Thread: Save Me A Place
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Old 12-05-2004, 04:43 PM
dontlookdown dontlookdown is offline
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Whoever said that the lows were Lindsey's is correct. Tusk was the first time Lindsey started slowing and speeding up the tape to get different ranges on vocals - he used it a lot on Law + Order and even more so on Mirage and Tango - (and Say You Will). It's a nifty little trick that Brian Wilson made famous but was also used heavily by the Beatles. Matthew Sweet does it frequently too. It's very similar process to running a tape in reverse for guitars, etc. - which is also a big Lindsey thing. You can hear it on the Beatles Revolver album. Check out "I'm Only Sleeping" from that album.

Christine also got into the trickery on Mirage and Tango with the same technique. I think it's cool because it originated as a tape/analog thing and has nothing to do with synthesizers or Pro Tools, etc.

For vocals, Lindsey just slows the tape speed down, or speeds it up, and then corrects the pitch so the key stays the same. It's a great thing for people who put tracks together when they work solo.

I have always loved Save Me A Place. It has a very George Harrison-like quality to it. And I think people that really respond to old harmony singing like The Kingston Trio or The Mamas and the Papas get into it also.
It's not the kind of track that your average FM top 40 fan will like - it requires some thought and participation to really appreciate it for what it is, and that's asking a lot of your average joe who justs wants to be entertained.
Save Me A Place is an important song because it was the first Fleetwood Mac song released where people who appreciated true artists finally took notice of the band. It was a risky move for Lindsey (as was the rest of Tusk) but for me - it's the reason I fell in love with Fleetwood Mac.

He took it one step further, but with higher vocals on Walk A Thin Line. What a gorgeous song that is. I still love it and put it up there among my top 5 FM songs.
Also - if you listen to "Smile At You" , there's a section where guitars run in reverse which is pretty cool - it happens in the bridge.

Can you imagine how bland Tusk would have been if Lindsey didn't push the project in the direction that he did?
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