Who are the most talented members of Fleetwood Mac?
 

List 5 members in order of greatness, who you believe are the

most talented members of Fleetwood Mac ever.

I know it will be hard, because they are all so GREAT!!!!!! It is rare to see so many talented people in one band.


I guess if I had to pick the 5 most talented members in Fleetwood Mac, I would pick:

(1) Lindsey Buckingham (awesome, stringed instrument player, singer/songwriter) :thumbsup:

(2) Stevie Nicks (awesome songwriter, what a voice!, and good (instead of previously typed "fabulous") piano player) :angel:

(3) Christine McVie (Fabulous keyboard/piano player, singer/songwriter) :D

(4) Peter Green (a guitar guru and songwriter) :nod:

(5) Mick Fleetwood and John McVie(tie) (both legends in their areas!) :)

:wavey:

1)Lindsey Buckingham
2)Peter Green
3)Christine McVie
4)Mick Fleetwood & John McVie
5)Stevie Nicks

1) Lindsey Buckingham / Peter Green
2) John McVie
3) Christine McVie
4) Danny Kirwan
5) Mick Fleetwood

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

My list...
 

1. LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM (This man can do it all...play guitar, write songs, produce AND sing!! LINDSEY RULES!!)

2. Stevie Nicks (She's an amazing songwriter)/ Christine McVie (Great piano player, great songwriter and that voice is like velveeta!! LOL)

3. Mick/John (The rhythm section is GREATNESS...think The Chain's bassline and Mick's crazy drumming on stage!!)

4. Peter Green (Amazing guitarist!! Love that Green Manalishi riff!!)

5. Bob Welch (Great songwriter!!)

Ok...
 

this is an interesting question...

1.Peter Green
2.John McVie
3.Lindsey Buckingham
4.Christine McVie
5.Stevie Nicks

Re: Who are the most talented members of Fleetwood Mac?
 

i'm soooorry.... but did you just say that stevie is a fabulous piano player? i bed to differ... i mean yeah she gets the job done... she writes her songs... but come on now... lets rethink this one

Re: Re: Who are the most talented members of Fleetwood Mac?
 

Yeah I don't know about that statement either. If there has always been one thing Stevie has lacked with this band, it is her ability with a musical instrument. OKAY OKAY, she plays a mean tambourine, but anyway...

Re: Re: Who are the most talented members of Fleetwood Mac?
 

Okay, I will rethink it. I'm going to stick with what I said and reword it a little. "Fabulous" might have been too strong of a word, so let's go with "good." Just because she isn't playing the piano in Fleetwood Mac doesn't mean that she can't do it or isn't good at it. My purpose was to point out all of the band members' abilities to show how multi-talented most of them are. :thumbsup:



quote from jmn3: Yeah I don't know about that statement either. If there has always been one thing Stevie has lacked with this band, it is her ability with a musical instrument. OKAY OKAY, she plays a mean tambourine, but anyway...


In response to this post, the only reason that she doesn't play an instrument in Fleetwood Mac, such as the piano, is because they don't need her for that. All of the people in the band have their place. Christine was already doing keyboard and piano when Stevie entered the band. They needed a front person, and Stevie fills those shoes quite nicely. :nod:

:wavey:

Fun thread...
 

1. Peter Green
2. Lindsey Buckingham
3. Christine McVie
4. Mick Fleetwood
5. Danny Kirwan

I love Stevie; it was tough to leave her off the list. But she really relies on the talent of others to make her songs *music*. And really, I agree with Jessica Leigh, her piano playing is quite, uh, primitive.

Need you ask? Lindsey Buckingham, of course. The man doesn't just play guitar, produce, write and sing. He is a multi-instrumentalist. And though writing tends to be his weakness, he has some occasional flashes of poetic brilliance: "A face as soft as a tear in a clown's eye."

Second would be Peter Green.

