The Upside
 

Being that there's been quite a bit of perceived "putting down" of Stevie in a couple of threads (granted, I'm one, I admit), let me start a thread dealing with the "up side" of Stevie and her contibutions to Fleetwood Mac. And, please, no choir preaching.



Umm...uh.... hmmm....can't think of anything... :laugh:

(seriously, now)

That she studied the HISTORY of the band before making a decision on whether she & Lindsey should join was just incredible! I think no matter how much I've grown to dislike her in the meantime, that will always be an endearing factor to me; that she RESEARCHED the roots of the band and how she (& Lindsey) could contribute to the band...to still be themselves AND to continue the "thread" that the band had going through it's ever changing personnel over the years.

That what she & Lindsey DID contribute initially, for as much of a change as it seemed at the time, STILL carried on the "sound" of the band...in retrospect, the "white album" seems like a logical follow-up to "Heroes Are Hard To Find", whereas in 1975, it seemed like a big left-turn. The band's new "sound" really wasn't any more "commercial" than that of previous incarnations, just that THIS lineup got the break, the previous one's didn't...space & time; and being in the right place at the right time.

However, what changed for the band was their live show...that first time seeing the "new" lineup in 1975 was amazing...the energy that Stevie brought to the live show was hypnotic.

Her strongest songs (IMHO):
Landslide
Rhiannon
Dreams
Gold Dust Woman
Sisters Of The Moon
Storms
Angel


After "Tusk" (and the subsequent tour) the vibe of the band changed so dramatically that even though it still was the "fireflies" it seemed like a different set of people. A different, less pleasing, dynamic came to the forefront. Instead of five people acting as a single entity, it seemed to be five individuals doing their best (and not always succeeding) to work together. The vibe seemed to be gone. But, for that initial 5+ year run, it was just MAGIC!

Thank You
 

To me Stevie's contributions to Fleetwood Mac is first and foremost her voice. Not only was it unique on its own but it blended in so magically with Lindsey's and Christine's...the three part harmony was beautiful.

No one writes a song quite like Stevie. Once again a style all her own. The ambiguousness that leads to the perfect connection. There's something that one can get from her songs and relate it smack dab to what's happening in your life..... her connection through her writing touching millions of Fleetwood Mac fans.

Her stage presence...as Steve said was, and imo is still hypnotic. Even if you didn't like the music, how could you not look at Stevie up on stage...front and center. The image of Fleetwood Mac....the woman all the women wanted to be like and the woman all the men wanted to be with...or vice versa if you know what I mean. ;)

It was endearing to know that Stevie took the time to go back through all the Mac catalogue and see if she and Lindsey would fit into FM and if they could get something back. But above and beyond that was her loyalty and committment to FM, and I think for the most part above her solo career.


Joe

I agree with the both of you on all of your points. I couldn't have said it better!

:) Michelle

Re: The Upside
 

Gosh, you mean there's an upside?????
Mmmmm-k, we could have done without that.......

Stephanie

it was a joke. he even put a :laugh: after it. Anyways to add to all the other things added, it's that right now Stevie is the ONLY one throwing us bones about the new album. Lindsey may be the sound of fleetwood mac and i adore his musical genuius, but as far as we fans are concearned he Doesn't exist. He hasn't said a single thing at all. Neither has john, but he has a right to not say anything. The only way we know lindsey is even on the Record is from Stevie saying that he was working on her songs. Stevie has told us Everything about the new album. Lindsey hasn't breathed. Thank you stevie.

Why? I've kind of been waiting for this topic to come up because I'm curious why Lindsey or Chris in the past have always gotten the flack for low profiles (even though they're hard workers) and John gets ignored and no expectations are ever placed on him in terms of publicity. He is, afterall, the Mac of Fleetwood Mac.

Good question, Les!

I've wondered about this too. I *think* it must have to do with the fact that John isn't one of the band's songwriters. Christine, Lindsey & Stevie are sort of expected to pull double-duty as liasons between the band and the fans, because they're more "out front."
And Mick... well, it seems to also be expected of him, because he's always been the band's unofficial leader.

Chris, Stevie, Lindsey & Mick are seemingly held up to a higher level of expectation by the fans, than John is.
Fairly or unfairly.



