New York Daily News/New Album Article
 

Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks finds her groove collaborating with Dave Stewart for 7th solo album
BY Phil Roura
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Sunday, August 22nd 2010, 4:00 AM


Stevie Nicks' seventh solo album focuses on rock 'n' roll with some 'beautiful ballads.' Related NewsAgent says Rihanna, Matt Kemp just good friendsStevie Nicks has gotten her groove back.

Nine years after her last solo CD, the Fleetwood Mac superstar is deep into her seventh album - which for the first time she is writing with a collaborator, one-time Eurythmic Dave Stewart. Rumors of a romantic liaison notwithstanding, Nicks says it's the best time she has ever had putting out a CD.

"I've never before written anything with anybody else," says the smoky-voiced rock icon. "This is a great opportunity to do something new. I now understand why John Lennon and Paul McCartney worked so well together. You feed so much off each other."

As a result, Nicks has not ventured far from her California cocoon where she and Stewart have been working. The only concession: a short series of summer concerts that includes the Trump Taj Mahal on Friday night and Foxwoods' MGM Grand on Saturday.

"My management pushed me," she explains. "They said I had to take a month away from the record, and I'm glad I listened to them. It's been a good change of pace and a lot of fun."

The untitled CD is "a full-blown rock 'n' roll album with some beautiful ballads. And it's been fantastic and funky working at home."

It wasn't something she had planned. "My last performance was Dec. 21 in New Zealand after 83 shows with Fleetwood Mac," she says. "Coming straight home, the farthest thing from my mind was going straight to work."

Then along came Stewart, whom she had known in other circumstances. "I gave him a book of 50 poems I had written over the years," she recalls, "and he really liked them."

The day after the Grammys in February, they went to work. "I sat on a couch across from Dave. He'd play something on the piano. I'd throw out some lyrics."

Somehow, they got to talking about the Sargasso, a sea within a sea off Bermuda, from a movie she had seen. "He became intrigued with it," she adds. "I started developing lyrics off the top of my head - and a crazy, creepy, weird story began to take form. Dave liked it. In 10 minutes we had a song."

Word is that the CD will drop in the spring and that contributors include Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Ferrone and Mick Fleetwood on a drum solo.

It was on May 26, 1948, that Stephanie Lynn Nicks warbled her first note when she was born in Phoenix to Jess Nicks, a corporate veep, and Barbara Nicks, a housewife. As a toddler, she had trouble pronouncing her name, which came out "tee dee" and eventually "Stevie." It stuck.

Her great initial success was with lover Lindsey Buckingham. In 1974, they joined Fleetwood Mac and by 1977 the "Rumours" album had churned out four top 10 singles - including Nicks' megahit "Dreams," the group's only U.S. No. 1. By 1981, she began a solo career with the album "Bella Donna," but she continued to record and tour with Fleetwood Mac; the band's latest studio album is 2003's "Say You Will," for which Nicks wrote the title track.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998, the now 62-year-old rocker worries about the future of the industry she loves.

"The Internet has destroyed rock. Children no longer develop social graces. They don't hang out anymore," she complains. "I'm financially stable. I'm okay. But what about the kids trying to make it in this business? If you're not an established band, if you don't have a hit single, they're gonna drop you. There are a lot of people out there as talented as we were, but they can't sustain being in a rock 'n' roll band for long without success. We were able to, but we're going to die out."

Still, her current passion remains the new CD. "Eventually, there will be another Fleetwood Mac record and another tour," says Nicks. "But this record is my moment. All next year, it's going to be this. This is now my turn." It's her groove

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...e_stewart.html

It's great to know that she confirms her album will encompass all of 2011 and after that we will have a NEW Fleetwood Mac album and a NEW Fleetwood Mac Tour!

I don't know why she says this is the first time she's written with someone else. There's Lindsey, Mike Campbell, Sandy Stewart. As a matter of fact, I think she said the same thing when she and Sandy wrote "Nightbird". I don't get it.

I love hearing Stevie happy like this :) Sounds like the touring has done a lot of good for her energy.

83 shows with the Mac is an awful lot, I didn't realise how long that tour was! :shocked:

Thanks for posting this, Viv.

