Rock A Little not holding up so well

[dontlookdown]

I remember really liking Rock A Little when it came out; but I just listened to it the other day -
and it really wasn't one of Stevie's best moments.
So much meandering weak writing and mostly not so great vocals.
It's amazing how much better her singing and writing is now.
She really didn't get her voice back until Street Angel, despite the mostly weak songs.

24 Kt. Gold, In Your Dreams, Bella Donna, and The Wild Heart are the essential albums.
Everything else - not so much.

Forgot to include most of Trouble In Shangri-La in the essential group.

[WildHearted]

I love it in all of its dated 80s glory. I like her voice on it, even. It was obvious not at it's pinnacle of healthiness but it had a lot of character. :shrug:

I kept IYD in constant rotation in my car for like 2 years after the fact but I hardly ever listen to it now & I really have no strong connection to any of the songs, save for "For What It's Worth."

[DauphineMarie]

I love it in all of its dated 80s glory. I like her voice on it, even. It was obvious not at it's pinnacle of healthiness but it had a lot of character. :shrug:

I kept IYD in constant rotation in my car for like 2 years after the fact but I hardly ever listen to it now & I really have no strong connection to any of the songs, save for "For What It's Worth."

Rock a Little is my 2nd favourite album, behind Wild Heart. I think the writing is pretty good, but obviously the production can entirely influence the outcome of a song, so it was pretty good for it's time. I LOVE the vocals on the album, especially the title track. I Can't Wait is my FAVOURITE dance song along with Stand Back, and I love singing along to Sister Honey. Also, I do think some outtakes were better choices, like Love is Like a River, Thousand Days, and Ooh Ooh Baby.

[SisterNightroad]

At first I thought it was outdated just like you, but with time I eventually learned to appreciate it.
I think, just like the age it was born in, Rock a Little is an acquired taste: you have to enter in the 80s aesthetic and mindset to fully appreciate it.
Speaking of classics, there are eminent critics that think The Other Side Of The Mirror is Stevie's best work, it's a matter of viewpoints.

[olive]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead
Critical analysis should not be mistaken for hate.

[dontlookdown]

The title track is great - but as a whole, I don't think it's nearly as strong as her most
recent two.

I've always thought The Other Side of the Mirror is her worst
album. I think Street Angel now has that award, but I still cringe when
I hear much of TOSOTM.

She's come a long way. Still kind of shocking
that she's done some of her best work during the last few years.

[James89]

This is her most 'dance-y' album if you know what I mean. I love it, and I think the cover is the all time greatest. ;)

[Machu]

Some albums are 'of a time' and Rock a Little is one of them. It doesn't sound timeless but it still shines in all of it's 80's awesomeness. :cool:

[Macfan4life]

I have the same opinion of Rock A Little from 1985 to today. I could not have been a bigger Stevie Nicks fan than when I was 15 and waiting for the album's "forever" release. I remember reading a Rolling Stone article in 1984 that said Stevie was putting her finishing touches on her album to shortly be released. Even though I was under the Stevie spell I could not help but be disappointed. Talk to me was a dud IMHO and clearly was a pop song given to her and there were no catchy beats. I loved I Cant Wait but the synch percussion was a bit too much even for 1985. While there are some good numbers like The Nightmare, Imperial Hotel, No Spoken Word, and HAWAFU, her vocals were weak and almost unheard on Rock A Little. Sister Honey was just too funky for a rock goddess. For the first time rock stations put Stevie on the back burner since RAL was considered more pop than rock.
Rock A Little is the ONLY Stevie album I don't have on CD. I had the album but never cared to get the CD. The demos from this era are better than the songs. Too many of them seem rushed when Jimmy Iovine walked out......sort of like....what do we do now.....quick get someone to write some songs and put the computer to do the drum track and get something on the album. I hated to see Stevie embrace the cheezy 80's sound. Just one year prior to Rock A Little being released the rock stations were playing Violet and Blue..... a good rocker so I had such high hope for a great rock album and sadly its an average pop album at best.

[louielouie2000]

I love it in all of its dated 80s glory. I like her voice on it, even. It was obvious not at it's pinnacle of healthiness but it had a lot of character. :shrug:

I agree. Rock A Little is just fun because of it's unabashed & outlandish 80s-ness. There is just a certain honesty to it, both in it's sound and it's lyrical content. I just love it for it's high energy, too. There just aren't any dead spots, which is not typical for a Stevie album. Besides In Your Dreams, it's really the only Stevie album I will play when I have people over. There is just a continuity to it which makes it easy to listen to- again, atypical for a Stevie album.

While it's true that Rock A Little may not win any accolades from a critical point of view, I think it has other redeeming qualities. I think more than any of her solo albums, Rock A Little perfectly captures a moment in time. Not just of the 80s, but of Stevie herself. You can hear her coke addiction and the fact it's making the wheels come off of her life. The drastic change in her voice from Wild Heart to Rock A Little is proof.

