1984 album - thoughts?
 

Hi guys,

I finally got a copy of Christine McVie on vinyl and am getting to know the album properly. I of course did before but at the moment I'm playing it non-stop. I just wondered what everyone's favourite songs were etc, least favourites too of course...

This album is amazing! The Challenge is my favourite by far - Clapton's solo, Lindsey's great really low singing, and that piano riff... mmm mmm mmm! Love love Who's Dreaming This Dream aswell. Most of the album is amazing, except for maybe Ask Anybody, I'm The One, One In A Million...

Have to say that so far the only song that seems like filler to me would be I'm The One, so I'd have to agree there. The rest veer between pretty great 80s pop (which is completely what the album is) and reasonable album tracks.

Now most people on here know I'm not the biggest CM fan, I really don't like her FM work that much, especially from rumours onwards.

However I do find the 1984 album quite enjoyable (certainly more than her other two solo efforts). It does have a good 80's pop feel as Dodfather said, but I think it also benefits from not being constrained by Fleetwood Mac.

While most of the songs could have been easily slotted into an FM album, they were significantly better IMHO than what she did actually produce within the confines of FM.

It sounds a bit dated but I still like it. The Smile I Live For is actaually my favorite solo Chris song ever. I also like The Challenge a lot. This album also has my least favorite Chris song of all time - So Excited. bleh.

It's always great hearing Chris McVie sing, so the album comes out ahead right there.

But the lack of pop shaping on these tracks is a bummer. These songs would sparkle & jump out of the speakers at you if they were edited by a great editor, a Caillat, for example. Take I'M SO EXCITED. Great little ditty, but the engineers don't ****ing know what to do with it. The bridge keeps repeating until you're sick of it, & the instrumental breaks--repeated too much, as well--lack dramatic or narrative meaning. You can almost hear the musicians telepathically communicating with one another, "How should we end this thing?"

The outro on GOT A HOLD ON ME lasts too long, with too many repetitions of the chorus hook. If you ram the hook down us 100 times, that's at least seventy-five times too many, even if it's a great hook--& this one isn't. By comparison, one of her greatest hooks, the chorus of YOU MAKE LOVING FUN, is only done TWICE on Rumours. You want to hear it again! When you're listening to the chorus over & over of GOT A HOLD ON ME, you sure as hell aren't saying to yourself, "I want to hear this again!"

I like that one. Makes me want to bop along. It has a sense of silly fun that I think Sugar Daddy was trying for and never achieved.

Michele

I actually don't dislike a single track off this album. On Christine Perfect and In The Meantime, there are tracks I do skip (shocking, I know)

My favourite by far is Love Will Show Us How :D It's one of those songs that just makes me smile no matter what. Second is The Smile I Live For, for me it just oozes pure Christine goodness.

I also don't care much for 'So Excited'. I have tried to re-listen to it many times and still haven't changed my mind. I listened my cassette copy the other day and thought about how beautiful 'The Smile I Live For' is. Overall, it's a great album. I've heard others say it's 'boring'. I don't think it's boring, but when I listen to it, something always seems to be missing from it, even though I can't figure out what it is. Anyone else have any ideas??

I agree! The 84 album is my favorite of the three. And I love I'm The One and The Challenge :thumbsup:

Wow, we actually agree for once... and I agree with everything you said! :shocked: :laugh:

So Excited definitely has to be my least fav Chris song of all time too. I'm not a fan Billy Burnette especially, he just lends a cheesy air to anything he touches. And Christine should never, EVER do country. Barf. If there is one redeeming aspect of this one, you can tell Christine is genuinely having fun singing it. I've always heard you can hear a smile when someone sings... and that is definitely the case with this one. I still think the song is a turd, though.

I really like The Challenge, too. I think it's Lindsey's backing vocals towards the end of the song that make this one for me. Those two have always harmonized together so well, and Lindsey's smokey/sultry vocals take this song to the next level, IMO.

Interestingly enough, I really didn't like this album for years. I thought it was just '80s pop fluff garbage. The song that changed my mind was "I'm The One." I liked it's straightforward rock sound.

I also really, really like One In A Million. That Clapton guitar riff couldn't go any better with Christine if it tried! Christine just has the perfect cadence for bluesy songs, they fit her so well.

And for my guilty pleasure: Ask Anybody. It's like Christine's version of "Alice." Both are horrendously dated pieces of Adult Contemporary trash, but I wholeheartedly adore both, and listen to them in secret! :laugh:

I just got a copy of Christine's album today at the fleamarket.now I have to spin it.

