it objectively. I think it's probably quite a good song, but I really miss the whole band feel of the Mirage demo. There was something about the jauntiness of the uptempo sections that I feel is missing.

I think it is my favorite on the album. Very Alan Parsons with an emotional payoff.

[bombaysaffires]

been fighting with the amazon player, but finally working through it.

Blue Water….wow. Not great. Her raspy voice doesn't work on this, combined with the lack of reverb on her vocal. Like the last little bit, but…..just a no.

Cathouse Blues…. goes on about :30 seconds too long. But cute.

Waiting for the stream to die out on me again...

[KarmaContestant]

I find it so difficult to listen to If you were my love and think about it objectively. I think it's probably quite a good song, but I really miss the whole band feel of the Mirage demo. There was something about the jauntiness of the uptempo sections that I feel is missing.

Agree totally. I absolutely hate this song as it appears on 24 Karat Gold. It's *so* monotonous and drones on and on.

[Turn It On]

I think it is my favorite on the album. Very Alan Parsons with an emotional payoff.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's awful by any means. I just... miss Lindsey, I guess. :lol::sorry:

[MoonSister75]

been fighting with the amazon player, but finally working through it.

Blue Water….wow. Not great. Her raspy voice doesn't work on this, combined with the lack of reverb on her vocal. Like the last little bit, but…..just a no.



I'm glad I read all the criticism of Blue Water on here, so I was well prepared. When it came on the streaming, I thought, actually it's not so bad. A little on the cheesy side :nod: but not so bad.

I said I wasn't going to listen to this until I got my CD... no will power... I'm not listening to it all tonight.

[Jondalar]

I'm glad I read all the criticism of Blue Water on here, so I was well prepared. When it came on the streaming, I thought, actually it's not so bad. A little on the cheesy side :nod: but not so bad.

I said I wasn't going to listen to this until I got my CD... no will power... I'm not listening to it all tonight.

Really like Blue Water. Very Jimmy Buffet. The demo was nice. This is better.

[sorcerer999]

Really like Blue Water. Very Jimmy Buffet. The demo was nice. This is better.

Ooooh...See, I have to respectfully disagree with you there. The demo was MAGICAL. This "completed version" is but a pale shadow of that demo and a creative misstep, in my humble opinion.

I don't HATE this new version. It is what it is, unfortunately. In my eyes it just seems like they treated it like a "throwaway" track instead of exploring the creative possibilities and giving it the attention it deserved. :shrug:

[MoonSister75]

Really like Blue Water. Very Jimmy Buffet. The demo was nice. This is better.

It's a beautiful song. I LOVE the demo and it's great to have this new version too. I went a bit tingly at the beginning of the song as I love it so much, I then just had to get my head around the new production.

[MoonSister75]

The demo was MAGICAL

Agree the demo is magical. I would think it's difficult to make a new version anything like it. So now we have 2 very different versions :D

[Jondalar]

Ooooh...See, I have to respectfully disagree with you there. The demo was MAGICAL. This "completed version" is but a pale shadow of that demo and a creative misstep, in my humble opinion.

I don't HATE this new version. It is what it is, unfortunately. In my eyes it just seems like they treated it like a "throwaway" track instead of exploring the creative possibilities and giving it the attention it deserved. :shrug:

:( I don't think it is a throwaway at all. I think it's really good. Sheryl Crow just came out with that song "Easy" which is Jimmy Buffett. And now I feel like this is Stevie's "Buffetted" song. I prefer this song over Easy. It's her version of Jimmy Buffet - instead of listening to the waves crashing, she is listening to the sound of her Gypsy. I really payed attention to that line in the new version.

When I think about Blue Water, turning into an Buffett song is a no brainer. I should of expected a producer to do that.

[rockalittle]

I'm also listening to the streaming version on Amazon. (Standard issue.)

Here are my first impressions:

Starshine ~ just makes me wanta dance :]

The Dealer ~ reminds me of, well... just reminds me. For that reason alone, I love it.

Mabel Normand ~ need to listen to it, again. (I call this song, Beloved Exile.) I haven't picked up on the, switching of vocal takes yet, probably due to laptop speakers.

Blue Water ~ will be on repeat for years... "And the sea is as moving as a lover." Simple exquisitely beautiful song.

Cathouse Blues ~ (New Orleans style.) Difficult not to tap your foot to this one.

24K Gold ~ love this title track.

Hard Advice ~ no words right now.

Lady ~ piano driven with Stevie's voice, enough said.

I Don't Care ~ rockin' song with a sweet ending.

All The Beautiful Worlds ~ haunting style...

Belle Fleur ~ ummm....

If You Were My Love ~ sadly, not one of my favorites. :shrug:

Carousel ~ "I thought I heard your voice in the thunnnder" ~ funny, the way that Stevie sings this one sort of reminds me of riding on a carousel...

She Loves Him Still ~ only Stevie could do this song justice. Perfect song to end the album.

I prefer this album to most, these days, that are so over produced. It suits Stevie's voice very well. Simply, a wonderful treat!! :thumbsup:

[BombaySapphire3]

:( I don't think it is a throwaway at all. I think it's really good. Sheryl Crow just came out with that song "Easy" which is Jimmy Buffett. And now I feel like this is Stevie's "Buffetted" song. I prefer this song over Easy. It's her version of Jimmy Buffet - instead of listening to the waves crashing, she is listening to the sound of her Gypsy. I really payed attention to that line in the new version.

When I think about Blue Water, turning into an Buffett song is a no brainer. I should of expected a producer to do that.

ok you have sold me on this version of Blue Water which I was ambivalent about.It was not a demo I really thought much of either way.In fact none of the few that I really loved made the album except maybe for Belle Fleur which has been knocked out of the park .Now if I could just get you to give Mabel another chance...she really does belong on this record.:nod:

[bombaysaffires]

Ooooh...See, I have to respectfully disagree with you there. The demo was MAGICAL. This "completed version" is but a pale shadow of that demo and a creative misstep, in my humble opinion.

I don't HATE this new version. It is what it is, unfortunately. In my eyes it just seems like they treated it like a "throwaway" track instead of exploring the creative possibilities and giving it the attention it deserved. :shrug:

^ yep:mad:

Mabel has grown on me; it definitely is better at the end than at the beginning. And it seems like her "I" and "she" are really both Mabel, and about Mabel's life… more confusing than her usual.

It really does hit a groovy groove by the end…but starts a little schizo with the overpacked lyrics. Grew on me, which surprises me.

But Blue Water has lost all its magic… it is NOT haunting like the demo. Still really suffers from the lack of reverb for me, and the twangy guitar. Eww. And this was by far not one of my favorite demos.

[welcomechris]

^ yep:mad:

Mabel has grown on me; it definitely is better at the end than at the beginning. And it seems like her "I" and "she" is really both Mabel, and about Mabel's life… more confusing than her usual.

It really does hit a groovy groove by the end…but starts a little schizo with the overpacked lyrics. Grew on me, which surprises me.

But Blue Water has lost all its magic… it is NOT haunting like the demo. Still really suffers from the lack of reverb for me, and the twangy guitar. Eww. And this was by far not one of my favorite demos.

I am currently working on a Blue Water remix with much added reverb

[loverly13]

^ yep:mad:

Mabel has grown on me; it definitely is better at the end than at the beginning. And it seems like her "I" and "she" is really both Mabel, and about Mabel's life… more confusing than her usual.

It really does hit a groovy groove by the end…but starts a little schizo with the overpacked lyrics. Grew on me, which surprises me.

But Blue Water has lost all its magic… it is NOT haunting like the demo. Still really suffers from the lack of reverb for me, and the twangy guitar. Eww. And this was by far not one of my favorite demos.

I never in a million years would have thought I'd love Mabel as much as I do. I don't even think I made it through the demo the whole way through because it was so incoherent. But this is my jam. She sounds so great. Can't wait to get my copy!

[Jondalar]

ok you have sold me on this version of Blue Water which I was ambivalent about.It was not a demo I really thought much of either way.In fact none of the few that I really loved made the album except maybe for Belle Fleur which has been knocked out of the park .Now if I could just get you to give Mabel another chance...she really does belong on this record.:nod:

It's funny but I was just getting to know Mabel in secret. And the more she rants and raves, the more I think she is bat**** crazy. But in Ohio we love our crazies. And Mabel is growing on me… :)

[HoursAndHours]

So, anyone finding themselves in the awkward position of liking Mabel Normand more than Blue Water? I really like both of them. I never in a million years expected either of these songs to sound like this. But with the discontent about the former's inclusion and the high hopes for the latter, I'm just curious who's had to flip there stance for the completed version. ;)

[jkmaletic]

"We LOVE "Cathouse Blues"!!"


--- (Jamie's 2 cats)

[tabruns]

Review of the streaming standard version of 24 Karat Gold:

"Starshine" - great, bouncy rocker. Nice start to the album. I love the organ solo.

"The Dealer" - very nice country rock song, it's grown on me over time.

"Mabel Normand" - I love it. It's a great, mystical, witchy, rocker.

"Blue Water" - I think they made the song more interesting with the country touches.

"Cathouse Blues" - cute song, very different vibe. Nice change of pace.

"24 Karat Gold" - This is a classic Nicks song, on par with "Gypsy", "Dreams", etc. Amazing that it never made a Mac album.

"Hard Advice" - Nice song, love the lyrics. Probably her most direct lyrics about years of missing Lindsey.

"Lady" - Very strong song. The longer I hear it the less I think that it "goes on too long".

"I Don't Care" - I agree with the Ledgie that said it's "very 70s Heart". There's a lot more texture to this song than the small clip indicated.

"All the Beautiful Worlds" - This was okay. I know some people love it. I do think she gets a decent hook with the chorus line.

"Belle Fleur" - Very cool and unexpected intro. Sounds like a substantial song.

"If You Were My Love" - Nice, haunting sounding ballad. Electric guitar adds to vibe. I miss the coda of the Mirage version with Lindsey and Christine singing with Stevie.

"Carousel" - Understanding that this is on here because it was Nick's mother's favorite song at the end makes a difference to "getting" why this is on an album of vault songs. It fits with the sound of the album.

"She Loves Him Still" - A countryish ballad, strikes me like "Highwayman"

I'd say I love: Starshine, The Dealer, Mabel Normand, 24 Karat Gold, Hard Advice, Lady, I Don't Care, possibly Blue Water, Cathouse Blues, Belle Fleur
I like: All the Beautiful Worlds, If You Were My Love, Carousel, She Loves Him Still

There isn't a song on here that I can say I dislike.

[bombaysaffires]

So, anyone finding themselves in the awkward position of liking Mabel Normand more than Blue Water?

TOTALLY.

I had no real hopes for Mabel, so the funky jam was a nice surprise.

Blue Water…lost all its magic.:sorry:

[bombaysaffires]

She Loves Him Still is a total disappointment for me. My gawd it sounds like a funeral dirge. So slooooooooooooow. Too many overdubbed harmonies. Ick. Just ick.

If You Were My Love…..same. too damn drone-y. Boring. All the excitement it once had has been bled out of it and all that's left is the lifeless corpse.

Carousel… again with the far too many overdubbed harmonies. The whole last part of the album began to sound the same, with one song indistinguishable from another. Sounds vaguely familiar, like similar to something else I can't quite put my finger on at the moment.

So ironic that Mabel of all things is growing on me.

Lady is great if far, far too long (by almost 1:30 to my ear)

The Dealer is ok; a little generic pop/AC but very listenable.

24 karat gold… the lyrics are a little thin but really like the groove.

Starshine is a harmless little pop ditty that hooks you in waiting for that "WRONG!"

Cathouse Blues is a bit out of place but a cute ditty. Very uncharacteristic so it kinda breaks things up.

Blue Water…. the less said the better.

Belle Fleur… i'm neutral on this one.

Hard Advice…. not hard to see why it was left off. Harmless, but nothing special either.

Twisted isn't bad, but 3 versions is more than enough already.

I haven't heard Watch Chain yet……

All The Beautiful Worlds…. not as bad as the above, but again the slowing of the tempo loses something in translation.

I Don't Care wasn't quite as good as I hoped from the snippet; not sure the extra stuff she added to it really added much. But I like the vibe of it. Would have loved to have heard this with her Wild Heart/Rock a Little voice and delivery.

[tabruns]

I find it so difficult to listen to If you were my love and think about it objectively. I think it's probably quite a good song, but I really miss the whole band feel of the Mirage demo. There was something about the jauntiness of the uptempo sections that I feel is missing.

Yes, and the ending chorus mixing their voices. Well I know they couldn't replicate that, but it still made the demo a favorite of mine while on this album its merely okay.

[HoursAndHours]

TOTALLY.

I had no real hopes for Mabel, so the funky jam was a nice surprise.

Blue Water…lost all its magic.:sorry:

I guess I'm pleasantly surprised by both. I really like the new arrangement for Blue Water, but I certainly understand why some people wouldn't. It's not the same midnight-on-the-ocean vibe like the demo, n0w it's more like sunset-on-the-ocean. :rolleyes:

[bombaysaffires]

I guess I'm pleasantly surprised by both. I really like the new arrangement for Blue Water, but I certainly understand why some people wouldn't. It's not the same midnight-on-the-ocean vibe like the demo, n0w it's more like sunset-on-the-ocean. :rolleyes:

great characterization of the demo.

[goldenground]

I am currently working on a Blue Water remix with much added reverb

Awesome! And if its possible, perhaps you could add the piano bit throughout the song... The twangy guitar just doesn't cut it.

[markolas]

The reverb in the demo was intentional? I always thought it was just a bad recording. I never liked it.

[welcomechris]

Awesome! And if its possible, perhaps you could add the piano bit throughout the song... The twangy guitar just doesn't cut it.

Yeah it sounds a bit boring without the piano.

[jkmaletic]

Awesome! And if its possible, perhaps you could add the piano bit throughout the song... The twangy guitar just doesn't cut it.

Maybe I'm jumping into an area I don't belong, but isn't changing Stevie's songs around a bit like painting over a finished painting? I liken it to this:

First an artist has a sketch. (This would be like a demo in the music world)

Then the artist turns the sketch into a painting. (Painting being the finished song)

I don't think it's right or fair to change a song (or painting) just because the fan didn't like how the final product came out. :shrug:

It's just kind of weird.


Jamie

[Keith]

I think the Deluxe running order reflects the space constraints of vinyl. I'm excited to listen to the 14-track order, but at least on vinyl, I think the sequencing works well - each sides tells its own little story, almost like 4 separate EPs.

I agree with you about the vinyl sequence - it's like four individual pieces of art and works nicely - I find myself in love with disc 1, side 2 the most.