As far as Rock A Little not aging well, I just disagree. When I first started getting into Stevie's solo albums in the 90s, Rock A Little sounded awful. But with time, I think it has really come into it's own. So many current artists these days are mining 80s sounds and looks. Albums like Rock A Little are the real deal. I think if anything, Rock A Little might just be more relevant now than ever because of that.

[Frankenstein]

To me, RAL is just okay; there are a couple of songs I really like but the rest I can live without. It's very 80s-sounding which I normally LOVE but I don't really care for that style when it comes to Stevie's music. I guess because up until then, most of her songs had a timeless kind of quality to them. Sure, you could argue that some were 70s/80s-esque but they don't sound dated to me... unlike RAL.

[priestofnothing]

How will we feel 30 years from now???

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1259053641677&set=vb.1389727849&type=3&theater

[michelej1]

Speaking of classics, there are eminent critics that think The Other Side Of The Mirror is Stevie's best work, it's a matter of viewpoints.

I like it better than Bella Donna. I don't like it as much as Wild Heart or IYD. Ha, maybe if the album cover was different people would OSOTM more.

Michele

[Dreamz19]

RAL does sound dated, but I love the album. Its my second favorite album by Stevie after Bella Donna. I will admit that Stevie's vocals floored me (and not in a good way) the first time I heard it about 9 years ago. It was a huge departure from what I had heard from Stevie up until that point. However, after learning more about her and what she was going through at the time of the recording, for some reason her voice became more acceptable to me. Her vocals on "I Sing For Things" sounded so bad at first, but overtime the frailness of her voice made the song more poignant.

[Dreamz19]

The title track is great - but as a whole, I don't think it's nearly as strong as her most
recent two.

I've always thought The Other Side of the Mirror is her worst
album. I think Street Angel now has that award, but I still cringe when
I hear much of TOSOTM.

She's come a long way. Still kind of shocking
that she's done some of her best work during the last few years.

I have tried to listen to TOSOTM multiple times, but I really can't get into that album. I rarely listen to it, but it does have some decent songs on it. I actually prefer Street Angel.

[Jondalar]

I remember really liking Rock A Little when it came out; but I just listened to it the other day -
and it really wasn't one of Stevie's best moments.
So much meandering weak writing and mostly not so great vocals.
It's amazing how much better her singing and writing is now.
She really didn't get her voice back until Street Angel, despite the mostly weak songs.

24 Kt. Gold, In Your Dreams, Bella Donna, and The Wild Heart are the essential albums.
Everything else - not so much.

I agree about Rock A Little. However, It is facinating mess. You can actually tell that Stevie is having a melt down. Even though it is not good as a whole. It is always interesting.

[Macfan4life]

How will we feel 30 years from now???

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1259053641677&set=vb.1389727849&type=3&theater
Now THAT was clever
Good one
:)

[gypsy333]

@ Jondalar...*a fascinating mess*!!
I agree, it tells the story of a rock n roll princess melt down...but there are some stellar moments on the album...the hauntingly strained voice on Rock A Little....."Go ahead Lily hit it"....the defiant voice at the end of Some Become Strangers..."Well, you're no stranger... not that I am"...the very dance-able Sister Honey ..."She'll hit you with a fury, Whispering the words one more time, baby, One more time... And she says don't let that golden hair
Get in your way now" and on The Nightmare....I can still hear the refrain "Blinded by the light of the day....blinded by the light of the dayaaaay"
I loved the album cover...and as evidenced by my profile pic...love the *Mata Hari* look of the back cover. Not a stellar Bella Donna here, but more revealing!...an album where all the songs gave a hint of the craziness going on in her life/career...as Jondalar says...*A Fascinating Mess* I think I like it alot better than The Other Side of The Mirror....

[The Juggler]

I think it's Stevie's worst album apart from Street Angel, it's a bit messy and all over the place.
And then there's blatant filler - Sister Honey, Imperial Hotel, If I Were You etc. that are a pleasent listen but very detacted from the Stevie I love.

I Croak For The Things has to be her worst vocal performance ever. Of course the album has some strong points - particulary the title track (where her temporary husky voice suits the song well), No Spoken Word & Some Become Strangers are ace.

But I do agree that it's not held up well. I do like 80s music a lot, even though I wasn't born in the 80s. But I think Rock A Little is a step too far, it's excessive. I think one of the reviews said something along the lines of "Stevie should take her own advice and rock, a little" and I completley agree with that. It's just a little too much.

