Lindsey's Mindset
 

I was just wondering about LB’s touring ‘rhythm’…Now would usually be the time – after a big succe$$ful FM tour, for LB to be free to go more into solo, underground mode and enjoy the creative freedom he experiences during that time…but with the return of CM, he’s right back into the Mac with new CM songs and a new tour. Esp given his recent recognition/collabs with more cutting-edge artists (more like-minded ‘left side of the palette’ I guess you could say), I wonder if he’s working on Mac stuff enthusiastically, or with more of a sense of legacy/last tour, and just doing the work?? I mean, I guess he’s able to juggle both, as he has for years, but I was pondering his real mindset around now. Have any of his public comments alluded to his feelings about going back to the studio and tour w reunited FM?

He has to re-assess because he wrote and recorded 8 new songs with the Fleetwood Mac popfeel in mind, just to push Stevie over to do another Mac-album. Now that Chris is back, Stevie will be in, and he'd automaticly feel that he has to conquer the mainstreamfeel of the other two, I guess. But he already wrote new, I presume not-so-edgy songs, with another mindset than he is in now.

To be in his head now must be pretty bouncy.

I recall an interview where he specifically said that what he wanted to do now was to go into the studio and record an album with FM, but that it would depend on getting everyone else on the same page for them to actually do it... Or something along those lines. It was before the news about CM came about. I'll try to find it.

Yes, this. Also he's mentioned the BN thing a lot over the past couple of years.. I think he would love to do that, but maybe he's figuring out by now that it's never going to happen.:(

You're right, he said, "band politics aside" he'd like to do another FM album after the tour.

If he wants to do an LP after the tour, is it likely we will see an EP this spring?

The tour he was talking about was the 2013 tour they were on at the time. This was before anything with CM/a new tour was being talked about.

great idea for discussion! :wavey:

since practically the beginning of 2009 Unleashed tour he was giving out signals that he wanted to record an FM album really bad... and i think that colored what he was doing throughout a lot of the last 5 years:

• 2009 - he was saying the whole tour that it's a prep for them going into studio after it's over.
• 2010 - "i was hoping something else [FM album] was gonna happen, but [SN said no so] the time opened up and i filled it" with making SWS.
• 2011 - he was putting out and touring SWS.
• 2012 - back to FM album mindset, gathering Mick and John in his studio and recording 8 songs. SN said no to both album and tour. he put together OMS tour. at the end of the year he was telling fans during last legs of OMS that he's trying to put out 2 of the FM songs they recorded that year out for download before the FM tour in 2013, but there may be some "band politics" in the way.
• 2013 - FM tour. they pushed out an EP. he seemed to be back in the mindset of wanting to put out new FM music.

but than there was Hesitation Marks. and OMS. and recent Grammy performance. and a few other things. and these all happened in 2012 or after. each one of these i would have to think whetted his appetite for something different, again. somewhere where he always wanted to go. left side of the palette. as primarily his fan (as opposed to primarily FM or fan of one of the other macsters), i think that's where he should go. unequivocally. he already made his mark and legacy with FM. it's time for him to finally explore that left side some more and make some of his marks there, that he's obviously very capable of doing.

now what's in his mindset regarding all that... no idea.

he's been however working with a pretty breakneck speed in the last few years. so maybe he can do all of it. what he will want to put more effort into, where he'll push more, is a question.

it occurred to me today that Sad Angel (maybe) and especially Miss Fantasy somehow remind me of Sleeping Around the Corner. cute pop song that i love having, but i'm also happy it's just an extra and not on the main Seeds We Sow album, because it's not as strong or fitting together as the material there.

regarding his public statements, he really gave just that one radio interview about Christine maybe coming back (before it was official and they were all skirting around it). he said something like her potentially coming back opens up a whole spectrum of possibilities that make him happy but he doesn't want to say anything more because he doesn't want to jinx it.

