Ask Anybody or Only Over You

[Macfan4life]

Each song is about Chris's mad love for Dennis Wilson. Each track ends side one of Mirage and her 1984 solo album. Which do you prefer and why?

Dennis died December 28, 1983. He definitely heard Only Over You and Chris had just performed her Country Club appearance 2 weeks before his death but Ask Anybody was not performed. Her album was not released until right after he died. Its possible he never heard Ask Anybody but maybe he still was in certain circles and he got an advance listen to her album before its release.

Both songs are brilliantly written and some of Chris's best work IMHO and that says a lot. They are much deeper than many of her other songs.

Which do you like better and why? Or maybe you don't like either? Why? Only Over You does not attract much love around this board but then again neither does Ask Anybody.

[David]

Both are great songs with sweet hooks. But ONLY OVER YOU is nearest and dearest to my heart. John McVie’s bass is wildly out there and lovely on the outro, and the B section (“Angel, please don’t go/I miss you when you’re gone”) is probably my favorite four bars in all of Christinedom. I even prefer the alternative take from the 2016 release; the studio final has great harmony singing but I don’t need that psychopathic pedal-point note on the organ drawing attention to itself like Morse code (I would have left it out or mixed it way lower just to give the barest hint of it) or even Mick’s martial drum roll at the transition. The final mix is too gimmicky for such a winsome song. The song does not benefit from “clever,” humorous production touches.

[Macfan4life]

David, I wish you would have waited till the end to comment because you have too much influence here ;) Several members praise you and jump on your bandwagon too many times without sharing their opinion ;)

Ask Anybody has the better lyrics IMHO. Instead of a pure love lullaby in Over Over You, we get to see the dark side of Dennis. Everyone telling her she should walk out, and she's hopeful that he will change and they will try again without all the pain. Its pure devotion yet she sees a devil and angel in him. This is a very uniquely written love song. She admits to almost liking the wildness in the relationship....drives her wild.

I will take Lindsey's jam at the end of Only Over You over Steve Winwood's on Ask Anybody. I prefer to sing along with Ask Anybody.

This is an extremely close call. I would have to pick Only Over You because of the music. Its got many classic Mac features from Micks drumming, John's bass and Lindsey's plucking solo at the end. Love Mick's slow drum roll into the last chorus too.

Only Over You gets kicked around these boards all the time but now that David has praised it, I am curious to see what others say ;)

[HomerMcvie]

Ask Anybody. Only Over Ewe has grown on me over the years, but I didn't like it for a long time. I've always been prejudiced against songs that are impossible to sing along to. Ewe is impossible for me to hit that high note. That's my criteria, Oh Daddy!

[aleuzzi]

Ask Anybody. Her vocal on the verses is moody and seductive. Then the chorus opens up in a surprising way, thanks in part to her collaboration with Winwood.

I do like Only Over You, always have, but it’s not as special as Ask…

[aleuzzi]

Both are great songs with sweet hooks. But ONLY OVER YOU is nearest and dearest to my heart. John McVie’s bass is wildly out there and lovely on the outro, and the B section (“Angel, please don’t go/I miss you when you’re gone”) is probably my favorite four bars in all of Christinedom. I even prefer the alternative take from the 2016 release; the studio final has great harmony singing but I don’t need that psychopathic pedal-point note on the organ drawing attention to itself like Morse code (I would have left it out or mixed it way lower just to give the barest hint of it) or even Mick’s martial drum roll at the transition. The final mix is too gimmicky for such a winsome song. The song does not benefit from “clever,” humorous production touches.

I dig the organ signal. It’s obsessive, as is the lyric. The drum roll doesn’t bother me but it doesn’t necessarily add to the song.

[michelej1]

Ask Anybody isn’t even in the same hemisphere.

[SteveMacD]

Ask Anybody.

Only Over You is one of the rare misses for me. It’s just kind of there.

Ask Anybody has a couple of great hooks, an unmistakable Steve Winwood solo, and her voice was really powerful. All of the different keyboard layers work well, too.

[Macfan4life]

Only Over You was always my least favorite song on Mirage. I never liked songs that begin with a vocal with the music. As an early teen I just could not get past the dreamy lullaby to appreciate it. I was 13 and playing Mirage on our stereo and my mother never cared for my music but she came to me and told me what a beautiful song that was playing. I still did not get it or like it much. When I got older and especially after the reissue of Mirage is when I really started to appreciate its finest. It has a bouncy beat at the end and has some incredible harmonies. Like many of Chris's songs, she is in love but someone is mistreating her i.e. They say, I'm a silly girl but I'm not a fool. Sort of reminds me of Say you love me i.e. if you use me again it will be the end of me. She is pouring out her love but does mention she is aware of something wrong in the relationship.
I always loved Ask Anybody. Brilliantly written and the song really makes you feel what Christine is feeling. It also transformed live pretty well. There is a video on youtube of this song from her 1984 tour. Its Chris against the world in the song but she is standing by her man. I forgot but Mick plays drums on Ask Anybody.
Dennis was heavily into drugs like heroin, acid, and cocaine but he also had to be very nutty. He lived with Charles Manson when they had many women living at the house as servants. The stuff that went on at that house was pretty freaky and eventually led to brutal murder.

