Quote:
Originally Posted by aleuzzi
I see why it’s widely regarded her best solo album. I’ve never been a huge fan of it as a sequence of songs but certain songs on it blow me away.
Still, I suppose my ambiguity about the record comes from my having bought it after Mirage and TWH. By around early 1984, I was pretty much over my Stevie obsession and had thrown myself into early Mac records—and anything featuring Christine.
My biggest complaint about BD is the decision to leave “Gold and Braid” off of it because it’s such a great song and vocal. Not a bad complaint to have!
Also, “How Still My Love” (along with “Trouble”) is the best non-Mac Fleetwood Mac song of the eighties.
|
You're not alone. Even in my Stevie Nicks fandom heyday, I always thought the hype around Bella Donna was a little overblown. The second half of that record drags a$$ IMO. Kind of Woman, Think About It, and The Highwayman are all run-of-the-mill, not standout tracks IMO. Sleeping Angel and Golden Braid would have improved the album immensely. Even the studio version of Outside The Rain seems really lacking compared to what it became live.
The fact that she had such immense help from the heartbreakers, jimmy, and Don Henley is what really elevated the material on that record. The lack of their involvement is really evident when listening to Wild Heart.