Stevie? She wrote about six great songs in the 70s. But she hasn't done anything brilliant since Bella Donna. The idea that she could play keys with the band on stage is just comical. I'm not even sure she can play the piano with both hands. She herself has admitted that she "tic tacs" on the piano. I've followed this band for a long time, and it gets a little tiring to keep seeing the perpetuation of the Myth of Stevie Nicks. She was great early on, but now she is anything but.

Amen, bruddah! :nod: If it wasn't for her "one trick pony" of her alter-ego stage persona of "The Welsh Gypsy Witch", she'd still be asking "do you want fries with that?"


Although, I'm not one to automatically jump on the Buckingham bandwagon, either. He also had some great ideas long ago, but he's just reformed and recycled them like a 20+ year old glop of silly-putty. I will admit, just from being able to "play the studio" like a musical instrument, he would be put in some special category along with Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, Sir George Martin, Jeff Lynne, etc. But, those other the guys knew how to get the "sound" done in a hurry, Buckingham works as slow as molasses in the Antarctic.

"The most talented member of the band?", you ask?

The unit known as the "rhythm section", Mick Fleetwood & John McVie.

They've been able for 35 years to play almost every genre & sub-genre of non-classical music with equal aplomb. (from the "blues" to "hippie acid rock" to "country" to "reggae" to "punk" to "easy listening pop" to "soul" to "rock" and blend them all together) That, my friends, takes talent.

I haven't posted anything for like 5 months (mostly due to very limited computer access up until about 2 weeks ago) but I just had to chime in here...

I think it's obnoxious how some people can turn such a positive thread ("who is the most talented") into something hateful and negative ("who sucks the most"). Why not try to keep things in a positive light when that is how they are initially presented?

Anyway, to answer the question:

I think that Stevie is the most talented songwriter/lyricist, and that Lindsey is the most musically talented. This being the case, they sure do make a great team.

PS Hi to everyone.

Equally obnoxious are those who claim heresy upon those who don't fall to our knees and worship "all things Nicks".

1. Stevie Nicks (as far as songwriting goes.. I don't know anyone else who can write quite like her!)
2. Lindsey Buckingham (the man is a brilliant genius!)
3. Christine McVie (the woman knows her stuff!)
4. Peter Green (not really a big fan of his stuff, but he belongs right up there!)
5. Mick Fleetwood & John McVie (the ultimate rhythm section!)

:) Michelle

Talent is such a subjective word.... Talented in what form???

Stevie can't play piano for ****, yes- but she has a stage presence that's hard to beat.

Christing is a good piano player (compared to others like Elton John or Benmont Tench), has a gorgeous, unique voice- but is a cold fish on stage barely registering a pulse.

Lindsey is a fantastic guitar player and is able to "play" the studio like most musicians can't- but he lacks warmth and compassion.

Mick and John are a great rhythm section- but are they dynamically talented musicians compared to other drummers/bassists? Maybe so, maybe not.

I think the real talent of Fleetwood Mac is the ability to take all these different kinds of people and form them in a cohesive band sound. There are so many different facets to the band, so many different contributions from many different talent sources.

How many bands out there have one main songwriter, one main voice and the same old tired sound (Creed, Smashing Pumpkins, etc., etc., etc).

So what if Stevie can't play the piano- she's not supposed to. That would be like expecting Christine to get up on stage and pull off a killer guitar solo. One certainly wouldn't expect Mick to start ripping out the vocals on some song??

Their talents are their contributions and what they ARE capable of doing, not what the aren't capable of doing.

Well said!!!

~Alex

Ditto! :)

Having a bad day??? Get up on the wrong side of the bed???Anyway, you're barking up the wrong tree because I claimed absolutely nothing of the kind, I simply commented that there is no need to turn a positive thread into a negative thread. So calm down! I don't care who's a fan of whom, variety is the spice of life and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just think there is a time and a place for everything and your comment and its predecessor just caught me off guard when the thread was supposed to concern what we like about the band musically.

