The John McVie Appreciation Thread
 

Uhmm - - - Isn't John McVie an awesome, awesome bass guitar player? :shrug:

And an integral, central part of Fleetwood uhmm . . . What was that second word again?

From his amazing, but subtle work in "Over and Over," to the stunning love he gives playing off Christine in "Brown Eyes," to "The Chain," to his crucial work for "that new chick up front" who seems to be working out rather nicely, in "Rhiannon" - seriously folks, isn't his importance to Fleetwood Mac kind of underestimated?

Where's the love!? :wavey:


P.S. - Oh - and in "Sara."


:nod:

I love the bass on "Love in Store", and that little part in the middle of "Temporary One" is basically my favourite part of that song!

I wont lie, his bass parts stand out to me on Christines songs more than the other twos.
and then again, I love the bass on the SYW version of "Smile at You"

"The Chain" does have to be my favourite though!

McVie is the man! I love his bass line on "Oh Daddy"...obviously "The Chain" is a staple. What he did on Go Your Own Way is awesome...Tusk...Dreams...he's a great player for sure. And a genuinely nice guy!

god...how could I EVER forget his basswork on Dreams...
*hits self over head*

John McVie is amazing. Love his work.
I really have nothing bad to say about the rythem section of this band at all though. They both do such an amazing job, in the studio an live. [Speaking of...Temproary One just came on! :D]

Angel has a kickass bassline too though!
god I cant think of one that really sucks...thats how amazing he is.

It wasn't until John McVie that I even knew how to hear the bass line in a song. Sounds dumb, I know. I remember someone telling me that once you hear bass in a song, you can never not hear it again, but it's such an important point of so many songs that I've always loved that it was John's work that ended my bass-ginity. I think my favorite of his bass lines are "Go Your Own Way" and "Tusk". Good stuff!

no, i know exactly what you mean!! i'm the same way :nod: he just has this way of making you listen to what he's playing. def has a style of his own.

yeah I always felt Angel should've been more "rock n roll"...I remember seeing the Tusk documentary and the electric guitar seemed more prominent and gave the song a little more backbone. In the end they made it "overly bass-y"...but thats ok. The songs brilliant anyway.

Yeah I've heard he has a certain "knack!"


(Little jokie. :laugh: )

haha :D
:laugh:

Love those puns!

What I think is so great about John's bass style is that he HAS style! Most bass players simply back up the rest of the musicians, and try to blend in. John offers a complete counter melody almost a whole counter song, that gives each song a completely different spin.

Something neat I discovered recently: really crank up your speakers or headphones when you listen to Rhiannon from Live ('80). From 3:28 to 4:10, listen very carefully to John. That little riff he plays there is just so incredible... it will give you chills! Like Stevie once said about the bridge he plays for The Chain, it sounds like the monsters are coming to get you lol.

Only this year did I hear the tango b side song, Ricky. John plays so well on it that i often find myself listening to him and the rest of the band becomes back up for Johnny MacVie. Now that I think of it, I've been known to dislike a mac song here and there for various reasons, but never once have I thought "oh that john mcvie, he just didn't get that right" The hell with the rest of the mac, if Stevie can't tour without Chris I say John's so great, why doesn't he tour alone and play solo bass! I'd pay top dollar to see that! John, hope you're reading, we miss you on the ledge!

He kicks butt on:

Oh Well
I Loved Another Woman
Black Magic Woman
Rattlesnake Shake
Searching/Fighting For Madge
Station Man
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Sands Of Time
Lay It All Down
Bare Trees
Child Of Mine
Miles Away
Forever
Somebody
For Your Love
Keep On Going
Believe Me
Hypnotized
Angel
Coming Home
Bermuda Triangle
Born Enchanter
Bad Loser
Blue Letter

His playing on Landslide blows, unfortunately. Songbird and Never Going Back Again aren't too hot, either. I guess the stress of his divorce really got to him.

And, I'd add:

Smile At You
Rhiannon (compare what he does to that live version from Buckingham Nicks)
Hold Me
Evidence

Basically, he can take the most basic of songs and turn them into masterpieces. Brilliant, brilliant bassist. Think about it, this guy was on the break-out albums of Eric Clapton*, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Jeremy Spencer, Mick Taylor, Bob Welch, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham. The dude's a bad-ass. Simple as that.





*Yes, Clapton had a name with the Yardbirds, but became a guitar hero on the Bluesbreakers album.

John has an inventive melodic sense. I like the way he & Christine intertwine on songs like Angel (Nicks) & Sands of Time, to the point that the less experienced listeners don't know whether they're listening to the bass or to the electric piano. I think those two borrowed licks from each other, & taught each other different approaches. I also think that John helped improve Christine's shuffle. You can hear it improve in major steps: in 1973, & then again in 1976.

I totally agree. Those two fed off each other and became much better musicians the more they worked together.

Lets not forget the Straight Back. One of the best examples of the mick/john drum/bass interplay. Really gives the song alot of ooomph and then add in Stevie's soaring vocals and you have a great FM song.

Thanks for posting these, I'll definitely listen to some of them and pay special attention to John McVie. But -

I'M sorry, but I believe there was only one person up on-stage during the performance of "Oh Well." :blob2:


:woohoo: :wavey:


Anyway, I'd like to add "Go Your Own Way" - 1977 version. I think that's a perfect example of a song where he's overlooked or underestimated - - I think McVie is amazing there! :)


Also, I'm so afraid that there may be a song that you've forgotten. I can't quite place it though . . . . ;)