Stevie mentioned that she was willing to throw some songs out there, which is what they did with the EP. She never said she was willing to do an album.

The point is, it's not like Stevie has been keeping a low profile. She's not shy. She's omnipresent and loquacious. She's the one who has been doing the most interviews. She's the one whose participation is in question and she's the one who has not confirmed her participation in the album that all the other band members have talked about.

I am just not ready to say that Lindsey can speak for Stevie on this subject. In fact, the argument, "Well, Lindsey said Stevie would so that means she WILL even if she hasn't said so," is ludicrous to me. I don't think he speaks for her any more than she speaks for him.

But I don't care whether she is on board with them or not. I may have hoped for her participation at one point, I don't any longer, because her reluctance has dampened my hopes for the collaboration. I just hope the album comes out, with or without her. That's the only confirmation I'm interested in hearing.

As for your wide-ranging observation that things change: Yes, they do. That's why I'm afraid, because once this tour is over all bets are off. I hope they commit to something concrete, before the tour ends. Otherwise, it might be years before they reconvene.

Michele

I still want to know where our confirmation is, that Mick even said that Stevie's not yet on board. I looked back through recent threads, and it seems that the first Ledgie who attributed that comment to Mick, wasn't even at the Meet & Greet in question.

Oh, it's just like the Playboy interview. They assumed that Stevie would tour, but she hadn't obligated herself. They felt that they had already waited a year and Mick wanted some commitment, so he gave that interview and then Stevie did commit. They thought she would, but she had not yet. I feel that we're in the same place. The scary part is that back then Stevie just made up a 3 year break from FM. She fully planned to tour, she just said she had a rule about waiting 3 years.

She may plan to participate in an FM album some time, the question is WHEN? We don't have another 3 years to spare.

She plans to animate Goldfish and the Ladybug. She plans a Three Birds of Rhiannon opera. I am also confident that she plans to record with FM again some time in the future. I'm just curious as to WHEN. If she's looking to wait until 2017 or 2018 to commit, then I would like the other 4 to do an album without her in the interim and then later the five can happily coalesce in 3 years.

Michele

I don't believe they speak for each other, either. However, I also don't believe for one minute that Lindsey (and Christine, it should be noted) would be speaking with any certainty of Stevie's participation, if he didn't have knowledge that we're not currently privy to.

Regarding Stevie's radio silence on the subject, maybe she just doesn't feel it's necessary to confirm she'll be participating. In her mind, it could be a foregone conclusion.

To me it resembles her studied poker face during the concerts, where she has said that when she hears Lindsey make a declaration to the audience during his speech that she is disagreeing in her head.

Michele

well, if anyone from her camp follows anything on this site (remember the red cape comment?) then they will certainly become aware rather quickly about the confusion and some of the sentiment surrounding her participation in another Mac album. Maybe this means sooner rather than later we'll get some crumb of direct acknowledgment from her in an interview.

Otherwise, like all things pertaining to FM, until it IS happening in real time, I for one reserve the right to some healthy skepticism. They've mucked us around before. I remain hopeful that the album will come to be, but cautiously skeptical for the moment. As we've all said, there's a lot on their plates right now, a lot between finishing this tour and starting an album, and that leaves a lot of wiggle room and time for things to go sour or whatever. That may be why Stevie is holding her tongue, or it may not be.

It's like that famous slogan during the Cold War "trust but verify". :eek:

I personally would be happy with a Lindsey/Christine album without Stevie. I have always felt the Buckingham/McVie collaboration was one of the strongest elements in this band, and I'd like to hear more of it. I'd like to hear more songs co-written and co-sung by the two of them.

[I love this. It's about Pittsburgh football realistic fans vs. optimistic fans. I want to kiss the writer for knowing about FM before Behind the Mask. We could apply the two points of view to our conversation here]

Realistic vs. optimistic fans in non-Steelers situations throughout history: The Spoof

By Anthony Defeo@Defeoman on Oct 15 2014, Behind the Steel Curtain

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...ons-throughout

April 3, 1990, just days before Fleetwood Mac are set to release their first album without Lindsey Buckingham

Realistic Fleetwood Mac fan: I don't have a good feeling about Behind the Mask. And it's not just because Lindsey Buckingham is gone, either. I mean, who is Billy Burnette? Who is Rick Vito? Why even bother with a new album without such an integral part of what made your band so successful?

Optimistic FM fan #1: Excuse me? I didn't realize you could see into the future and that you were such an expert on music.

Optimistic FM fan #2: Yeah, do I really need to hear this kind of stuff right before their album is released? FM's music has been the soundtrack to my life for nearly two-decades, and Mick Fleetwood wouldn't have added Burnette and Vito to the band if he didn't think they were capable of generating the same success as when Buckingham was involved.

Optimistic FM fan #1: Totally. We should give it time before we write off this album. There are 13 songs to go! I'm excited about Burnette and Vito, and I think they can take FM to a whole new level! I look for this new album to equal or surpass the success of Rumours!

Optimistic FM fan #2: Yeah baby, 20 million copies! That's what we do around here!

Everyone calm down. Stevie will be participating in the new mac album.

http://stevie-nicks.info/2014/10/lin...w-album-plans/

I dont know why everyone jumps to conclusions and always thinks the worst about Stevie. A new mac album without her would honestly suck. As RD says this could be their last album so they should go out the way they came in. The original 5 together for the last time.

I don't think Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, or Danny Kirwan are on board at this time.

Lets not get pedantic now. You know what I mean.

Should probably use a different word than "original" in any case.

Bravo! Although Stevie is as ~original equipment~ as they come.:lol:

It's almost bizarre how many people haven't questioned this source. :shrug:

We have direct quotes from Mick in recent interviews saying they're hopeful Stevie will join them (implying she's not yet on board). So while we don't know exactly what Mick said at the meet and greet, the sentiment has been expressed elsewhere.

There is no market for new music from Fleewood Mac.

I disagree. An album of new songs could sell respectably, given a good flagship single or two.

Is it possible for you to formulate a positive thought?

There's definitely a place for new music from Fleetwood Mac in the market.

Are we "hardcore fans" not a market? Are "casual music listeners" not a market? Are the "aged 40 and above" not a market? Are the "teens who recognize and appreciate older music/artists" (and yes, they DO exist) not a market?

Your bipolar attitude on this forum astounds me.

Clearly there is since a commercial helped Everywhere back into the charts. Since Glee helped the Rumours album jump into the Top 10 on iTunes. Since Christine McVie re-joining was one of the biggest music news items of the year. Clearly people are interested enough in the band in the last few years to warrant new music.

Here's how I see it. There IS a market for music that appeals to the over 40 crowd; witness recent successes by Leonard Cohen (who never had a hit single), Barbra Streisand, Stevie's own 24 Karat Gold, etc. BUT, even the most successful albums these days sell a fraction of what a hit did in the pre-MP3 days, which translates to that market bringing far less $$ to the artists. So I figure SOMEONE in the band -- Stevie is the obvious best guess -- doesn't want to do it given the pay cut that's a part of being in today's music biz. She can put out a solo album and not have to be content with 1/5 of the money she'd make from a Mac album. I doubt Lindsey cares about making a ton of money from an album. Mick might. Christine, I dunno. But Stevie, absolutely.

As she said in the Destiny Rules doc: "This is not about art." :lol:

There might not be a huge market but there is a market. I'd bet a new FM album would do better than that Say You Will or Stevie solo albums (at least chart-wise)- there's a lot more interest in the band now- even without Christine's return. With her back it moves things up another level. They aren't going to sell many millions but there's enough interest to push them to number 1.

Really? Where are they now?

Buying tickets at exorbitant prices for sold out shows.

Hardcore fans, what kind of fans try and sabotage review ratings just because they are upset because certain demos were chosen or the album is getting better reviews then their favorites or because they want her to record with Fleetwood Mac. This great album is getting lower ratings the Other Side Of The Mirror. What a joke. She is not getting support from the industry or many hardcore fans.

I can only speak for myself, but I can honestly say that the only reason I gave 24KG three stars is because there are only 3, maybe 4 songs on it I enjoy enough to listen to more than a couple times. (They are "Lady," "The Dealer," "Watch Chain" which is only available digitally, and maybe "Hard Advice.") I guess I actually do like TOSM quite a bit better than 24KG.