[Macfan4life]

I can sum up one of the major reasons I don't like the album in one of the songs. I Sing For The Things. Lyrically it is perfect and one of the few songs she wrote on RAL. It went back several years too. If they had acoustic guitars and real drums keeping beat instead of the drum machine and tin almost fake sounding steel guitar the music would have been so good. Her voice is horrible. If she sang strong against real instruments, the song would be very strong. The song is programmed and sucks the life out of the song and its a shame because it is a well written song. I think even the bass in the song is computer driven

[Jondalar]

Like the person who started this thread, I only like Bella Donna, 24k, the wild heart and in your dreams. However, I do come to rock a little once In awhile because it's so interesting. The album is totally overproduced and dated.

Ps excuse my typing. I'm on my phone and lazy.

[On Ice]

Oh my favourite subject.... :eek:

Rock a little is not a bad album title and I was expecting just that... some great rock and roll songs. When I first put it on the turntable, I thought umm this is ok and I didn't immediately pick up on the voice issues. After about a year or so, I started really listening to the 70's Mac again and had never really stopped listening to Bella Donna and I was shocked at how low Stevie had set the bar for herself. The fake instruments, the soulless, sloppy singing, the deterioration in writing, all added up to a "hot mess" of an album and then there was the tour...oh my, I wanted to crawl under a rock because I hyped her to my two friends who were with me and we were all in shock of just how out of it she was. I do like a couple of the tracks like Imperial Hotel and I can bop a bit to Talk to Me and No Spoken Word does have some great elements, but not the rest. I can't understand that Street Angel, an album she sings well on, ranks lower than this. First and foremost Stevie is a singer, and the singing on Rock a Little is not up to par and is better off forgotten.

[michelej1]

^No Spoken Word is a great song.

Michele

[secondhandchain]

OMG it does not hold up well. This is the pinnacle of Stevie's voice gone wild. So over the top with the vibrato and out of control vocals. Yikes!!!! When I heard hear on the Dance I remember thinking wow she sounds normal again.

[PenguinHead]

Each of her album are sort of a representation of her state of mind in that particular time, along with a production style reflective of that era. Over time I have become more forgiving and less critical about her songs and albums. Even her most questionable songs have an intrigue or certain odd charm to them.

Rock a Little has the sonic elements that were in style in that era. It also mirrors the issues Stevie was facing at the time -- her cocaine addiction, strained relationships with Fleetwood Mac, and other personal issues she was dealing with. I think all of her albums/songs as part of a tapestry. I actually can appreciate Rock a Little for what it is, more now than when it was released, in context to what came after. Perfection is subjective and over-rated. I herald the wild bumpy road.

[olive]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/59/2a/db/592adbd65f52c430c539c5b18ed11b0c.jpg

it's a good album she needs to acknowledge it more in her show drop Rhiannon and add something from this But Has Anyone Ever Written

[Macfan4life]

Another example when I say the demos or dropped tracks from RAL are better than the album. Some Become Strangers is probably one of my least favorite Stevie solo songs for many reasons. But this alternative version is pretty good. Its not drowning in background vocals like the album version. Her voice is stronger here and she sounds good. And its a miracle.... you can hear real drumming. SOOOOOO much better than what was put on the album. Listen.

Long story short.....I wish the Mirror Mirror album was released in 1984/early 1985 instead of being scrapped for the latter RAL.

Some Become Strangers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Z7ezrzZAE

And the wonderful Running through the Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgYPKFVQzc

Imperial Hotel 1984 demo (her voice is strong)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NSQ7VTR6Xg

[BlueLight]

Another example when I say the demos or dropped tracks from RAL are better than the album. Some Become Strangers is probably one of my least favorite Stevie solo songs for many reasons. But this alternative version is pretty good. Its not drowning in background vocals like the album version. Her voice is stronger here and she sounds good. And its a miracle.... you can hear real drumming. SOOOOOO much better than what was put on the album. Listen.

Long story short.....I wish the Mirror Mirror album was released in 1984/early 1985 instead of being scrapped for the latter RAL.

Some Become Strangers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Z7ezrzZAE

And the wonderful Running through the Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgYPKFVQzc

Imperial Hotel 1984 demo (her voice is strong)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NSQ7VTR6Xg

YES! :thumbsup:

And don't forget the amazing extended, non-LP Rock a Little, which is far superior to what ended up on the album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VEkoRoQNQ8

And the alternate The Nightmare, which is sheer perfection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-ow34XYgmI

And of course Mirror Mirror:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUd7H8vA1Io

Truly love this album. Yes, it's pure 80's, and reflects what Stevie was going through during at the time, but that part of what makes it so incredible. And it's one of her few albums where every song makes me want to dance around the house. :]

[DauphineMarie]

YES! :thumbsup:

And don't forget the amazing extended, non-LP Rock a Little, which is far superior to what ended up on the album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VEkoRoQNQ8

And the alternate The Nightmare, which is sheer perfection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-ow34XYgmI

And of course Mirror Mirror:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUd7H8vA1Io

Truly love this album. Yes, it's pure 80's, and reflects what Stevie was going through during at the time, but that part of what makes it so incredible. And it's one of her few albums where every song makes me want to dance around the house. :]

I agree with this. But I also think that the outtakes for RAL are some of the biggest missed opportunities in Stevie's solo career.