Instead of listening to the vinyl this evening, I thought I would check out the Amazon stream - a different sequence, but really does work. Actually flows very nicely and I think the placement of "Cathouse Blues" and "Blue Water" works better than towards the end. Starting to like both of them a tad better - well, I really like "Cathouse Blues" but wasn't sure it sounded right on this album. The problem I have with "Blue Water" is how much I adore the simple, heartfelt demo. If I had never heard the demo, I probably would really be enjoying "Blue Water" - funny how that goes.

After a few repeated listens to this new album, I find myself being particularly drawn to "Mabel Normand" and "Hard Advice". Really enjoy both of those tracks - along with my ballads "Lady" "If You Were My Love" and "She Loves Him Still" - so very pretty.

[goldenground]

Maybe I'm jumping into an area I don't belong, but isn't changing Stevie's songs around a bit like painting over a finished painting? I liken it to this:

First an artist has a sketch. (This would be like a demo in the music world)

Then the artist turns the sketch into a painting. (Painting being the finished song)

I don't think it's right or fair to change a song (or painting) just because the fan didn't like how the final product came out. :shrug:

It's just kind of weird.


Jamie

It's really just a remix. Fans do it all the time, and many have been shared here along as fans of other artists. No one gains any profit from it. I don't see the big deal :shrug:

[bombaysaffires]

The reverb in the demo was intentional? I always thought it was just a bad recording. I never liked it.

I think on the demo it was just an artifact of the space she recorded it in… rented house? But in her studio recordings she always liked her vocal recorded with reverb, sometimes the more the better. I think she like the atmospheric quality of it. On some of the bootlegs of her studio sessions and such you can hear her talk about it, or request more echo, or to make it "more airy" and such. Which is why the sort of flatness of her vocals on both these albums with Dave is such a surprise.

[bombaysaffires]

It's really just a remix. Fans do it all the time, and many have been shared here along as fans of other artists. No one gains any profit from it. I don't see the big deal :shrug:

and so do DJs. How many club/dance/DJ remixes of songs are out there playing in clubs? It's a pretty accepted practice and has been for some time.

[jkmaletic]

and so do DJs. How many club/dance/DJ remixes of songs are out there playing in clubs? It's a pretty accepted practice and has been for some time.

That's true. But changing the speed or beat of a song in a club setting so it flows better with the type of music that club tends to play is one thing. Changing the song itself and then recording a different version for fans is another (I think).

Hypothetically, if the song remixers here were in a room with Stevie and mentioned to her that they did this and that to one of her songs so it sounded better, what do you think she would think or say?

Jamie

[Machu]

I've only listened to the standard version (I have not and will not listen to the bonus tracks until the CD release). Overall this a very solid album and has a totally unique feeling next to all of Stevie's releases. It is reminiscent of her older albums but the production still pushes it in a different direction. I feel like this album was her chance to record those great songs that, at least partially, didn't fit on a traditional Stevie album.

01. Starshine
----I love this song and it's a great album opener (which is probably why she chose it as track 1 on both standard and deluxe versions). It's one of those "bangly" songs like Enchanted and it's every bit as good as that song.

02. The Dealer
----When this was first released I was a bit underwhelmed but it has grown on me so much. I didn't think the vocals were up to par to begin with but now I think they're fine especially in context with the rest of the album. I thinks it's at least as good as the demo.

03. Mabel Normand
----I NEVER listened to this demo because it was pretty ramble but once the instagram clip debuted I was intrigued. The instrumentation is PERFECT but I was hoping Stevie would come up with a distinctive chorus. There really isn't one and it's pretty rambly but it's still pretty damn cool. It's so different for Stevie and the mood of the song is great.

04. Blue Water
----This is much better than I was expecting. I like it much better than the demo. The demo had an understated quality which is lost a little but I think what we gained was a fully thought out classic rock song. I happen to love Lady Antebellum so the ad-libs towards the end don't bother me as much as some people. I may have preferred the song without it but only because I don't want my Stevie diluted! This really is a favorite though.

05. Cathouse Blues
----This should have been a bonus track, imo. It's fun and catchy but it seems so out of place. It is miles above the demo which I did not like.

06. 24 Karat Gold
----I have never paid much attention to this demo but wow did this one come out great. This is quintessential Stevie Nicks. The best song on the album.

07. Hard Advice
----I really like this song. Her voice is pretty and the production is nice. Catchy melody.

08. Lady
---- I probably like this song more since it was the second single and I've listened to it many times. I think it fits beautifully on the album. The sparseness of just Stevie and the piano is appropriate.

09. I Don't Care
----I was surprised at how much I liked this. It is a roller coaster of emotions. I like the instrumentation breaks of the "I don't care" versus "I do care" and how the song ultimately builds.

10. All The Beautiful Worlds
----This was one of the bigger surprises for me. It was one of my least favorite instagram clips and now I think it is just about perfect and that voice towards the end of the song!! Such strength! Very 80's feeling!

11. Belle Fleur
----This is the song I was most looking forward to. I have to say it went in a totally different direction than I was expecting. That intro! Cool! It's definitely not the country infused song I was expecting. I do wish the song had stuck with a 4/4 beat. I think I'd have thought it was 100% perfect but I shall learn to love it as it is. Hell, I already do.

12. If You Were My Love
----I was ready to say this was a sleepy, slow mess but they made it a perfect mash if all of the demo versions. I am so surprised at how much I like this because when I heard the instagram snippet I really wasn't sure. It's not the snooze-feat I was expecting. I Love how the music changes a bit once it gets to the "crosses to bear" part. In fact, it's one of my favorites from the album.

13. Carousel
----I love it and it doesn't feel as out of place as I thought it would. It's not classic rock like the majority of the album but it still works.

14. She Loves Him Still
----I love this song. I even love the flute (which I was wary of). This is a great way to end the album her voice is beautiful

[HoursAndHours]

"I've got your demons"

and

"Since you've been gone, Rome burned down"

are now my favorite lines ever. :D

[goldenground]

That's true. But changing the speed or beat of a song in a club setting so it flows better with the type of music that club tends to play is one thing. Changing the song itself and then recording a different version for fans is another (I think).

Hypothetically, if the song remixers here were in a room with Stevie and mentioned to her that they did this and that to one of her songs so it sounded better, what do you think she would think or say?

Jamie

And that's your opinion. To each their own. And fact is, we don't know Stevie and will never sit in a room with her to get her exact thoughts. You could, keyword, 'assume' how she'd feel. But, that's your perception. We also have her demos that she'd rather the world have not heard, but she came around and said she was happy her demos touched people so deeply. So I really doubt she'd care about a remix for fans to enjoy.

[BombaySapphire3]

So I really doubt she'd care about a remix for fans to enjoy.

She did put the Deepdish Dreams remix on Crystal Visions.

[jkmaletic]

And that's your opinion. To each their own. And fact is, we don't know Stevie and will never sit in a room with her to get her exact thoughts. You could, keyword, 'assume' how she'd feel. But, that's your perception. We also have her demos that she'd rather the world have not heard, but she came around and said she was happy her demos touched people so deeply. So I really doubt she'd care about a remix for fans to enjoy.

Never say never. Don't sell yourself short - after the FM tour she might do a couple things to promote 24k, including sitting in a room with fans for a Q & A.
(I hope this happens :) )

I realize this is my opinion, btw.

[welcomechris]

I've only listened to the standard version (I have not and will not listen to the bonus tracks until the CD release). Overall this a very solid album and has a totally unique feeling next to all of Stevie's releases. It is reminiscent of her older albums but the production still pushes it in a different direction. I feel like this album was her chance to record those great songs that, at least partially, didn't fit on a traditional Stevie album.


03. Mabel Normand
----I NEVER listened to this demo because it was pretty ramble but once the instagram clip debuted I was intrigued. The instrumentation is PERFECT but I was hoping Stevie would come up with a distinctive chorus. There really isn't one and it's pretty rambly but it's still pretty damn cool. It's so different for Stevie and the mood of the song is great.



I always the "You Change Sides" part was the chorus.

But whatever, Gypsy has no chorus and it's one of my favorites from stevie

[Machu]

I always the "You Change Sides" part was the chorus.

But whatever, Gypsy has no chorus and it's one of my favorites from stevie

Yeah, I'm not saying there is no chorus, just that it's not very distinctive and I was wondering if there would be something a bit more substantial in the final version. I would cite what she did with Lady From The Mountains to Moonlight as an example. I love the song. Gypsy is one of my favorites too--no chorus and all. LOL

[BlueLight]

"I've got your demons"

and

"Since you've been gone, Rome burned down"

are now my favorite lines ever. :D

Yes and YES! Love these lines, and her vocals. :thumbsup:

[HoursAndHours]

Yes and YES! Love these lines, and her vocals. :thumbsup:

I forgot to include

"Don't buy that doll!" :lol:

Which I will now be shouting randomly at people at the university. :cool:

[jwd]

There's a lot to absorb from this album. I just wanted to say that " I Don't Care" is one of the best ROCK songs Stevie has ever done! Very Zeppelinish indeed!! Great job on that one! Yes I think Jimmy and Robert would be proud! :thumbsup:

[jkmaletic]

I forgot to include

"Don't buy that doll!" :lol:

Which I will now be shouting randomly at people at the university. :cool:

My Mom was ADDICTED to buying dolls and I said that to her several times. Never in a million years did I think it'd be a Stevie lyric.

[jwd]

Mabel Normand: One of, if not THE, best songs on the album for me; which is surprising because while I enjoy the demo in an off-kilter way, I never knew it could reach THIS kind of potential. Amazing!

I get a speaking in tongues Sisters Of The Moon vibe from this song. I'm falling madly in love with Mabel!!

[DauphineMarie]

I'm so glad everyone here loves Mabel, because I have loved the real Mabel Normand, as well as the demo, for a looong time. And I'm just so happy this one turned out so well. Definitely my favourite on this album.:nod:

[MarkMc1990]

I love when she sings the "baby comedieeeeeennnneeee" part!

[pryderi]

I've heard the stream and I must say I am beyond satisfied. (I 'm still in anticipation of Watchchain.) There were quite a few surprises. but the most memorable moment has got to be handsdown "Mabel Normand". Her 80s ramblings brought on by a groovin backbeat just hits the nail on the head.

[gldstwmn]

All The Beautiful Worlds kills it!!! Go Stevie! Woot! :thumbsup:

[Bandon]

All The Beautiful Worlds kills it!!! Go Stevie! Woot! :thumbsup:

I totally agree!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[tabruns]

Yeah I have to say "Mabel Normand" really hits it. Actually the first three songs of the album are all killers. "Dealer" was good when I first heard it but the more I hear it the more I love it.

On repeated listens "She Loves Him Still" has grown on me, as has "All the Beautiful Worlds".

I still think "24 Karat Gold" is the best song.

[Bandon]

I have to admit I was totally unimpressed with the clips, but I just listened to the stream of the album and have to say I love it. This is what I was hoping for as a follow up to Bella Donna...a long, long time ago! Love the country-ish/rock..late seventies, early eighties sound. Love Cathouse Blues...but agree it's place would have been best towards the end of the album. BRAVO, STEVIE!

[PenguinHead]

Maybe I'm jumping into an area I don't belong, but isn't changing Stevie's songs around a bit like painting over a finished painting? I liken it to this:

First an artist has a sketch. (This would be like a demo in the music world)

Then the artist turns the sketch into a painting. (Painting being the finished song)

I don't think it's right or fair to change a song (or painting) just because the fan didn't like how the final product came out. :shrug:

It's just kind of weird.


Jamie

I agree that it's kind of weird.
It's like buying someone's painting and finding you didn't like a particular color, so you decide to paint over it with a color you prefer. Then you add something else to the painting to make it more interesting.

But as some have noted, DJs do this all of the time, and they remix the songs not because they don't like them, it's because they do like them; they just want to take them to a different place.

[PenguinHead]

"I've got your demons"

and

"Since you've been gone, Rome burned down"

are now my favorite lines ever. :D

It's always been one of my favorites too!

[tabruns]

I agree that it's kind of weird.
It's like buying someone's painting and finding you didn't like a particular color, so you decide to paint over it with a color you prefer. Then you add something else to the painting to make it more interesting.

But as some have noted, DJs do this all of the time, and they remix the songs not because they don't like them, it's because they do like them; they just want to take them to a different place.

Yeah, I think its that exactly. You already like it, and you want to do something additional with it.

I do this with album art. I'll often design a whole new cover for an album, just because I like doing so.

[louielouie2000]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

[BlueLight]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

Ha! Not quite yet, as I'm totally digging my vinyl on repeat, and still excited for the arrival of the Deluxe CD, both so I can listen to the tracks blaring on my iPhone, and also for the photobook. But talk to me next week. :lol:

[sorcerer999]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I understand what you mean. Just in the past few days since I've had the album in my possession, I've been on this forum less and less every day...since there is no more mystery or speculation, and most of us have already given our opinion. Every time a new Stevie or Mac album comes out, I tend to play the sh*t out of it in order to quell some of that "postpartum depression" :lol:

But like BlueLight said, we do have the photobook coming...and then we have the upcoming Fleetwood Mac album which will hopefully drop within the next year. That's something to look forward to, I guess, albeit something WAY INTO THE FUTURE. :shrug:

Sorry...trying to be optimistic.

[markolas]

I need to be able to listen to the tracks individually in order to analyze them more fully, so I'm still looking forward to that. That Amazon streaming thing was great to tide me over, but it's not the same.

[Christopher]

I have to admit I was totally unimpressed with the clips, but I just listened to the stream of the album and have to say I love it. This is what I was hoping for as a follow up to Bella Donna...a long, long time ago! Love the country-ish/rock..late seventies, early eighties sound. Love Cathouse Blues...but agree it's place would have been best towards the end of the album. BRAVO, STEVIE!

The theme that was floating in my mind the whole time I listened to the album repeatedly Monday evening is that "24 Karat Gold" is Stevies long lost 70s classic rock solo debut.
It sounds & feels like it could've been be a prequel to "Bella Donna." While still sounding fresh & relevant today. And her voice! She found her voice again! I've had two days to absorb the album and I still can't put together a proper review. I'm stunned! This is a great classic Stevie record for the ages.

[KarmaContestant]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

A little bit, yeah. I am looking forward to the CD, though. :nod:

[markolas]

I've listened to this album (standard version) a few times now, and I really don't like "Hard Advice" much at all. And I can do without "Carousel." I love everything else.

[Bandon]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

Well there is the new FM album next year. :nod:

[Keith]

The theme that was floating in my mind the whole time I listened to the album repeatedly Monday evening is that "24 Karat Gold" is Stevies long lost 70s classic rock solo debut.

Yes, this is exactly how "24 Karat Gold" feels - these 24 Karat Golden Oldies. I'm listening to the album one more time before I venture over to the Rumours' Ledge to lose myself in all the videos, pictures and reviews from opening night. But, since I haven't listened to 24K since early this morning (since turntables are not ipods and can't go out with me), I wanted to listen again - wow, a new Stevie Nicks record and Fleetwood Mac tour at the same time. Good times to be a fan.