"But this record is my moment. All next year, it's going to be this. This is now my turn."

Ok, this is the Stevie we all know and love. :nod:
This summer was the "Summer of Stevie" I can't wait for the "Year of Stevie" in 2011 :]

"Somehow, they got to talking about the Sargasso, a sea within a sea off Bermuda, from a movie she had seen. "He became intrigued with it," she adds. "I started developing lyrics off the top of my head - and a crazy, creepy, weird story began to take form. Dave liked it. In 10 minutes we had a song."
OMG, now that sounds so interesting, can not wait to hear this along with the New Orleans song. Wow, you know, I think this album just might blow us all out of the water. :nod:

The untitled CD is "a full-blown rock 'n' roll album with some beautiful ballads. And it's been fantastic and funky working at home."
Now this is music to my ears. :D
It is great to hear Stevie got her groove back.

Maybe she means it's the first time she's written the whole album with someone else.

Rumors of a romantic liaison notwithstanding.......I know the story behind the song "Don,t come around here no more" that Dave Stewart wrote about Stevie, but do you think there is something going on between them now?

Who knows? It's been a long time since Stevie's been involved with anyone. It's more than likely just a rumor, but if they are, in fact, seeing each other then good for them!

I think this is the first time she has actually sat down and written songs WITH someone else. with LB and Campbell, and probably Stewart, the other writer likely wrote the music, with Stevie contributing the lyrics.

lolol it cracks me up how almost every single project always starts after the grammys or after coming off the road. Two mile markers which always equate to a new project.

Well, I hope Stevie isn't too happy, as she writes her best songs in her misery.. jk..

Glad to see Stevie working on a new record again.. seeing her live on Friday, so that will have to tie me over until Spring.. the new album has me very intrigued, especially the collaboration with Stewart. Glad to see a few ballads among the mix.

Thanks for sharing!

i remember alllll the hype about TISL a year or so b4 it came out....i think it was her most unmemorable work...i kno ppl loved it...but i thought it was so different than her other work....i can only hope this new album is not that over produced..funked up..unstevie like work TISL was....go back to bella donna...wild heart..rock alittle ..OSOTM...thats the REAL stevie nicks..street angel??? another wierd mix of strange unstevie songs.."docklands??" wats that about...covering "just like a woman???" who advised her that one?? all her unrecorded stuff flying arounf the internet??? GREAT WRITING!! GREAT SONGS!! "she still loves him" one of her best..dont kno y she never recorded it...we'll see...hope its a good record

It kind of irk's me to hear her keep saying that this is the "first time" she has written songs with someone else. Hello Stevie! Did you forget about Lindsey? Enough with Lennon & McCartney! What about Buckingham & Nicks?! Has she completely wiped that part of her life out of her mind? Stevie & Lindsey must have sat down and wrote some songs/part songs/lyrics together. I mean like actually collaborate and pen the lyrics together? Come on. I always feel for Lindsey when she says s**t like that.

Have they actually written songs together? Supposedly Stevie was a little upset when she found out that Lindsey and Chris wrote World Turning because she and Lindsey had never written any songs together. The only song that credits them both (aside from The Chain) that I can recall is Frozen Love, and it's not a stretch to think Stevie wrote the lyrics and Lindsey wrote the music. :shrug:

Also, with Mike Campbell and Sandy Stewart, they would send instrumental tracks, and Stevie would write lyrics over them. I think the closest Stevie's previously described as writing a song with someone was for Nightbird, where Sandy was actually present to develop the music while Stevie was coming up with the lyrics.

Of course, it is Stevie, so who knows what goes through her mind when she says things.

I don't know how she makes the leap between the Internet robbing you of all of your social graces and music not selling anymore.

Yes, I understand that record companies don't give a band a chance like they did back in the day. And internet music sharing has cut into their profitability so much that they don't want to spend the money on a new act. But there's a flip side to that coin, in that the new acts have more direct access to the public now.

Aside from all of that, it still doesn't explain how lost social graces destroyed music. I don't even disagree with her about the kids not developing like they should due to the internet. I lament that too in some ways. Although, I'd say it helps communication and creativity as much as it hurts. But I don't deny that it hurts.

Michele