[BlueLight]

I agree with this. But I also think that the outtakes for RAL are some of the biggest missed opportunities in Stevie's solo career.

For the life of me, I don't understand why, for example. RTTG didn't make the final cut. :shrug:

[PenguinHead]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/59/2a/db/592adbd65f52c430c539c5b18ed11b0c.jpg

it's a good album she needs to acknowledge it more in her show drop Rhiannon and add something from this But Has Anyone Ever Written

Great picture! I've seen many outtake shots. But this one is new to me. Thanks!

It is a good album, and she should acknowledge it more in her show. She could drop Rhiannon and add something else beside Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You.

What would you suggest?

[Macfan4life]

For the life of me, I don't understand why, for example. RTTG didn't make the final cut. :shrug:
Running through the garden was scrapped along with Mirror Mirror and other goodies for Rock A Little. I think if Jimmy Iovine would have stayed and Stevie stopped partying for at least 3 weeks :eek: the Mirror Mirror album would have been excellent. You can imagine how out of control the partying was in the studio for Iovine to walk out. That is why I don't like RAL so much. The songs they brought to her to sing seem rushed musically, lyrically, and vocally.

[starshine]

Another example when I say the demos or dropped tracks from RAL are better than the album. Some Become Strangers is probably one of my least favorite Stevie solo songs for many reasons. But this alternative version is pretty good. Its not drowning in background vocals like the album version. Her voice is stronger here and she sounds good. And its a miracle.... you can hear real drumming. SOOOOOO much better than what was put on the album. Listen.

Long story short.....I wish the Mirror Mirror album was released in 1984/early 1985 instead of being scrapped for the latter RAL.

Some Become Strangers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Z7ezrzZAE

And the wonderful Running through the Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgYPKFVQzc

Imperial Hotel 1984 demo (her voice is strong)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NSQ7VTR6Xg
I agree with you the unreleased Mirror,Mirror LP would've been better than the RAL LP that we did get. Some of the outtakes are much better. Too many Producers for this LP as well. Its kinda scattered , all over the place. Part of me likes some of the songs but there are filler songs like someone else mentioned. Its a shame cause I do think it could've been a really great LP. :shrug:

[KarmaContestant]

I love Rock A Little. It's definitely drenched in a dated sound and production style, but that's part of it's appeal, much like Tango In The Night, or Madonna's True Blue, or Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual. The dated sound is a huge part of the nostalgia factor that makes these albums outstanding.

[lilyfee]

I love Rock A Little. It's definitely drenched in a dated sound and production style, but that's part of it's appeal, much like Tango In The Night, or Madonna's True Blue, or Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual. The dated sound is a huge part of the nostalgia factor that makes these albums outstanding.

Agree with this. I love RAL. The 80s production muting Stevie's raw vocals gives the album a hazy quality, like you're looking at her through smoke in a crowded room. It's not her best work, but the album as a whole is cohesive... I say this as someone who wasn't alive when this album was made.

And this sound is definitely making a comeback... I hear it especially with Charli XCX on pop radio. Stevie sounds so real and retro when compared to that!

[He's So Unusual]

Rock a Little is my favourite Stevie album. I love how wild, dark and frenzied it is. You can tell she was completely off her face on coke when she recorded it. I'm a sucker for the dated drum machines and synthesizers, and I love the extended remixes.

[WildHeart97]

I'm in the camp that loves this album. The fact that it's so 80s-sounding is part of the appeal. These songs may not be Stevie's finest lyrical moments, but they are undeniably fun. I have no shame in saying I enjoy every song on here, and the only album I like more is The Wild Heart.

[PenguinHead]

I'm in the camp that loves this album. The fact that it's so 80s-sounding is part of the appeal. These songs may not be Stevie's finest lyrical moments, but they are undeniably fun. I have no shame in saying I enjoy every song on here, and the only album I like more is The Wild Heart.

That is my philosophy with all her albums. They are a product of their of own time and space, just like most things are. I am more forgiving of things in hindsight, and come to appreciate and/or accept the odd quirks that may have irked me when they were still new and less familiar.

The Rock a Little album and tour suffered from cocaine, which was in full throttle capacity at the time. The Other Side of the Mirror album and tour suffered from klonopin, which sort of put her in a zombie state. Taken in perspective, the records sort of represent what she was dealing with at those particular times. Could she handle the seasons of her life? She might say "Well, I'm doing the best that I can."

[SpyNote]

It's not the worst album, just inconsistent. Her best albums usually have a single producer (more or less) and a clear artistic vision. Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, and In Your Dreams are all strong for that reason. I also think The Other Side of the Mirror is one of her best, but I can see why some fans don't like it. The fairy tale, keyboard-driven arrangements are not for everyone.