Also, this music is so different from "In Your Dreams" that I never would have guessed that Dave Stewart was one of the producers if I hadn't already known it. Yep, Stevie's long lost classic rock record.

[APerfectLie]

I'm so glad everyone here loves Mabel, because I have loved the real Mabel Normand, as well as the demo, for a looong time. And I'm just so happy this one turned out so well. Definitely my favourite on this album.:nod:

Definitely in the same camp! Actually got grief for always putting that in my "demos you want Stevie to record" list and I actually thought there was no chance she'd ever record it, but here we are and everyone is loving it! It is so great.

Anywho, here is my review:

Starshine
Always thought this was a fun little demo and I love that Stevie didn't lose that spunk. Even though I still have no clue what the hell she is talking about for most of the song, it's a fun starter!

If You Were My Love
I have to say that I am kind of bummed about this one. I was wanting it to be fierce and energetic and not so slow, but I think I can grow to like this one. I feel the music matches the lyrics more now and I love that haunting drum in the background!

Mabel Normand
What can I say?! I ****ING LOVE IT!! I was afraid she'd change the lyrics drastically, but I love that she stayed pretty true to the demo. There was something haunting and heartbreakingly sad in the demo that did not translate into the studio version, but now I have a rocking version and a "I wanna cry and suffer in my misery" version. Love love love!

Twisted
The vocal on this is amazing! I definitely prefer this version over the Twister version, but I actually prefer the "demo" version we got on Enchanted.

24 Karat Gold
I've been rocking this song in my car for days now. It is just so damn good. Love the atmosphere! The only thing I don't like about this song is this new way Stevie says, "chain of chains" which is much slower than the demo, but near the end she belts is out just like she did in the demo and that makes up for all the other times :)

Belle Fleur
That intro! Whoah! I prefer her vocal on the demo, but I still love this version. I also feel like she should have used the "it's just love, it's only love!" line a few more times.

All The Beautiful Worlds
Classic classic Stevie. And whose DeLorean did she use to go get this vocal?! Love that she kept this one very 80's and you don't get a Nashville vibe from this song at all!

Lady
Still love this song. The demo was never one of my go to's, but damn I love this. Something about Stevie's current voice and just the piano sends shivers down my spine. I must say, it has made me cry multiple times.

I Don't Care
Love the music, but I don't really care for most of the lyrics. Intro kinda reminds me of Crystal, anyone else hear this? Also, the lyrics "What would my life be without you in it? Sad and broken, lost and empty in the mirror!" are amazing and everything after that is perfect. I think this song will definitely grow on me.

Watch Chain
Still very groovy, but even more fun than the demo! Kind of gives me a beginning of summer feel. I have a feeling I will be playing this a lot come May.

Hard Advice
Okay, where to even start with this song? I cannot even begin to tell you guys how many times I have listened to this song. What an amazing surprise! This song is so sweet and perfect. Stevie is actually singing soft and this has such a catchy little melody, but it is laced with heartbreaking lyrics. Like Lady, this song has also made me cry multiple times. It also has inspired me to start writing again, which I haven't done in almost a year. Ugh, so so so so so perfect.

Carousel
I love everything about this song, my only complaint was that Stevie put it on her "Vault" album. However, after reading why she put it on here, I feel it earned its keep. Definitely will be playing this one quite a bit too.

Blue Water
This was never a huge favorite of mine, so I must say I was actually pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. It definitely has this bluesy late night feel to it. And I know I am in the minority here, but I actually like the guy at the end!

Cathouse Blues
Never really cared for this song and it still isn't Stevie's style, but once I accepted the fact that she chose to record this song, I actually think it is kind of fun. I definitely will not be listening to this one very often, but it's cute. Favorite part is when she says, "Well they say I'm pretty classy..."

The Dealer
Eh, I can't believe out of all the amazing stuff on this record this was the first song they decided to release. There is only one or two demo versions of this song I really like, so I like this version better than most, but I think it should have been a little more energetic, a better vocal, and it should have included the line, "Jesse told me at an early age I could get away!"

She Loves Him Still
Not a favorite, but I think it will grow on me. Of course the lyrics are great, but the song itself is kind of slow. Love that the album ends with her whispering, "Straight back to the sea"

[Jondalar]

Definitely in the same camp! Actually got grief for always putting that in my "demos you want Stevie to record" list and I actually thought there was no chance she'd ever record it, but here we are and everyone is loving it! It is so great.

Anywho, here is my review:

Starshine
Always thought this was a fun little demo and I love that Stevie didn't lose that spunk. Even though I still have no clue what the hell she is talking about for most of the song, it's a fun starter!

If You Were My Love
I have to say that I am kind of bummed about this one. I was wanting it to be fierce and energetic and not so slow, but I think I can grow to like this one. I feel the music matches the lyrics more now and I love that haunting drum in the background!

Mabel Normand
What can I say?! I ****ING LOVE IT!! I was afraid she'd change the lyrics drastically, but I love that she stayed pretty true to the demo. There was something haunting and heartbreakingly sad in the demo that did not translate into the studio version, but now I have a rocking version and a "I wanna cry and suffer in my misery" version. Love love love!

Twisted
The vocal on this is amazing! I definitely prefer this version over the Twister version, but I actually prefer the "demo" version we got on Enchanted.

24 Karat Gold
I've been rocking this song in my car for days now. It is just so damn good. Love the atmosphere! The only thing I don't like about this song is this new way Stevie says, "chain of chains" which is much slower than the demo, but near the end she belts is out just like she did in the demo and that makes up for all the other times :)

Belle Fleur
That intro! Whoah! I prefer her vocal on the demo, but I still love this version. I also feel like she should have used the "it's just love, it's only love!" line a few more times.

All The Beautiful Worlds
Classic classic Stevie. And whose DeLorean did she use to go get this vocal?! Love that she kept this one very 80's and you don't get a Nashville vibe from this song at all!

Lady
Still love this song. The demo was never one of my go to's, but damn I love this. Something about Stevie's current voice and just the piano sends shivers down my spine. I must say, it has made me cry multiple times.

I Don't Care
Love the music, but I don't really care for most of the lyrics. Intro kinda reminds me of Crystal, anyone else hear this? Also, the lyrics "What would my life be without you in it? Sad and broken, lost and empty in the mirror!" are amazing and everything after that is perfect. I think this song will definitely grow on me.

Watch Chain
Still very groovy, but even more fun than the demo! Kind of gives me a beginning of summer feel. I have a feeling I will be playing this a lot come May.

Hard Advice
Okay, where to even start with this song? I cannot even begin to tell you guys how many times I have listened to this song. What an amazing surprise! This song is so sweet and perfect. Stevie is actually singing soft and this has such a catchy little melody, but it is laced with heartbreaking lyrics. Like Lady, this song has also made me cry multiple times. It also has inspired me to start writing again, which I haven't done in almost a year. Ugh, so so so so so perfect.

Carousel
I love everything about this song, my only complaint was that Stevie put it on her "Vault" album. However, after reading why she put it on here, I feel it earned its keep. Definitely will be playing this one quite a bit too.

Blue Water
This was never a huge favorite of mine, so I must say I was actually pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. It definitely has this bluesy late night feel to it. And I know I am in the minority here, but I actually like the guy at the end!

Cathouse Blues
Never really cared for this song and it still isn't Stevie's style, but once I accepted the fact that she chose to record this song, I actually think it is kind of fun. I definitely will not be listening to this one very often, but it's cute. Favorite part is when she says, "Well they say I'm pretty classy..."

The Dealer
Eh, I can't believe out of all the amazing stuff on this record this was the first song they decided to release. There is only one or two demo versions of this song I really like, so I like this version better than most, but I think it should have been a little more energetic, a better vocal, and it should have included the line, "Jesse told me at an early age I could get away!"

She Loves Him Still
Not a favorite, but I think it will grow on me. Of course the lyrics are great, but the song itself is kind of slow. Love that the album ends with her whispering, "Straight back to the sea"

Thanks for your well thought out review.

[sorcerer999]

Definitely in the same camp! Actually got grief for always putting that in my "demos you want Stevie to record" list and I actually thought there was no chance she'd ever record it, but here we are and everyone is loving it! It is so great.

Stellar review, John! Thanks for the great read! :D

[jkmaletic]

Just listened to Mabel Normand again and I heard Sisters of the Moon in it toward the end (guitar part).

Anyone else feel that?

[Jondalar]

Just listened to Mabel Normand again and I heard Sisters of the Moon in it toward the end (guitar part).

Anyone else feel that?

I do a little. What I hear mostly with Mabel and Belle Fleur is Lynard Skynard. Definitely swamp rock which is a pleasant surprise. "That Smell" would of fit in nicely on this record.

[jkmaletic]

Happy to report this album is growing on me. I guess I kind of expected an "In Your Dreams Part 2" of sorts, and this album is not that, obviously.

As I mentioned on another thread, I loved IYD at first listen and this one would likely grow on me, and it is! :thumbsup:

It's still too early for me to review song for song. After I get the CD it'll be easier (at least for me) to judge. Right now I'm restricted to the album and streams online.

Jamie :angel:

[Tango]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

No, you are not bizarre, but you seem to have gorged yourself a bit too quickly at the table! ;) You were given 16 songs! (of course you have had these songs in other forms for many years) However, may I remind you of Sir Francis Bacon and his study on books:

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention."

Likewise, I think one must be careful in one's song intake. Watch the textures, watch the flavors, observe the new garnishes, the subtle spices, and never try to consume the entire album all at once. ;)

[Jondalar]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

:( sound depressed. How long does it take you to encode an album? I'll be listening to this and discovering new things for a very long time. Till it is part of me. That is what I'm looking forward to.

You will have a new Fleetwood Mac record to look forward to. Plus I think she will do another quick album.

[StreetAngel86]

i have a wicked headcold and am slightly medicated
so this is a rough, 1st listen through
tried not to read too many opinions beforehand :)


Starshine
LOVE the demo. love this version. rocking song. great for a set opener. 9/10

If You Were My Love
love all the outtakes even the "tropical" SA one but especially the Mirage version
i don't know if i like this. it's a bit "slow" and doesn't really go anywhere
her voice is fab though and i like the instruments. might grow on me. 7/10

Mabel Normand
dislike the demo.
"beloved exile" lol. i love the rushed lyrics or ... shove a whole story of 50 pages
into a 4 min song. reminds me of Thousand Days. this song is fking amazing
i don't even know what to say. 10/10

Twisted
well ... why would you ruin the perfect Bucky/Nicks version is beyond me
she must reeeeeeeeeeally love this song and want everyone to know
didn't she agree to write it because the Twister characters (story) reminded her /she related
it to her and Bucky. i dont know. i would scrap this and put friggin SPACE effing NEEDLE on instead :)
not that it's bad but i don't think it needed a rehash. 7/10

24 Karat Gold
love the demos. all incarnations
LOVE that opening.
i dont really think the bits of this song tell a very cohesive story as such
i feel like it's just bits all thrown together into a song.
but i like it. they use the same piece around 2:45 as they do in the live version of Rhiannon...i think
it's Rhiannon. 9/10

Belle Fleur
can't say i've ever fully listened to the demo or liked it.
sounds like After the Glitter Fades and Imperial Hotel had a love child
don't love it. but it had potential to grow on me too. 8.5/10

All the Beautiful Worlds
one of my top 5 fave demos since i discovered Stevie!demos
um ... what on earth transition is that at 1:25. i dont like that at all.
I SEE THROUGH THAT SMILE aaaaaaaaaaah love. 8/10

Lady
beautiful if not a bit repetitive in that last minute.
her voice is perfect and so is the lone piano. 10/10

I Don't Care
sounds like the opening to Crystal ... and then it clearly doesn't
um ... I Don't Care for this song.
why on earth is this SIX minutes? :o 5/10

Watch Chain
don't mind the demo
this one is okay. 7/10

Hard Advice
reminds me of For What It's Worth & I Miss You & Maybe Love Will CHange Your Mind (thumbs up)
sounds like a TISL outtake though :( booo TISL lol 8/10

Carousel
never heard VC's version so I cannot compare.
if this was more 80s it would totally fit on TOSOTM
i like it 9/10

Blue Water
the song with my highest expectations
another one of my top 5 demos
oooh get rid of that male vocal and it's perfectly okay. 8.5/10 (-1 alone for that man)

Cathouse Blues
NOT about hooker cats ... :lol:
why can i envisage her singing this on top of a piano smoking a long cigarette
well, i have 3 cats and i love cats (actually, all 3 of them are with me
right now listening to this lol) and i love this coz it's different 9/10

The Dealer
no commentary needed. loved it since the demo. love this version. listen to it a LOT 10/10

She Loves Him Still
bloody h#ll. still depressingly beautiful
nice and simple. not to over fancily mauled.
sounds Street Angel-y teehee therefore ... winning 9.5/10

overall, not bad.
i'd probably give it about 8/10 all round
might even be better than IYD. I will have to listen to it a few more times to see.
i'd ditch Carousel and Twisted for Space Needle and Something Exquisite though :thumbsup:

[StreetAngel86]

So, anyone finding themselves in the awkward position of liking Mabel Normand more than Blue Water? I really like both of them. I never in a million years expected either of these songs to sound like this. But with the discontent about the former's inclusion and the high hopes for the latter, I'm just curious who's had to flip there stance for the completed version. ;)

by miles honey. MILES

Blue Water demo = perfection. you can listen to it as is and aaaaaah. very emo.
24KG Blue Water = blah in comparison :sorry: needed a bit more OOMPF and no male

whereas

Mabel Normand demo = what the hell demon demo
24KG Mabel Normand = WHO is this sad girl and can i give her a hug. i don't know what 1/2 of the lyrics are coz I'm too busy with my head exploding coz there's SO many & smiling at crazy!Stevie getting her RAL on *sigh*

[Jondalar]

i have a wicked headcold and am slightly medicated
so this is a rough, 1st listen through
tried not to read too many opinions beforehand :)


Starshine
LOVE the demo. love this version. rocking song. great for a set opener. 9/10

If You Were My Love
love all the outtakes even the "tropical" SA one but especially the Mirage version
i don't know if i like this. it's a bit "slow" and doesn't really go anywhere
her voice is fab though and i like the instruments. might grow on me. 7/10

Mabel Normand
dislike the demo.
"beloved exile" lol. i love the rushed lyrics or ... shove a whole story of 50 pages
into a 4 min song. reminds me of Thousand Days. this song is fking amazing
i don't even know what to say. 10/10

