[Macfan4life]

I love these podcasts and I have not had a chance to watch it yet because I need to devote time because they are so good and I get involved in them so much. I will give my quick thoughts about the album though.
I was disappointed with RAL and I tend to judge records by its predecessor and when I first played TOSOTM, I was so impressed because it was so much better than RAL. Stevie's voice was in top shape. No vocal fry yet had her classic rasp. Some of Stevie's best writing is on this album compared to RAL which she barely wrote any songs. The album put drum machines and the mid 80s sound to rest and we get real drums (for the most part) and real musicians again. I do agree with Stevie that it is sort of a magic album. Thankfully we got this treat before her lights went out for several years. Looking back the album cover saddens me because at the time I thought that blank stare was on purpose but clearly the klonopin kicked in. This is the first time Stevie goes solo without Jimmy Iovine or Waddy so it truly is Stevie going her own way. The album could have used a little Jimmy and Waddy in places though. Stevie reveals so much in this album and we get so many drug addiction references. Its very autobiographical and I love it for that reason. Now to the music:

Rooms on Fire
Love the song and the writing. I do believe in love at first sight and its happened to me so I almost feel that I wrote this song. That's how emotionally attached I was to the song. I love the mood of the song and its meaning. Its top 40 stuff but in a very classy way. Love the acoustic guitar parts and the chorus is vintage Stevie. Hello! Just this song alone is better than any song on RAL. What an album kick off. Its also my favorite Stevie video that MTV played the hell out of.

Long Way To Go
IMHO, this is Stevie's biggest rocker of her solo career so I love it just for that reason alone. Its angry Stevie and I love it. To combine drug addiction and kicking that habit along with kicking a bad relationship merged together in one song is outrageously good. Only Stevie could do such a song. No beating around the bush here: High in my life, obsession was my love. Worth it was my time. You are fading out. I always loved the phrase "Have fun tell the world" OMG I used to sign yearbooks or sign my name with that phrase. The extended version of this song blows my mind every time I hear it.

Two Kinds of Love
It took awhile for me to like and appreciate this song. This is a rare song from Stevie in where she sings about not only love but lust. Lusting after a guy in the way he walks. That's pretty rare for her. I am guessing the song is about Joe. Drug fueled all nigther parties mentioned and its her 3rd day up? Good grief no wonder some of those Wild Heart Shows were so bad (I saw one of those) and his second nighter. I like Bruce's piano and the chorus is very catchy. People freak out about the sax but its ok IMHO. Its used as a bridge. Its just too complicated as a song for commercial release. I like it and I realize I am in the minority. This is a song that is so messy to do live and was horrible on the tour. This is the song that could have used Jimmy. The final product is ok but just needs something to pull it all together. But considering the demo and lyrics, this song still is in the winner's circle IMHO.

Oooh My Love
A definite winner. Of all the old demos of this song, this album got it right. I love the drumming and she does an amazing vocal. She is fragile at points and then explodes and has amazing lyrics. WHY WHY WHY did she never do this live? This should have been the second single IMHO with a video. Its vintage Stevie singing about castle walls, etc. Welcome back Stevie.

Ghosts
For a long time, this was one of my least favorites on the album. When I heard Stevie talk about it, it made me finally cross over and like the song. People always told Stevie she lives in the past. I can relate to that because people tell me the same thing. Its also autobiographical where she devotes herself to her music like a husband. We all have fear of the future and this song explains that. Plus we get Stevie talking about angels again. Welcome back Stevie! IMHO its a very uplifting song which Stevie is not usually know for.

Whole Lotta Trouble
I get the sound she was going for but a few tweaks and this song really could have been spectacular. It needs Jimmy Iovine. Its a good song but it sounds like a polished demo. It just needs something to get it over the hump for me. This should have been the side 2 opener. Odd placing to have it as the last track on side one. I would have pulled out all the stops and turned this song into a a much bigger rocker.