I really enjoy Love Will Show Us How, The Challenge, One in a Million, Got a Hold on Me, Keeping Secrets, and I'm the One.

Louie - I completely agree with al of this! I'm a country fan but Billy Burnettte is just too cheesy for me whever I hear anything he's done (When The Sun Goes Down on BTM for example). Maybe he's just not a great fit with Mac mambers in general?!

Not surprising One In A Million is so good since Christine is after all a blues singer first and foremost. I think I remember reading an interview with her where she said that was one of her favourites to record because she brought her old mate Eric in on it!

I like Ask Anybody! Quite right to compare it to Alice in it's pure 80s cheesiness but hey, it's all good sometimes!

louie - when are we going toi have a night of cheesy music and alcohol?!

I've only recently come to appreciate Billy's sweet voice(I totally mean this as a complete compliment....I think Christine has a sweet voice. Very SOOTHING), after finally getting hooked on Mick's I'm Not Me. Billy's voice is wonderful on INM.

Without digging it out, I think you're wrong. Wasn't Steve Winwood on One In A Million? Eric was on The Challenge. Am I wrong?

Okay, paranoia will make me go look, just because I hate to be wrong, since I never am!

Nope, I'm right. Steve Winwood. Thanks for playing. Now Johnny, what do we have, for a lovely parting gift?:sorry:

Good work! Ok, well I still appreciate Steve Winwood's work on One In A Million - haha!

I know my Chris trivia!!! Even if I am wearing a stupid fukcing shirt! :p

I like Billy, as well. I'm not saying that I love every song he's ever done, but the ones that are great are Really Great. The not-so-great ones, well, it's like he's trying to overdo something that has already been overdone....

Hey dodfather...

I love Ask Anybody.. sure it's 80's.. but it's gotta a beautiful melody, it's romantic, and the outro makes me feel all warm inside... I love Winwoods interpretation of Christine's lyrics because he puts a beautiful synth solo there and excercised great control. It's a song about loving someone that everyone else thinks is crazy...

This is a great album to discuss because had Christine broke out of the "3rd player" role for a while. Even tho she had the most hits out of the 3...

Smile I Live For is very powerful
Got A Hold On Me is solid pop
Love Will Show Us How great tune
Challenge is cool
One in a Million.. great jam
Keeping Secrets cool riffs..

I agree w/ David on the production.. and even the arrangements.. needs more bridges in places and less hooks.. kind of like Little Lies.. where Christine and Lindsey always overdo the repeating...

I know what you mean. I like the album but it's not quite right. I think it might be that to me it sounds like a Christine/Todd Sharp album not a Christine album.

I prefer In the Meantime

Gail

This album NEVER gets old for me. I particularly love So Excited. Its just got a happy, tap your foot vibe.
Was in Rite-Aid yesterday, and heard her on the radio there. Something from In the Meantime, and damnit, I couldn't tell you what song, but it was nice to hear something of Chris' solo. Just another of those random wha-wha-whats?????

To me, "I'm The One" is the best track on the album ("The Smile I Live For" is close second). I really like Todd Sharp's guitar tone throughout the album.

I like the song "The Challenge", and, as most of you know, I'm probably one of the biggest Clapton fans on the planet, as well; BUT, this solo isn't one of his best. Sounds like Chris called him, he dropped by and after about 4 bottles of wine between the two of them, plugged into the smallest amp in the studio, and what they have on tape is what he was noodling around with when they played the song through the first time. No thought, no real "feel"...just kind of half-assed. (VERY similar to that crap of a solo he did on Stephen Bishop's "Save It For A Rainy Day" song)

"One In A Million": one of my faves from the album. Sounds a bit like it could be a Paris-era Bob Welch tune. Always have liked just about anything Steve Winwood has done. Steve & Christine should work together more often....they're a great pair.

Was just listening to Behind The Mask last night. "When The Sun Goes Down" is probably the 2nd best song on the album (behind "In The Back Of My Mind"), and one of the best songs in the HISTORY of Fleetwood Mac. It's really a great collaboration by ALL of Fleetwood Mac on that one. Billy & Rick trading lead vocals, Christine & Stevie adding backgrounds & harmonies. GREAT arrangement. "Country"?? Hell no. You can't tell the difference between "Country" & "Zydeco"??? What's wrong with you? :shrug:

I like both kinds of music.. country and western... lol

Compared to In The Meantime, I love the 1984 album. On it's own? Compared to the Christine Perfect album? Not a fan. The only thing more painful than the album was the taped concert. :sorry:

Never posted in here before, never thought to but I've just discovered how much I love Chris' song Got a Hold on Me. It's a gem with lots of soul. I even downloaded it from iTunes. JTIS. Peace from the Stevie forum.

