Come Out To Play
 

I listened to 'In the Meantime' today and guess what, I was thinking about the missing song "Come Out to Play" while I listened. I think it's a dynamite track. So I decided I should burn myself a copy of the entire album with COTP included.

My question is, where should I put COTP in the running order? The entire album really does tell a story -- going from the excitement of a new love affair, to the anger and disappointment when it goes sour, to thoughts of revenge, to coming to terms with what is, and a thank you to the friends and family who helped her get through it all. COTP definitely belongs in the section when the love affair was still a good one, but where would you put it?

Mary Anne, I know you have the definitive answer since you own the import version of the album with the song included, but please don't answer for a day or so -- I'd like to hear some opinions on where it *should* go -- and then you can tell me where it *does* go.

I missed out on this one. Is it the Japan version or something? I have the UK version & it's not on there, or was there a later pressing?

John

Joanne, OK I'll wait a few days before posting the track listing of my CD.:)

By the way, I did burn a new In The Meantime CD with all 14 tracks. I just put "Come Out To Play" & "Acoustic Friend" at the end as bonus tracks.

John, this new song was on an Australian promo version of ITM. I believe someone posted last year that this same song was also on a promo CD from Holland too.

Good idea! About putting acoustic "Friend" on it -- that will definitely go at the end. But what about my original question? Come on Chris fans, you're not usually this shy about expressing your opinions.

Um, ok, but I may get shot down on this one.

I really don't like 'Come Out and Play'. I find it quite bland and trite. :shrug: Sorry. So I wouldn't put it anywhere on ITM. The rest of that album I love :)

You won't get shot down here.:) I love "Come Out To Play", but maybe Chris didn't like it as much either, and maybe that's why she didn't put it on the completed album.

I think ITM is almost the story of a love affair which starts out so well and then goes pear shaped. (I don't know how Anything is Possible fits in with this theory that's why I said almost)

So Come Out to Play doesn't quite fit anywhere except perhaps near the beginning.

I like Mary Anne's suggestion of having it as a bonus track

Gail

i've been without internet for a few days, so i didn't see this until now. that is a very interesting question. . .i'll have to sit down with ITM tonight and see where i like it best, then maybe i can post my opinion tomorrow.

as for acoustic friend, that should definitely be a bonus track. but i think "come out and play" could probably be inserted somewhere into the body of the album.

I think it belongs after Anything Is Possible.... I love this song... my only complaint is the lyrics are a little green... and I hate that high synth... as for the clavi sounds and her sort of new preachy voice that you get... I love it

i'm going to have to agree. . .after "anything is possible" follows the thread of the relationship well, because everything proceeding "calumny" seems to follow the running down of the affair.

sometimes when i listen to ITM all the way through, i think that the one misplaced song is "bad journey". narratively it doesn't seem to fit between "northern star" and "calumny". i would have put CTP after "anything is possible" and then throw "bad journey" in after CTP. or maybe CTP, "anything is possible", "bad journey".

i've probably said it before, but i don't like "bad journey" all that much and would have had no problem if CTP had been substitued in it's place.

I think the album goes as follows:

Friend - I miss life in L.A.
You Are - I've met someone!
Northern Star - I rely on him very much
Bad Journey - I think it's starting to go wrong
Anything is possible - I think I'll indulge in some casual sex to take my mind of it
Calumny - Now I know it's going wrong
So sincere - he's going to leave me
Easy come easy go - I hate him
Liar - bastard!
Sweet revenge - I think I'll kill him
Forgiveness - actually I forgive him
Givin it back - Thank you (but who to?)

Come out to play - I've never really looked at him in that way before but I may just ravish him on the spot! (see Anything is possible)

Gail

Ah OK thanks, I'll have to keep an eye out for these (though I'm sure they'll be hard to find). Is the aoustic version of "Friend" spoken of here availbale on a promo or something anywhere?

John

No "acoustic Friend" is on iTunes. It was an iTunes exclusive. I think you can still buy it there, although I haven't checked lately.

A promo CD with "Come Out To Play" is super, super rare. I've only seen one on eBay in over 2 years & I had to outbid someone else in order to win it.