[jbrownsjr]

Wow, this is so difficult for me. I'll go with Ask Anybody. It gives me such a melancholic state of mind when I listen to it. It's one of Christine's longer songs, too. I think it comes up on almost 5 1/2 minutes.

It's a beautiful song with a stunning vocals. Winwood on this album is such a treat. It's lovely to see her work with other big artists. The Winwood/McVie collaboration was huge for me as I adore both. Also, I thought their voices worked really well together. One In A Million was fantastic as well.

Only Over You was loved by me the first time I heard it. Another gem that's largely unknown. Two good songs to put up against each other. Christine was really really talented and just kept getting better. I love her BuckVie tunes as well. I hope we hear one last album from her.

[BLY]

Ask Anybody would be my pick. I instantly loved this song when I got the album in 1984. Only Over You is my least favorite on Mirage. I have appreciated it over the years but it has been at the bottom of my list of Christine songs from the 1975-1987 era.

[HomerMcvie]

One In A Million was fantastic as well.


Probably my favorite solo song of hers. It just F*CKING ROCKS!!!! The B3 and the guitar runs are phenomenal!

[Macfan4life]

Probably my favorite solo song of hers. It just F*CKING ROCKS!!!! The B3 and the guitar runs are phenomenal!
Wonderful. We found a song with guitar playing that does not offend you ;)

My local rock station had One In A Million in heavy rotation in February and March 1984.

[jbrownsjr]

Wonderful. We found a song with guitar playing that does not offend you ;)

My local rock station had One In A Million in heavy rotation in February and March 1984.

I heard that one on the radio often, too! :angel:

[Macfan4life]

I heard that one on the radio often, too! :angel:
Violet and Blue was out about the same time and I remember on my local rock station them playing Violet and Blue and One In A Million back to back. How cool is that!

[On Ice]

I have to go with Ask Anybody- it's a terrific song and great collaboration with Steve Winwood- I would've picked it or the equally great One in a Million as the second single. I haven't listened to it in a long time but I can play the entire song in my head. I didn't rank Only Over You as one of Christine's better songs, but since when did she ever write a bad song? It's just Ask Anybody is different for her and has stood the best of time.

Macfan- cool to have both songs on rotation at the same time- Violet and Blue was strong enough for the Wild Heart and is a great song too.

[HomerMcvie]

Wonderful. We found a song with guitar playing that does not offend you ;)

My local rock station had One In A Million in heavy rotation in February and March 1984.

You've really got a burr under your saddle for me, don't you, Hoss? You should just go ahead and ask me on a date, and get it over with.:wavey:

So I HATE the song Come, and Oh Daddy is like hitting $tevie's Klonopin stash. So sue me....:lol:

[DownOnRodeo]

Ask Anybody has long been a top favorite of mine.

The bridge on Only is a refreshing point of interest in an otherwise dreary track. The words languid and tepid come to mind. It's a sister song to Tepid Ways.

The lyric in Only is mostly too ditzy.
The lyric in AA has more maturity, a dark edge.

"They'll say I'm going wrong" vs "They say I'm a silly girl"

But mainly I just prefer the music in AA. Winwood for the win.

And as jbrownsjr notes, Ask is deliciously lengthy at over 5 mins, such a rarity for a Chris track.

[jbrownsjr]

Violet and Blue was out about the same time and I remember on my local rock station them playing Violet and Blue and One In A Million back to back. How cool is that!

I heard that one a lot, too! I love both tunes. And that's very cool.

[SteveMacD]

and Oh Daddy is like hitting $tevie's Klonopin stash.

It kind of occurred to me that “Oh Daddy” reminds me of “Wait and See” from Christine Perfect.

[jbrownsjr]

It kind of occurred to me that “Oh Daddy” reminds me of “Wait and See” from Christine Perfect.

I love the keys on Wait and See. She has such a distinct, quirky way of playing the keyboards. It's hard to copy her Christine isms.

[David]

The bridge on Only is a refreshing point of interest in an otherwise dreary track. The words languid and tepid come to mind. It's a sister song to Tepid Ways.