My favorites are The Challenge, Love Will Show Us How & Ask Anybody. :D

I'm glad to hear someone else say that Christine and Steve Winwood should work together more often. I've always felt that way, too!! I have always hoped they'd put out a whole album of songs they wrote together! I guess I can dream!:nod:

I'll third that... I love both of these artists.. I've seen Steve Winwood about 5 times over the last 7 years..

That would be an amazing album!!

He played a double bill with Carlos Santana, in Indy, a couple of weeks ago. My cousin went, and said Steve only played 4 or 5 songs. Less than 30 minutes. She was really disappointed.

Yeah I skipped the Santana and Tom Petty bill.. I saw the About Time tour.. which lasted about 5 years.... It was amazing..

David I agree with this. On that album the production and arrangements are problematic, but her songwriting skills are solid and in tact. If you listen to the earlier version of YMLF, it was a bit labored and dragged on because of too many repetitions, too. I think Christine in general writes great hooks and sings well; but she needs a producer to help her shape those assets into a viable pop tune. It is partially for this that I prefer In the Meantime to the 1984 record. ITM songs are generally mixed better, less glossy productions and--with the exception of a couple cases--there aren't too many repetitions. "Anything is Possible," "Forgiveness," "Giving it Back," and "Bad Journey" are exquisitely produced and shaped.

As far as the 1984 album, "The Smile I Live For" and "One in a Million" are excellent. The verse portion of "Love Will Show Us How" is good, but the chorus is awful. "So Excited" is fun, but like Dave said, it's not treated especially well.

Great album, has really stood the test of time! However, I do think it's a tad bit safe.....like Stevie, Chris needed the extra punch of Lindsey's production to add a little spice to things!!!

That was the general criticism at the time of release -- that it was a little bland. However I still like it. And I will show some love for 'So Excited.' a song that has been singled out here in utter distain! The Billy-cheese factor aside, I really like the piano parts.

I recall that the song was considered when the Billy/Rick version of Fleetwood Mac was in tour rehearsals. I think it would have been a great unexpected addition to their set list.

okay, I put the record on and have to say the following:

I still think that "Got a hold on me" is one of the best pop songs ever written.

The songs take their time, in "Who's dreaming this dream" it takes to long, but other than that, it gives the record a laidback feeling that is just Christine. The songs are not so overcoated with sugary production gimmicks, they hook or not, that is it. Nice piano playing by Chistine, one key if one is necessary, not 6 because she must show off. I find that classy and sophisticated.

On the other hand, the record is not exactly overflowing with warmth or personality, and Christine plays it save, saver, as-save-as-possible.

The production is dated, but compared to some records of another certain female singer of Fleetwood Mac it is a timeless classic.

My favorites:
Got a Hold on me - I love simple pop music, this is my thing.
The Challenge - Wide, easy going, airy, killer musicians, "technically" the best song on the album.
Ask anybody - I just like her voice in this.

The one I don't like so much:
Who's dreaming this dream - takes forever to go nowhere.
The Smile I live for - not Christines cup of tea, it sounds overdramatic to me.

The cover:
Sorry, but this is important for me. I disliked the white skirt when I saw it first and I still don't like it, it is a marketing reverence to Stevie Nicks and just not cool, the composition of the picture is great, but they just had to ruin it with some victorian ruffles. The red scarf would have been enough.

I agreen in that the cover is important but I disagree about the marketing refrence to Stevie. The marketing refrence for that album was "Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac" and that was the first thing I noticed on the pink promo poster for the album when I unrolled it. Had Chris been draped in 30 layers of sparkles and chiffon then I'd say there was a refrence to Stevie but until then, a white skirt's a white skirt, IMO.

As far as Christine McVie's style has ever been even slightly coherent - which I have my doubts about - this skirt IS like dressing her in meters of chiffon (a scary thought, really). And - nothing on this record is wearing a skirt anyway, it is a jeans record :), see the inner sleeve picture for reference. JMHO of course.

Btw, love the Yeah CMV site.