I do want him to work with other people, like the NIN collab that I (and others ;)) love so much. But I want MORE, not just a little guitar part on a couple of tracks. I guess I want a solo album, sounding more like "real" Lindsey singing (She Acts Like You) and less whispery, with awesome people on HIS songs. Like a LB song with bonus Trent Reznor, or Dave Grohl, or whoever.

As far as an FM album, I think it could be good if everyone steps up and brings their "A" game. Stevie needs to be a team player this time around. I thought the EP was good. I liked Sad Angel a lot, especially live.

I've been wondering though, with all the talk about producers, why hasn't anyone suggested who was used for the Sound City album? As far as I could tell, Chiffonheads liked You Can't Fix This. Stevie obviously loved her experience with the players/docu in general. The album in its entirety won a Grammy for Best Compliation Soundtrack for Visual Media, and Cut Me Some Slack won Best Rock Song. One of the mixers has already worked with Stevie, too. Not sure how that went though.

Eh. What do I know. :shrug:

true... when we were first trying to hear which songs he was on and which parts, i wanted much more. but he's got so much mileage of just 1 day of work, Trent talked about his amazing guitar skills at every opportunity, and invited him to perform at grammys with him (at least i assume that's what happened)... but yes i would like that to be just a first step.

i like the idea of his solo album with interesting collaborations a lot - although that's been done so much by everyone who wants to attract different audiences to their work. but depending on who collaborators would be and what they would contribute it could be very interesting and different from what all others are doing. but i still also like the idea of him collaborating and adding his embellishments to other people's projects, like with HM/NIN, just more.

true re Sad Angel, i love live version. it was one of the concert highlights for me the whole last year.

it's kinda funny that Cut Me Some Slack won considering nobody really seemed to care for it. but i was happy to see Krist up there.

Butch Vig. i think he was the producer for most of the Sound City tracks.

Eh probably just because it was "Sirvana." I didn't care for it either, but I think it's cool who was in that little group. And yeah, they should use that guy! :laugh:

would LOVE to see him open up his solo albums a little more. we've gotten plenty of the "genius alone in the basement" recordings, and they've been great, but after multiple albums of this, it's time for something different. Maybe that's part of why I've always loved OOTC so much... he worked with Richard on it and it has a different feel to it. I would love for him to bring some new talent into his solo work-- not as glossy, publicity-generating stuff but real playing with others and feeding off their ideas.

2014
 

I agree that when Lindsey works with others, his songs seem to be more accessible and less "edgy" or "artsy." However, with the Big Machine taking priority in 2014, my suspicion is that we won't see another solo album until 2015 from Lindsey. Recently, he has had a tendency to work on solo stuff in his hotel room while on tour with FM. Hence my thought we will see another "basement" Small Machine CD after that, without any outside collaborators.

Oh, I thought I wrote somewhere that they should bunker in grohl's homestudio and record an album in three months on that same old NEVE board as the FM record was done in '75.

:blob1::xoxo:

yes! :thumbsup:

maybe he can pull some of the people he meets on the road? we know he was backstage at some concerts during this last tour, just bring them in and see what they can do! then use what's good, discard what's not.

Needlessly annoying the people in the adjoining rooms. I'm calling the front desk.

Michele

hasn't he been doing that since at least Tusk?

You know, our boy, sitting alone in his hotel room like a monk working on his songs, while those other sybarites in the band were snorting up everything and then some... tee hee

"how'd you like to come up to my room and listen to my songs?" he he he. Is this the new version of looking at my etchings? ;)

I really loved Anne Heche's story of meeting him and he had a cassette and she saw something about drums written on it and she said, "Are you a drummer?" And he just kind of smiled and said he was not, but didn't elaborate.