Johnny Stew

i meant that john's just not the interveiw type. Ever since the band was born he hasn't been into that i think. So he really shouldn't have to be expected to say anything. I mean it's not like John's going to be the one to tell us the release date of the album or something. That's something the other 3 need to do. Stevie's done the most. Mick did it for his BIRTHDAY. Lindsey is silent.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hawkeye
i meant that john's just not the interveiw type.

Christine and Lindsey are both quiet and very private, but do a lot of press once the album is officially scheduled for release. That's often been their pattern in the past. If John is following his usual pattern, so is Lindsey.

I mean it's not like John's going to be the one to tell us the release date of the album or something. That's something the other 3 need to do.

Why not? He's in the band. He's got to know as well as the others do when it's going to be out and when he needs to be ready to rehearse for the tour.

Stevie's done the most. Mick did it for his BIRTHDAY. Lindsey is silent.

I guess one might wonder why Lindsey or John need to say the same thing that Stevie and Mick have already said. It's something Mick and Stevie love to do, so it seems like that's taken care of. They've both indicated that Lindsey's working hard, so perhaps it's best he continue on that path and do what he does best. As has been brought up quite a bit lately - they are a band and they each provide strengths for the others' weaknesses.

He does exist - Stevie and Mick said so! ;)

Back to the topic at hand...I think the best thing Stevie brought to Fleetwood Mac is, plain and simply, her voice. I just think it's a unique and startlingly emotive voice. She's got a real talent for vocal phrasings.

Along with her brilliant songwriting, I agree that Stevie's voice is a powerful instrument itself. It's like, you hear the first word that she sings, and you know it's her. And then you are in a, like, trance until the song is over(at least that's MY reaction). Her voice is so amazing in how it shows her emotion. You almost don't even need to listen to the lyrics to hear what she's feeling, the voice says it all.

The biggest credit I can give to Stevie Nicks is that she was probably the main reason Fleetwood Mac became such a huge band in the 70s. Let's say Lindsey had joined without her, I think the band would have still been a hit, the music would have still been magical, but the droves of fans that flocked to the band probably would not have done so without the Stevie mystique.

That may sound strange coming from me, considering I have knocked her for the image thing. But when I was a teenager and Stevie started appearing in videos, Gypsy in particular, her appeal was undeniable. She was a beautiful woman with a singular voice. You cannot take away the contribution she made to the band in those early days. So I agree with ChiliD's assessment about the first five years or so.

After Mirage, she started to decline. And I liked The Wild Heart well enough. There were some good songs, but the beginning of the decline was already noticeable. With Rock a Little, I started to lose interest. I did not like her contributions to Tango. Fast-forward to The Dance: she sounds positively great in Silver Springs. The other songs, especially Dreams, don't do it for me. I prefer the original versions. I don't find her current songwriting particularly great and I no longer like her voice.

Finally, I would make the point that Stevie has had a tremendous influence on other artists. Like her or hate her, she has left an indelible mark on pop culture. And above all, she is a survivor. I am glad that she has enjoyed some success in recent years, and those fans who still find her as appealing as I once did are entitled to enjoy her and her music.

the upside
 

Stevie's gift is her ability to write lyrics that really speak to people. I remember when, back in the eighties, my mother was terminally ill with cancer, I had a druggie student I was trying to do something about and I was working two jobs to try to support us, I often was so wired by the time I finally got to bed I couldn't sleep. Many's the night that "Storms" and "Beautiful Child" finally calmed me down enough to sleep. I felt like she had suffered like I was suffering at that time. It's unique ability to be able to relate to people like that-not everyone has that. Lindsey for all his musical genius has a hard time with it, much as I love him=:-)

Stevie also has the ability to reach out to people when in performance. She's got that audience in the palm of her hand in two minutes (not literally of course)She makes friends for the band. The others, other than Mick, don't do as well with this-I think they are all-Chris, Lindsey and John, kinda shy maybe-you can tell how nervous Lindsey is in performance if you watch the videos closely=:-)

I often think both Stevie and Mick could have gone into acting with great results if they had not been in rock music=:-)

Coolness...
 

As most of you already know, I am a Lindsey FANATIC, BUT...
Stevie is :cool: too. :nod: Let me list the reasons why I love that "witchy woman". :laugh:

Her way with fans...she keeps it "real" because of how she is at concerts and I assume with fans personally...she's goofy sometimes, silly and down to earth.

