Fleetwood Mac's Best Produced Song
 

So what do you think is FM's best produced song?? (If it's also your favorite song, that's fine. But don't choose a song ONLY because its your favorite).

I think Fleetwood Mac's best produced song is Little Lies.

I'm no expert on producing music or actually what goes into it, but for the basics I think it involves arranging the song, mixing the song, making the song marektable plus some other things important things, I'm sure. (Anyone, who knows more - please provide your input!)

The reason I think Little Lies is pure production genius (kudos to Lindsey & Richard!) is because I think it is probably Fleetwood Mac's most unique song and even unique to the era in which it was released (1987).

First, the beginning of the song is great. What is that sound anyway? I'm sure it was some sound effect used by Lindsey but it almost sounds like violins or something. It immediately grabs the listener's attention (IMO, anyway) I can remember hearing this song in 1987 (and even though I never knew it was FM until I became a fan) I always remembered that song even though I was still a kid at the time.

Second, the background vocals. Having Stevie and Lindsey echo, "tell me lies" makes the song so much more interesting. Though they can blend their voices pretty well, I like how both Stevie and Lindsey sing separately, rather than as one. Much more effective! Plus, all the other background vocals like "close my, close my, close, my eyes" and "tell me, tell me, tell me lies" compliment Christine's voice perfectly.

Third, Christine's voice is perfect and though I think most of Christine's lyrics are pretty simple - I think this song is one of her best lyrically. Though Little Lies is not my favorite FM song or even my favorite Chris song, I still think it remains one of FMs greatest achievements. :)

Storms. Sheer perfection. I actually prefer the production on the alternate version floating around out there, though. It's quite a gem.

"Gypsy" is absolutely it. The guitars, the voices, everything. "Sisters of the Moon" and "Gold Dust Woman" run a close second.

Thrown Down- I love the song and while it's definitely not my favorite ever, I think it's the song that benifits most from great production. I'll also go with Gold Dust Woman.

And Diss, are you refering to the Storms on disk 2 of the reissue.

Everywhere is really cool.

Gypsy, followed by Little Lies.

Yup. :nod:

I also love Gypsy and Second Hand News.

Gypsy, GYOW. Caroline.

I'd definitely say any song from TITN is an example of great production. The only downside (IMHO) is that songs overproduced in the studio often don't translate well live; i.e. any song from TITN. :cool:

I'd say "Tusk." If perfection consists in the achievement of every aspect of the design, "Tusk" is it from my point of view. It dispatches every one of its means -- technological, psychological, aesthetic, even sociological -- with complete success so that each element achieves its intended end (at least "intended" as I see it, since I can't speak for the intentions of the artists).

I was going back and forth between Tusk and Little Lies. I think Tusk is absolute production genius. And from what I've heard it broke new barriers ie. nothing compared to it. Plus, it is definitely unique, even by FM standards. It sticks out like a sore thumb on their greatest hits (1988) and that's why I think its cool.

hmm, forgot about Tusk, that would definitely be close to #1 if not #1 along with most of his Tusk songs and Murrow from SYW.

Tango in the Night (the song). Utter perfection. It's not my all-time favourite FM song (it's up there), but I think there's so much happening in this song, and it all contributes to the mood and mystique of it. You can hear the stillness of the night, you can hear the lonliness, and you can hear the desire when those drums start. Very hott.

And, though it's not a Fleetwood Mac song, I also love the production on Space Needle. It has such an eery, dark feeling to me.

I concur. That and Caroline are super standouts, for me, on a very well produced album.

-Brown Eyes
-Dreams
-Gypsy
-Caroline
-The Chain
-Crystal

I keep coming back to Dreams and YMLF...maybe even GYOW.

I don't even listen to Rumours that much anymore (it's part of my bloodstream by now), but the production on it seems flawless. It's lush and warm and deep.

:nod: :nod:
LOL @ "part of my bloodstream" I feel the same. Although, with the re-issue, i've got to have me some Crystalline silver springs. I love the two on the reissue.

Yeah...the studio SS is up there too. :thumbsup:

They never blended those vocals like that again (rarely anyway). For me, there's just a sonic depth to Rumours that they never quite achieved again (perhaps by design).

I can still listen to that album with headphones and get lost in all the parts and harmonies of the songs.

:nod:
yep, yep, yep, and yep. Will I always be wowed by the Chain? yes. Ditto for the whole album.