Life is balance, the "yin" & "yang" of all things. Too much of anything isn't good.

Stevie Nicks
 

First of all I'd like to second everything that The Tower posted in his/her thread. Well said!

In defense of Stevie Nicks, and why she has to the most defended member of FM sometimes baffles me. The fact that Stevie is still doing what she is doing...writing, recording, touring and successfully too should dispute in part what the above quote said. Maybe she isn't AS successful as she used to be, but who is(McCartney and Jagger to name a few). Stevie's GREATNESS lies in her staying power and the legacy she will leave behind. She should be flattered by all of the musicians, writers, and performers who are inspired by her and emulate her TRYING to capture what she has done in rock and roll.


Joe

quote:
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Originally posted by chiliD


Equally obnoxious are those who claim heresy upon those who don't fall to our knees and worship "all things Nicks".

If it wasn't for her "one trick pony" of her alter-ego stage persona of "The Welsh Gypsy Witch", she'd still be asking "do you want fries with that?"


Although, I'm not one to automatically jump on the Buckingham bandwagon, either. He also had some great ideas long ago, but he's just reformed and recycled them like a 20+ year old glop of silly-putty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
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She was great early on, but now she is anything but.
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quote: Stevie can't play piano for ****, yes
____________________________________________________

I started this thread to be positive and to celebrate all the great talents of Fleetwood Mac. I had not planned on some of the negativity. I think a true Fleetwood Mac fan would celebrate the members and discuss their positives and not look to comment mostly on their negatives, nor would they look to slam the members of the band. I guess KIND criticism is okay, but slamming them is not cool! :nod: :thumbsup:

I couldn't disagree more. Talent is not subjective. Taste is.

[B]So what if Stevie can't play the piano- she's not supposed to./B][/QUOTE]

True, but someone earlier called her a "fabulous" piano player, which couldn't be less accurate. At one point she could write -- she was a great songwriter -- and that was at about the same time that she could sing. In my humble, most subjective opinion, she can do neither now.

JOE, jwd, my "mini MICK"....
 

*Stands clapping at his genius defense and Stevie loving self*

RIGHT ON!!!:nod::laugh:;)

Soooooo it's been awhile...how ya doing?:cool:

LOL:lol:
~alex~ aka "little STEVIE"

Ok, now I have to post........


Stevie is an EXCELLENT songwriter, Stevie has an EXCELLENT voice...and you know what? She is doing the best she can do, with the voice she has!!! The voice that Stevie once had has been withered away, no doubt, BUT does that mean she is utterly useless????? I ,for one, am quite happy with the Stevie of today....I just think that some people are being quite harsh with her.....

~Alex

I totally agree with that.

What constitutes talent anyway?

I was talking to the guitar tech of a very very big British band (no names mentioned). Anyway, he used to be the lead guitarist before the band became big, then they hired him as the guitar tech after they became famous. He actually teaches the lead singer and guitarist of this group how to play his own songs!!!

We hear those songs and say "That Mr. ??? is so talented" Hmm.....

Everybody is super talented at something. To have that talent as your career is very rare indeed. Only about 5% of musicians are truly talented. The rest just work at it.

In my opinion, musically, Buckingham, Green and John McVie are naturally talented, the others just work hard at it. Writing is a different matter.....

:nod: ;) :nod:

Isn't this a contradiction? :shrug:


It's like saying "Bob Dylan has an EXCELLENT voice". He doesn't. But, he DOES have a unique voice, a voice that fits HIM. Not the case with Stevie. She HAD a "very good" voice, but she mistreated it, and then lost it. Which is a great shame. She's been LEFT with a voice that now is uniquely hers, but at what cost?

I agree with ChiliD and Madformac.

For the record, the idea that as a fan you should only make positive statements about the band is simply misguided. With that kind of logic, for instance a fan who says, "I don't particularly like 'Not That Funny'" should simply not express that view. A fan who says, "Lindsey's guitar was drowned in the mix when I saw the band in concert" shouldn't express that view.

