[Bella Figura]

Just my two cents as both a FM fan and Stevie fan, I think one thing the non-Stevie fans who are totally entitled to their opinion need to understand is that us Stevie fans have had to endure lots of bad press and social put-downs about Stevie, both past and present...Stevie is a no-talent, Stevie is a has-been, Stevie is fat and lazy, Stevie is this, Stevie is that. It has been this way always since the beginning, just read some Rolling Stone articles and you can understand how belittleing it can be to be a Stevie fan. and it was especially hard during the late 80's and early 90's but we made it through.

And with each literary arrow/dagger thrown her way, the social structure continues to try and make her fans feel stupid to enjoy her music/personna. And so we have become more tighter and adamant in her defense. including on this board. I know it can be especially hard on those Stevie fans who come to this board to share their enthusiasm and love of Stevie and her music, They can be gravely disappointed when other FM fans have their own favorites including negative Stevie opinions. But please know that our extreme defense of Stevie comes from a past of hard knocks...Social fabric loves to put people on pedestals only to tear them down at a later time, and from my point of view and experience, society is particularly viscious on women. It can be very perverse and cruel when a woman is on the downside of fame...case in point, Anna Nicole Smith...

I personally came to this board as basically only a Stevie fan and have enjoyed and appreciated having my musical landscape broadened by Lindsey's, Peter Green's and even Bob Welch's music and their wonderful fans. It only has enriched my love of the Mac and does not detract from my love of Stevie's music. As a fellow FM fan, I can only ask that all the non-Stevie fans, try once again and re-listen to her famous stuff and then try some of her new/rare stuff as well, I think as FM fans you will be pleasantly surprised and be re-enraptured by the whole FM magic once again, a perfect time to do so since the new tour will hopefully start in 2003. Believe me as a fellow FM fan, don't listen to just the social/literary hype, Stevie has done some great music since the 70's...