2 Perfect, Not Obvious...
 

An easy thread?
Name TWO Perfect Stevie Nicks moments to you- be it a song, a lyric, concert moment, anything- except, maybe nothing too obvious, that we all know that we all love , such as the 'Sisters of the Moon' Mirage video performance, as perfect as it is.
Just 2 perfect moments from Stevie's career that have always been special to you that you enjoy revisiting. And, you can add another 2 anytime you think of another two, so it doesn't even have to be your 'ultimate' 2, just the first 2 you think of .
My first 2:
1. 'Sleeping Angel', from the 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High' soundtrack.
The first time I heard this, I knew it would be a song I would love forever, and I have, it has never diminished as a favorite of mine, for 27 years now. I think this may be the best overall song ever written and performed by Stevie Nicks. If she'd never sung or written any song besides this one, it would still be proof that she possesses genius as a singer and writer. Love it.
2. Her harmony vocals on 'Insider', all versions are perfect, to me- the 2 Tom Petty album versions, and the filmed version in Peter Bogdonovich's "Runnin' Down A Dream" film.

Okay, I'll bite...

1. Stevie's version of "At Last" at the Walden Woods benefit. Stevie's more of a singer/songwriter than an interpreter of other people's material, so this could have been a disaster. But she is so present and so in synch with this song that it's hard to imagine a better version- even better than Etta James, IMHO!

2. "Gold and Braid" from the White Wing Dove concert. It's all there- a great, passionate vocal, incredible piano from Roy Bittan, wild tambo, high kicks, mad booty shaking, a killer guitar solo from Waddy- in my opinion it is the quintessential Stevie moment.

Oh, thanks for the reply, and I totally agree about 'At Last'. So stunning. That's why I hoped people would 'bite', I want to 'revisit' some of the replies that show up. 'At Last' now playing :)
And I also totally agree with your "quintessential Stevie Nicks" 'Gold And Braid' comment. Two excellent choices, thank you!

2 more:
1. Imperial Hotel from 'Rock A Little'
2. Doing The Best That I Can from 'Other Side of the Mirror'

Some 20 years later, both of these songs still have the same impact they did on me the day that I heard them for the first time. The first, just a simple, underrated rocker with high notes for days, to love. Just fun and nothing more :)
The second is a haunting, stark musical opus that resonates with truth, self-awareness, bitterness, sadness, resignation, and ultimately, survival. It really could be the theme song for recovery from any emotional or chemical nightmare, and those with post traumatic stress disorder (anyone? :wavey:
might find some comfort in it.

1. I think lyrically Angel is perfect, all the way through the song.

2. Background vocals on Over My Head

There are so many but these are the first two that came to mind:

1. "Beauty and the Beast" from The Soundstage Sessions. Such beauty and power. It does give me goosebumps. I'm still trying to accept the fact that this song was left off the DVD...:distress:

2. "Nightbird". This songs never ceases to affect me, even after all these years.

I looove the "Gold and Braid" high kicks from that show. Have you seen this video? :lol:



I'll be back with my two!

1) The "Sisters of the Moon" performance in the Tusk Doc outtakes. Not quite the "hot mess" of Mirage, but still gives me chills. Especially the part when she throws her fist in the air and the audience jumps to their feet. (Yes, I know the screaming fans are supposedly dubbed in, but whatevs.)

2) The "Goodbye Baby" segment in the Destiny Rules documentary. She just looks flawless, and her vocals are spot-on.

Oh, I had forgotten about that! Paula and Curt. :xoxo:

Kay so these aren't super obvious, like Rosebud "Rhiannon" or Mirage tour SOTM or working on "Angel" in the Tusk doc...

1) Stevie's singing "Your mood is like a circus wheel, you're changing all the time. Sometimes I can't help but feel that I'm wasting all of my time"/harmonizing/enthusiasm/hand gestures in this video from 2:16 - 2:43


2) "Outside the Rain" from the HBO concert. Stevie's sooo young and looks so pretty! To me, this song's whole performance (and the whole show) is perfection.

You stole one of mine! :)


But yes, I'm with Alexa.... some of my top Stevie moments ever ("Rhiannon" Rosebud, Sisters of the Moon from Mirage and that chilling acapella portion of "Angel"+ the live performance of it from the Tusk Doc) are too obvious.