Twisted
well ... why would you ruin the perfect Bucky/Nicks version is beyond me
she must reeeeeeeeeeally love this song and want everyone to know
didn't she agree to write it because the Twister characters (story) reminded her /she related
it to her and Bucky. i dont know. i would scrap this and put friggin SPACE effing NEEDLE on instead :)
not that it's bad but i don't think it needed a rehash. 7/10

24 Karat Gold
love the demos. all incarnations
LOVE that opening.
i dont really think the bits of this song tell a very cohesive story as such
i feel like it's just bits all thrown together into a song.
but i like it. they use the same piece around 2:45 as they do in the live version of Rhiannon...i think
it's Rhiannon. 9/10

Belle Fleur
can't say i've ever fully listened to the demo or liked it.
sounds like After the Glitter Fades and Imperial Hotel had a love child
don't love it. but it had potential to grow on me too. 8.5/10

All the Beautiful Worlds
one of my top 5 fave demos since i discovered Stevie!demos
um ... what on earth transition is that at 1:25. i dont like that at all.
I SEE THROUGH THAT SMILE aaaaaaaaaaah love. 8/10

Lady
beautiful if not a bit repetitive in that last minute.
her voice is perfect and so is the lone piano. 10/10

I Don't Care
sounds like the opening to Crystal ... and then it clearly doesn't
um ... I Don't Care for this song.
why on earth is this SIX minutes? :o 5/10

Watch Chain
don't mind the demo
this one is okay. 7/10

Hard Advice
reminds me of For What It's Worth & I Miss You & Maybe Love Will CHange Your Mind (thumbs up)
sounds like a TISL outtake though :( booo TISL lol 8/10

Carousel
never heard VC's version so I cannot compare.
if this was more 80s it would totally fit on TOSOTM
i like it 9/10

Blue Water
the song with my highest expectations
another one of my top 5 demos
oooh get rid of that male vocal and it's perfectly okay. 8.5/10 (-1 alone for that man)

Cathouse Blues
NOT about hooker cats ... :lol:
why can i envisage her singing this on top of a piano smoking a long cigarette
well, i have 3 cats and i love cats (actually, all 3 of them are with me
right now listening to this lol) and i love this coz it's different 9/10

The Dealer
no commentary needed. loved it since the demo. love this version. listen to it a LOT 10/10

She Loves Him Still
bloody h#ll. still depressingly beautiful
nice and simple. not to over fancily mauled.
sounds Street Angel-y teehee therefore ... winning 9.5/10

overall, not bad.
i'd probably give it about 8/10 all round
might even be better than IYD. I will have to listen to it a few more times to see.
i'd ditch Carousel and Twisted for Space Needle and Something Exquisite though :thumbsup:

Thank you for your detailed review.

[StreetAngel86]

Thank you for your detailed review.

i aim to please
i had your Blue Water commentary in my head whilst listening :lol:
but we didn't like it for different reasons.
i see the "Duets" comparison though ;)

[secondhandchain]

I love Blue Water, love the male harmonies but it didn't need the male (Lady A guy?)singing on his own. I wonder how he gets Stevie's high harmonies? Pro tools magic. Mabel Normand is good, but could have used an ending hook. Lindsey would have done wonders on that. What Lindsey is good at with Stevies songs is putting that extra hook that puts it over the top. Minus his Say You will songs. Still I'm really enjoying the album. If you were my love is great the Mirage demo with the harmonies by the band at the end were killer. Why that didn't make Mirage or another album is beyond me. Just hope she records with FM!!!!

[Hawkeye]

The past week has been such a weird experience for me. Everyone was getting their albums and others were hearing the stream, and I was sitting here with nothing! Couldn't get the stream to work. So that was torture, BUT it was kind of cool to get SO many of your guys reviews without hearing these songs and seeing patterns and forming opinions of what to expect prior to hearing theses songs. FINALLY 2 days ago i was able to hear all the songs. Like stevie herself I would much prefer to have my first listen to be a much better quality and have the ability to play them much louder. So I'm going to wait until Tuesday when I get the cd to do an actual detailed review, BUT I will quickly make some observations based on the other reviews and how I agree/disagree. I'm not gonna repeat what many have said at least not yet like ATBW came out perfect, words can't describe how awesome it came out. I'm not gonna bother repeating that :laugh:

If you were my love expecting a lot from this one. Even difficult to please mr. Louie loves it :laugh: no need to even listen I'm gonna love it.... Nope, very disappointed with this one. It literally goes no where. The second clip we got of this led me to believe it may be like kind of woman, but nope again. The choruses make it seem like the song might make an interesting turn but then it goes right back and is so repetitive. Luckily I'd say this was my only real disappointment.

I don't care wow what a shock, the general consensus with the big rock song is less then stellar:rolleyes: it's been that way with every song after fall from grace, the fans never put her most rockin song near the top. Although it's not getting **** on like ghosts are gone it still doesn't get the love it deserves. This and mable are probably tied for first right now with mable getting the crown with a gun to my head.

Carousel. LOVE this one. I feel like I'm running thr the woods when this song comes on. By far my favorite slower song. Don't care she didn't write it and I especially don't care knowing why it's included. Really this is the only ballad I love.


Again will say more after Tuesday.

[sorcerer999]

Okay...so...(sigh)...

I've been listening to this album non-stop for the past ten days - in the morning on the way to the gym, on the way to work, on the way HOME from work, and I recently completed a huge project painting my living room these past 5 days where I was literally working til 2 or 3am, all the while listening to (you guessed it) 24KG over and over again...

"Blue Water" has TOTALLY grown on me. I like it quite a bit now. It's just too damn catchy not to sing along and harmonize with. So I've totally done a complete 180 with this one! Once I'd gotten used to the direction that Stevie wanted to go with it, and got over the fact that they didn't go in the direction that I WANTED them to go with it, then it snagged me...hook, line and sinker!:lol:

Same thing with "She Loves Him Still". Originally I'd not been too keen on the "Street Angel"-esque, lethargic vocal delivery or the Irish flute...BUT...I've really grown to love the harmonies and the fact that IT IS "Street Angel"-esque! This album has such a timeless feel to it. I feel each song has a particular "sound" or "era" attached to it, and "SLHS" for me NOW, reminds me of everything that I actually DID enjoy about "Street Angel"...so it's like this is the one song that represents that album, and that's kind of nice! :)

So now, for me personally, that really only leaves "Twisted" and "The Dealer" as the only two songs off this record that I could take or leave...and even then, I still don't think that they're bad. Just not my favorite. So with that, and all these repeated "listenings", I consider this album to be just about damn near perfect! Timeless and the best of almost every era of Stevie Nicks!

Okay...you guys may now sing me the "I told you so" song!!! ;)

[tabruns]

I honestly think "Blue Water" will be a single release, it just sounds so obviously like it should be.

We had 4 promo single releases, and "Lady" got an official video (but has it been released as an actual single?). I could see "Lady", "24 Karat Gold", and "Blue Water" as actual single releases.

[tabruns]

i have a wicked headcold and am slightly medicated
so this is a rough, 1st listen through
tried not to read too many opinions beforehand :)

I Don't Care
sounds like the opening to Crystal ... and then it clearly doesn't
um ... I Don't Care for this song.
why on earth is this SIX minutes? :o 5/10



Because it's meant to be Zeppelin-esque hence epic. Plus the music changes up enough that it doesn't feel like 6 minutes. I think if a person like Zeppelin or especially 70s Heart (that's what it sounds like more to me), then they're likely to like this.

[Jondalar]

Because it's meant to be Zeppelin-esque hence epic. Plus the music changes up enough that it doesn't feel like 6 minutes. I think if a person like Zeppelin or especially 70s Heart (that's what it sounds like more to me), then they're likely to like this.

This song is really growing on me like Mabel. It sounds great when listening to album as a whole.

[Jondalar]

Okay...so...(sigh)...

I've been listening to this album non-stop for the past ten days - in the morning on the way to the gym, on the way to work, on the way HOME from work, and I recently completed a huge project painting my living room these past 5 days where I was literally working til 2 or 3am, all the while listening to (you guessed it) 24KG over and over again...

"Blue Water" has TOTALLY grown on me. I like it quite a bit now. It's just too damn catchy not to sing along and harmonize with. So I've totally done a complete 180 with this one! Once I'd gotten used to the direction that Stevie wanted to go with it, and got over the fact that they didn't go in the direction that I WANTED them to go with it, then it snagged me...hook, line and sinker!:lol:

Same thing with "She Loves Him Still". Originally I'd not been too keen on the "Street Angel"-esque, lethargic vocal delivery or the Irish flute...BUT...I've really grown to love the harmonies and the fact that IT IS "Street Angel"-esque! This album has such a timeless feel to it. I feel each song has a particular "sound" or "era" attached to it, and "SLHS" for me NOW, reminds me of everything that I actually DID enjoy about "Street Angel"...so it's like this is the one song that represents that album, and that's kind of nice! :)

So now, for me personally, that really only leaves "Twisted" and "The Dealer" as the only two songs off this record that I could take or leave...and even then, I still don't think that they're bad. Just not my favorite. So with that, and all these repeated "listenings", I consider this album to be just about damn near perfect! Timeless and the best of almost every era of Stevie Nicks!

Okay...you guys may now sing me the "I told you so" song!!! ;)

I'm happy you are giving Blue Water a chance. Hope others do. Her voice sounds great on this.

[SLN1]

The past week has been such a weird experience for me. Everyone was getting their albums and others were hearing the stream, and I was sitting here with nothing! Couldn't get the stream to work. So that was torture, BUT it was kind of cool to get SO many of your guys reviews without hearing these songs and seeing patterns and forming opinions of what to expect prior to hearing theses songs. FINALLY 2 days ago i was able to hear all the songs. Like stevie herself I would much prefer to have my first listen to be a much better quality and have the ability to play them much louder. So I'm going to wait until Tuesday when I get the cd to do an actual detailed review, BUT I will quickly make some observations based on the other reviews and how I agree/disagree. I'm not gonna repeat what many have said at least not yet like ATBW came out perfect, words can't describe how awesome it came out. I'm not gonna bother repeating that :laugh:

If you were my love expecting a lot from this one. Even difficult to please mr. Louie loves it :laugh: no need to even listen I'm gonna love it.... Nope, very disappointed with this one. It literally goes no where. The second clip we got of this led me to believe it may be like kind of woman, but nope again. The choruses make it seem like the song might make an interesting turn but then it goes right back and is so repetitive. Luckily I'd say this was my only real disappointment.

I don't care wow what a shock, the general consensus with the big rock song is less then stellar:rolleyes: it's been that way with every song after fall from grace, the fans never put her most rockin song near the top. Although it's not getting **** on like ghosts are gone it still doesn't get the love it deserves. This and mable are probably tied for first right now with mable getting the crown with a gun to my head.

Carousel. LOVE this one. I feel like I'm running thr the woods when this song comes on. By far my favorite slower song. Don't care she didn't write it and I especially don't care knowing why it's included. Really this is the only ballad I love.


Again will say more after Tuesday.


LOVE LOVE LOVE CAROUSEL!!

[StreetAngel86]

Because it's meant to be Zeppelin-esque hence epic. Plus the music changes up enough that it doesn't feel like 6 minutes. I think if a person like Zeppelin or especially 70s Heart (that's what it sounds like more to me), then they're likely to like this.

i still ... don't care :lol:
that is not an acceptable answer to this song i do not like that much.

after a few 100 relistens
the album is pretty good.

minus Carousel/Hard Advice and I Don't Care :thumbsup:

i mean, i love Carousel. love the imagery with the lyrics but i dont think it belongs on this album

even Blue Water is growing on me. :p

[MusicInferno]

I love "Carousel" very much. It was one of her mum's favourites before she died, so it doesn't matter that it isn't one of her vault songs.

[michelej1]

For me, I love the contrast of this Twisted with the other. And I like the soothing, sultry voice Stevie uses, with the background singers. Although she's singing about tumultuous crazy people wrapped up in a storm, fueled by demons, the vocal is almost like a lullabye, belying (and somehow multiplying) the passion.

I think Blue Water is perfection.

And then you just have the songs that you can imagine in concert, bouncing, catchy, infectuous: Starshine, The Dealer, 24 Karat Gold, Watch Chain.

I don't like I Don't Care, but it needs to be in her next set anyway, as the new rocker and it will be just as good as FFG or GAG in that spot.

All The Beautiful Worlds nails it with that "don't give that to her, give that to me" part especially.

I feel that Belle Fleur, Mabel Normand, Lady, If You Were My Love and Hard Advice are mediocre. But they add their own texture and variety to the album, as a whole, while falling short individually in my ears.

She Loves Him Still is perfect as the closer. Even if I re-sequenced the whole thing, I would always leave that one at the end.

I feel that Carousel is above average, yet I would rather have a less symmetrical Stevie demo in place of this song. This is not the worse song on the album, but it is the first one I would drop.

Cathouse Blues is light. Fun, but forgettable.

Michele

[Hawkeye]

Ok I can finally write a full review after listening the CD on very loud very clear speakers, and that made a big difference in at least 3 songs.