The lyric in Only is mostly too ditzy.
Well maybe I don’t want to be friends with you anymore, Joe, even if you convinced Lindsey to put a Tusk song in the set.

[aleuzzi]

Probably my favorite solo song of hers. It just F*CKING ROCKS!!!! The B3 and the guitar runs are phenomenal!

Yeah, “One In a Million” is amazeballs. Along with “Smile,” it is the best moment on that record. One of her most satisfying songs, period.

[HomerMcvie]

Yeah, “One In a Million” is amazeballs. Along with “Smile,” it is the best moment on that record. One of her most satisfying songs, period.
Even though I love In The Meantime, 1984 will always be my favorite. The flow is better.

[Macfan4life]

Ask Anybody has long been a top favorite of mine.

The bridge on Only is a refreshing point of interest in an otherwise dreary track. The words languid and tepid come to mind. It's a sister song to Tepid Ways.

The lyric in Only is mostly too ditzy.
The lyric in AA has more maturity, a dark edge.

"They'll say I'm going wrong" vs "They say I'm a silly girl"

But mainly I just prefer the music in AA. Winwood for the win.

And as jbrownsjr notes, Ask is deliciously lengthy at over 5 mins, such a rarity for a Chris track.
The brilliance of Only Over You is in the lyric department. If anyone else sang the song it would mean someone is over the top in love with someone. But considering who the song is about it has literal meaning i.e. Chris admits she is literally out of her mind for falling for such a nut case. The silly girl line is metaphor on purpose. No one told her she was a silly girl. They probably told her she is out of her mind crazy. But she wraps it all up in a bow making it a dreamy love lullaby.
On the other side....the brilliance of Ask Anybody is she is still in mad love but she is not sugar coating any words i.e. calling him a devil. People are not calling her a silly girl but she should walk out and that she's "going wrong." She is still standing by her man in hoping he will change.
Both brilliant songs about the same relationship. One is very stern and the other is a light dreamy lullaby. But they both convey the same message. Its so rare to get 2 songs about the same relationship or experience but I love it.

On the another note, One In A Million peaked at #27 on the rock charts so it did get some serious airplay.

[jbrownsjr]

On the another note, One In A Million peaked at #27 on the rock charts so it did get some serious airplay.

Christine did well with Lindsey, but never needed him like goat needed him. McVie made magic by herself and others. I love that she had all these other co-writes and co-singing songs with others.

[aleuzzi]

Christine did well with Lindsey, but never needed him like goat needed him. McVie made magic by herself and others. I love that she had all these other co-writes and co-singing songs with others.

I mean, what she accomplished with Lindsey is remarkable—the perfect marriage of a tunesmith and her producer. But yes, she has collaborated very well with others.

The acoustic version of Friend that she co-produced with Dan Perfect is one of my all-time Christine moments, as is “Forgiveness.” And the best Fleetwood Mac song of the first decade of the 2000s is “Giving It Back,” which sounds more like classic Mac than anything on Say You Will.

[jbrownsjr]

I mean, what she accomplished with Lindsey is remarkable—the perfect marriage of a tunesmith and her producer. But yes, she has collaborated very well with others.

The acoustic version of Friend that she co-produced with Dan Perfect is one of my all-time Christine moments, as is “Forgiveness.” And the best Fleetwood Mac song of the first decade of the 2000s is “Giving It Back,” which sounds more like classic Mac than anything on Say You Will.

I forgot about In The Meantime. It's as good as anything she's done with FMac. I feel like Christine just keeps matching or getting better.

Yes, Forgiveness is wonderful. (every second). I love the outro because it's an outro and Lindsey may not have produced that for her.
Also, Bad Journey was arranged in such a cool way with the ac. guitar and vocal harmonies. Lindsey wouldn't have done better with that one either, in my opinion. And then there's You ARE and the Sweet Sweet So Sincere.
Her solo albums are hardly bland to me. Her reputation is all a Calumny.

[bombaysaffires]

The lyrics to Ask Anybody are better. Ask Anybody is a solid radio song for sure. The production on both is good, but the hypnotic quality of Only Over You, especially at the end, is more captivating. And I agree about the "Angel please don't go/I miss you when you're gone" part. And yet on the whole it does rather drone, if pleasingly.

[DownOnRodeo]

Well maybe I donÂ’t want to be friends with you anymore, Joe, even if you convinced Lindsey to put a Tusk song in the set.

There are so many Christine songs with "Over" in the title, I wonder whether she considers it the most euphonious word available to her as a lyricist, like Tolkien's "cellar door."

Perhaps we could test this by replacing all the "Overs" with another preposition.