First two that come to mind:

1. "Rhiannon" from Mobile, AL 8/11/1980: If someone magically conjured video footage of this performance, I would pass out and die of happiness. Really. It isn't a typical Rhiannon exorcism like from 1975-1978, but it is just as haunting as those, and in a totally different way. This recording is, to me, the first example of how "Rhiannon" would change to fit Stevie's life at that time, in some way. That wail at 6:11 and everything from then.... perfection. "Dreams unwind... is that what you want?" I considered to put that line in my tattoo instead of "dreams unwind, love's a state of mind" for a split second... That's how much I love Mobile.
2. "Planets of the Universe" piano demo: The single most heartbreaking thing I've ever heard, ever. It has that quintessential vulnerable power that I give all credit for my love of Stevie... but the power is only there in that she is making the vulnerable decisions, the hard ones. Again, perfection.

1. Sara from the Hollywood Bowl 1/9/80. I love all performances of Sara that I've heard from the Tusk tour, but this one for me is the best. The high 'Saraaaaaaaaaaaa' at the end, how delicate her voice sounds at the beginning, and just the sheer melancholy waiting to be scratched at throughout the performance.

2. Midnight Wind backing vocals, the ending in particular. Someone said in another thread that the song fades out too quickly, and I agree. Stevie tears it apart!

1) ANY live "Rhiannon" performance from 1975

2) "HAEWAFY" from 1987 tour...just Christine & Stevie onstage. CHILLING!!!

This is deffinatley a hard one...
When she was on Storytellers and she was telling the story of Joe Walsh and his little girl, and when she was ending the song of "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" she says, "And when they ask her about the men in her life, and they do ask her, she says they were poets and they were priests..." That whole set was classic.
My 2nd would be when she showed alot of emotion throughout the end of her 1981 WWDove concert. I don't know why, I guess it had something to do with the fact that we all had a taste of a real emotional side to her that we've never seen on film before. It is hard to sing and cry and she pulled it off beautifully. I have done it and believe me it's not easy when your throat closes up.

How did I not think of this first?!!? One of my favorite moments ever.

[*]SPOKEN: Dec. 1979 at home being interviewed: "Gabrielle? Really ... go (slight pause) catch a fever."[/LIST][/QUOTE]

I'm stumped, totally, by this, anyone else? Who's Gabrielle?

2 more
1. The first time I heard 'Nomad'/'Candlebright' I believe was when the radio station KMET broadcast one of the many Fleetwood Mac or Stevie weekly specials in Los Angeles, I think it was only identified as a 'Buckingham Nicks unreleased track'-- It was such an amazing song, for some reason I really heard early LedZep influences in the song then, I don't think of that so much, anymore. It was an exciting indication, in the very, very early 1980s, that there were some real treasures in the vaults. That early version is sublime in every way. Some of the KMET specials I remember were Jim Ladd Interviews, Mary Turner's (??)Off The Record, The King Biscuit somethin? Hour, and there were others. It was pretty intoxicating, too, as a teenager, to hear the speaking voice of Stevie Nicks, as she was being interviewed during these radio programs.
2. The 'Are You Mine' demo that surfaced on one of the above mentioned radio broadcasts on KMET in the '80s, during the RAL era, was just another nice, almost forgettable, but in it's way, perfect, Stevie Nicks moment. A minor, bonus song eons before the Internet, still reminding us there was all kinds of music being kept from us, so it was 'perfect' to hear some of it.
I love that someone mentioned 'Midnight Wind'-- how I'd wear that song out. I think I finally tired of it, though Stevie WAS perfect on it, just after a while, I realized John Stewart's vocal sounds very cheesy to me, especially at the end, when he just can't ad lib a fade to save his life, and there was Stevie stealing the song. She was wailing, though, gorgeous vocal.

1. All of Stevie's performances of Edge of 17 from the Rock A Little tour, are completely perfect for me.
2. I also really love the way she sang Wild Heart with Lori at the Rolling Stone photo shoot, even with the phone ringing in the background.

Me too!

Love.

Sorry, this just cracks my **** up. :laugh:


1. Angel from the Tusk documentary. Perfection. I know all of her lovey dovey **** with Lindsey was probably planned, I don't care. That's not what makes it special. It's how genuinely happy and into the song she is. It's actually almost heartbreaking. :laugh: I've never seen a performance before or after that matches her energy there. She'll never live to match the beauty again~

2. Silver Springs demo.


Do I need to explain?

1. The live tv version of 'Nightbird' with Stevie & Lori from 1983 (can't quite remember the name of the show..)

2. The 'Kind of Woman' piano demo.. I love everything about this - the way she counts in at the beginning, the simple piano, the gorgeous vocal.. :)

I already had my next two choices figured out when I wrote my last post, and then I came back home and both were mentioned by other people!

Yes. yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes YES.


And the Kind of Woman piano demo that LittleCharmer mentioned.

I don't have this... someone wanna share? "Outside the Rain" boots are my second favorite to collect (under "Rhiannon"s of course).