Gypsy - hands down - for me at least :cool:

:thumbsup: me too

I mean they have some GREAT songs -- I think Tusk (the song) is just killer - but I have NEVER really encountered the majesty Gypsy has in any of their other songs. That production was just the perfect alingment of the stars :nod:

Compared to the Bella Donna demos it's a masterpiece. I try to visualize how a video would have looked if the song came out the way Stevie was doing it in the studio with Tom Petty. That gypsy reminds me of a runaway street tramp dancing in a go go bar, not the glamourous gypsy princess dancing in the enchanted forrest you get with the Mirage production. The video was a great interpretation of the song as produced on Mirage. It looks just like I pictured the song in my mind before ever seeing the video. The guitar work and the vocal arrangement, the backing vocals in particular, make that song something special. I don't care much for the song live but I never tire of the album version.

Absolutely
Honey hi, warm ways, never going back again, mistyfied and say goodbye.
Sorry more than one, but with their legacy??

Will
(could write down 20 instead these 5 :] )

I'll have to jump on the Gypsy bandwagon...It's just gorgeous. And unfortunatly it's the only instance where the song is. :laugh:

Not in any specific order:

Why
Hypnotized
Silver Springs(the original version)
You Make Loving Fun
Storms
Brown Eyes
Gypsy
Hold Me
Little Lies
Love Shines

I gotta go with something off "Say You Will". I can't tell if it's the production skills or just the fact that technology makes it sound more efficient/polished, but I think tracks like "Red Rover" and "Miranda" have so much going on that if you have a good pair of headphones you can feel like you're submersed in SO many layers of music. You can't get that in older albums. I guess off of an older album... "World Turning"? Odd choice, but that's what I keep coming back to.

And while we're on the topic of "Gypsy" being pure perfection - that is hands down my favorite guitar part from any song. That ...um, plinkery ending is just the best.

How true, how true. And that's the problem with making a studio masterpiece. It's usually impossible to pull off the magic on the recording, live. You'd think a witch could pull it off, though... :rolleyes: :shrug: :D

:laugh: :lol:
Um, I like Mirage live Gypsy.... :sorry: :wavey: But then, I love stevie debauched and drawling. :D

Ooh, that's the one I can't bear to hear. :lol: I will admit to loving it on the Say You Will tour, especially on Live In Boston. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy. :D I'd love for them to ditch the full-band approach and make it acoustic like at the AHI Benefit, though.

I like it, too. BUT, she sounds like a monotone during the verses. Seriously, listen to it. She mostly sticks to one note for the entire verse. Droning....imo, but I love the song, so I forgave her! :rolleyes:

Coming from you, my love, that's as complimentary and gushy as you can get about Miss Nicks. :xoxo:

You got that right! :xoxo: FWIW, I used to be a BIG fan, until a couple ****TY solo albums made me completely lose interest in her. Then, I began to focus on Lindsey and Christine, which I still do.

In my eyes, she did capture the magic of that song on stage... ONCE.
When they did it acoustically for the AHI 2000 benefit.

It was truly as beautiful and regal as the studio version, IMO. :nod:

My kingdom for a professionally recorded copy of that performance.

Everybody sure loves that one, but I can't figure it out. To me it just sounds like a bunch of strummed guitars.

Stevie: Storms, Gypsy, Everybody Finds Out
Lindsey: Go Your Own Way, Tango In The Night, Miranda
Christine: Oh Daddy, Brown Eyes, Little Lies

Romy

That's the only live version I do like. :thumbsup: :blob1:

The bootlegs going around don't do it justice. It's the most memorable thing I've ever seen at a live show. I guess you had to be there to see and hear it. Lindsey tore up his part but it got a little lost to the lousy sound set up. If you were up front you got a different take on it than what came out of the sound system. The sound was lame for that show but the song was still amazing to me.

Stevie: Gypsy, Sara, Seven Wonders
Christine: Little Lies, Love In Store
Lindsey: Tusk, The Ledge, Big Love

I feel like I'm one of the few who loves her performance of Gypsy from the Mirage vid. Recently, though, I kind of realized why some people don't like it. I made a compilation CD of my fave Stevie songs and I put that song on there. After listening to it over and over again, I can totally hear the monotone and the droning. Compared to the other songs I have on there - it just doesn't fit and sounds as if she is trying way too hard.

So, I decided the reason I love the performance so much, is not because of the song by itself, but because of her performance of the song on the Mirage video. I love how she runs out and barely makes it to the mic to sing the first line, I think she looks as beautiful as ever in white, and it may just be me, but I totally can hear and see the emotion in her voice and face that I think makes it all the more awesome.

I like it and I think she is lambent in it. It is one of her most beautiful apprearances every IMO.

I was at a concert one time and someone was playing it on their car stereo. It sounded really good and much lighter than the dark dark video representation - which was just so raw.