[aleuzzi]

I remember being disappointed with it when it came out. I loved The Wild Heart and Bella Donna. But her vocals on Rock a Little were simply too frayed and hoarse. The only performances I like (though like them a lot) are Imperial Hotel and I Sing for the Things. In both cases, increased hoarseness works in favor of the songs.

Talk to Me and I Can't Wait were big hits, but I was embarrassed by them. They felt like commercial calculations and lacked the originality that made Stand Back and Edge of 17 what they were.

HAEWAFY has turned out to be a classic, though her original studio version of the song is weak. Compare it to the epic performance on storytellers in 1998!

I remember being even more disappointed with The Other Side of the Mirror. And, if I'm being honest, her appearance played a part in my disappointment, too. She looked ragged in 1985 and then, by 1988, she was sadly overweight and over processed. She seemed like a parody herself.

My disillusionment changed, however, back into admiration when I heard her performance of Sometimes It's a Bitch. Bon Jovi's song is mediocre, but her reading of it was so convincing I remember thinking, "she's found herself again." She may have been overweight and zombied out for Street Angel, but the lead track, Blue Denim, was so well done that I didn't care what she looked like. In fact, the strength of her voice led me to realize all the gossamer beauty of yore was just one flimsy aspect of her greater talent.

Then, TISL became her best album since The Wild Heart. And IYD is, to my way of thinking, her best work. She survived and thrived.

[joe]

I remember being disappointed with it when it came out. I loved The Wild Heart and Bella Donna. But her vocals on Rock a Little were simply too frayed and hoarse. The only performances I like (though like them a lot) are Imperial Hotel and I Sing for the Things. In both cases, increased hoarseness works in favor of the songs.

Talk to Me and I Can't Wait were big hits, but I was embarrassed by them. They felt like commercial calculations and lacked the originality that made Stand Back and Edge of 17 what they were.

HAEWAFY has turned out to be a classic, though her original studio version of the song is weak. Compare it to the epic performance on storytellers in 1998!

I remember being even more disappointed with The Other Side of the Mirror. And, if I'm being honest, her appearance played a part in my disappointment, too. She looked ragged in 1985 and then, by 1988, she was sadly overweight and over processed. She seemed like a parody herself.

My disillusionment changed, however, back into admiration when I heard her performance of Sometimes It's a Bitch. Bon Jovi's song is mediocre, but her reading of it was so convincing I remember thinking, "she's found herself again." She may have been overweight and zombied out for Street Angel, but the lead track, Blue Denim, was so well done that I didn't care what she looked like. In fact, the strength of her voice led me to realize all the gossamer beauty of yore was just one flimsy aspect of her greater talent.

Then, TISL became her best album since The Wild Heart. And IYD is, to my way of thinking, her best work. She survived and thrived.

I felt pretty much as you did, although i wasn't "embarrassed by "talk to me" or "i can't wait". I just remember hearing "talk to me" the first time and thinking that it didn't sound like a stevie song and her voice was different. I didn't really care for it. It was the first in a succession of moments that i actually was let down and somewhat worried lol. was my favorite high-priestess chanteuse losing her touch? I bought the album when it came out and didn't love it, tbh. i thought it sounded so unlike her previous material and that the music sounded too "funky" as though she had been too inspired by prince. where were the gypsys and sisters of the moons and bella donnas? aside from "i can't wait" (which you mention you were embarrassed by but i loved it. i thought it worked well for the time period and was very catchy. actually LOVED that song at that time. still do for what it's worth) and "no spoken word" was classic updated stevie. maybe "if i were you" was ok as well. i guess "i sing for the things" was alright as well. but, as i said, it just sounded like such a departure for her. i still never listen to it all the way through. sounds disjointed. idk.

i am in the minority but i actually liked TOSOTM even when it came out. just something about the songs and her singing agreed with me. yes, there are a few clunkers on there but it sounded more like stevie to me than RAL. Live - that was a different story. i saw her up at saratoga in ny and she was frozen and unemotional. i thought she had stage fright but also remember hearing that she had gone to betty ford a few years back and that pretty much explained it. of course, we didn't know about the klonopin back then.

blue denim...everything you said. yes! still love that song to this day. shame it didn't take off as it should have but she was pretty much a dinosaur/nonlegend at that point. that all changed after the dance.

my 2 cents :)

ps...i should add that i have come to love the track "rock a little" through the years especially after hearing the extended, alternate vocal mix that came out at the time. and HAEWAFY is def a classic although i didn't quite get it at the time. and, she ended her concerts with that back then (saw her twice in 1986) and i thought it was a bit of a downer.

