[Sugar]

You can chalk me up for Mirage.

The synthy 80's thing just bugs me too much. Probably why I'm among the minority that likes WISYA; it's simple, vulnerable, and raw. I really dig how Lindsey comes in on the end too, both the vocal and the guitar. I won't bother y'all with the video I have in my head for this song, but it's just so lonely, and I think Lindsey's counterpoint heightens that.

I'll solidify my place in the minority and say I don't really like "Little Lies" (so cliche and insubstantial), and I DO like "Family Man" (LOVE the guitar, the energy and the moodiness) and WTTR...S (I dig gritty Stevie, it ain't all chiffon and lace!). "Isn't It Midnight" is a rocker for Christine and I wish I liked it more, but I just can't connect to it. The rest is just OK to me.

"Mirage", while hardly stellar, just has stronger songs IMO. Both "Wish You Were Here" and especially "Love in Store" are simple yet solid. I mean, c'mon, who among you doesn't sing along to this chorus? "Only Over You" reminds me of "Over My Head" in both atmosphere and theme (damn that Dennis Wilson making Chris so mixed up!). It just reminds me of someone languishing by their window about that bad relationship. Maybe a bit of "Over and Over in there too (what's with these "O" titles?). "Hold Me" is lovely, from that little piano in the beginning to that fabo Chris/Lindsey combo, and those sexy, lusting lyrics!

Lindsey is the weak link here; I can do without almost everything but I really like "Book of Love". I HATE that I like this song, 50's feel AND named "Book of Love" for God's sake! But his vocal in the chorus, right down to those "Ha,ha,ha,ha's"...love it.

I can't say any more about "Gypsy", but I do skip it sometimes just because of the extensive radio play it's gotten. "That's Alright" is OK, but "Straight Back" is SO underrated! It's stronger than SOTM (which I don't think we would talk hardly at all if it hadn't been for the "Mirage" video), and again I dig gritty, fed up Stevie! Direct and to the point..."hours and hours of waiting for you"...smart and angry, at him and herself...I had forgotten about this song for a while, but it may be one of my all time favorites of Stevie's.

I suspect us older folks prefer Mirage because it's closer to the classic FM sound. Tango brought a lot of fans in, so I suspect younger fans like it because it was their first initiation to FM. Just MHO.