Her songwriting....I love her songs, they are mysterious (Gold Dust Woman), fun (Sister Honey, which I used to not like, but now I love it! LOL) and silly (Goldfish and the Ladybug anyone? LOL) too. Her lyrics are wierd, cryptic, heartbreaking...and I LOVE them!!

Her voice...well...she's not the greatest singer in the world, but she's got a unique voice, NOBODY sounds like Miss Stevie, even tho they tried with "Imaginary Lover" and "Do I Bring You Down". :lol:

there are many things that make Stevie an integral part of FM, to narrow it down is very hard but I do have one thing I admire about her is that she is able to create a sense of stillness without looking stilted or uncomfortable onstage. Example, the Dance video, if you watch her during Lindsey's solo during Landslide, she is listening right along with the audience. Her ability to remain still onstage and let others have the spotlight without losing her own star appeal is unique. I have never seen it with any other performer...

I think she has been the most successful member of FM ever, there is a reason for that. She has become a superstar/celebrity in a sense I don't think you can say about the others in that if people know of only one name or image connected to FM it is likliest to be hers.

Artistically and commercially she has hit big some home runs. You couldn't avoid Gypsy for a couple years. I remember Rhiannon was huge with teens when it was out. Dreams. I think those have to be the three most successful songs ever.

Unfortunately you can get overexposed and tired of some of it. I tend to play Kirwan, Welch and Christine McVie songs mostly now myself, if I am not in a blues mood. I used to prefer Buckingham and Nicks once, well, always liked Christine's songs too.

Richard Dashut once said "Stevie is SUCH a nice lady.."

I really appreciate how warm and congenial Stevie CAN be- granted, she's had her volatile moments.

The fact that she had (has) such a great, sisterly relationship with Christine. The part of the Tusk documentary where John carries/drags her away from the photo shoot and both of them are laughing. Her ability to be bright and smiling with Lindsey, even when they may not like each other.

That kind of stuff....

to me the answer to this question is trivial,
stevie nicks is the heart and SOUL of fleetwood mac. easy.
i can say for myself that yes, i came because of christine and lindsey, but i stayed because of stevie.

the other main contribution is of course sales figures, it was proved that she may not be the biggest hit maker at times, but the band can have a no.1 album without lindsey (and i'm sure they will still sell nicely now without christine) but with stevie the equation is clear, no stevie=no sales.
all you stevie critics here can bitch as much as you like, but the fact remains that since 1977 (in theory, and since 1981 in facts) this lady did not need fleetwood mac for her career, the band depended on her and not the opposite.

Tommer, you make an important distinction by using the 1977 date. Correct me if I am wrong, but by using that date you are conceding that Stevie most positively and absolutely needed Lindsey to become who she became. And that is what we diehard Lindsey fans have argued. Is Stevie a magnificent stage presence? Yes. Did (and I mean did) she have a lovely voice to accompany some surprisingly different and fresh lyrics? Yes. Was she photogenic and deserving of all the attention she got? Yes and maybe.

My second point is this: Stevie arguably did not need Fleetwood Mac from circa 1978 to about 1986. But after the release of Rock a Little, she started to lose popularity. We've discussed ad nauseum why, so I shan't get into that. So she started to need Fleetwood Mac again. But around 1990 with the release of Behind the Mask, signs started to appear that Fleetwood Mac NEEDED Lindsey Buckingham. Proof: Fleetwood Mac asked Lindsey for a new song and used two Lindsey outtakes for its The Chain box.

In 1995 (or whenever Time came out) it became OBVIOUS that Fleetwood Mac needs Lindsey Buckingham. So, you see, it all goes back to Stevie needing Lindsey to REMAIN commercially successful, though one can argue that she is popular on her own. Don't believe me? Let's compare the sales numbers of the next Fleetwood Mac studio album with TISL. In fact, let's do an album pool (like the superbowl pools) and see who gets closer.

So in conclusion:

Stevie needs Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac needs Lindsey Buckingham. Therefore Stevie Nicks needs Lindsey Buckingham.

