It seems to me that not touring behind a new album takes away the pressure that comes with it. And maybe that's what Stevie and Lindsey need right now in order to see if the band has a future without Christine. Meaning, they need to simply work on having a better relationship and just have some fun together for a bit. We all know their ability to get along determines whether or not the band implodes at this point. And they obviously know that. They sat in a fragile position after Christine left, and with the "magical mediator" being gone, maybe they should have done what they're doing now first. It's a major mental, emotional and musical adjustment that perhaps should have been worked through more slowly. I love SYW, but I do wonder how it may have been different had things been done this way. But, of course, then I suppose they would have risked people saying that all they were capable of post-Christine was a Greatest Hits Tour. So I understand there was a need to "prove themselves" as well. You can't win.
I don't mind the tour sans new album. Tom Petty does it all the time, and no one complains because his show is great, and they still effin' rock. On this note, I will be disappointed if the band don't make the show something special. My biggest complaint is that they didn't give fans first stab at the front seats.
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