Three stars seems appropriate for this album. When the songs are good, they are great. But they surface rarely, alongside a lot of unspectacular, forgettable music. Many of the songs are overlong, too.

However, all is forgiven with Lady--a song and performance worthy of a Grammy. One of her best.

Well, since it was essentially corroborated in a Toronto newspaper, I don't think it's all that bizarre.

Michele

Waiting. Simple as that. Anytime that casual audience hears classic Mac, they buy it.

1) The EP (aside from being announced on tour and having little to no promotion besides appearing for one week on the front page of iTunes) had 4 tracks and not the full classic line-up. It failed to reach a success like SYW because at least that album was marketed properly.

2) The masses who want a full-on, classic Mac album obviously aren't going to go out in droves to get an odd sounding (to the casual listener) Lindsey album or a dated sounded Stevie record of songs 'from the vault'. Those types of albums hardly ever shift great numbers which is why it was mind-boggling to see that tagline as part of the title instead of just '24 Karat Gold'.

3) Because of Glee, Rumours re-entered at the album charts at #12. Astounding feat considering how old that record is. Downloads accounted for 91% of that. In AUS, it went to #2. Then on top of that, take in the actual Glee versions of tracks which were all over the singles chart. If they can market this new project even remotely like they did for SYW (complete with Christine now being involved) this album will be a guaranteed Top 3 hit, I'd bet my life's savings on it.

4) Everywhere got to #15 on the UK singles chart last year because of that commercial with the moon-walking horse.

My point is, the Mac won't have an issue because that audience for the MAC (non-solo) is always there. It's the same reason why they're non-stop trending since the tour begin, why they've been plastered all over the news since Christine's return. It's season of the Mac.

Just because Stevie's album didn't do astonishing numbers doesn't attribute to there not being an audience. It's because it's a "vault" album and on top of that, aside from a generous few, mostly only hardcores are going to really dig and appreciate an album of rarities. That's just the plain, honest truth. Not to mention its marketing (which could've done wonders if they'd actually establish more than several TV dates and an actual online campaign other than twitter clips) sucked complete ass.

Just hope that when the time comes they don't follow U2 and dump their album on every iTunes user in the world. They will need, however, a very carefully planned PR campaign to do good numbers and get industry hype. I think it starts with bringing another producer on board that's not Lindsey.

I agree. What were they thinking?! I had one friend who always buys the latest Mac product tell me that he didn't buy it because he didn't understand this "songs from the vaults" thing. I had to explain to him it really is an album proper in every sense--and then I bought it for him for his birthday.

Agreed. I wonder who would get media attention. As many know, I've always pulled for Rhett Davies, Jon Brion, Richard X, Timbaland, Jam-Lewis, Xenomania, Chris Isaak, and, I have to now admit, Dave Stewart. But none of those are going to happen--and maybe only Timba would create buzz--but all would create a more marketable sound.

If they brought in somebody else to produce then I think they should steer away from the obvious (Mitchell Froom, Dave Stewart) and aim for something/someone a bit edgier.

I'd suggest Stephen Street, Mark Ronson, or Danger Mouse. Perhaps even Nile Rodgers, Pharrell or Xenomania. I guess it would be dependent upon who would be available at any one time, though.

I would totz be down for Street, Rodgers, Pharrell, but please lord keep Mark Ronson (and Stuart Price) away from my band. ;)

Why?
...and how about Trent Reznor (...Stevie, where are you going? Stevie, come back...)

We'll like I said before there is no accounting for taste and some people just don't have any. If Fleetwood Mac made Rumours 2, some people would find reason to complain.

Who Who and who.The names did not ring a bell until I Googled them up. If Mac wants a hit.They probably have to go with these young producers.

They need a hit maker.

I know some of us are not a Dave Stewart fan but I would not mind seeing him work with the Mac and get the job done quick.

Or they can call in the past producers that worked with them.

Stevie has a lot of songs on 24k that should be played all over the radio. Not happening. Ageism is alive and well in Rock N Roll.

This topic somehow reminds me of how last year when Lindsey said "she can't just come and go" a lot of folks around here took that as meaning his ego was too big to let Christine rejoin, when that wasn't the case at all.