[moon]

Hi! Christine left us a few days ago so I tried to undestand what happened. One of the first songs that came to my mind was Hollywood (Some Other Kind Of Town), so it was my clue to write something to try to tribute her, but only from the 1988-1995 period, in which she worked hard, but relaxed, but confused.

1) As Long As You Follow.
The first emblematic song of FM after TITN was written by Christine and Eddy Quintela. Even when it appeared in a greatest hits album, ALAYF appears itself as the start of a new era. Similar to Mystified, it shows a very sweet rythm, with a new team with Rick Vito and Billy Burnette taking the guitars. One of the most remembered songs of Christine, with a very romantic and symbolic music video.

2) Skies The Limit.
This song is the opening of the Behind The Mask album. Following the style of TITN, as it also has a very "80s sound", Skies The Limit has a good backing vocals part, with Stevie Nicks appearing more, on the song and on the rest of Chris' songs. Even when it scored a good ranking, the song is not well remembered, as the entire album was.

3) In The Back Of My Mind.
Even when it's not a Christine's song, it has a very important part sung by her. Replied live, her part of the song is very well known, as it marks a bridge on the song.

4) Do You Know.
Written with Billy Burnette, it shows a good combination of musicians, an it means the start of a collaboration work between them. One of the ballads of the album, it marks again the strongest stly of our songbird.

5) Save Me.
The other "battle horse" for BTM, which failed to be a real hit, even when it had a good promotion and radio broadcast.

6) Behind The Mask.
This one, written by Christine only, without Quintela, is probably the darkest song of the album. It has a very interesting meaning, as the cover of the album shows a girl like Stevie Nicks, the song is written by Christine, and Lindsey Buckingham wrote by the same time a song called Make Me A Mask, and collaborates on the Chris' song on accoustic guitar. A very like-coded tune, probably showing the internal battle of Christine without Lindsey, Nicks more dedicated to her solo career, and the start of the fall of a very successful band...It was?

7) When It Comes To Love.
Even when it was also written by Burnette, McVie's part once again is so important, so the song sometimes is considered as a duet and not as a Burnette's solo song, as ITBOMM. Probably one of the best songs on the album, would be a gem performed live.

8) Love Shines.
Love Shines is probably the biggest song written by Christine McVie in the post Rumours days, and before The Dance ones. As a very sweet and happy song, it sows a seed of hope about love and happiness, with a band reduced to a quartet, without Vito and Nicks. Christine thought it was her last work with Fleetwood Mac, before returning to Europe with her husband and co-writter of this song, Eddy Quintela, in a permament way. Even with that, the band had plans to continue, for contract reasons but also because of Fleetwood's thought on keeping alive the band.

9) Heart Of Stone.
A good one but not so well-known yet. Recorded during the Behind The Mask sessions, it appeared as a new song on 25 Years: The Chain. At that time, the collaborations between Chris and Nicks kept the band's classical sound. This one has the Christine's signature as it remembers to some older songs, specially the TITN ones, or something from her second solo album, released in 1984. Was it a part of a failed solo album?

10) Hollywood (Some Other Kind Of Town).
As it says by itself, the song is a searching for a new place, far away from the flashes and the lights. Christine McVie was in a 6-year-old marriage with Quintela, so she decided to continue with a musical life, but without studios and recordings. She started with a fear about flying, so she didn't wanted to fly anymore. Hollywood (the fame) was eating the moments as a couple, the energy of a very strong woman, and now, without Buckingham and Nicks. After the reunion of the group for Bill Clinton's campaign, the lifestyle of Christine was in Some Other Kind Of Town (Europe), not in the moved America. She needed to feel the rain upon her face...

11) I Do.
The most iconic song from Time, but not the best one. As a contractual move, Christine recorded this song with a strong collaboration of Billy Burnette, but is credited as a McVie-Quintela song. I Do was the single, the way to promote an "empty" (??) album, and it failed, as the album itself. Probably if they chose anothers song, the luck could be better, but not the best one. Even with that, I Do is another of the most remembered songs written by Cristine but, once again, not her best one.

12) Sooner Or Later.
The strongest and best song by Chris on Time, tied with Hollywood..., but even better. In almost six minutes, Christine McVie shows her best work. Leaving the past behind, this Christine talks to something or someone we don't know. Probably, to herself from the past, the life of the rocker one, or probably to the band, in a kind of goodbye, part I...

13) Nights In Estoril.
Like a second part of Hollywood..., it shows a happier woman, now without the pressure of being in a band. Even when she accepted to record the songs, it's a clear fact that she's singing to Warner too, saying that she's happy now, and doesn't need to live in the music world anymore.

14) All Over Again.
The last song on a Fleetwood Mac album, without knowing it could be that one, really. A sad but so reflexive song, at that time, the lyrics had an special meaning as they showed a woman who's quiting the band, who needs to take a breath and a rest. She enjoyed the story with the band, her work there, but she's a 52-year-old woman at that time, so she wants to do something different. This is the goodbye, part II. The definitely one. But not at all, as the song catches a new meaning today, only a few days after her passing. So let's stop, before it's too late...

Which one is/was your favourite? Do you rediscover one of them? Which are your comments about the songs?