There are a gazillion ways to look at every situation, and you're nuts if you don't think that the reverse or your above scheme is also true. That is to say, that Lindsey needs Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac needs Stevie Nicks. Therefore Lindsey Buckingham needs Stevie Nicks.

gladly.
and lindsey needed mick. LUCK was the main factor there. my english sucks, but i think the correct word to use there is "IS" and not "DID"
they also used an unreleased jeremy spencer track, is it your idea that they needed him too? and anyway, i consider 'make me a mask' to be one of "fleetwood mac"'s all time lows. as i mentioned earlier, the difference between the two lindsey-less albums was the absence and presence of stevie, one did well despite lindsey's absence (but with stevie) and one failed (no stevie=no sales)i rather compare TISL's sales to Gift Of Screws' "sales". stevie never sold more than FM, yet one could only speculate as for what hights her solo career could have gone to if she would have taken it more seriously and not as a side effect to her band's career. i'm not american. i've no idea what you mean.not exactly. there will always be a record company out there who would love to help stevie's songs see the light of a music store's shelf, she doesn't need the 'fleetwood mac' title to release her songs.

That may be true, but 20 years from now we might be saying the same about Spitney Beers too.

Very good point

Pip

BTW...LMAO at Tommers signature :laugh:

SmthngOfADreamr!
I was going to post the EXACT same twist on Carne's post!
Glad we think alike!

Admittedly this is fun to discuss as long as we know we aren't going to change anyone's mind and nobody of going to get mad.

Having said that, I will venture out onto this rather precarious limb and say that I agree FM needed Lindsey in 1974, but what if he had joined without Stevie?
Without the eye-candy of Stevie, would the band have been as successful?
Would they have gotten as much attention?
Imagine 70's FM with no Rhiannon, no Dreams, and a HAPPY content Lindsey with a sweet little gypsy wife at home and nothing to rail about. That would have led to no GYOW, no Chain, no Tusk, etc, etc....

Sounds pretty boring to me.

They would have been like America, or the Doobies, or MAYBE Queen if they had dressed Mick up in a dress more often and Lindsey went heavy on the eye shadow.

I'm glad they "needed her" even if they didn't know they needed her as much as they needed Lindsey.

This really is an endless debate isn't it?

if my memory serves me well, stevie wasn't officially a band member too in 1992.
(you didn't get my hint...)

Have you seen some of those tour shots from the Tusk era??? Lindsey was the Queen of Eye Shadow and Eye Brow Pencil!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Maybe that's what Stevie was talking about in "Nightbird"..... ;)

Sorry... can't talk now. Too busy working on my next episode of...
Tusk: The Story Behind the Story.

I'm really not trying to cause an argument, or perpetuate one... and i'm also not trying to be contrary....
but I'd venture to say that the inclusion of "Silver Springs" on '25 Years - The Chain' was regarded as more of a selling point than "Goodbye Angel" and "Teen Beat."
(And I should note at this moment, that "Goodbye Angel" is one of my favorite songs.)

With absolutely no disrespect meant towards Lindsey in any way, shape, or form, i *do* believe that Stevie's presence in Fleetwood Mac does bolster their sales a little more than if Lindsey were there sans Stevie (referring back to that 1995 blurb by Entertaintment Weekly: "who gives a Tusk about a Fleetwood Mac without Stevie Nicks?" And *this* being said at a time when her career was allegedly in ruins).

But the absolute undeniable fact of the matter is, the inclusion of BOTH individuals at the same time, is what *really* boosts the Mac, sales-wise and creatively (IMO).

Lindsey is a force to be reckoned with in Fleetwood Mac. He has crafted some absolutely brilliant and beautiful songs, and can simultaneously create the most scorching, yet subtle guitar lines.

Stevie gives Fleetwood Mac a voice that is instantly recognizable (whether you love it or hate it), lyrics that are poetic and moving, and a certain je ne sais quois that seems lacking without her.

Fleetwood Mac has existed without them, and has done very well for themselves, but in my opinion, their inclusion kicks everything up a notch.


Johnny Stew

No, that's quite legitimate as is. Oh yeah, and it's gramatically correct too. ;)
There's a bit of a difference between using one unreleased song, and using two unreleased songs AND ASKING for another new one. He wasn't even part of the group! And how do you figure on Stevie not being in the band? She sang backup on Heart of Stone...
Oh I'm sorry, follwing up 5 straight multi-platinum albums with a gold certification is.....doing well. My mistake.
Seeing as how that's quite possible and all.
Not to be picky, but if you're the one who's going to bring up grammar...height. And yes, merely speculation, nothing more. And if you call 2 albums in a 5 year period in which FM was not together...a side effect...well, in my opinion, you'd be wrong.Once again merely speculation. You don't know there'll ALWAYS be a label, there hasn't yet been one...

And how does one figure that Lindsey needs Fleetwood Mac? He's released albums on his own time and really hasn't given a crap about what the public thinks of his work. It's not like he has or had much of an image that he needed to sell records. So what part of FM does he need?

-Brian

Tower, he did go pretty heavy on the eyeshadow, didn't he?
The guy has a little punk in is soul, I guess. He can play in my make-up case anytime, kinky boy.

Johnny once again, SO right you are, and just what alot of us keep repeating and I guess will continue to repeat........
Hey dudes! It's all about Stevie and Lindsey TOGETHER!!!
Buckingham Nicks kicks butt! Such a perfect blend of feminine and masculine, dark and light. Soft where it needs to be soft, hard where it needs to be edgy and raw, dreamy, sensual, and quiet and loud all at once.

There's no other combo like them, hands down, like it or not.
This new CD is going to rock my soul, and I can't wait for the latest from Buckingham Nicks!

because the boxed set came out less than a year after her crisis with mick when she said she's leaving FM right. i was being sarcastic in case you didn't notice. i'll take a wild guess: my english is far better than your hebrew.in each and every case of a band's vocalist having a parallel carrer as a solo artist the result was either leaving the band (neil young, phil collins...) or leaving the solo career as a secondary effort (mick jagger, dave gahan, stevie nicks...) ... as i mentioned earlier (read before you reply) sadly, currently that's the only option he has to release his material as we witnessed, these rare occasions occur (or don't occur) at warner's decision and not his. and the general public cared about them the same way in return, didn't they...

Stevie..... most valuable player
 

I agree that the best combination is Lindsey and Stevie together in what we now know as FM. Well put JS!!

Lindsey never needed FM to make his music, but apparently he has needed them, and in particular, Stevie Nicks, to SELL it. Stevie has not needed FM since the Rumours lineup became famous back in the mid 70s. Her solo career has proven this and given the fact that there was very little help, if any, from any of FM's members. If anything Stevie Nicks could have had a much more successful solo career if she had not stayed in Fleetwood Mac.

The only thing that brought Stevie's solo career down was because of her own personal problems, not because Lindsey wasn't there.

Tommer, some people get caught up in grammar and things....I knew what you were saying just fine!

Yeah, and I always thought that eye shadow Lindsey was sporting was a little WEIRD!


Joe

How much more serious could Stevie have been with her solo career?

I just don't consider her solo career a footnote to her main career in Fleetwood Mac, despite what Stevie herself has said so often. Every time she says it, I think she's full of crap. She enjoys rewriting her own history. She has always wanted her fans to think that she continually cut short her solo career activities in order to "be available" for Fleetwood Mac. She has rewritten history, pal, & she wants you to believe the corrected version.

If you tally up the months spent making her own albums & doing her own shows, that number will vastly exceed the months she spent working on Fleetwood Mac albums or doing their tours. I can think of only one time -- & it's never been actually verified -- that she might have cut short a solo activity in order to start working again with the band on its own schedule, & that was when she did just twelve solo shows in 1981 so that she could fly to France with Fleetwood Mac to start recording.

Otherwise, it's been pretty much a full-time solo career for Stevie Nicks since 1981. She spent a few weeks in France recording with Mac in 1981, then spent another six or eight weeks at Larrabee with Mac finishing overdubs, & that was it for "Mirage." She then spent several months doing her own album, & broke for a mere seven weeks for the Mac tour, after which she got right back to her own album, which took her through early 1983. Her tour that year took about six months of her time -- one for rehearsal & five for the shows.

She spent the next two years, on & off, putting together her next album. Once that was done, in late 1985, she took off to Australia with the Heartbreakers while the rest of Fleetwood Mac was in preproduction for "Tango." Over the next year, she spent about five months on the road again for her solo career, & spent about ten days (according to the others) recording for "Tango."

I don't want to go on -- this is boring. But I really think that I've made my case that Stevie's "side" career all these years was Fleetwood Mac & her main career was definitely her solo career, & it was plenty serious. Now, the other members of Fleetwood Mac were as much to blame for the all-around halfhearted efforts; Christine & Lindsey didn't seem to care that the band was lying dormant for years at a time. This isn't a Blame Stevie game -- they were all morons when it came to the group's activity level. But for Stevie to say repeatedly throughout the years that the band somehow interfered in some serious way with her solo career is just rank idiocy. It's a Stalinesque rewrite of history, a purging of the facts & a reconstitution of the party line.