Starshine wow what a perfect opening song. I've loved this song for weeks as a stand alone track but it sounds even better as the launch point for this incredible album. 10/10

The Dealer nothing's changed from the single release. No matter what the sound system or volume. Mediocre unreleased song turned mediocre song. Still enjoyable and no means a skipper but nothing special 7/10

Mable Normand Holy f**in s**t, this has gone from favorite song on the album to maybe favorite solo song EVER. Realistically top 5 for sure. I never get when you guys all say a song brings you to tears. But driving home from best buy and having this song come on in the car, I couldn't help but think never did I think stevie could release a song like this in 2014. These are stevie nicks lyrics. Not straight forward words sprinkled all over this century. Cryptic sh*t like your in exhile, so I'll write a book and call it beloved exhile. And sure these words are from 1985, but they come alive in the delivery from 2014 which ironically sounds like the delivery is coming straight from the stage in red rocks Colorado in 1986. So to wrap this up hearing this song come out of my car made me start to mildly tear up. First time ever.15/10

Blue Water my 25 minute ride home from best buy to my house includes about 6 to 7 minutes along the niagara river. Without planning this at all, this song comes on during that stretch. Danm right that effected my enjoyment of the song. This demo was never a favorite of mine so I had no investment in that like many of you. I like this song a lot within the album, and I think it's gonna be better during different settings. Like I said looking at actual blue water helps. 7.5/10

Cathouse Blues this song had no business ever being released :sorry: and it should've been a bonus track or buried in In a soundtrack (stevie should've spoke up when they made that Garfield movie, that she had the perfect song for the soundtrack!) again might not always skip it, but this is the first song I'd kick off the album even if there's maybe 2 others I enjoy less. 6.5/10

24karat Gold Again like Starshine I've loved this song for weeks, but also within the whole album and hearing it clearer have taken it to another level. This is actually one of two demos that were actually on my initial wish list, and they omitted much of what I loved in the demo, most importantly the here comes the cold chill line. And I can't stand how the first two times she says 24 karat gold there's that weird pause instead of sticking with you like my 24 karat gold chain of chains sung fast. But all that aside I love this as much if not much more then the demo. They kept the most important element, the haunting blue lamp like piano. And the added instruments and production make it sound the most like the studio Rhiannon since we'll Rhiannon.
And this song properly carries the title of being the title song to a stevie nicks album. Her title songs are typically one of the most well loved and typically epic song on the album yet somehow never performed live :laugh: In Your Dreams is a great song don't get me wrong, but it seriously strayed from the title song standard of TISL Wild Heart and Rock a Little. 24 KG can stand shoulder to shoulder with those 10/10

Hard Advice can't say I can compare this to anything she's ever done. Can't put my finger on what makes this sound unique. IT just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside especially during the chorus. But it's just average to sort of good until the 3 minute mark, then it becomes really good to great. love the way she sings the line " and reminds me" 9/10

Lady the later 2 singles really made me not ever look back at this song . But this song sounds SOOO good as the centerpiece of the album. Perfect breather before the next 3 very heavy songs. And calling it a breather almost seems unfair, because it's pretty heavy itself just in another way. Pretty much all of the singles which were already great songs sound so much better within the context of the album. Except the dealer, on its own or in a group, it's all the same 9/10

I Don't Care like I previously said it bothers me how little love Stevie's modern day rockers get. And this song has been no exception. And although I like it a lot I can see peoples criticisms in ghosts are gone. It sounds very "heh look at me, I'm 63 and can still rock" with the very in your face opening that continues thru the whole song. And the vocal is kind of lousy other then the climax at about the 3 50 mark. But I hate to quote lindsey, but I don't care seems far more organic. And much much more melodic and sophisticated. Like was said many times, this sounds like led zeppelin. I love the many musical changes. And the whole 6 minutes is enjoyable. I find the last 2 minutes of ghosts are gone to be useless. And where as ghosts has that awesome 20 second moment, I couldn't tell you where IDCs climax is. The whole song is a continuous great vocal.10/10

All the Beautiful Worlds the other demos actually on my wish list. And like many have said this song needed 0 changes and that's basically what they did. Perfection. Especially that vocal on the last minute of the song. And then the last growl in the last 5 seconds :eek: This released version reminds me so much more of How Still My love then the outtake . 10/10

Belle Fleur This song benefitted from the better speakers and volume then any other song, especially on the intro. This is now top 5 at least. Such a catchy yet rocking and adventurish song 10/10

If You Were My Love I keep waiting for the lines... Moment to moment yeah yeah moment to moment everyone EVERY one must remain faithful. But no she just keeps repeating the most boring parts of the And don't still me she can't pull that off. She does it all over this album. I'd say she does all over just all the beautiful worlds. I do love the vocal and its one of the top 5 "moments" on the album when Sh sings the words "at allll" like she's slowly fading away as the faint electic guitar kicks in. That alone kicks this 2 points from a 6 to a 8/10

carousel as previously stated, I LOVE This song. It takes that warm and fuzzy factor from Hard Advice to another level, ironically a scale I didn't have to invent until this albums release :laugh: But it's such a perfect song. It's like I'm in a dream where it's dark and I'm in the forest somewhere. And then that violin kicks in and the song goes to another level. And please ledges, like the song or don't like the song, but please don't give the lame excuse of " ooooh Sh didn't write it, it's a lesser song." I doubt Linda ronstandts fans say that about half of her songs. 10/10

She Loves Him Still we'll like I've previously said I could never ever finish this song all the way to the end. I consider this demo to be the worst pieces of garbage I've ever heard stevie sing. But I've made it thru this released version 3 times :] I don't love it by any means, but it's a good closer and I love the flute solo. Was that part from goodby baby in the demos?7/10

[editme2]

I finally listened to the deluxe version of 24 Karat Gold last night, after limiting myself to just snippets of released songs for the past few weeks.

Without a doubt, this is one of Stevie's strongest efforts, surpassing Trouble in Shangri-la and, to some extent, In Your Dreams. First of all, there's Stevie's voice. It hasn't sounded this strong and confident and soft and melodic in years. She isn't yelling (save for the last 45 seconds of "Lady"); she's singing....and emoting.

"Starshine" is the perfect, upbeat album opener that immediately lets the listener know she's in for a treat. The title track is pure Stevie magic, as is "Belle Fleur," a wondrous and inventive folk-rocker that immediately transports you to 1970s California. "Mabel Normand" is transcendent with its vision of a woman on the edge, and the aforementioned "Lady" is simply divine as a moving piano-driven tearjerker propelled by Stevie's world-weary but wise voice. Other standout tracks for me include "All the Beautiful Worlds," with its lovely call and response from the girls, "Watch Chain," with its funky bass line and vivid lyrics, and the beautiful album closer "She Loves Him Still," with its delicate vocal and goose bump-inducing coda ("And the sands of time like shattering glass go past her/Straight back to the sea...").

There isn't a clunker in the bunch, although to my ears "If You Were My Love" never really goes anywhere; it just kind of meanders along, never reaching any meaningful climax. And "Carousel," though lovely, seems out of place on this disc.

This may change, but for me, right now, 24 Karat Gold is Stevie's best solo album of the 2000s. Yes, the songs were written years ago, but she infuses them with the wisdom of her age, the perspective of a woman who has embraced her legacy, and an energy we haven't seen in years.

It's a great time to be a Stevie fan.

9 out of 10 for me.

[StreetAngel86]

For me, I love the contrast of this Twisted with the other. And I like the soothing, sultry voice Stevie uses, with the background singers. Although she's singing about tumultuous crazy people wrapped up in a storm, fueled by demons, the vocal is almost like a lullabye, belying (and somehow multiplying) the passion.

it's not my fave version but it's a good different version
i love love looooooooooove her "well I got your demons" line
she's the protector but also i get the impression she represents all the crazy too :D

i didn't feel this with the other versions but this one is like a big ode to Stevie & Lindsey songs song. I listen to it and see The Dance vision playing and then 70s Buckingham/Nicks and then ... I don't even imagine Twister ... I get images of Practical Magic that I haven't even see in full :lol:



Mable Normand Holy f**in s**t, this has gone from favorite song on the album to maybe favorite solo song EVER. Realistically top 5 for sure. I never get when you guys all say a song brings you to tears. But driving home from best buy and having this song come on in the car, I couldn't help but think never did I think stevie could release a song like this in 2014. These are stevie nicks lyrics. Not straight forward words sprinkled all over this century. Cryptic sh*t like your in exhile, so I'll write a book and call it beloved exhile. And sure these words are from 1985, but they come alive in the delivery from 2014 which ironically sounds like the delivery is coming straight from the stage in red rocks Colorado in 1986. So to wrap this up hearing this song come out of my car made me start to mildly tear up. First time ever.15/10

i love you <3 i thought my 10/10 was generous :lol:
wow 15/10. hell i'd give it 20.
i've had the same 4 fave Stevie songs for like 15 years
but this is def in the top 5. it might be my 2nd favorite ever ... or third
it makes me imagine being an adult in 86 (and not 3) being there at a show but it's 2014
and i need to see this live.
i will cry.

[WatchChain]

For me, this is Stevie's most "guitar driven" album. In some places, it rocks A LOT. Although the record has some weak spots, I like it a lot. For being a quickly recorded effort, her production team has done a wonderful job. It doesn't quite beat "In Your Dreams", but it comes mighty close.

[michelej1]

Mable Normand Holy f**in s**t, this has gone from favorite song on the album to maybe favorite solo song EVER. Realistically top 5 for sure. I never get when you guys all say a song brings you to tears. But driving home from best buy and having this song come on in the car, I couldn't help but think never did I think stevie could release a song like this in 2014. These are stevie nicks lyrics. Not straight forward words sprinkled all over this century. Cryptic sh*t like your in exhile, so I'll write a book and call it beloved exhile.

I think that based on Stevie's lyrics describing why it is called that the book in the song is based on a real book called Beloved Exile, which follows Guinevere's trials (including becoming a servant to the Saxons) after King Arthur is dead.

Michele

[michelej1]

it's not my fave version but it's a good different version


Yes, I agree. I don't like it more, but I like it equally and I think having both helps us appreciate the strengths and distinctions of each.

[DauphineMarie]

I think that based on Stevie's lyrics describing why it is called that the book in the song is based on a real book called Beloved Exile, which follows Guinevere's trials (including becoming a servant to the Saxons) after King Arthur is dead.

Michele

I think Beloved Exile represents her and Joe's relationship at the time, with the drugs and everything. I've actually read Beloved Exile, and it is really nice, and I can see where Stevie would imagine herself put into that sort of self-imposed exile after the loss/death of "the love of her life."

[sparky]

Starshine - A rollicking good time, musically. Starshine. You used to be silver. You used to make me shiver. WTF is Starshine? An icicle? The Petty vibe doesn't save this. And thus the descent into He Said She Said journal reporting begins. Depressing to think that this began before OSOTM. Quotes lifted off the pages, with nary a poetic filter. Good God, these lyrics are nonsense on the first song. Not a good sign.

If You Were My Love - This diminished key thing always works for Stevie. But here it sounds oddly off key. The dissonance is as much a melody issue as it is the awkward phrasing. If this album had a theme it would be awkward phrasing. The chorus is actually memorable and catchy in its sadness. The crosses to bear harmony is a highlight of the album. There is a lullaby quality here that is somewhat sweet.

Mabel Normand - A verse and refrain desperately looking for a chorus or a chainsaw to cut out all the superfluous lyrics. Note: Just because you wrote a song about a raging drug addict while in the throes of being a raging drug addict yourself does not mean the song was good. Was that maybe supposed to be the point? You will write sh%%ty songs about other drug addicts while you are addicted to drugs and you will think they are great. They weren't. They aren't. Here's mine! Don't do drugs! That is the only possible level on which this song could work.

Twisted - A THIRD version? Why? It barely merited one. Redundant. What's next, revisiting Jane? It didn't work the first two times. This is better, granted. The vocal is whispery dynamite. The song just isn't worth doing 3 times.

24k Gold - Fateful minor chord classic Stevie. I really love the melody of this. This song has all the elements of a gem. Then it falls short. Missing a bridge? Missing a resolution. It reminds me of Straight Back and Sable on Blonde. However, Sable on Blonde has that spectacular climax. That makes it a finished song. Which this is not. It is a dreamy pretty meditation on a vague theme, just not a finished product. Two measures of words ending in wailing A note before the solo would have rendered this a legendary song. But as it stands it is all just lovely foreplay with no orgasm. No thanks.

Belle Fleur - Great intro that should have stayed in the arrangement throughout. But these are two half finished musical pieces that have nothing to do with each other. I have no idea what the hell this song is about. I doubt anyone else does either. A bunch of chicks in her El Contento house in the backyard partying wishing there were some dudes? Then they dance in a circle and get high and wish a bunch of guys would show up magically? That's all I can make of it. Interesting visual I suppose, but not really a song. All these pretty drunk flowers needing stamens. Seriously? Somewhere Joni is shaking her head in shame and disbelief. One imagines this party just erupted into busting out primitive 70's sex toys and more coke. Maybe I just decoded it, but it ain't pretty. Is this genius or a splattered flowery mess? I haven't the first idea. But to a gay dude it sounds kind of horrifying.

ATBW - Where is the thumping bass drum? The urgency? The drama, sex and drive are all but sucked out of this due to slow pacing. It isn't terrible, but it could have been great. The girls are in fine form on this. Lori is so good. The bridge is still herky jerky though, and that should have been fixed. Too bad, that. There are more soft vocals from Stevie, and those are nice. This is one of the only demos here I really loved, and it isn't nearly as good as the original. If I could speed this up it might be way better. But there is no fixing that off kilter bridge.

Lady - Kind of gorgeous in parts. This is a masterpiece that is too long by one minute and one repeat. I do love the high notes. But I have to admit that they shouldn't go on so long. That trumpety sharp tone physically hurts my ears. I am thrilled to hear her hit those notes, but a little of them goes a long way in this song. I never thought I would say it, but more than two counts and those notes are shrill. Shrill as a tinny assed 90's car alarm. That, my friends, is producer problem. She is hitting the notes, but it comes off as screaming in tune. I can't bear to listen to the last 45 seconds again. Ever again. And that is a shame.

I Don't Care - I Don't. I Do. Where am I? Who the hell are you? Why is this music a bad version of one of Heart's Led Zeppelin rip offs? Why do I sound like a schizophrenic stalker date from hell? Where is a lyric editor when you need them? Ooh baby, no one cares. And this is crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

Watch Chain - Thumpy lurching and clunky. Just as bottom heavy and stumbling as the demo. The one thing about this song that is catchy is the phrase Watch Devil. Throwaway.

Hard Advice - This has some great lyrical lines that are marred by bad amateur slide guitar (the only band missteps I noticed), and even more stumbling lyric rhythms. No one can get away with this crap but Stevie. These guitar lead lines are really amateurish. Mind bogglingly bad. But I do like how the bridge basically slams into the end. That's a new twist. I think this is a fairly successful song in spite of all the abundant BS of it. Best of all, it gives us a great new line to toss off at friends. Don't buy that doll, bitch. Mark my words, some NOTS girls are gonna be tossing that one out next year. Jazmen Flowers, where are you when I need you?

Carousel - This a sweet and magical song. It is a bright, shimmery blanket that floats into the air like a miracle from beyond. This sound evokes a wonderful fairyland that makes me think of the technicolor backdrop at the end of the Gypsy video. It makes me see vibrant pastels, multicolored moving clouds, flying silvery fringes, and slow motion explosions of iridescent glitter. The vocals are heavenly and seamlessly blended. These voices beat her and the girls. This gives THE TRIO a run for their money. What a lovely interlude. It unfolds in a sparkly swirling majestic confection that sounds like a theremin. It is my favorite song on the record by far. I just listened to it 7 times in a row. I will never tire of it. I love it that much. Breathtakingly pretty. Probably the most stunningly beautiful thing Stevie has recorded in her career. This makes the entire record worth it. The Dealer isn't the bar of the album, this is. It should have been the single. Genius. Epic. These are glorious harmonies that make a grown Sparky weep.

Blue Water - I never liked the demo and I don't like this much either. It always struck me as some pretty harmonies on a song about nothing. Stevie stared at the ocean while she was stoned and lonely and wrote a song. So what? That's supposed to be remarkable? This plays as a bad toss away 70's filler song. It sounds like a Little River Band reject. Or Smiling Islands part 2. This is a stoned 70's dawn in Marina Del Rey that should have been forgotten.

Cathouse Blues - One of my favorite demos. Granted, it is a novelty song. But I like this Dixieland swamp saloon thing. This is exactly what the song was supposed to be. I like Stevie trying on different styles, and the added little musical vamp at the end and the chorus repeat is fun. They went out on a limb with this and it works. I picture her draped over a well worn piano in a smoky Gunsmoke bar wearing a black and red Miss Kitty Merry Widow singing this without a mic. Or as Joanie from Deadwood. This is evocative and daring. That cartoon cats interview is BS. This is a song that should be sung by a whore or a madam in the faded grandeur of a broken down saloon. Some girl a little worn down by the rigors of time but still firmly grasping her beauty with a fierce grip. Like Jessica Lange playing a juke joint hooker. Perfectly realized song.
 

The Dealer - The best written song on here. The closest thing to a great song this collection contains. If the other songs were this complete this record could have been something else. This could have been the 4th best song on Bella Donna. And a hit in 1981. Another classic phrase is gifted to us. Katherine DeLongpre, I would like you to meet Ida Runaway. You will both live on in infamy.

She Loves Him Still - Another fingerpicking minor chord dirge? With more lyric clunks? And He Said She Said? With Celtic flourishes? Kill me now. Self pity masturbatory swill. What does it sound like to make love to your own grief? Here's your answer. Hallmark would reject this for being too syrupy. This probably embarrasses Taylor Swift. The last thing anyone on earth needs is another song that could be seen as a Lindsey regret wallow. This never should have made it out of the vault. And it renders any Hard Advice as falling on deaf ears. A humiliating note to end on. DOA. Translation for the less literate is Dead On Arrival.

------------------------------------

Ultimately there aren't that many good songs on this record. The careful, sometimes perfect production and often career defining vocals can't salvage subpar material. Let's face it. These songs weren't used before for very good reasons. It wasn't a matter of room. Many of them are in Gate and Garden, Love Is Like A River, or The Nightmare territory. The majority of them are melodically uninteresting, thematically unrealized, or just plain unfinished. If these songs had all been given the songwriting revitalization we saw with Moonlight, this release would be all around historic. But it is a heartening collection to me nonetheless. The Packaging, Polaroids, and overall Art Direction are great. Mostly this proves to me that Stevie is still capable of busting out historically great vocals. All she needs is the right songs to soar. These are not them. But she does have them in her or at her disposal. Carousel is a deathbed song for me. It doesn't matter to me that she didn't write it. That one song is a career defining recording and it shows she still has good taste and a great ear. It was worth listening to the other crap to hear that one. With Stevie, a guy has to take what he can get and wait. Thankfully she is nothing if not prolific. I have faith that greater things are yet to come.






.

[gypsy333]

I pretty much agree with your review Editme2! I can't get the title track out of my head. I think it is my favorite title track from any of her albums... :cool:

[Jondalar]

Starshine - A rollicking good time, musically. Starshine. You used to be silver. You used to make me shiver. WTF is Starshine? An icicle? The Petty vibe doesn't save this. And thus the descent into He Said She Said journal reporting begins. Depressing to think that this began before OSOTM. Quotes lifted off the pages, with nary a poetic filter. Good God, these lyrics are nonsense on the first song. Not a good sign.

If You Were My Love - This diminished key thing always works for Stevie. But here it sounds oddly off key. The dissonance is as much a melody issue as it is the awkward phrasing. If this album had a theme it would be awkward phrasing. The chorus is actually memorable and catchy in its sadness. The crosses to bear harmony is a highlight of the album. There is a lullaby quality here that is somewhat sweet.

Mabel Normand - A verse and refrain desperately looking for a chorus or a chainsaw to cut out all the superfluous lyrics. Note: Just because you wrote a song about a raging drug addict while in the throes of being a raging drug addict yourself does not mean the song was good. Was that maybe supposed to be the point? You will write sh%%ty songs about other drug addicts while you are addicted to drugs and you will think they are great. They weren't. They aren't. Here's mine! Don't do drugs! That is the only possible level on which this song could work.

Twisted - A THIRD version? Why? It barely merited one. Redundant. What's next, revisiting Jane? It didn't work the first two times. This is better, granted. The vocal is whispery dynamite. The song just isn't worth doing 3 times.

24k Gold - Fateful minor chord classic Stevie. I really love the melody of this. This song has all the elements of a gem. Then it falls short. Missing a bridge? Missing a resolution. It reminds me of Straight Back and Sable on Blonde. However, Sable on Blonde has that spectacular climax. That makes it a finished song. Which this is not. It is a dreamy pretty meditation on a vague theme, just not a finished product. Two measures of words ending in wailing A note before the solo would have rendered this a legendary song. But as it stands it is all just lovely foreplay with no orgasm. No thanks.

Belle Fleur - Great intro that should have stayed in the arrangement throughout. But these are two half finished musical pieces that have nothing to do with each other. I have no idea what the hell this song is about. I doubt anyone else does either. A bunch of chicks in her El Contento house in the backyard partying wishing there were some dudes? Then they dance in a circle and get high and wish a bunch of guys would show up magically? That's all I can make of it. Interesting visual I suppose, but not really a song. All these pretty drunk flowers needing stamens. Seriously? Somewhere Joni is shaking her head in shame and disbelief. One imagines this party just erupted into busting out primitive 70's sex toys and more coke. Maybe I just decoded it, but it ain't pretty. Is this genius or a splattered flowery mess? I haven't the first idea. But to a gay dude it sounds kind of horrifying.

ATBW - Where is the thumping bass drum? The urgency? The drama, sex and drive are all but sucked out of this due to slow pacing. It isn't terrible, but it could have been great. The girls are in fine form on this. Lori is so good. The bridge is still herky jerky though, and that should have been fixed. Too bad, that. There are more soft vocals from Stevie, and those are nice. This is one of the only demos here I really loved, and it isn't nearly as good as the original. If I could speed this up it might be way better. But there is no fixing that off kilter bridge.

Lady - Kind of gorgeous in parts. This is a masterpiece that is too long by one minute and one repeat. I do love the high notes. But I have to admit that they shouldn't go on so long. That trumpety sharp tone physically hurts my ears. I am thrilled to hear her hit those notes, but a little of them goes a long way in this song. I never thought I would say it, but more than two counts and those notes are shrill. Shrill as a tinny assed 90's car alarm. That, my friends, is producer problem. She is hitting the notes, but it comes off as screaming in tune. I can't bear to listen to the last 45 seconds again. Ever again. And that is a shame.

I Don't Care - I Don't. I Do. Where am I? Who the hell are you? Why is this music a bad version of one of Heart's Led Zeppelin rip offs? Why do I sound like a schizophrenic stalker date from hell? Where is a lyric editor when you need them? Ooh baby, no one cares. And this is crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

Watch Chain - Thumpy lurching and clunky. Just as bottom heavy and stumbling as the demo. The one thing about this song that is catchy is the phrase Watch Devil. Throwaway.

Hard Advice - This has some great lyrical lines that are marred by bad amateur slide guitar (the only band missteps I noticed), and even more stumbling lyric rhythms. No one can get away with this crap but Stevie. These guitar lead lines are really amateurish. Mind bogglingly bad. But I do like how the bridge basically slams into the end. That's a new twist. I think this is a fairly successful song in spite of all the abundant BS of it. Best of all, it gives us a great new line to toss off at friends. Don't buy that doll, bitch. Mark my words, some NOTS girls are gonna be tossing that one out next year. Jazmen Flowers, where are you when I need you?

Carousel - This a sweet and magical song. It is a bright, shimmery blanket that floats into the air like a miracle from beyond. This sound evokes a wonderful fairyland that makes me think of the technicolor backdrop at the end of the Gypsy video. It makes me see vibrant pastels, multicolored moving clouds, flying silvery fringes, and slow motion explosions of iridescent glitter. The vocals are heavenly and seamlessly blended. These voices beat her and the girls. This gives THE TRIO a run for their money. What a lovely interlude. It unfolds in a sparkly swirling majestic confection that sounds like a theremin. It is my favorite song on the record by far. I just listened to it 7 times in a row. I will never tire of it. I love it that much. Breathtakingly pretty. Probably the most stunningly beautiful thing Stevie has recorded in her career. This makes the entire record worth it. The Dealer isn't the bar of the album, this is. It should have been the single. Genius. Epic. These are glorious harmonies that make a grown Sparky weep.

Blue Water - I never liked the demo and I don't like this much either. It always struck me as some pretty harmonies on a song about nothing. Stevie stared at the ocean while she was stoned and lonely and wrote a song. So what? That's supposed to be remarkable? This plays as a bad toss away 70's filler song. It sounds like a Little River Band reject. Or Smiling Islands part 2. This is a stoned 70's dawn in Marina Del Rey that should have been forgotten.

Cathouse Blues - One of my favorite demos. Granted, it is a novelty song. But I like this Dixieland swamp saloon thing. This is exactly what the song was supposed to be. I like Stevie trying on different styles, and the added little musical vamp at the end and the chorus repeat is fun. They went out on a limb with this and it works. I picture her draped over a well worn piano in a smoky Gunsmoke bar wearing a black and red Miss Kitty Merry Widow singing this without a mic. Or as Joanie from Deadwood. This is evocative and daring. That cartoon cats interview is BS. This is a song that should be sung by a whore or a madam in the faded grandeur of a broken down saloon. Some girl a little worn down by the rigors of time but still firmly grasping her beauty with a fierce grip. Like Jessica Lange playing a juke joint hooker. Perfectly realized song.
 

The Dealer - The best written song on here. The closest thing to a great song this collection contains. If the other songs were this complete this record could have been something else. This could have been the 4th best song on Bella Donna. And a hit in 1981. Another classic phrase is gifted to us. Katherine DeLongpre, I would like you to meet Ida Runaway. You will both live on in infamy.

She Loves Him Still - Another fingerpicking minor chord dirge? With more lyric clunks? And He Said She Said? With Celtic flourishes? Kill me now. Self pity masturbatory swill. What does it sound like to make love to your own grief? Here's your answer. Hallmark would reject this for being too syrupy. This probably embarrasses Taylor Swift. The last thing anyone on earth needs is another song that could be seen as a Lindsey regret wallow. This never should have made it out of the vault. And it renders any Hard Advice as falling on deaf ears. A humiliating note to end on. DOA. Translation for the less literate is Dead On Arrival.

------------------------------------

Ultimately there aren't that many good songs on this record. The careful, sometimes perfect production and often career defining vocals can't salvage subpar material. Let's face it. These songs weren't used before for very good reasons. It wasn't a matter of room. Many of them are in Gate and Garden, Love Is Like A River, or The Nightmare territory. The majority of them are melodically uninteresting, thematically unrealized, or just plain unfinished. If these songs had all been given the songwriting revitalization we saw with Moonlight, this release would be all around historic. But it is a heartening collection to me nonetheless. The Packaging, Polaroids, and overall Art Direction are great. Mostly this proves to me that Stevie is still capable of busting out historically great vocals. All she needs is the right songs to soar. These are not them. But she does have them in her or at her disposal. Carousel is a deathbed song for me. It doesn't matter to me that she didn't write it. That one song is a career defining recording and it shows she still has good taste and a great ear. It was worth listening to the other crap to hear that one. With Stevie, a guy has to take what he can get and wait. Thankfully she is nothing if not prolific. I have faith that greater things are yet to come.






.

There is no accounting for taste. God I think people have lost their marbles.

[gypsy333]

^^^^^^^^^^yes!:]:]:]:]:]

[Machu]

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb394/tlcscrub/imagejpg1.jpg~original

[On Ice]

To each his own opinion, but I really didn't expect the polarization in the reviews of 24K. To these relic ears of a life long Stevie fan, the album is spectacular, filled with those moments that remind me why I've stuck with Stevie through thick and thin. She has delivered in spades, easily some of her best work. But heck, even back in the day she was described by some as the "mooncalf she's always been" for those fab 5 tunes on Tusk, so go figure. Granted, she is held to a higher standard due to her famous stature but her oft-criticized vocal performances undergo a different level of scrutiny than say a Mick Jagger (who is really a character rock singer than a technically competent vocalist). I'm just going to enjoy these stellar performances and play it loud and often. ;)

[sparky]

There is no accounting for taste. God I think people have lost their marbles.

I take this personal attack with pride.

Last time I checked, this was a forum where people were welcome to post their opinions about the works of these artists. This is a fan review thread, after all.

But, considering that this comment is coming from someone whose usual posts are riddled with spelling errors, grammatical mishaps, and punctuation disasters galore, I feel myself swell with satisfaction that you so passively aggressively disagree with me. The fact that you feel so free to slam my honest and heartfelt review brings me unbridled joy. I welcome any further input you have about my opinions. Please, tell me more.

I will wait with bated breath for your intelligent and well written response.

[BlueLight]

There is no accounting for taste. God I think people have lost their marbles.

I tend to think of myself as an objective critic of Stevie's work - there are a number of her songs that I simply do not care for. But for the life of me, I truly don't get some of these negative reviews - in my view, 24KG is about the closest to a perfect collection of songs she's released since the early 1980's, not only in terms of production and vocals, but also songwriting. :sorry:

[gypsy333]

Well said On Ice...I have been a fan since before LB and Stevie joined Fleetwood Mac...I have bought every single Mac record and Stevie solo record in the last several decades and have attended countless shows on both of their tours through the years...this new album is a noteworthy and special piece of work, to be treasured...having said that, differing musical taste is part of...well, being human. I am just gonna enjoy this album as much as possible, because each day they are getting older, and the fact that they/she won't be with us forever becomes more clear with every passing day. Also, for her to (hopefully) have a Top Ten album these days is quite a feat that many of her contemporaries and fellow Mac members haven't been able to accomplish in years.

[BlueDenimLamp]

I think some of the "negative ones" are simply FM fans jealous over the fact that Stevie's career has been on a high note the past few years while the others haven't.

[diane_k]

Oh no, not a negative review! Light the torches!:p Y'all need some rest. Darlings, it's best.

To me, this album has more clunkers than the guaranteed 2-3 per solo album. I challenge you to listen to IYD and TISL in their entirety, then move back to 24 Carrot Salad.

I'm not saying the whole thing is garbage. I could just do without having to hear about belle flowers and Mabel Normand ever again. The harmonies on the Blue Water demo will never be topped, and throwing Antebellum into the mix didn't really add anything. Overall, I'm glad there is a new Stevie album out there for us all to enjoy, dissect, argue over, etc. Better than talking about what our favorite OSOTM tracks are for the 487th time. :D

[Ensorcled]

Oh no, not a negative review! Light the torches!:p Y'all need some rest. Darlings, it's best.

To me, this album has more clunkers than the guaranteed 2-3 per solo album. I challenge you to listen to IYD and TISL in their entirety, then move back to 24 Carrot Salad.

