Too much Dave Stewart?
 

I gave a friend of mine a copy of In Your Dreams and when he looked at the back cover he said: "Yuck! What is he doing all over this?" (We then laughed when I reminded him how Annie Lennox is similarly a camera hog--as in her disgusting display at the Oscars the year her LotR song won). Anyway, my friend further complained (when he looked at the credits): Glenn Ballard and Chris Lord-Alge are all more famous than he is. Anyway, 'twas an interesting observation from someone who hasn't really looked at the making of the album and its promotion. And it begs the question: Is there too much Dave Stewart integrated in the packaging/promotion of this album?

Thoughts?

No. He is the architect of this entire project. He's a collaborator on this project to the degree that he probably should have been named on the album cover... or at least should have been pictured on the cover. Think about it. He basically wrote the music to half the songs. He undoubtedly got a few lyrics in there too. He filmed the entire project for a documentary, which was his idea. He took most of the photographs which this project is known for. He created the sizzle real/trailer. He's directing the music videos for the album's singles. He duetted on 2 songs. He produced pretty much every single track. He probably played instruments on every single track. He coaxed some of the best vocals out of Stevie in decades. He communicated with the fans during the entire process. He ended up helping Stevie create her best album since the 1980s. If anything, he deserves more recognition. It honestly annoys me that Stevie fans think he should disappear. He IS the sound of this album. He crafted it's look, too. If anything, he almost deserves a co-title for this album, in my opinion.

NO! and Annie ROCKS !

I don't take it quite as far as louielouie, but I do think Dave deserves a lot of credit. While I consider this very much Stevie's album, I think she and Dave together really produced something amazing and special.

I don't think there's too much Dave at all; clearly Stevie's extremely grateful for what he did, and so am I. Like Louie said; he wrote the music for most of the songs, no Dave Stewart = No Album.

This entire project also has Stevie's approval from front to back, if she wanted to put tony the tiger on the back of the cd she could probally have it done. She wants to give credit where credit id due, she clearly appreciate's all that Dave has done.

dave did a great job nobody else could have done this!

louie my dear! are you feeling ok today!? no way should he have been on the album cover! don't make me come down there and get you!

yes he did a wonderful job...............but those are Stevie's journals. was it really HIS sounds.........or her ideas and he made them come to light? ionno...........i kinda find it hard to believe with all the demos this woman has that whoever produces her music throws that sound in the garbage and makes up a brand new one all the time. or am i wrong? am i to know that none of her demos sound ANYTHING like the song on the albums?

r we really going to say that stevie IS as good as WHO SHE WORKS WITH?

Amen!!! I mean...kudos obviously go to Dave for gaining Stevie trust, holding the project together from beginning to end & propelling Stevie to make another classic. But it's one thing to get co-writing credit on 7 songs, co-producer & musican credit, and have a picture or two in the liner notes, but album cover credit!! You've got to be kidding!! This is a Stevie Nicks project through and through! The storytelling, the sentiments, the poetry & prose, the phrasing, THE VOICE!! There is also no denying Dave stayed as true as possible to all of Stevie's demos. LFTM into Moonlight, Secret Love, and Annabel Lee borrows the same guitar riffs (almost note by note) and structure of the demo minus Waddy's little minuet addition.

So my answer to the threads question at hand is I do not think there is too much Dave on this record - because there is simply no way to upstage Stevie herself. Her personality and uniqueness are indelible stamps that cannot be overshadowed. Dave, being an artist himself, clearly understood Stevie's quirks in style & art, as well as her singing and songwriting magic, and was able to crystalize it in a way that has not been done since FM (1st 4 Buckingham Nicks albums) or Jimmy Iovine.

Well, since you said it first...:)

The attitude that this isn't really a Stevie record because she collaborated on the songs annoys me, in general. I get the feeling that some fans would be disappointed with any Stevie release where it wasn't just her banging away on the piano, and rambling incoherently, a la Mabel Normand.

The horse was bad enough.

Michele

hahaha!!! I'm not feeling the cover either!

I think credit was given where credit was due. This was definitely Stevie's album, and Dave did an amazing job with it, but that's as far as it goes.

Depends on the circle you're in. A lot of people might know Annie Lennox/Eurthymics and Dave Stewart but have no clue as to who Ballard and Lord-Alge are. I'd say Lord Alge is the least well known of the 3.