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Originally Posted by blinker12
Interesting! The piece makes some good points about how Stevie started as vulnerable yet tough, only to become simply vulnerable in the period 1985-1994. We all know some of the reasons for that vulnerability (weight gain, cocaine rehab, Klonopin addiction and rehab).
The piece seems to follow Stevie only through 1998, and I got to thinking about her persona since then. In her writing, she seems to have reclaimed much of the earthiness and fortitude that endeared her to fans in the first place. Just look at newer songs like "Destiny Rules," "Love Changes," "Thrown Down" and "Fall from Grace," in which she seems resigned to the challenges of love but also strong enough to weather them. Even "Silver Girl," despite its references to girly girls and generally soft lyrics, hints at a kind of mysterious resilience: "Sometimes she was just an actress/But you'll never really know/Shadows move across her face/You cannot see her soul."
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I thought that whole concept was pretty off. I tend to see Stevie as much more vulnerable on the first three BN era FM albums. I think she discovered her strength with Bella Donna and then moved on from there. The introspective waif on "Dreams", "Storms" and "Beautiful Child" has got nothing on the hard as nails beyotch from "Edge of 17", "Nothing Ever Changes" and "Kind of Woman". Rock A Little, TOSOTM and Street Angel all had their moments of what the writer referred to as "complex meld of vulnerability and hard core strength". "Long Way to Go" and "Love Is Like a River" are hardly soft, weak, feminine piffle.
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I agree with the author that this return to a stronger voice has a lot to do with her newfound credibility.
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I don't think Stevie ever returned to a stronger voice, unless you're talking about her semi-recovery from her shattered Rock A Little voice. Her TOSOTM voice is way better than TISL or what she's got going now.