It's simply unrealistic to expect that only positive statements ought to be made. This after all is a discussion board.

As for Ms. Nicks, remember the South Park episode in which she was represented as a goat? 'Nuff said.

Whatever the "intention", once the post is out there, it takes on a life (and death) of it's own. Or , until a moderator deems that it be euthanized.


If Fleetwood Mac and it's members were beyond reproach, then fine; but, there's A LOT of dissatisfaction that is included in being a "SEVERE" Fleetwood Mac fan. :nod:

True...
 

HAHAHA:laugh: I never said her voice was like it used to be....I'm in agreement there;) It won't change my loyalty or fanship though:cool: And I also agree with the idea that as a fan it's not only your right,but in some respects like a RESPONSIBILITY to make your opinions known of the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY aspects of the band....you can't always dole out constant praise-what's the point of that...?!:shrug:

LOL:lol:
~alex~*

If I were interested in singers with "perfect" voices, then I'd be whiling away my time on an Anne Murray message board somewhere.

Fleetwood Mac is a rock and roll band, and Stevie is a rock and roll singer.
Rock isn't about perfection, it's about feeling.

While I, too, disagree with the notion that Stevie is some untouchable diety, I just as strongly disagree with the notion that she is a "one trick pony," whose contributions to the musical landscape, and to Fleetwood Mac in particular, should be written off.

Every artist has some kind of "image," but if you strip away that image and there's nothing left, then they're not going to be around very long.

If it were really all about some glam outfits, and some cool boots, she would have been long forgotten by now (Does anyone still get all hyped over Gary Glitter??).

Stevie has been recording since 1973, and has enjoyed a tremendous amount of popularity in the 29 years since. True, her popularity waned for a period, but that was more of a reflection on changing tastes, than on her abilities... as evidenced by the fact that she's "popular" once again.

I think that's a pretty impressive testament to the fact that this is a talented woman, who has more than just some groovy outfits going for her.



Johnny Stew

Johnny Stew...
 

I couldn't have said it better myself!:thumbsup:

LOL:lol:
~alex~*

So the fact that she lost her voice, had to go to rehab a couple of times and went through an extended period of no creativity had nothing to do with it?

Stevie had some troubles in her life... so let's all crucify her for being human.

Which is it... Stevie, The Perfect Goddess... or Stevie, the human who makes mistakes like the rest of us?


Johnny Stew

No one is crucifying her for being human. You said that her popularity waned for a while as more of a reflection of "changing tastes" than of "her abilities." The record simply does not reflect that. I would say it was a confluence of all of these factors that made her unpopular, not just changing tastes. And I would say "unpopular" without hesitation, as opposed to saying her popularity "waned." Remember Letterman's anti-Stevie rants? Remember the Rolling Stone review of Street Angel?

Well, not really..... One may think that there is some book out there that states what is talent and what is not talent, but it's not quite that simple.

Many people think that Celine Dion is a talented singer, however, I think she's just screaming.

Webster's definition of the word "talent" is this: a special, superior ability in art, mechanics, learning, etc.

Is Stevie a talented vocalist?? I think so. She can harmonize really well, and I know from experience that singing harmony is no easy task.

The idiots from "American Idol" have one idea of talent and I have another. So, I would consider the idea of talent as subjective.

Actually I dont remember any "anti-Stevie" rants from Letterman. His beef was always directed at her management. He never said anything derogatory against Stevie personally.
Additionally, those "rants" occured in 1986... so if you're going to refer to 'Street Angel,' which was released in 1994, then the Letterman thing has nothing to do with the discussion, as Stevie appeared on his show at this time.

Rolling Stone, as a rule, has always reviewed Stevie's albums unfavorably, so they're not a very accurate gauge of Stevie's popularity.
As for the reviews of 'Street Angel,' I have a positive one from Entertainment Weekly that I'd be more than happy to post... so obviously not every critic deemed it a failure.