Fire Burning
I always did not care for this song. I just always hated how the song opens to singing BURNING! and then some country inspired guitar. The hook of this song does work and the lyrics are really something when you find out it was inspired about a real fire at Stevie's house. What could she take and still survive the fire! This was her panic to grab things and decide what to take. She merges the reality of the fire with a burned relationship. Pretty brilliant writing IMHO. Once the song gets going, I like it but the beginning always made me not like it.

Cry Wolf
This song was done by just about everyone. Laura Brannigan did a version too. It was passed around to just about everyone. Stevie does a fair job at it even though she did not write it. I think she ran out of good songs when the klonopin was kicking in and they needed some filler. I will say, I love the way she sings the bridge in this song and her musicians did probably the best job at performing this song that I heard. Stevie does bring some passion to the song which is needed. Not my favorite from the album.

Alice
Its an oddball for sure but I love the lyrics and going back to the other side of the mirror. Odd choice for her live show too. OMG her dancing around with those fans is so silly. It is whimsicle for sure. But her poetry writing is sometimes very hard to put to music.

Juliet
She says the sky is blue! OMG. I like the beat and vocal. Crystals and mirrors again. Welcome back Stevie. It has a very bouncy beat and I love when she did it in concert and I was lucky to see the tour early enough to see it before it was dropped.

Escape from Berlin
I love the second title of this song. Its a reminder of what is true compared to the rewritten history today. Stevie bailed on the Betty Ford center. She did not even last 30 days before she "escaped." LMAO Seriously, what a analogy to compare her leaving Betty Ford to escaping from Berlin where border guards were to shoot on sight. This song is like Illume where its a poem about a very traumatic event that is nearly impossible to put to music or make it a pop song. Yet Rupert did a fine job. OMG her lyrics are insane and so vivid about her pain of addiction and being treated like a prisoner in her opinion. "it was one for you but three for me" OMG she is saying that even in the addict world, she was very far advanced. I didnt win or lose, I just threw the cards. OMG she was furious, pissed and quit and then retaliated against everyone who led her intervention. The song is hypnotic at times and that's purposely done. It sets a mood. I love the line "in my way, disaster was the only thing that I could depend on" OMG thats pretty bad. But you know what "Its alright baby, I'm doing the best that I can. And that's all we can do right? Thank goodness this made the album and Rupert did not pass on such a challenge.

I still miss someone
This is my dud of the album. It sounds like Carnival music in the beginning and I rarely like Stevie singing other people's songs.

The left overs from this album like Dial the Number and few others that I've heard are horrible and some of the worst music and singing I ever heard. So I can see where Cry Wolf and Still Miss Someone were picked to go on the album. While not perfect, this is my 3rd favorite Stevie album. I think her writing on it was spectacular. Some of the songs were hit or miss but any of them are better than anything on RAL. She used 2 of the biggest stars in 1988 Bruce Hornsby and Kenny G but by the time 1989 rolled around they were both almost has beens. This was my least favorite Stevie solo tour. Even though she performed 5 new songs from the album (unheard of), she was so zonked out. The set list would put you to sleep. Her 1989 version of Gold Dust Woman with those cheezy keyboards are nails down a chalkboard for me. Her set was so short too and she came out for one short encore. The reviews were right, her opener The Hooters put on a much better show. She was in no form to perform and she made an appearance, sang about 12 songs and left. Something that gets forgotten but didn't Stevie thank Lindsey Buckingham in the liner notes of this album. She never did that on any of her albums before. It weird the second single got no promotion and no video which for the MTV age was very unlikely. No hit songs had no videos in 1989. They should have skipped Two Kinds of Love and released Whole Lotta Trouble with the live video. I still don't know if it would have charted but Two kinds of Love never charted so it was a pipe dream to think another single would when the album completely left the charts by then. I always thought the order of the song were odd. Usually first tracks on sides are singles but we get Fire Burning leading off the second side.