[aleuzzi]

They did an admirable job of carrying on without her, thanks in large part to Lindsey’s energy on stage. (However, Stevie’s celebrity was the reason they were able to keep going.)

But admirable is a far cry from stellar, or even wholly convincing. Christine’s absence on the record is glaring. It occasionally even hurts. But in terms of a traditional band concept, her refusal to tour could have hurt the cause if she’d ended up on the record.

For what it’s worth, I always think the record is far more crucial than the tours. It’s what left after the ephemeral excitement of a live show fades into memory. I would have preferred her on SYW. On the other hand, Lindsey’s integrity about his position transferred to his stage presence: he worked damn hard in the early 2000s for that band. I saw them for the unleashed tour. He was the focal point—and he did things with John and Mick they’d never managed before.

One other note: in an interview around 2004, John was asked what he thought of Christine’s then new solo album. He thought it sounded good but would have been better had she worked with FM. At the time I was annoyed by this: I thought he was dinging Christine’s work. In hindsight, I realize he may have been giving a jab to Lindsey, essentially voicing his support of her presence in the band on record.