Other than that, though, how's everybody doing today? I'm listening to "Rock a Little" here & blissing out to "If I Were You" & "The Nightmare." Stevie has transported me to another world.

Dedicated Stevie
 

The ONLY time Stevie was not really involved with Fleetwood Mac was for Tango and we all know what shape she was in at that point in time. Other than that Fleetwood Mac was not really an active band at all during her solo career years. Maybe give her some credit for at least putting out her songs when there was no other outlet for her, at least not in FM. The point is that she didn't have to be in FM, but she was because I truly believe she LOVED being in that band. I don't think that's crap at all.


Joe

I agree with you Joe. Once Stevie did Bella Donna.. it did pretty well. She could have easily said goodbye to Fleetwood Mac to concentrate on her own solo career. Instead, she chose to do both. Most people who are in a band, when they do solo projects, sometimes leave the band because they think they can be more successful by themselves. I give Stevie credit for sticking with Fleetwood Mac and maintaining a successful solo career too.

:) Michelle

Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten that song is in there. Well, I have to agree with that assessment. Damn you and your elephantine memory, Johnny!!!

Well... technically all FM needs to be FM is Fleetwood and McVie. They did complete and sell nine whole albums and a few singles besides without any Buckinghams Nicks or Fritzeses, and a couple best ofs as well. They weren't totally wasted or boring years before they hit the Frampton/arena scale. Mick found Buckingham and Nicks from hearing Frozen Love, and he found other people before and after to invite into his group. His group is what he wants it to be. There would have been no FM for them to have joined if all that went before (for eight years) was not successful.

:)
Ahh, but if only I had paid as much attention in Algebra class as I did to Fleetwood Mac!
:laugh:


Johnny Stew

I totally know what you mean, Becca, and I'd be one of the last people to ever write-off Fleetwood Mac's wealth of great music, both before and after Buckingham & Nicks.... I just feel that the presence of *both* Lindsey & Stevie boosts Fleetwood Mac's appeal (to the general audience, at least) and definitely their sales.

And yes, that so-called Buckingham & Nicks chemistry has sometimes over-shadowed the great musical legacy that Fleetwood Mac possesses, but I also think that it greatly enhanced Fleetwood Mac's bankability.
In saying that, there's also no question in my mind that being in Fleetwood Mac helped Lindsey & Stevie.



Johnny Stew

Re: Dedicated Stevie
 

From the David Gans interview in The Record, Sept 1982:

The roaring success of Nicks’s solo album, Bella Donna, and her absence from recording sessions, interviews (at least those concerning Fleetwood Mac) and tour preparations seem ample evidence to support the notion that the singer has reached the point of self-sufficiency.

Nicks, on the other hand, was scheduled to show up only for the last ten days of work prior to the start of the tour.

"She phones her part in," says [Christine] McVie without a trace of irony.

No one in the Fleetwood Mac organization seems to know for sure what Nicks’s intentions are with respect to the band, and when asked if she would respond to specific issues raised in the interview with the others, a representative of Azoff’s company said, "She just wants to work on her record."

I stand completely by what I said earlier: Stevie Nicks put the majority of her time & energy into her solo career from 1981 to the present. To listen to her talk about the situation all these years, you would think that she was constantly forced to drop everything & run to a studio or a rehearsal hall because Fleetwood Mac called. I think her real response most of the time was more along the lines of: "When I'm done with my album, I'll help do yours" or "When I'm back from my tour, I'll start packing for yours."

Her solo career was her primary career; Fleetwood Mac was what she did in between solo gigs. And who can blame her? If I were Stevie Nicks back in those days, I'd have put my solo career ahead of Fleetwood Mac, too. Why would anyone want to hang around a studio with a bunch of people who don't really have a lot of professional respect or admiration for you? You'd have to be really cruel or short-sighted to blame Stevie for cutting out instead of keeping couped up with Lindsey & Christine & Mick & listening to the three of them browbeat you or snicker at you all the time. So good for Stevie for putting Mac second once her own career took off. I say go for it, Stevie. Good for you.

Nevertheless, that *is* what she did. If she wants to reinterpret the past by rewriting her history with the band and claim that she had to squeeze her solo career into the stray few hours or days that Fleetwood Mac allotted her, that's her business. But I'm certainly not going to believe it.

As far as the other thread's topic -- "Who needs whom more?" -- I think they all need a job.