Michele

lol. that occurred to me as soon as i wrote it but decided to leave it anyway. ;)

maybe one of these times you can offer to listen, elle? :D

:laugh: although we were talking about cool musical contributors to his solo recordings. unfortunately, i have nothing to offer there. i'll happily yield to Trent. ;)

btw, do we really know that Lindsey is recording when on the road these days?

that bit of info i think originated from his niece's blog, that she kept during SYW tour. she wrote that he was usually in his room recording, while John McVie was usually out and about, walking the streets of whatever town they were in. new UTS and GOS songs came out of those solo recordings in the hotel rooms during SYW tour. however Lindsey did not say that SWS was recorded during Unleashed, in fact he said SWS was never even thought of before 2010 when he realized new FM album was not happening so he just started recording a solo album.

from all the photos of Lindsey around towns at almost every stop of the Live 2013 FM tour, we know for sure he was not holed up in his room all the time, but was seen out and about (and John seems to be still doing the same, as during SYW).

so seems like LB is actually living and enjoying life these days much more, taking in the places where he goes, and spends much less time worrying about recording? we certainly know by the recent stuff he put out that he's not spending years on perfecting whatever he's working on, he's just been putting it out and moving on...

We also had video of Lindsey sitting on the hotel room floor. His back was propped up against the bed and he was playing .... I don't think he was playing a guitar. I thought it was actually one of those portable keyboards or ... I think it was a device that you can both play on it and record what you've played all in one.

Well, Lindsey roams the city in the daytime, but what does he do at night. One must stay out of trouble.

Michele

can you link us up?

I will try to remember where it was. I think it was video that Lindsey released himself. And that's when we first started making jokes about what the people in the next room had to put up with.

Michele

ah thanks, maybe one of those UTS tour vids. i'll look through.

I don't think it matters that he worked with Trent Reznor and these other people. Lindsey has it in his head that he wants to do a Fleetwood Mac album and that's what he is going to do. And now with Christine apparently on board, it looks like he will get his wish.

you are probably right.

pure speculation here: i don't think he's the type of person who initiates things with other people, unfortunately for both him and us. all the therapy still probably didn't change that. his wife may have done some networking for him, but he doesn't seem to be the one to approach people he would like to work with (he could easily send Azoff to do it for him though!). SN pulled him into songwriting, he didn't want to do it. Mick pulled him into FM. Apatow pulled him into This is 40 thing. Cavallo pulled him into Delta Rae thing. Trent probably pulled him into doing HM and the grammy thing. hopefully Trent will pull him into some more projects. and we can only hope some others do too.

He seems really excited about working with the old chemistry. After watching DR, maybe this time he'll have more support and help. I was floored how much he took on for SYW. I've spent many hours in the recording studio and it can make a person insane.

you mean with Christine there with him? yeah, should be some nice constructive input.

according to both of them their chemistry was back at those meetings and dinners last year. it will be interesting to see what comes out of it in the studio.

Interesting comments from all! It does seem that CM’s return, and being able to work with new material from CM and SN, is creatively interesting/exciting for him.
I do wonder also if just a small part of his enthusiasm might also be about the fact that CM’s fortuitous return means that Lucky Lindsey will get his way after all - that is, it will give him the chance he had wanted, that SN I guess denied him on the last go-round, to ‘prove’ that he too can, similar to IYD/Dave Stewart, provide a good studio experience - joyous, spontaneous, collaborative, fun (unlike the stressy DR, which, as you say, was a massive undertaking).
So, was thinking on some level, there could be just a sprinkling of the same old same old motivation, on his part anyway - LB and SN continuing in their kind of challenge and response mode to prove something to each other??
In any event, it should make for an interesting ‘making of’ doc – and I hope they plan on doing one--

or more accurate, people here think that it is? (although i do agree, for the most part.)

i think working with SN in a creative and peaceful way, with Mick and John there to complete the FM, was interesting to him also, and that's what he wanted to do since 2009. but SN was not interested in that, so.... . i'm happy he' and Christine will get a chance to collaborate again. which takes me to your next point:
why does he have to prove this? do we know he has not had good collaborative experiences in the past? he and Christine seemed to be able to work nicely together and respect each others' knowledge and opinions, from the start. other people, outside of FM, that he's worked with over the years, whether as a producer or collaborator, loved him. why are we so ready to automatically jump to the conclusion that he is the [only] one to blame in this LB-SN weird lifetime of push-pull working relationship that always seems to be bogged down by their interpersonal issues?