[aleuzzi]

I felt pretty much as you did, although i wasn't "embarrassed by "talk to me" or "i can't wait". I just remember hearing "talk to me" the first time and thinking that it didn't sound like a stevie song and her voice was different. I didn't really care for it. It was the first in a succession of moments that i actually was let down and somewhat worried lol. was my favorite high-priestess chanteuse losing her touch? I bought the album when it came out and didn't love it, tbh. i thought it sounded so unlike her previous material and that the music sounded too "funky" as though she had been too inspired by prince. where were the gypsys and sisters of the moons and bella donnas? aside from "i can't wait" (which you mention you were embarrassed by but i loved it. i thought it worked well for the time period and was very catchy. actually LOVED that song at that time. still do for what it's worth) and "no spoken word" was classic updated stevie. maybe "if i were you" was ok as well. i guess "i sing for the things" was alright as well. but, as i said, it just sounded like such a departure for her. i still never listen to it all the way through. sounds disjointed. idk.

i am in the minority but i actually liked TOSOTM even when it came out. just something about the songs and her singing agreed with me. yes, there are a few clunkers on there but it sounded more like stevie to me than RAL. Live - that was a different story. i saw her up at saratoga in ny and she was frozen and unemotional. i thought she had stage fright but also remember hearing that she had gone to betty ford a few years back and that pretty much explained it. of course, we didn't know about the klonopin back then.

blue denim...everything you said. yes! still love that song to this day. shame it didn't take off as it should have but she was pretty much a dinosaur/nonlegend at that point. that all changed after the dance.

my 2 cents :)

ps...i should add that i have come to love the track "rock a little" through the years especially after hearing the extended, alternate vocal mix that came out at the time. and HAEWAFY is def a classic although i didn't quite get it at the time. and, she ended her concerts with that back then (saw her twice in 1986) and i thought it was a bit of a downer.

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I love when people share on that level.

What I meant by being embarrassed by "Talk To Me" and "I Can't Wait" is that for the first time since she had started her solo career, she appeared to be chasing hits for the sake of having hits. Previously, she was successful by being no one else but herself. But perhaps this was her new self and I just didn't like it.

FWIW: Your not alone in loving "I Can't Wait." I remember seeing her in 1985 at an outdoor concert to promote RAL. When that song started the crowd went NUTS. I was surprised. I thought everyone thought like I did: I was only 14 :)

[iamnotafraid]

And IYD is, to my way of thinking, her best work...

Crack is dangerous.

[joe]

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I love when people share on that level.

What I meant by being embarrassed by "Talk To Me" and "I Can't Wait" is that for the first time since she had started her solo career, she appeared to be chasing hits for the sake of having hits. Previously, she was successful by being no one else but herself. But perhaps this was her new self and I just didn't like it.

FWIW: Your not alone in loving "I Can't Wait." I remember seeing her in 1985 at an outdoor concert to promote RAL. When that song started the crowd went NUTS. I was surprised. I thought everyone thought like I did: I was only 14 :)

got it. i agree as well about "talk to me" and why it just never appealed to me, especially when i first heard it. it sounded generic, and yes, for the first time sounded like she was going more for hits than anything else. however, when i saw her live that year "talk to me" was better live than on the record.

oh, and i must clarify that prince is amazing and i have nothing but admiration and respect for him. i still love a lot of those songs from the '80s that he put out. i just didn't want stevie's music to sound like his.

[aleuzzi]

Crack is dangerous.

I'm missing a quip here. I plead ignorance.

[aleuzzi]

got it. i agree as well about "talk to me" and why it just never appealed to me, especially when i first heard it. it sounded generic, and yes, for the first time sounded like she was going more for hits than anything else. however, when i saw her live that year "talk to me" was better live than on the record.

oh, and i must clarify that prince is amazing and i have nothing but admiration and respect for him. i still love a lot of those songs from the '80s that he put out. i just didn't want stevie's music to sound like his.

I'm a huge Prince fan, but yes--Sister Honey, et al are NOT the direction she should have traveled.

[johnnystorms]

i don't mean to create a dispute, but NOTHING about RAL reminds me of prince. he was totally inventive, topical, and overtly sexual. Rock a Little seemed slapdashed together with multiple producers and no real focus. I like it as a Stevie recording, but it doesn't compare to what Prince was doing at the time.

[iamnotafraid]

I'm missing a quip here. I plead ignorance.

It was just a warning. After reading that you thought IYD is her best work,
I thought there might be need for an intervention.

[twinmatrix]

Rock A Little is literally the only Stevie album where I don't know half the tracks.

I just can't get into it at all! It's like someone entirely different wrote it! :/ I only like I Can't Wait, Talk To Me and Has Anyone Ever. Those are A+++ songs.

[KarmaContestant]

Rock A Little was my first Stevie album, is still my favorite, and still gets the most play time from her catalog. Something doesn't have to be 'the best' to be 'the favorite'.

It's not that it's better than her other works (it's not). It's just a bit of nostalgia, I guess, for the period of time when all things Stevie were new and exciting. I still get that old feeling listening to Rock A Little - when Sister Honey or Imperial Hotel or No Spoken Word kick in - and no other album or song that she's ever recorded, except some of her demos, can give that same feeling. Mabel Normand is the same - it has that same energy that permeates most of Rock A Little.

Rock A Little doesn't need to hold up, in my opinion - it's a time capsule and should be thought of as one. Not all music is timeless, and that's OK. :woohoo:

[DashingDan]

Rock A Little was my first Stevie album, is still my favorite, and still gets the most play time from her catalog. Something doesn't have to be 'the best' to be 'the favorite'.

It's not that it's better than her other works (it's not). It's just a bit of nostalgia, I guess, for the period of time when all things Stevie were new and exciting. I still get that old feeling listening to Rock A Little - when Sister Honey or Imperial Hotel or No Spoken Word kick in - and no other album or song that she's ever recorded, except some of her demos, can give that same feeling. Mabel Normand is the same - it has that same energy that permeates most of Rock A Little.

Rock A Little doesn't need to hold up, in my opinion - it's a time capsule and should be thought of as one. Not all music is timeless, and that's OK. :woohoo:

Very, very well said. Applies to many 'first musical loves' and 'guilty listening pleasures.'

[redbird]

RAL is one of the three Stevie albums I have no desire to own (with TOSOTM and SA, obviously). The funny thing is that my order of preference among those three is always changing. Sometimes I think RAL is the worst of the trio because it's just so much of the kind of excess I don't enjoy, but sometimes I think it's the best because it's the most confident statement of its particular philosophy. I do like "No Spoken Word", but overall I feel like RAL is not only a whole lot of production I don't care for, but also where Stevie becomes so lyrically inconsistent. Her poetry starts to become mere diary entries in some spots.

[bwboy]

While I'm not surprised that Rock a Little has so many detractors, I'm almost stunned at the reaction to Talk to Me. That song blew me away the very first time I heard it, and I thought Stevie looked absolutely gorgeous in the video. She looked so good in purple and red, for a change. And even though she didn't write Talk to Me, she sang the hell out of that song- her delivery and passion is awesome. I'm a sucker for a good, 'anthemic' rock song and Stevie does it justice. I also enjoyed the slower, softer version that was recorded and released, too.

I Can't Wait is also incredibly catchy and I love that Stevie tried something new and different. I wish she would throw this song back in her set list. Talk to Me, I Can't Wait, and Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You is the perfect Stevie trifecta, imo. If I Were You is catchy and pleasant, The Nightmare is pure Stevie, and Imperial Hotel, No Spoken Word, and Some Become Strangers are also engaging. Even though Sister Honey is odd, I even find that song catchy, against my better judgement. Reconsider Me is beautiful and I wish it had been included on the CD.

I know Stevie said in an interview she was trying to lighten up and make an album that wasn't as dark as The Wild Heart, and maybe she did go too far in the other direction, but I think Rock a Little holds up better than people think.

[SeanJT]

I love this album. "...songs are written, stories are told, rumours have started..."

[The Highwayman]

Bella Donna is a masterpiece. The Wild Heart is fantastic. Both are tight and focused, filled with timeless (less so in WH's case) songs that rank among the best things Stevie ever did.

Rock a Little's focus is all over the place, the songs are funky, uneven and liberally smeared with '80s pop hallmarks such as drum machines and lots of synth. Timeless? Maybe, maybe not. Incredibly awesome? Hell yeah. RAL features some great songs, pure and simple, no matter how much cocaine is stuffed into the crannies (in fact it could be argued that it helped provide texture). The title track, 'I Sing For The Things' (so under appreciated!), 'I Can't Wait', 'Sister Honey', 'The Imperial Hotel', 'Talk to Me', 'If I Were You', 'Some Become Strangers' and 'Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You' are all hugely enjoyable songs in my opinion, filled to the brim with passion and character, which is more than I can say for OSOTM and Street Angel. Passionless! Bland! Though there are a few good songs on each album ('Ooh My Love' being the only really great one), I just get bored and sad listening to both. Not RAL. Never a dull moment. Not even with some of the weaker tunes.

Hell, I even like the best songs on RAL more than a lot of Stevie's output that came after, even up to now. There a certain songs, like 'Thrown Down', 'Sweet Girl', the three '70s tunes on TISL and the aforementioned 'Ooh My Love' that match or surpass those RAL sings, but still that's a big thing to say.

[Jondalar]

I don't like the album but it's fascinating. You can hear her losing it on the album. She couldn't keep it together.

