Rhiannon live/Tusk
 

Ok, I need an expert's opinion on this. I have a few bootlegs from the last month of the Tusk tour in AUgust and September of 1980, and on most of them near the end of Rhiannon Stevie does this thing where she says "IS this what you want?" Now I read in Mick's book that she was burnt out and this was her way of communicating to the audience "Hey, we've been on tour for a year, and were damn near dead." How do others feel about this?

I dont know but I love those versions. And Mick should've put freaking Mobile's Rhiannon on the Live album over what they put. I mean if they HAD to pick from the Rumours tour, pick a better show. The "official" live version of Rhiannon has grown to be one of my very least favorites. It just pales to almost every other version from that 75-80 period. Both Stevie wise and musicially from the band.

response
 

I have that Mobile show. Isnt that Rhiannon unbelieveable?!! :D

The best live "Rhiannon" I ever heard was the one from the GW Forum in August 1977. Nothing before that, nothing after that, ever came close.

Just some ad-libbing. In those days, Stevie ad-libbed a lot, & her ad-libbing often carried through for weeks or even months at other shows. Lindsey used to ad-lib, too, in those days, & contiguous chunks of shows have essentially the same ad-lib.

I still love the "Nothing ever changes" chant from 1987. Yes, 1987... spine-tingling...

It's funny how people's tastes vary. It's all good though. I actually have to disagree and say that I think the version on the 1980 Live album is a great choice. Personally, I just prefer the early 77 versions.

Don't get me wrong, I am totally obsessed with any live 75-80 Rhiannons and particularly am fond of some of the later Tusk tour versions. Personally, I adore the Cleveland 80 version. However, I just think some of those versions may have been a littly sloppy for an album release.

Anyone that has a website could you post a live Rhiannon from the 70's? I haven't begun to collect bootlegs yet and would love to know what all the hype is about. Please!

I think it is lackluster. Doesn't even compare to the version on LIVE. "Is that what you want" is different but it doesn't toot my horn.

Christopher, do you not Kazaa? I've got at least a couple versions off of Kazaa.

Don't you have the "Fleetwood Mac Live" album? That's a Rhiannon from the '70s.

^Or you could wait til early July and download some reposts from throwndown.net (once his bandwith is restored). :)

I agree. I love the live album version. My favorites are from 75/76. The later 70's ones are great, but to me the 75/76 ones rock the hardest :thumbsup:

In terms of Stevie's lead vocals, I guess they do. She was at her most Bette Midlerish at that point with Fleetwood Mac -- each performance of Rhiannon was like the raucous "Stay With Me, Baby"

But instrumentally, there's no comparison to the long 79/80 tour, when the band was at its most creative, most Grateful Deadish. As Robert Hilburn said in his review of the Hollywood Bowl shows, the jamming bordered on anarchy.

I truly love it when you make those comparisons. :laugh: