In terms if public perception, and very likely in Mick's mind, much of the Burnette years were seen as a holding pattern, keeping the band afloat while the members of the Rumours lineup worked out their issues. The band appeared to take Behind the Mask seriously and maybe at the start there was an attempt to fully relaunch the band sans Lindsey. But when it became clear that 4/5 of that lineup were not enough to hold the same level of public interest as 5/5 had, the momentum seems to have petered out.
Not so with the Welch years. One doesn't get the sense from those 1971-74 albums that FM is in a holding pattern waiting for the return of the classic lineup. Instead one sees genuine commitment to forge ahead and develop a new sound. They were not always successful, but artistically those Welch-era records are very rewarding in a way Mask is not. There's no question Welch should have been inducted as an important member of the band. I do not feel equally enthusiastic about Burnette, Vito, Walker, Bramlett, or Mason, despite liking them all and really enjoying much of the music on Time.
I have a soft spot for Weston and would have loved to see him inducted as well, but I understand the band's and/or academy's decision not to include him.
Just my two cents.
Last edited by aleuzzi; 10-22-2013 at 09:00 PM..
|