OK, here is the track listing of my promo CD:

1. Anything Is Possible
2. You Are
3. Come Out To Play
4. Northern Star
5. Bad Journey
6. Friend
7. Calumny
8. So Sincere
9. Easy Come, Easy Go
10. Liar
11. Sweet Revenge
12. Forgiveness
13. Givin' It Back

I'm still not convinced that "Come Out To Play" is about the "mystery man". My hunch is that it's about someone else.

I know it sounds awful, but I could care less about the backstory. McVie was never a lyricist to be reckoned with. But she writes and sings great tunes, ones I can listen to again and again--Come Out to Play is one of them.

For what it's worth, I think the reason it wasn't included on ITM is because McVie once said something about only get royalties on 12 songs per record...anyone else ever hear/read this?

I've never heard this from Chris or anyone else. Where did you hear this?

Lindsey said it on the DR doc. I think the thing is that you can only be paid royalties up to a point -- so if you jam 18 songs on a record you won't be paid for the extra six.

Personally I don't think Christine is bothered about the financial side or royalties from ITM. She didn't do it for the money, so I think she just decided Come Out To Play didn't fit either lyrically or musically.

Well you learn something new every day. I'd never heard that before. I agree that royalties had nothing to do with why "Come Out To Play" didn't make the final release. I wonder how it wound up on a promo CD instead.

I agree about that. That's why I can't see where it would go on ITM

It might not be about anyone.

Your suggestion of it being a "bonus" track is the best I think

Gail

I'm certain that the idea that a musician only gets paid royalties for 12 songs per album is wrong. Otherwise, you'd NEVER get an album with more than 12 songs. (Which might not be a bad thing -- in the age of CDs, there are a lot of albums out there that are too long.)

I find it very interesting that the actual promo CD from whence "COTP" originated has a very different running order. Starting with "Anything is Possible" seems like an odd choice. But if that's the way I had heard it from the beginning, it wouldn't seem that way to me, I suppose.

I do have to agree that Christine isn't the most creative lyricist in the world, but you don't have to write "poetic" or "deep" lyrics to be a great songwriter. Her songs describe in simple, readily understandable terms the emotional landscape -- usually in romantic relationships, but sometimes addressing other subjects such as friendship, homesickness, etc. I think she's extremely under-rated as a songwriter, even among Fleetwood Mac fans. I far prefer her songs to songs that *sound* poetic, but you can't decipher what they're about.

I love Gail's little capsule descriptions of what the songs are about and how they tell the story. And I completely agree with Aisling's running order. I was already planning on putting "COTP" after "Anything Is Possible." But I also like the idea of moving "Bad Journey" to after "Anything Is Possible" and "COTP." Thanks, Aisling, for the suggestion.

Yep. That's what I was saying.

Christine has described herself as a "pretty basic love song writer"

I think she sells herself short. She writes great pop songs for grown ups.

Gail

PS did you see her getting her Oscar the other night? Oh no wait a minute that was her lookalike Helen Mirren :lol:

That's exactly what I was thinking too.:lol: They could almost be sisters. They're both such classy, regal ladies.

By the way, Helen is actually 2 years younger than Chris.:shocked:

Here's "Helen" picking up an award a few years ago.;)

omg, I thought the exact same thing...

Yes I wondered why Helen Mirren was picking up an award for Rumours :laugh:

Actually perhaps they are the same person. I mean has anyone ever seen them in the same room together?

Gail

And when she brought her purse up to the stage! I could imagine Chris doing something hilarious like that....

I do believe you're on to something!

Yes I think I could be.

didn't Helen Mirren once say when collecting an award that her greatest achivement was not going "arse over tit" walking up the stairs

Mouth like a sewer? Where have we heard that before?

Gail

Yes, I do believe they are the same person.:D I can definitely imagine Chris saying something like that.

Yep, Helen Mirren would be *perfect* (excuse the awful pun) as an older Chris in an FM movie. Maybe with Stockard Channing as Stevie?:lol:

If she ever does fall arse over tits and later says it hurt like a mofo, that seals it.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Gail

Cate Blanchett as the younger Chris

Gail