[DauphineMarie]

I think Rock a Little would have been one of the best album of the 80's had there been more cohesion.. I think the "magic" is missing on RAL that had been present on her previous albums because Stevie was struggling with her producers who wanted a more commercial sound... Songs like Running Through the Garden, Thousand Days, All The Kings Horses, Love is Like a River, etc., could have made RAL more cohesive and mystical had they been produced well.

[pattyfan]

My 2 cents. It's not that it hasn't held up well. For me the songs that I like from it (Rock a Little, I Sing for the Things, No Spoken Word, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You, and to some extend, Imperial Hotel) are still the songs I like from it. And the songs that are think are embarrassingly bad (The Nightmare, Sister Honey) are still horrible. The songs that I think were middle of the road boring pop (I Can't Wait, Some Become Strangers, Talk to Me to some extent, and If I Were You) are still boring pop. I guess I don't really think of music as aging. :)

And it's kind of funny that other people were mentioning Prince in this thread. When the single Talk to Me came out, I was going to college and biked down to the one and only record store in Davis, CA to get it. It was late in the afternoon. I came home, put it on my turntable, and out came...Prince :) It was some song I'd never heard of. I guess they mislabeled a bunch of Stevie's singles. It was too late for me to go back to the record store, so I had to wait until the next day. Of course, the exchanged it for me, but if I had had any brains at all, I would have kept it. It would probably be worth something today. :)

Kevin

[Missy]

I first became aware of Stevie during the RAL era. I wasn't very interested, and I thought she looked terrible during that era. Like a strange gothed out Tammy Wynette (even though I like Tammy as a singer). It was all the drugs and I think she knew she didn't look her best. She tried to hide it with too much makeup and the very big hair. But it didn't really work.

I was very young and at first didn't even know about Fleetwood Mac. I only discovered that history when she came to Australia. There was a feature about her on TV and that gave me a tiny glimpse of the Rosebud era which I found quite cool. Otherwise I took no notice of her until 'The Dance' or that documentary about the making of 'Rumors'. I was amazed that she was able to get herself together to make such a strong comeback.

HAWAFY is still a great track but I never heard it at the time. I think that in the mid 80s she had started becoming tired of people calling her a witch etc and was trying something different. Then in the 90s she thought hell with it.

People seem to get so nostalgic about the 80s. I don't. The music started becoming so overproduced towards the end of the decade. I was glad when they started doing the 'Unplugged' shows and when Guns N Roses first came onto the scene.

It's a shame so many great artists of the 70s seemed to lose their way during the 80s. It wasn't just Stevie. I felt it was perhaps because they didn't quite know how to manage the transition to digital technology or how to redefine themselves in that decade. But a few seemed able to make a return to form during the 1990s.

[DauphineMarie]

I'm at a very strange point in my life *again* and as usual, I always seem to go back to Rock a Little to help me through things. I've been listening to it on repeat for about a week now, and I have just realized what this album is about...

Rock a Little is about moving on, going through life even when it's horrible, and determination. Just looking at it track by track, it all becomes so clear to me..

1. I Can't Wait - moving on from something and being excited about new prospects
2. Rock a Little - (my favourite song ever) that also happens to be about keeping on even through the pain, and how something good can come from it
3. Sister Honey - Live life, have fun, try something new
4. I Sing For the Things - Identify what is important in life
5. Imperial Hotel - Finding independence
6. Some Become Strangers - Leaving behind those who no longer are good for us
7. Talk to Me - again moving on and reaching out to someone new
8. The Nightmare - the warning... understanding that life is not always going to be a dream, and becoming aware of unhealthy situations
9. If I Were You - Letting love into your life
10. No Spoken Word - Learning how to make difficult choices and decisions
11. HAEWAFY - Sharing your love with the world

[BombaySapphire3]

I first became aware of Stevie during the RAL era. I wasn't very interested, and I thought she looked terrible during that era. Like a strange gothed out Tammy Wynette (even though I like Tammy as a singer).

Speaking of Tammy she and Stevie were in Betty Ford together during this time .I wonder if they ever spoke.I thought Tammy looked gorgeous in the 1970s with her big bleached blonde hair and false eye lashes.Another thing that she and Stevie share is an ineffable quality in their voices that very few have .Neither one may have been the greatest of all singers but at their best they could break your heart.

[bwboy]

Interesting analysis, DauphineMarie. Considering Rock a Little was recorded shortly after Stevie's good friend Robin died, it appears she was trying to make an upbeat album, perhaps to counter the sadness she must have been feeling. I noticed a lot of RAL seemed to showcase Stevie as a fairy godmother type, with Stevie offering all kinds of reassurances, wisdom, and advice. Talk to Me, If I Were You, I Sing For the Things, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You, Sister Honey, and Imperial Hotel certainly fit those categories.

[Fannymac]

I think the album does sound a bit dated, and you can certainly tell Stevie isn't at her best health-wise, but I still like it, certainly more so than STREET ANGEL.

The cover, however, is hands down her worst!!!!