I'm not saying the whole thing is garbage. I could just do without having to hear about belle flowers and Mabel Normand ever again. The harmonies on the Blue Water demo will never be topped, and throwing Antebellum into the mix didn't really add anything. Overall, I'm glad there is a new Stevie album out there for us all to enjoy, dissect, argue over, etc. Better than talking about what our favorite OSOTM tracks are for the 487th time. :D

It's interesting because I recently revisited those albums while waiting for the new release. I find only the first half of TISL up to par with this album, but not vocally. I skip over a lot of tracks on IYD. This is her first release since WH that I find even remotely on par with her previous work. It is interesting to read the various opinions. I agree there is no need to attack each other personally as some on this thread have done. Let's just enjoy the music and respect each other. And yes, thank god there is new music to discuss. Wasn't expecting this album at this stage of the game.

[BlueLight]

It's interesting because I recently revisited those albums while waiting for the new release. I find only the first half of TISL up to par with this album, but not vocally. I skip over a lot of tracks on IYD. This is her first release since WH that I find even remotely on par with her previous work. It is interesting to read the various opinions. I agree there is no need to attack each other personally as some on this thread have done. Let's just enjoy the music and respect each other. And yes, thank god there is new music to discuss. Wasn't expecting this album at this stage of the game.

Agree with all of this! I love the vault songs on TISL, along with the title track, but otherwise I skip most of it. I very much like IYD (I think it's her best since OSOTM), but 24KG is far superior, in my opinion.

And yes, it's fun to have a new album to compare/contrast to others. Fingers crossed for Songs from the Vault Part 2! :D

[Hawkeye]

I think some of the "negative ones" are simply jealous of the fact that Stevie's career has been on a high note the past few years while the other members of the band get little attention apart from FM...

I don't think that's the case at all. I think the people who don't like it (and let's just focus on the fact that that's a very small number and be happy about THAT) don't like it. Let's just except a few ledges didn't like it and move on.

[michelej1]

Starshine - A rollicking good time, musically. Starshine. You used to be silver. You used to make me shiver. WTF is Starshine? An icicle? The Petty vibe doesn't save this. And thus the descent into He Said She Said journal reporting begins. Depressing to think that this began before OSOTM. Quotes lifted off the pages, with nary a poetic filter. Good God, these lyrics are nonsense on the first song. Not a good sign.

.

Loved the review, even as to the songs where I disagree vehemently. Of course, Starshine is one of those songs. Having admitted it's rollicking musically, don't pretend you don't sing (yes, those nonsense lyrics) and bop along like a maniac, each time it starts.

24K Gold: From the opening, I'm All About That Base notes, I do think that one delivers.

Or as Joanie from Deadwood. More like Joanie from Happy Days.

As to your points where I do agree (Mabel Normand), never has there been so much laughter in accord. Your riff on I Don't Care was classic.

The vocal is whispery dynamite. I agree. To me it's a sexy lullabye. Nothing like grabbing a demon who is crying out for love by the tail.

Carousel? Hmmmm. Maybe you have lost your marbles.

Michele

[KarmaContestant]

Slamming Stevie's lyrics as nonsense sort of makes it seem that Sparky is totally unfamiliar with Stevie's work, which I know to be untrue seeing as he's been posting here forEVER. :laugh:

The woman rarely writes a song with lyrics that are consecutive, coherent or linear. There are grand exceptions, and they are truly exceptions. Why would that change with a collection of demos that were never fully fleshed out in the first place with a couple minor exceptions (Twisted, She Loves Him Still)? Stevie's lyrics can be widely interpereted to mean a vast array of things to different people, and that secret language, that mystery, that what the hell is she talking about is a huge part of her appeal. Dozens are the female singer/songwriters with legions of fans solely based on the idea that their nonsense lyrics mean something deep and personal to them.

[saradorna]

I don't think that's the case at all. I think the people who don't like it (and let's just focus on the fact that that's a very small number and be happy about THAT) don't like it. Let's just except a few ledges didn't like it and move on.

I agree with this! It only bothers me when people use insulting words in their review or just to wish somebody (in this case Stevie) to fail. Not that this happen in this thread but it has happen.

Can we all just get along! :p Agree to disagree!

[PenguinHead]

Ok ..my resequenced, seriously edited down
idea of the perfect Stevie album

And the version I will share with friends who are casual fans

1: BELLE FLUER

2 : TWISTED

3: THE DEALER

4 : STARSHINE

5 : ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WORLDS

6: 24 KARAT GOLD

7: I DONT CARE

8: WATCH CHAIN

9: MABEL NORMAND

10: HARD ADVICE

11: LADY

This is a nice, well thought out selection and sequence.

[sparky]

Loved the review, even as to the songs where I disagree vehemently. Of course, Starshine is one of those songs. Having admitted it's rollicking musically, don't pretend you don't sing (yes, those nonsense lyrics) and bop along like a maniac, each time it starts.

Thanks Michele. I had fun with it. Writing about Stevie's songs, good or bad, is always a mental exercise I enjoy. They are rich subjects regardless of my reaction.

I have sang a bit of Starshine. I start out with "Starshine, it sounds super silly/The rest of these songs are just as willy nilly." I haven't got much further than that. But you are right, it makes me bop.

24K Gold: From the opening, I'm All About That Base notes, I do think that one delivers.

I wish I agreed. Maybe someday I won't want it to be as great as I think it could be, and I will just enjoy the atmospheric hypnosis of it.

More like Joanie from Happy Days.

This made me cackle. I picture her in a letterman cheerleader sweater now. On a jukebox. Swilling a milkshake.

As to your points where I do agree (Mabel Normand), never has there been so much laughter in accord. Your riff on I Don't Care was classic.

HA. I am glad you enjoyed those. I was laughing while I wrote them.

I agree. To me it's a sexy lullabye. Nothing like grabbing a demon who is crying out for love by the tail.

It actually is kind of sexy. I don't know why she is so obsessed with this song, though. Soon there will be more versions of it around than Rhiannon.

Carousel? Hmmmm. Maybe you have lost your marbles.

Michele

LOL. Perhaps. I didn't expect to have that reaction. The harmonies just do me in. As do the words. It makes me giddily happy and joyous. Takes me to another place. And for that floaty dreamy feeling I am quite grateful.

[TrueFaith77]

I think it's perfect as is (in deluxe format version). Stevie is on a roll. Her two best solo albums ever ... in a row!

[PenguinHead]

There is no accounting for taste. God I think people have lost their marbles.

:lol: The sparky that blew a fuse. It's just music, and it's subjective. Like it, love it or leave it. Somebody's trash is someone else's treasure.

A bit overwrought, but I respect the contribution of a very sparky perspective.

[TrueFaith77]

I take this personal attack with pride.

Last time I checked, this was a forum where people were welcome to post their opinions about the works of these artists. This is a fan review thread, after all.

But, considering that this comment is coming from someone whose usual posts are riddled with spelling errors, grammatical mishaps, and punctuation disasters galore, I feel myself swell with satisfaction that you so passively aggressively disagree with me. The fact that you feel so free to slam my honest and heartfelt review brings me unbridled joy. I welcome any further input you have about my opinions. Please, tell me more.

I will wait with bated breath for your intelligent and well written response.

I enjoyed your review--which I recognized as articulated, yet very personal, responses. I'm still forming my opinions on each track. But I think the album is magnificent.

[Keith]

If You Were My Love - . The crosses to bear harmony is a highlight of the album. There is a lullaby quality here that is somewhat sweet.

Yes, a nice rock and roll lullaby that has become my favorite track on this album - I adore 11 of the songs. Rounding out my top three are Hard Advice and All the Beautiful Worlds.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sparky.

[TheWILDheart]

There is no accounting for taste. God I think people have lost their marbles.

That's a bit rich coming from someone who, 99% of the time, moans about EVERYTHING.

Anyway, I'm really not loving this album. There are tracks that I really like.

"Starshine", despite being a bit of a non-song lyrically, is a great opening track and a nice bit of rock and roll.

"24 Karat Gold" is an instant classic, but I can't help wonder how it would've sounded if Fleetwood Mac had done it. I think it could've been a really great Mac track

"Lady" is sweeping and epic, but like others have said, drags on a bit.

"I Don't Care" is just utter garbage. "Mabel Normand", like the demo, is just a load of waffle set to an uninteresting riff. It has no melody and no structure at all.

I love the demo of "Blue Water", but it's been butchered here.

Overall, my least favourite Stevie album (and that's coming from someone who finds positives in 'Street Angel'). Instantly forgettable, lazy production, a complete rush job and it shows. It's an album of songs thrown together that Stevie literally had nothing else to do with. It has no vibe, no atmosphere and no recurring sonic themes, which every other album to date has.

And what's going on with the vocals? Distorted, muffled, out of synch. Almost like they were recorded through a pillow. Don't get me wrong, Stevie's voice sounds great, but the recording is a mess.

I'm off to listen to TISL and IYD back to back now :thumbsup:. Incidentally, I think that "Love Is Like A River" and "That Made Me Stronger" are better than anything on 24KG.

[Jondalar]

That's a bit rich coming from someone who, 99% of the time, moans about EVERYTHING.

Anyway, I'm really not loving this album. There are tracks that I really like.

"Starshine", despite being a bit of a non-song lyrically, is a great opening track and a nice bit of rock and roll.

"24 Karat Gold" is an instant classic, but I can't help wonder how it would've sounded if Fleetwood Mac had done it. I think it could've been a really great Mac track

"Lady" is sweeping and epic, but like others have said, drags on a bit.

"I Don't Care" is just utter garbage. "Mabel Normand", like the demo, is just a load of waffle set to an uninteresting riff. It has no melody and no structure at all.

I love the demo of "Blue Water", but it's been butchered here.

Overall, my least favourite Stevie album (and that's coming from someone who finds positives in 'Street Angel'). Instantly forgettable, lazy production, a complete rush job and it shows. It's an album of songs thrown together that Stevie literally had nothing else to do with. It has no vibe, no atmosphere and no recurring sonic themes, which every other album to date has.

And what's going on with the vocals? Distorted, muffled, out of synch. Almost like they were recorded through a pillow. Don't get me wrong, Stevie's voice sounds great, but the recording is a mess.

I'm off to listen to TISL and IYD back to back now :thumbsup:. Incidentally, I think that "Love Is Like A River" and "That Made Me Stronger" are better than anything on 24KG.

Incidentally, I think that "Love Is Like A River" and "That Made Me Stronger" are better than anything on 24KG.

I rest my case. And I can't wait to fly to Mars on the Armegeddon space ship...

[Ensorcled]

Incidentally, I think that "Love Is Like A River" and "That Made Me Stronger" are better than anything on 24KG.

:shocked::shocked::shocked: Stop! You are hurting my everything. Another famous friend told me they can live without hearing anymore songs written about this conversation with Tom period!!!

[jcalzaretta]

I personally really like this record. I wanted this kind of record for many years and unfortunately so many great demos were left off (Forest of the Black Roses, Sanctuary, and Julia to name a few). But still a great record.

[TheWILDheart]

I rest my case. And I can't wait to fly to Mars on the Armegeddon space ship...

Bye. I'll smash a bottle of champagne over the ship as you leave and play "Street Angel" as loud as I can

[sorcerer999]

I personally really like this record. I wanted this kind of record for many years and unfortunately so many great demos were left off (Forest of the Black Roses, Sanctuary, and Julia to name a few). But still a great record.

I have no doubt that "(Title Track) ~ Songs From The Vault Volume 2" will come to fruition sometime in the next 5 years. If she records it at the same pace as this last one, then perhaps even sooner. And perhaps songs like Sanctuary will be revisited. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get any Rhiannon songs anytime soon because she STILL seems dead set on saving them for a separate project, since she's still mentioning it in the media.

"Julia" is perfection as is. She shouldn't touch that one, but just release it on some sort of retrospective or new boxed set. Just my opinion.

[jwd]

I'm still trying to figure out where this voice has been. I don't hear a flat or droning note on the whole record, except for parts of "The Dealer" . I haven't heard the likes of that outro Stevie growl she does on ATBW in a long time!! Geeesh, bring it Stevie! :cool:

[BlueLight]

I'm still trying to figure out where this voice has been. I don't hear a flat or droning note on the whole record, except for parts of "The Dealer" . I haven't heard the likes of that outro Stevie growl she does on ATBW in a long time!! Geeesh, bring it Stevie! :cool:

Right?!? The last minute of ATBW is so perfect - and those last few growls - omg. It almost makes me cry. In a good way. :cool:

[DauphineMarie]

I'm still trying to figure out where this voice has been. I don't hear a flat or droning note on the whole record, except for parts of "The Dealer" . I haven't heard the likes of that outro Stevie growl she does on ATBW in a long time!! Geeesh, bring it Stevie! :cool:

Someone said awhile back that whatever Stevie did to warm up her voice for the recording of that song, she should do every day. Imagine those vocals at the end of Silver Springs for this tour :eek:

[jwd]

Someone said awhile back that whatever Stevie did to warm up her voice for the recording of that song, she should do every day. Imagine those vocals at the end of Silver Springs for this tour :eek:

Chilling! It's just so exciting to see Stevie and Fleetwood Mac at this new stage of creativity and musical frenzy. It's like taking a trip back to the past!!

[Ensorcled]

I can't describe it but there there is a certain joy that come through when listening to this album. You can tell they were having a lot of fun recording these songs.

[wheart]

I listened to 24 karat gold for the first time tonight so I'm certain my opinions will shift and sway but I must say I love it. The production is spot on for every single song. I liked IYD but this organic rock and roll sound is so welcome! Most of the songs sound much "fuller" than I thought they would. Just from the debut listen some of the standouts are Mabel Normand, 24 Karat gold, All The Beautiful Worlds (very happy with how this one turned out) Hard Advice and I Don't Care (a true Stevie EPIC).

I thought her vocals on IYD were impressive but they were nothing compared to this. I am blown away by how expressive and emotional her voice is. I didn't think she could still sound like this. At several points I almost forgot this was a modern day recording, it sounds so classic Stevie.

So it's all good except for one thing: Blue Water. I would rather it not been included at all than have it in this form. Drums? Lady A background vocals? Cheesy guitar? They completely ruined the song and it's essence. It SUCKS. It's HORRIBLE. I HATE it. And I will skip it each and every time I listen to this otherwise incredibly amazing piece of work.

To end on a positive note, I was a little nervous about She Loves Him Still but I think it's glorious. I am so incredibly happy to finally have a true recording of this beautiful song. I think she did it justice...vocal is a little chill but I think that was the point.

I look forward to playing this over and over and really getting to know these songs.

[tabruns]

Bye. I'll smash a bottle of champagne over the ship as you leave and play "Street Angel" as loud as I can

Well taste is always subjective but even Stevie says her creativity was at an all time low during Street Angel, and I think it shows on that album. It's really the only album of hers that I think is sub-par.

