The Chain box set - What you don't like about it
 

I'll chime in later. I just want to get it started!;)

There's already a thread going! :p

Teen Beat!!!!!

I never got why the oldest music was on the last disc. I think they should have sequenced it in chronological order.

Two Threads - 1 positive and 1 negative!

I thought the sequencing was kinda strange. At one point there are 2 Christine songs followed by 2 Lindsey Mirage songs. Then you have the random Hypnotized right in the middle of one of the disc. Then the rest of the Pre-Rumours songs "quarantined" on the last disc. It would have been better to mingle the Pre-Rumours in with the rest of the songs. Why a live version of FM performance of a solo Stevie song ie "Stand Back"?

Anybody care to post their re-sequencing of the box set? :shrug:

At the time, the tracklisting seemed worthy of salivating over. Looking at it now, it's rather unexceptional considering what could have been.

My biggest disappointment was the lack of true outtakes, other than Lindsey's Mirage stuff. However in the end, this made the expanded Rumours and Tusk that much more special.

How in the world was "Hold Me" not included?! It was a huge hit. At least it's on the condensed version.

It's strange things like that that make the box set very odd. Also the written documentation is inaccurate. Some of the remixes are not noted as such. And as others have noted, the sequencing is strange. When I listen to it, it's like an ipod of Fleetwood Mac, with random songs coming at you.

Well done box sets have elements that are also missing from The Chain. There is no copy whatsoever; no written contents to give context to the music and the history of the band.

Also, the graphic/layout of the product sucks; it's lazy and bit sloppy. I don't like that it is so dark, giving that Fleetwood Mac is a colorful band with coloful music. It's just too somber.

Regarding the aforementioned literary aspect - all we get are some short lame hand-written statements from each band member. And they use those as cover art for each disc! Those should have been regulated inside the booklet, because they hold no graphic appeal for a CD cover -- again, shoddy and lazy. Inexplicably, Stevie's comments about her song Dreams, have absolutely no context! And what CD cover are her comments featured on? The Blues era disc!!

This band (and their fans) deserves a better box set. I would love to see a box set just dedicated to the rumours era band. Also, a box set that features just the middle phase of the band, after the blues period - from Kiln House to Heroes Are Hard to Find. There is a lot of great, overlooked material there would benefit from a condensed collection, of course, with bonus stuff, like some rare live performances.

Disc One
1. Monday Morning
2. Say You Love Me
3. Dreams
4. Landslide
5. Second Hand News
6. Sara
7. Tusk (Alternate Mix)
8. Honey Hi
9. Crystal
10. Angel
11. Never Going Back Again
12. You Make Loving Fun
13. Over My Head
14. Gold Dust Woman
15. Beautiful Child
16. Make Me A Mask

Disc Two
1. Don't Stop
2. Rhiannon
3. Save Me A Place
4. Gypsy
5. Everywhere
6. Heart of Stone
7. Eyes of the World
8. The Chain
9. Love in Store
10. Go Your Own Way
11. Silver Springs
12. I Know I'm Not Wrong
13. Honey Hi
14. Brown Eyes
15. Sisters of the Moon
16. Blue Letter
17. Songbird


Disc Three
1. Paper Doll
2. Hold Me
3. What Makes You Think You're The One
4. Isn't it Midnight (Alternate)
5. Seven Wonders
6. Save Me
7. Goodbye Angel
8. Storms
9. Little Lies
10. Love is Dangerous
11. Skies The Limit
12. I'm So Afraid (Live)
13. Come A Little Bit Closer
14. Love Shines
15. No Questions Asked
16. Big Love
17. Stand Back (Live)


Disc 4
1. I Believe My Time Ain't Long
2. Need Your Love So Bad
3. Man of the World
4. Rattlesnake Shake
5. Black Magic Woman
6. Stop Messin' Around
7. Oh Well, part 1
8. Green Manalishi
9. Albatross
10. Station Man
11. Spare Me A Little
12. Sentimental Lady
13. Dust
14. Lay it All Down
15. Did You Ever Love Me
16. Heroes Are Hard To Find
17. Hypnotized
18. Why

I agree that the sequencing is just bizarre, even poor.

I like "Heart of Stone". "Love Shines", not so much.:shrug:

I think the box set should have included more hits ("Seven Wonders", "Hold Me"), more outtakes ("Smile At You" comes to mind), and live performances. (For example, "Stand Back" seems really odd thrown into the mix - not so much because it was originally a solo song, but because it's a live version among studio ones.)
Mick is the one who wrote not long before the box set that a band live is what a band is. I think the box set could have reflected this sentiment much more effectively.


- Jake

The only thing I dislike about this set is it's out of print, and my copy was lost when my convertible was stolen several years back. Got the stupid car back, but my box set is forever lost. :mad: