The return of Mark Needham concerns me. I did not care for his contribution to the Say You Will album and thought there was an unpleasant murkiness throughout many of the songs. I remember Stevie's hesitation regarding having Needham mix the album, but then didn't he also end up doing some mixing work on her "Crystal Visions" collection a few years later?
I understand that the band has traditionally recorded without Stevie until she was required, but I honestly thought all members were now at a stage in their lives where they would want to be together, especially on this occasion. It needn't be just about collaboration, but a demonstration of commitment and support. I guess I was hoping that Christine's return and John's illness would make everyone approach the situation in a more inclusive, mature way. I acknowledge the past difficulties between Lindsey and Stevie, but I do get the impression that Lindsey is genuine about wanting to move beyond their emotional baggage and create together in a meaningful way. He has spoken of his desire for them to co-write since the SYW days and properly collaborate on songs from scratch, seemingly so that Stevie would have complete input and not be dissatisfied with the final result. It should also be remembered that upon the completion of the IYD sessions in late 2010, Dave Stewart actually suggested to Stevie that she needed to find a way to co-write with Lindsey so he can't be the stumbling block between them.
When Lindsey speaks of Stevie's complicated needs, it clearly is a none-too-veiled comment on her unwillingness to properly cooperate. Whilst I understand Stevie's position and that she most probably thought these last couple of weeks were an opportune time to knock out some solo recordings, she could potentially piss everyone off by not being present for the Mac, especially if she hasn't already submitted some material of worth. She may not ordinarily care about the fall-out, but Christine is now back in the fold and I suspect she will not easily tolerate Stevie's absence. I wanted Christine to realise how far Stevie has come in terms of her capability and work ethic in the studio these days, but worry she'll just think these latest proceedings are reminiscent of the Tango sessions. If Stevie just decides to breeze in once the bulk of the work has been done, surely this won't sit well with the others, regardless of whether they demonstrate it or not. (I was secretly hoping Christine had attended some of the Nashville recording sessions, if only to gain some insight into what Stevie is currently doing and ensure all was well between them. Of course, this may have happened, but there doesn't seem to be any confirmation of such.)
I guess the best we can hope for at this stage is that Stevie does eventually contribute strong songs to the Mac album and works well with the band once she is present. Hopefully when they tour later this year, the experience will be a positive one and Stevie will feel enthused about contributing to a band album. She needs to be invested in such an undertaking if it's to truly work.
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