The Tango tour was the first FM tour I saw. I became a fan in 1980, but when they toured for Mirage I was unable to go. I thought it was a great show at the time, but in retrospect, having seen Lindsey live now, there is just no comparison. Lindsey does something to that band-he sparks them or something-that no one else does except Peter Green in that line-up.

Not to say Rick and Billy are any slouches on the guitar. When they play their own music they are very, very good. But playing music Lindsey had crafted-they just couldn't create the same effect.

Stevie seemed really out of it during that tour (and also BTM tour) compared to say, the Dance tour or now. I didn't know the history then like I do now, and I know now why she seemed that way then.

I am very glad Lindsey is back=:-)

Vianna

I know this is going off topic, but he really is the jammiest person on this earth. How many times has this man gone bust? And, what does he spend it on? Surely not just the white stuff?

:laugh:

Angela
x

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

No more ignorant words have ever been typed.

Haha! Chili's gettin grumpy! I would have said, the only version that counted is the Buckingham version. So then, THOSE would be the most ignorant words ever.

But WHY is it that Mick wants to forget the Welch years SOOO much? He acts like they were on hiatus for four years.
I think Mick's a slimeball.

I think certainly there are three major eras in Fleetwood Mac's history... the Green/Spencer/Kirwan Years, the McVie/Welch Years, and the McVie/Buckingham/Nicks Years.
But, in defining the three major eras, we should in no way slight the many other talented musicians who were at one time a part of Fleetwood Mac's ranks.

As Stevie would say, "each had their own charm"... and each brought something unique to the band. And for that, each deserves our respect. :)

I've often thought it's probably a passive-aggressive dig towards Bob Welch, because of the lawsuit.

Apparently they've made amends now though, so perhaps in the future, Mick will be more inclined to discuss the importance of the Welch Years to Fleetwood Mac's history.

I became a fan with Tango. I remember being upset that Lindsey quit, but was glad that the band managed to find a way to survive. Within a few months, I had gotten "Mystery..." and realized that the band had gone through a lot of changes.

I think Billy and Rick were trying too hard to be team players, to the point of not asserting themselves as much as they should have. It was really the first time in the band's history when the guitarist wasn't setting the band's direction. Peter, Bob, and Lindsey were brilliant in that direction. Billy is a great songwriter, Rick a brilliant guitarist (and from a skill level, both are arguably the best the band's ever had). But in some ways, they had mostly been industry insiders who worked mostly in the background. They didn't have the same production obsessions of Lindsey, which is not a bad thing, but in retrospect wasn't right for Fleetwood Mac. To be fair, I think Billy and Rick have come a long way in terms of defining themselves, and I'm sure that band would be totally different today.

As for the defining eras:
Peter Green
Bob Welch
Lindsey Buckingham
Billy Burnette

And, no, Christine wasn't at the Gibson gig, that happened BEFORE the release of the "Time" album (remember, they never actually toured in support of that album). I have it on video, and she's not there.

Rick and Billy
 

Arguably, indeed. You'd certainly get an argument from me that Billy is the band's greatest songwriter.

I think that's true. Things they've done since joining Fleetwood show a lot more individuality & scope. In fact, things they did before joining Fleetwood show a lot more promise.

How can every era be the "defining" era, Steve? In the past, I've harangued you about employing your sociological approach & then sticking an aesthetic preference label on it. You're operating on two unrelated planes.
Chris didn't play any gig with the Time group.

I don't think Chili will hate you for saying that. You're expressing a preference, which is perfectly valid (it would be no different in principle from someone hating you for saying you don't like Celine Dion, or chocolate pie).

Saying you don't like Rick's music with Fleetwood Mac is different from saying or implying that Rick's stint with Fleetwood Mac never happened -- or rewriting the band's history, leaving that chapter out entirely.

best songwriter?
 

Billy Burnette the band's BEST songwriter?!?!?!!!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!! That's the goofiest thing I've ever heard. Downright heresy I say!

Well, look at the artists who've covered Billy's material over the years. Billy's not necessarily my favorite writer (actually Peter Green is). But, he writes songs that could be done by a wide range of artists in a wide range of styles. Take John McVie's favorite, "The Bigger The Love." In about a year and a half, Billy recorded the song with John and it had a very bluesy sound to it, and then did it solo with a very country feel to it. It's a good song, regardless of musical style, and THAT is the reason why I said it could be argued.

However, this is also why Billy didn't work out that well with Fleetwood Mac. What is a great trait to have as a songwriter made is songs sound generic with Fleetwood Mac. He really didn't have that quality that made him a uniuqe writer. Most of the other writers have been more focused in their writing in a way that makes their songs unique to that writer (save maybe for some of the blues stuff early on). The only Fleetwood Mac song that I can think of that was truely reinvented by another artist would be "Black Magic Woman."

Totally agree with this...I think they're both great musicians but just did not fit in with the 20 year (at the time) old atmosphere of "Fleetwood Mac".


I'll take that complaint a step (or 5!) further and say I think they butchered the riff of The Chain. Compare that loud, awesome and mysterious sounding intro. LB did during the Rumours tour to the version that was played during the Tango tour. The latter sounds like the soundtrack to a cheap 80s porno.

JMHO.;)

I would like to know where I said in my previous post that the only two eras of Fleetwood Mac that counts is the Peter Green era and the Lindsey/Stevie era. :shrug: I never said that, because I don't believe that! :mad: I think all eras of Fleetwood Mac are important. If it weren't for the eras in between Peter and Rumours era, the band wouldn't have survived. Here is what I said, I think that it should be reread, so everyone can see what I really said, or for that matter, go back and reread my whole previous post. Here is part of my previous post that is referred to.

:sorry: Also, I'm sorry about the incorrectness of the comment about Christine at the Gibson show (knew Stevie and Chris both left the band in 1994; I just somehow thought that it was after that show :( ), and the comment about the fact that they were promoting the Time album. I thought I had remembered them saying at the concert that they were working on a new album called Time, therefore I got in my mind that they must have been promoting it. In trying to keep all the fact straight about the band---because there are so many things to remember-----I'm bad to confuse things. :o Thanks for helping me get it straight you guys.