Songs to win my friends over
 

I have two friends who are huge music fans, mostly of guitar music; blues and lot of obscure, esoteric stuff. They are also big Tom Petty fans. They understand that Stevie is highly respected in certain circles, but say they can't stand her voice. (Granted, they haven't heard much of it).

They are allowing me to play some of her music, so they can give her a chance. I decided to make a compilation CD for them. Surprisingly, it will exclude all of her well-known hits and quirky songs, and want the songs to be more straight forward, show-casing her some of her best vocals. Here's what I came up with. Any suggestions?

Outside the Rain
Needles & Pins
I Will Run to You
Kind of Woman
At Last
When Ever I Call You Friend
It's Late
Sleeping Angel
If You Ever Did Believe
Stand By Me
For What It's Worth
In Your Dreams
You May Be The One
Annabel Lee
Moonlight

Nice list! :thumbsup:

I'd say Battle Of The Dragon and Angel might be good songs too. Angel in particular is a straight-forward, no-nonsense rocker and her voice is amazing there!

I would not give them any of the obsure stuff. Give them the rockiest and prettiest she's got, plus the gems of the new CD. Everybody Loves You might be one that some people will love.

Agreed - 100%. One of the best songs on the new album; sounds great with For What It's Worth.

I agree with this! Edge of 17, Stand Back, Gypsy, Gold Dust Woman, Silver Springs and Landslide from The Dance, Planets...

By the way - I think your playlist is great. Good songs, every one.

If I were you, I'd steer completely clear of latter-day Stevie. Keep in mind, you're fighting an uphill battle with people who can't stand her voice. Even as a huge fan of her old material, it took me a while to warm up to her post-1997 voice. It's stronger on IYD than it's been in a long time, but I don't think it will convert the haters.
I'd include more of her well known songs (they're well known for a reason, after all).

Some of my favorite Stevie vocals:
Blue Water
Storms
I Sing for the Things
I've Been Loving You (studio jam)
Angel
Sisters of the Moon
Castaway

You have a good list going. I'm throwing a few into the mix for you to consider. And I wouldn't exclude FM from your list just because those were mostly her hits. And try to convince your friends that they need to connect with the song, not just the voice. So having said that....

Sable on Blond
Sara
Beautiful Child
TISL

I completely agree, and came in here to say just this.

And have to add that vocally, Beautiful Child is stunning.

Since they are Petty fans, I would include "Insider," definitely!

I would also include:

Thrown Down
I Miss You
Violet And Blue
Races Are Run
Landslide from Fleetwood Mac Live 1980
Whole Lotta Trouble
No Spoken Word
Not Make Believe
Ghost

The live one from his Pack Up The Plantation album.

How could I forget Fireflies!!!

Give them her hits from fleetwood mac and solo career. Plus, some beautiful ballads like Beauty, Has Anyone, Italian summer, Beutiful Child, throw in Moonlight, In Your Dreams, and few from new. Don't give them any obscure stuff that is for deep fandom. Let them discover that when they are SOLD. See what they say.

I agree, stick with the basics. It can be hard to figure out what will really draw someone in sometimes though. A friend of mine who is into very hard rock actually like "Moonlight" quite a bit. Go figure.

Then get her stuff with Fleetwood Mac on there... People that tend to dislike Stevie will warm up to Fleetwood Mac a bit quicker. You can slip in some Mac tunes like "The Chain" from The Dance? Has some very cool Stevie vocalizing as well as Buckingham's killer guitar.

Took the words out of my mouth. A killer classic.

The one song that has won over many of my music-snob friends over the years in "Nightbird". Really shows off her voice without her having to belt, & it's catchy without being too poppy.

- Jake

Forest of the Black Roses! And China Doll. Her voice just sounds soo gorgeous on those two tracks(:

Really wish you good luck with this! If they truly 'can't stand' her voice, then I think you're on a hiding to nothing. :sorry: However, if they're just a bit so-so about it, or they're just following the popular cant that she 'sounds like a goat' and it's cool to not like her, then maybe they can open their ears long enough to find something they like.

I'd play anyone the studio cut of 'Gold Dust Woman'. And if that didn't make them admit she's got the goods, I'd show them the footage of her doing it on the Rumours tour in Japan, where she's like a magnificent, imperial bouffant Jim Morrison.

Loz

Thanks for everyone's responses and suggestions. I will change my list only slightly because of some comments (and will include Everybody Loves You). Moonlight is off the list for being a bit too Stevie.

Perhaps I misstated my objective. I'm not actually trying to convert my friends to become fans of Stevie, but gain a respect for her talent, and overcome the perception that her voice is unlistenable.

I went off the beaten path for several reasons. Most of her singles with and without Fleetwood Mac are mostly well-known songs Everyone in the world has heard them!
I wasn't looking to compile a comprehensive hits/classics list, but offer songs my friends have never heard before.

That's why I exlcuded her Fleetwood Mac songs and solo singles. Songs like Sisters of the Moon or Edge of Seventeen were excluded because they are too...airy fairy. My friends won't ever dig the airy fairy image and lyrics that Stevie leans to, so I mostly chose songs that were a little more straight forward.

Thanks again for your help. I'll you know next week how my friends responded.