Mine are...

1. The organ/fender rhodes demo of Gypsy... It's just stunning. Gypsy is already one of my favourite Stevie/FM songs but the use of the fender rhodes just makes it sound so ethereal and delicate. It's beautiful :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKIC_Kza4Ek

2. The SNL performance of Stnad Back from 1983. It's just got so much energy! There's just something that the album version doesn't seem to capture from these earlier performances of the song. I love it :D
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6o...ack-1983_music

I agree with everyone's favorite moments--priceless! Mine are:

1. Most of the backstage footage from Bella Donna on CV, specifically that clip of Stevie dancing around the studio to Edge of 17.
2. That recording of Stevie and friends in the studio where Tom mics the roses and Stevie asks for a joint: "Tooooommmm? I know you're on the moon, but why are you micing the red dozen roses?" I also love that the guy does a Jimmy Stewart impression. I was just listening to this again and another funny part in when Stevie and this guy are talking about how old they look and they are only 31 or 32. He tells Stevie she doesn't look 30 and she says, "I do when I wake up!" SO funny! Anybody have it to upload--I don't know how!

I love all the candid backstage stuff!

A

1) "The Chain" from the Mirage DVD. She gives me chills every single time I watch that.
2) Basically everything on Destiny Rules. Seriously. I think she is absolutely precious throughout the entire thing. One of my favorite quotes: "We think all these people that are our age are gonna just come out of the wall and say, 'oh, I'm just gonna start buying music again. And in fact... they're not laying around on the floor smoking dope thinking about what their next record they're going to buy is! They're trying to deal with delinquent children; they're trying to figure out how to pay the rent next month or, you know, how to pay for their house or how to put their kids through college. They are not, the first thing on their mind is not, "oh my God I have to get Billboard to see what the number one record is!"

GREAT idea for a thread!!! . . . :]


1.) The last part of "Beauty and the Beast," Las Vegas, August of 2005. . . . . Also, the REST of that performance! ;)


2.) Stevie performing with Bob Welsh at the opening of Cal Jam II.
One helluva "instinctive" performance, i.m.o.

Runners-up would definnitely be Rosebud Rhiannon, Gold Dust Woman with Bob Welsh, GDW in Japan, and Nightbird with Lori and Sharon during the HBO Concert. GDW in The Dance is also definitely "worthy of mention," i.m.o.

Outside of performances, I'd defintely mention the time she donated $10,000 to relief efforts right away when she heard about
the tsunami, and her relatively unpublicized visits to Walter Reed.
Also, somebody posted a photo once in here, of a house she had supposedly bought in order to house some victims of the New Orleans flood/hurricane - I never heard anything about it since and it was never confirmed, so I don't know if it's true or not; but I figured I'd mention it.

Two Perfect Moments:

1. Buckingham Nicks live in Birmingham: "I don't think we've ever seen this many people - I KNOW we've never seen this many people!" - I love how thrilled and surprised they were - and unjaded then - by the crowd in Birmingham. Stevie's (and Lindsey's) comments at that show are so cool to hear now, realizing the magnitude of what was to come in the not so distant future for them with FM.

2. PS22 singing "Landslide" while Stevie "air-directed" them at the Mac Unleashed rehearsal in New York. - How amazing to have a song she wrote become a tool to teach children. I'm sure it gives her a great sense of accomplishment.

1. That's Alright.
2. The dance she does at the end of Angel (I believe) on the Tusk documentary.

Matt

This was hilarious! I loved when the guy was wiggling his ass. So cute he was, imitating Stevie. Loved the two of them using cardboard paper as tambourines and the swaying side to side of the tambo's like Stevie does in the video. I used to do that with a real tambo when I was in my 20's.

Flower.:woohoo::xoxo:

The HSML run through on Crystal Vision.

Michele

This is the story about a Welsh Witch. No really, his last name is Welch. The heir to the Welch's Grape Jelly fortune.

This is worthy of a visual!
Won't let me embed, but go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTedeeLSW1o

:)

Watching this now. SO EXCITED. I don't have Crystal Visions and I'm assuming I need it ASAP.

YES.

You mean you don't know about the chickens?!

Ha, I love my mom. Her comment after watching that video (she calls "How Still My Love" Stevie's "Vixen Song":

"She looks just as in love with her music as she is with being a vixen."

Our moms rule lol. The other day I was listening to WH in my room (on my new/old turn table!!!) and she came in and helped me hang some stuff up on my walls and was there the whole time the record played. And she sang all the words. I was impressed because I'm sure she hasn't heard WH in its entirety (minus blaring through my speakers) since she had it on vinyl 20 years ago. :lol:

....fail? :eek: