In terms of FM’s two 80’s albums, I prefer ‘Mirage’ over ‘Tango’, but ‘Tango’ definitely put FM on the map again after a 5 year absence. It was a big hit internationally and sold really well.
I don’t care for Lindsey’s songs (still scratching my head over ‘Family Man’ which was oddly released as a single), but ‘Big Love’, as the first single, did grab a lot of attention with the so-called ‘love grunts’. I agree with others here that Christine was the one who really shined on ‘Tango’. I love ‘Mystified’ and ‘Everywhere’, and ‘Little Lies’ was a deservedly a hit.
Stevie, sad to say, was lacklustre to say the least. ‘When I See You Again’ sounds like it was written in a klonopin haze (though she wasn’t actually on the stuff yet), and ‘Welcome to the Room… Sara’ was a miss for me. Instrumentally, it’s well produced, but it’s saddled with weak lyrics - a mishmash of pointless ‘Gone With The Wind’ references and recycled words from ‘Blue Lamp’. Stevie could’ve made a profound statement about going through drug abuse and coming out a survivor but you’ll never get that from the way the song was written.
Oh, and about ‘When I See You Again’, Stevie did an interview (in ‘Creem’) where she said the ending originally had her and Lindsey singing the ending together, but she ‘snuck in’ and took out her part so it’s only Lindsey’s voice we hear at the end. It was to make it more ‘intimate’, she said with him singing alone. Anyways, with all due respect, I really have to question Stevie’s side of the story. She was apparently barely there for the recording of ‘Tango’, and I doubt control-freak Lindsey would have let her near the mixing board –
I love ‘Seven Wonders’, but kudos to Sandy Stewart - not Stevie. Sandy saved her butt with that one. We might’ve gotten
the awful ‘What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done For You?’ instead. A thought - if ‘Seven Wonders’ wasn’t used, perhaps that b-side track ‘Book of Miracles’ could have been substituted (with words by Stevie that is) instead.
By the way, does any kind, generous, lovable Ledgie have a mp3 of ‘Book of Miracles’ that he/she can post to share? I only have it on vinyl, and on an audiocassette that I can’t find. Thanks!