24 Karat Gold on the other hand is her third strong album in a row, albeit strong for a different reason in that many of these tracks of demos that fans have wanted to be recorded for years. She doesn't always go in the direction that one might want...some people love "If You Were My Love" but I still prefer the Mirage version, for example. And clearly even though "Mabel Normand" doesn't register with some people, many people really love it...so that shows me it's not nearly the disaster that some people think it is.

I think it's only when a very large majority really dislike a song or an album is when one can truly say "this was a misfire"....otherwise, it's all purely subjective.

[Keith]

I woke up early, 4:30 a.m., and immediately started listening to "If You Were My Love" on repeat.. I love, love, love this track.. I feel it. Thank you Stevie for this beautiful song.

I guess I haven't heard the "Mirage" version, since it keeps getting mentioned, so I can't compare this new take with the old.. but I get this one. "If I were the one who watched over your sleeping.. you would never have been frightened.. at all.." then the guitar comes in.. damn, Stevie. You keep singing my life.. I thank you.

[StreetAngel86]

Bye. I'll smash a bottle of champagne over the ship as you leave and play "Street Angel" as loud as I can


hey now.
pour me a glass before you smash that bottle
and invite me over so i can have a listening party :lol::lol::lol:
but only if you're playing the Japanese edition :thumbsup:

speaking of ... is Stevie big in Japan?:shocked:

[jkmaletic]

This album took a bit to grow on me, whereas In Your Dreams I loved at first listen. I was expecting an IYD Part 2 of sorts with this album, being Dave Stewart was again producing. I was (ultimately) pleasantly surprised. This is also why I can't compare the two - they are like 2 different animals.


1. Starshine – 10/10 I love this song. It’s a great opening track. Has a Petty-feel to it, which is a good thing. Yeah, the lyrics are simple… so what?

2. If You Were My Love -10/10 I remember liking the 15 second Instagram clip of this one. It’s so beautiful, especially the guitar.

3. Mabel Normand – 9/10 This one is good, but it’s still growing on me.

4. Twisted – 10/10 Never thought much of previous versions of this song, but THIS version I love. It sounds “finished” now. Lots of great instrumentation.

5. 24 Karat Gold – 10/10 My favorite song on this album. It has everything, lyrics, great harmonies, great guitar parts. Love how it goes in different, creative directions.

6. Belle Fleur – 10/10 Love the retro sound to this one.

7. All the Beautiful Worlds – 10/10 This one, sadly, reminds me of my Mom’s sudden death. She loved to travel, and all of her Beautiful Worlds all fell down when she battled and lost to addiction. Strangely though, as sad as this song is for me, it gives me a healing feeling. I guess that’s what music is for. Besides the personal connotation, this is a beautiful song. And I LOVE Stevie’s growl at the very, very end.

8. Lady – 8/10 This one I didn’t like very much when I first heard it. But now I can appreciate the rawness of it.

9. I Don’t Care – 10/10 Great how rocking this one is. This one make me think, Wow- and she’s 66??

10. Watch Chain – 9/10 Good little song.

11.Hard Advice – 10/10 – “That Made Me Stronger Part 2” ? (At least lyrically) I especially love the second half of this song.

12. Carousel – 9.5/10 This one has emotional connections as Stevie explained. I get why she put this on the album.

13. Blue Water – 10/10 The very beginning of this song reminds me of “Sara”, which is my favorite FM song. It has the same calming effect on me as “Sara” does too. I don’t mind Lady Antebellum singing on it – it fits and they don’t sound overbearing.

14. Cathouse Blues – 9.5/10 I love this song because it’s different. Plus, my cats love it.

15. The Dealer 10/10 - I loved this song at first listen. Great beat.

16. She Loves Him Still 9/10 – Great closing song. I bet she uses it as such on her next solo outing.


Jamie

[Justlikethesea]

Here’s finally my review, better late than never.

Starshine: A great opener and such a fun song. When I listened to it the first time, I was cleaning up my house and found myself dancing around playing airguitar with my feather duster. 8/10

If You Were My Love: I have some problems with this one. Everyone seems to love it, but I don’t feel it. It’s kind of a snoozer, especially after Starshine. It’s going nowhere and most of all I miss the lines ‘everyone must remain faithful’. 7/10

Mabel Normand: Wow, very interesting and good song, with its ‘none-structure’ and ‘Rock A Little’-vibe, very good production. It’s so groovy and catchy, who would have thought. 9/10

Twisted: This song holds a special place in my heart. The demo from Enchanted has always been one of my top-ten Stevie songs. But this version is even better. Her vocals are so beautiful. I like the way the song builds up towards the end. Great! 10/10

24 Karat Gold: Everything has been said about this song, classic, pure perfection. My only , very personal critic: The lyrics are good, but not stellar, some change or addition at the end would have been nice. 9/10

Belle Fleur: Never cared much about the demo, but this turned out nice, great intro of course. Still have some problems with the ‘Hippie canyon dancing’ lyrics, but I like it nevertheless, though it does not blow me away. 8/10

All The Beautiful Worlds: I was skeptical about it, but they’ve done a very good job. Her voice is stellar as are the girls. I never thought she could do the demo justice, but she did. 8/10.

Lady: Again, everything has been said about it. I loved it from the first moment, such passionate vocals. I always liked the demo, but this version I adore. 9/10

I Don’t Care: What a surprise. As someone said before, she sings her heart out on this. This song rocks so much and you definitely can hear the Led Zep influence. I love the changes of pace and the breaks, before it starts rocking again and I love how she changes the lyrics. Another highlight for me. 9/10

Watch Chain: Love it. I think her vocals on the bridge are some of the best on the album. What an improvement to the demo. I can’t get enough of it. 10/10.

Hard Advice: Another surprise and another highlight. When she came to “I just can't seem to get away from you”, I already had tears in my eyes. Her voice sounds so sad and heartbreaking. Love this song. 10/10

Carousel: Nice, but nothing special. Alas, it has been growing on me. But I still think it does not really fit in. 7/10

Blue Water: Well, that’s hard. Someone said that it has a very different feeling, more an evening at the see instead of an early morning. That’s true and it could have worked and it could have been very good. Indeed, I like the first notes very much. But then, it all goes down. I hate that country-style guitar. It sounds cheesy and turns an outstanding song into an ordinary mainstream-track. At least I think Stevie sings great on it. 6/10
Cathouse Blues: I always have to sing it, when I see my cat sleeping in the sun. 7/10


The Dealer: The weakest single, but still very decent. I easily prefer it over the demos. 7/10

She Loves Him Still: I like it. Love this vulnerable, sad voice. I could do without the flute, but still a great coser. “Straight Back To The Sea” what a line to end this album, it almost sounds like the ultimate Stevie Nicks legacy. 9/10

This is the record I always hoped for, rocking, touching and full of emotions.
Her voice is sounds great and she delivers some of the best vocals since 2000. Though I loved IYD, I prefer the raw production of 24KaratGold. This is pure gold, I love it.

[gldstwmn]

I can't begin to express how much love I have for this record. It's pure fun. From the Jimmy Smith inspired funk out in the middle of Starshine by Benmont (that has to be Benmont, right?) to The Byrds sounding take on Twisted to the Zep inspired bad assery of I Don't Care this thing is a hell of a ride. Good times. Thanks Mama...
Also I love the random piano note in Watch Devil. Yeah, I'm not going to call it by the other name because Watch Devil sounds too cool. Whomever played the drums on this record is a keeper. Take that dude on tour.

[gldstwmn]

"I've got your demons"

and

"Since you've been gone, Rome burned down"

are now my favorite lines ever. :D

There's that and so many more. I can just picture her smiling when she sings the I've got your demons line.

[gldstwmn]

Anybody else having postpartum depression now that the album is here, and we don't have anything to look forward to anymore? :distress:

I know, I'm bizarre. :lol:

There's gonna be a tour! :]

[tabruns]

I sent copies of 24KG to several people (mom, sister, most recent ex, ex before that, brother, old roommate). Still waiting for all reactions, but so far everyone I've heard from loves "24 Karat Gold" (song).

[gldstwmn]

I sent copies of 24KG to several people (mom, sister, most recent ex, ex before that, brother, old roommate). Still waiting for all reactions, but so far everyone I've heard from loves "24 Karat Gold" (song).

I'm so proud of her for letting go of her fears and making this record. It's damn good.

[On Ice]

I'm so proud of her for letting go of her fears and making this record. It's damn good.
Absolutely, she has truly nailed these songs and delivered the type of record most of us have been talking about for years. The songs she chose, the sequencing, production all work well with each track. My only quible would be just a tad bit of editing would have made it even better, but with the spectacular singing throughout, I'll overlook that and just enjoy it.

Starshine: Great opening song and what seemed like a throwaway in demo form has really come to life, vocally it's great and the organ makes the song and toe tapper. 9/10

If You Were My Love: Soft, beautiful and full of imagery. Reminds me a bit of the Over and Over vibe from Tusk and I love how it turned out. 10/10

Mabel Normand: Hands down, my favourite track and most pleasant surprise of the album. The mood, the vibe, the spookiness of it could've possibly worked to save her on Tango had Lindsey been so inclined to take it where Dave did. Stellar and one of her best solo moments in my opinion. (I'll go one higher than the 15/10 and take it to 20/10 ;)

Twisted: The Byrds vibe takes this song to completion, however I miss the bridge and it would've really been nice to hear, so I'll dock one point for that 9/10

24 K Gold: What else can be said but I agree with the other post that somethings missing from the end of the song that would've taken it from stellar to classic. 9/10

Belle Fleur: One of her best intros to a song but the lyrics could have used some work to make it even better, ie a Moonlight treatment. 8/10

All the Beautiful Worlds: Wow, how about all the beautiful vocals. I never thought we'd hear her sing like this again and she did. Perfect song exactly the way it is and the You Won't forget Me bridge was used brilliantly in this song. Nice to hear Lori and Sharon at their best here too. Well done ladies. 15/10

Lady: Perfection all around. 10/10

I Don't Care: Nice diversion from Stevie and a good risk taken. I like the results and at 6 minutes even it doesn't feel too long. Well sung too. 9/10

Watch Chain: Be careful of the people who look not straight at you. How it felt like 1978 there and she sounds so wonderful here. This too could've made a great Mac song had an album happened between Rumours and Tusk. 10/10

Hard Advice: I agree better than That Made Me Stronger and would've actually been a great single for TISL. Nicely done and again, another wonderful vocal 8/10

Carousel: Beautiful and all is forgiven for including the track given that it was Barbara's favourite song in her last days and not a vault song. 7/10

Blue Water: Reminiscent of the Storms vocal and one of her all time best written songs. I like the updated feel. 9/10

Cathouse Blues: Not bad, but not a favourite. Kind of fits in with Goldfish and Ladybug as far as keeping it in the vault. Would rather have had her ride through the snow in an old-fashioned carriage just to remind us that Julia was no fool, at this point in the record. 5/10

The Dealer: With all of the stellar vocals, this is the one she didn't quite take to the heights that the song calls for and I was a little disappointed with the results. 7/10

She Loves Him Still: Agree with everyone've comments about what a great closing this song is and being a huge Knophler fan, nice to see him get credit for the instrumental track. Straight back to the sea is a nice line to end with. 9/10

Overall, I give the album a 9/10 just one or two different song choices would've made this album her best.

[AliceLover]

This is the first time in my life that I haven't listened to a Stevie album more than once all the way through. Really only listening to "Lady" and "Mabel Normand" and even those are sparse.

[BlueLight]

This is the first time in my life that I haven't listened to a Stevie album more than once all the way through. Really only listening to "Lady" and "Mabel Normand" and even those are sparse.

Maybe it's worth another listen or two?

[KarmaContestant]

Also I love the random piano note in Watch Devil. Yeah, I'm not going to call it by the other name because Watch Devil sounds too cool. Whomever played the drums on this record is a keeper. Take that dude on tour.

Yes, yes and yes again.

[KarmaContestant]

This is the first time in my life that I haven't listened to a Stevie album more than once all the way through. Really only listening to "Lady" and "Mabel Normand" and even those are sparse.

I am loving every track except If You Were My Love (and Carousel, though I like it more than I want to). Lady is good - but I usually skip forward at about the two minute mark.

Let it play all the way through a few times while you're doing other things. I'm betting a few more of the songs will worm their way into your head, given the chance to do so. :nod:

[AliceLover]

I am loving every track except If You Were My Love (and Carousel, though I like it more than I want to). Lady is good - but I usually skip forward at about the two minute mark.

Let it play all the way through a few times while you're doing other things. I'm betting a few more of the songs will worm their way into your head, given the chance to do so. :nod:

Well see, there in lies the disappointment. I've never had to "try to listen" to a Stevie record again. I have always LOVED something from EVERYTHING she's done. The fact that I'm not obsessed with any of these tracks is really disheartening.

When Secret Love came out at the end of January 2011, I listened to that song to and from student teaching everyday for 6 months. Then, the other tracks came (Moonlight and the title track) which then made me love the album that much more.

I just wish I were in love with it like I was IYD!

[sorcerer999]

I have to say that "Blue Water" has really grown on me. Even though, in the back of my mind, I just KNOW that they could have gone a different way (more mystical/ethereal) and made it better. Country was the furthest from my mind whenever I would listen and sing to this demo. I think that's why it was so jarring and disappointing when I first heard the whole thing.

But the harmonies are the same, the pace is the same and Stevie's vocal really is beautiful on this track. It's always been my favorite demo, so even in a completely different stylized version, I can't hate it.

[KarmaContestant]

I have to say that "Blue Water" has really grown on me. Even though, in the back of my mind, I just KNOW that they could have gone a different way (more mystical/ethereal) and made it better. Country was the furthest from my mind whenever I would listen and sing to this demo. I think that's why it was so jarring and disappointing when I first heard the whole thing.

But the harmonies are the same, the pace is the same and Stevie's vocal really is beautiful on this track. It's always been my favorite demo, so even in a completely different stylized version, I can't hate it.

I love Blue water. That guy from Lady Antebellum has a great voice that has really grown on me.

[Jondalar]

Blue Water is excellent. It is a single.

[michelej1]

I love Blue water. That guy from Lady Antebellum has a great voice that has really grown on me.

I love his input on Blue Water. I don't need to see him being tall and freaky, but hearing him is a pleasure. He enhances the sultry mood perfectly. And Hillary Scott stays in the background, but I think both she and Charles are great on this song. It turned out better than I could have imagined.

Michele

[tabruns]

I have no doubt "Blue Water" would have been a potential Top 10 hit in Stevie's heyday. It could still be a country hit now.

[KarmaContestant]

I have no doubt "Blue Water" would have been a potential Top 10 hit in Stevie's heyday. It could still be a country hit now.

I keep hearing Linda Ronstadt vibes when I listen to Blue Water.