I'm behind my head, but it sure feels nice

I'm out of my mind, but it's only behind you

Could it be me, could it really really be, behind and behind?

I'd do it all behind again

[jbrownsjr]

There are so many Christine songs with "Over" in the title, I wonder whether she considers it the most euphonious word available to her as a lyricist, like Tolkien's "cellar door."

Perhaps we could test this by replacing all the "Overs" with another preposition.


I'm behind my head, but it sure feels nice

I'm out of my mind, but it's only behind you

Could it be me, could it really really be, behind and behind?

I'd do it all behind again

Written by McVie/Joe. 1975, 1979, 1982, 1995

[Macfan4life]

There are so many Christine songs with "Over" in the title, I wonder whether she considers it the most euphonious word available to her as a lyricist, like Tolkien's "cellar door."

Perhaps we could test this by replacing all the "Overs" with another preposition.


I'm behind my head, but it sure feels nice

I'm out of my mind, but it's only behind you

Could it be me, could it really really be, behind and behind?

I'd do it all behind again
Clearly you're over it

:)

[jbrownsjr]

Clearly you're over it

:)

I'm behind it!

[aleuzzi]

There are so many Christine songs with "Over" in the title, I wonder whether she considers it the most euphonious word available to her as a lyricist, like Tolkien's "cellar door."

Perhaps we could test this by replacing all the "Overs" with another preposition.


I'm behind my head, but it sure feels nice

I'm out of my mind, but it's only behind you

Could it be me, could it really really be, behind and behind?

I'd do it all behind again

I like this game. I’ll try:


I’m beneath my head, but it sure feels nice.

I’m over my mind, but it’s only out of you.

Could it be me, could it really really be, above and above

I’ll do it all under again

[aleuzzi]

I'm behind it!

I’m on it!

[David]

I’m getting a preposition headache.

[jbrownsjr]

I’m getting a preposition headache.

I'm not your doctor, David I'm not your psychiatrist!

[Jondalar]

Ask Anybody. I really like Only Over You too but is less formulaic. I like her solo album a lot.

[blinker12]

Another vote for Ask Anybody. In that recent article where Lindsey reviews his solo and FM albums, he talks about how he allowed some songs to become more “generic” on Mirage, because the band as a whole was so adamant about avoiding doing another Tusk. Only Over You and Wish You Were Here were the two songs that immediately jumped to mind for me when I read the word generic. Neither the music or the lyrics of those two songs go anywhere surprising or very interesting IMO. I looooove Christine but those two to me are a couple of her worst.

[jbrownsjr]

Another vote for Ask Anybody. In that recent article where Lindsey reviews his solo and FM albums, he talks about how he allowed some songs to become more “generic” on Mirage, because the band as a whole was so adamant about avoiding doing another Tusk. Only Over You and Wish You Were Here were the two songs that immediately jumped to mind for me when I read the word generic. Neither the music or the lyrics of those two songs go anywhere surprising or very interesting IMO. I looooove Christine but those two to me are a couple of her worst.

Ya know Blinker, I felt that way when I first heard them. Then I really grew to love WYWH and OOY. There's something genius about them.

Have you ever heard her pour her heart out in this version?
I think she really captures the pain and angst of the original song's intent.
I'd love to hear OOY live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTKYvapgMDs&list=RDWTKYvapgMDs&start_radio=1

[blinker12]

^ I forgot about that version, jbrownsjr! I heard her do it on their 2017 tour and was fairly blown away. Her delivery, and the tighter and simpler instrumental arrangement, really sold me on the song. Maybe I'd like OOY better if it were given a similar treatment.

[jbrownsjr]

^ I forgot about that version, jbrownsjr! I heard her do it on their 2017 tour and was fairly blown away. Her delivery, and the tighter and simpler instrumental arrangement, really sold me on the song. Maybe I'd like OOY better if it were given a similar treatment.

Yeah, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the lyrics. Mainly because of the way she sang them. (With passion vs a lullaby.) And yes, do that with Only Over You, too!! The sentiments are really lovely. Keep it tight! :D

[aleuzzi]

Yeah, it gave me a whole new appreciation for the lyrics. Mainly because of the way she sang them. (With passion vs a lullaby.) And yes, do that with Only Over You, too!! The sentiments are really lovely. Keep it tight! :D

She pitches really well on that live version. And she handles the high notes (“I can’t hide”) with surprising agility. She was 74 years old then. Wow.

[jbrownsjr]

She pitches really well on that live version. And she handles the high notes (“I can’t hide”) with surprising agility. She was 74 years old then. Wow.

She was solid most of the time during that tour. She got wobbly here and there. But, her voice is still really beautiful.