It's true that 'Street Angel' doesn't stand up as one of Stevie's best efforts, but it was by no means an artistic disaster, or a sign that her talent was lost forever.
She was suffering from personal demons, and that album reflects this.
Again, she's human... she's allowed to have an off day, or even a less-than-stellar album.


Johnny Stew

Well, when I stated that Stevie can't play piano for ****, I think that's more of a truth than a negative. I think Stevie knows that. I certainly wasn't slamming her.

I know for a fact that my guitar playing is pretty pathetic, but I still play rhythm guitar in bands every once and awhile.

It's all cool.

I check these posts everyday and rarely write. But...

Oh good grief. Not this Carna-whatsa person again. More needless nasty comments written to provoke. I'm wondering if you got picked on by the "popular" kids in high school and now start arguments as some sort of validation.

I wont take up this space to defend Stevie, I see no reason to on one of her own fan sites, but I will give some advice:

Please Stevie fans, do not get your dander up based on the rants from the person mentioned above. How many of you would visit the sites of other artists just to pick on that person and the fans that visit the site. I find it pathetic and pointless. And if this person is call themselves a FM fan, I havent seen any proof of that either.

Just remember some people get off on being rude and insensitive and the way to get them to stop is not to reply.

I wasn't saying it was her "outfits" in particular...I'm saying it was the whole "Rhiannon" mystique that got her noticed...along with her stage presence (her vocal technique, or lack thereof, is what ruined her voice). And, it's the same "Rhiannon" mystique she's kept throughout her career. Same as the band itself beating the "Rumours" horse to death, the "Rhiannon" thing is old & tired. I would think that she would've at least ONCE in her career done a "reinvent" (like Bowie does every few years...the big one being from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke), just to have the opportunity to re-Rhiannon herself again at some point to much hoopla & hype. But, no, she's kept the same persona through her entire career and, to me (and apparently I'm not alone) it's gotten a bit stale. The thing is, that she's got ENOUGH of a following that DOES buy in to the "Rhiannon" mystique, so consistently, deeply, and avidly, that she doesn't HAVE to have "substance". It's like the blind faithful following the Grateful Dead had/has...is there/was there "substance" behind the Grateful Dead mystique? I don't think so, and I'm a Grateful Dead fan, too. It just boggles my mind how they kept a following for all those decades and the mystique just kept growing (VERY much like Stevie's does). I don't understand how Stevie's mystique keeps drawing people, as well. But, it does.

Ok, so let's discuss this "image" thing for a minute.

Yes, we can say that the whole "Rhiannon", mystical thing makes for a great image... something for fans, and critics, to latch onto, and do with what they will... but at the same time, Stevie has always maintained that this "image" wasn't terribly calculated. She wore the clothes that she liked... and moved around the stage the way she wanted to move.

Granted she plays it up... which any entertainer worth their weight in gold, should know how to do... but it is very much a part of HER personality, on or off the stage.

She's not a Bowie or a Madonna... she's not someone who needs to change herself from album to album or video to video.
She's got her thing and she sticks with it, and I think that's something her fans tend to really appreciate about her.

Bowie's last few albums have been VERY different from anything he's ever recorded... and the public at large doesn't seem to be the least bit interested.
Am I saying an artist should never change, or try new things?
Absolutely not.
I'm just saying that innovation doesnt inherently equal substance, or appeal.

And yes, I can see how Stevie's "mystique" would get stale to some people... I look at Michael Jackson still doing the exact same dance moves 18 years after 'Thriller,' and I'm bored to tears. But Stevie never did purport to be on the cutting edge of anything. Her performances were never about innovative dance moves, and her music has never been intended to be a harbinger of new fads.

If someone finds that uninteresting, then by all means, look elsewhere for your entertainment... but again, it's unfair to dismiss Stevie as nothing more than a well-used image.



Johnny Stew