This demo IS gorgeous.
I first got to hear it recently thanks to Brian's fabulous trades
and It knocked me off my feet, as did the rest of the Gems cd. I actually cried!
I'm surprised at the excellent quality of this mp3.
Just for the sake of argument...I wanted to point out that Lindsey took Stevie's demos and made them awesome rock and roll songs. He enhanced them with gorgeous harmonies, rocking guitar solos, and the most carefully crafted production. He didn't make them awesome songs. They were already that.
However, on Tusk I believe he made the least effort out of any album, being that he was reeling from the whole Mick affair and some nasty leftover breakup tension with Stevie. I think Stevie's songs on Tusk, like Sisters, are closest to the original demos, without being quite as developed as, say, her songs on Rumours or Tango. The point is, he didn't need to make much effort to make her songs sound effortlessly amazing...just look at the classic video of them working together on Angel!
We know he didn't contribute much, if at all, lyrically to her songs. As far as melodies go, he didn't need to add much either.
The gorgeous elements of this demo are just that: the gut-wrenching lyrics and melody. She didn't need Linds for that. But he did turn it into an amazing rock and roll song, with (in my opinion) minimal effort. I think that's why it doesn't sound all that different from the final version.
Personally, I don't think any piano version of Rhiannon compares to the full-blown, fast performed version, with Lindsey's screaming guitar solo to support the vocal screaming. That was a time when, as Stevie said, he worked on her music with a "fever." And you can hear it. He loved her so much, and recognized every breath of her singing and word of her writing as the pure talent it is.
This is NOT a Stevie Vs. Lindsey argument...just want to point out exactly HOW he compliments her musically...I realize it even more when I hear these raw demos. And it is so mind-boggling to hear them in that pure form.
But I still believe that at least half of her solo songs would have sounded better with some of Lindsey's influence. Sometimes I think Jimmy Iovine was a waste of space. While I love every single one of her solo songs for their lyric and melody content, sometimes I am lukewarm to, if not horrified by some of the bad production in the 80's (lackluster guitar solos if any, and some keyboards that make me cringe)...
Sorry to ramble. (I apologize if I offended anyone, I really don't mean to)...
-Sonia