I agree that the tone of the coverage isn't great -- probably that is where Stevie's own stardom and her savvy moves to establish herself as an icon to younger generations will always win. How many of the journalists covering him are younger and admire Stevie?
I think it's easy for any of us to feel that Lindsey is making his own bed here, in terms of the bad press, and some of that is true. But the stories actually don't pick up some of the origins here -- specifically how the band gaslit the public and Lindsey by saying Lindsey didn't want to tour as the reason for firing him, and how he literally had to file a lawsuit to beat that back. I mean the level of lying was absurd -- I mean, if Stevie had said in 2018 that she has known him for 50 years, and while she wishes him well, she cannot work with him any more, we would have been sad, but I don't think the level of anger/disgust would be where it is. I know I would have said, you know, I'm sad they can't work together, but she has a right to avoid someone where there is so much conflict.
She couldn't do that. It wasn't enough for her to fire him -- she also wanted to come out as the hero, or at least without any of the blame for the thing she did. That's complete garbage, and that's what she is still trying to do in her responses to his comments in the pre-album media. He said a lot of rather awful things about them, but you know what, the comments aren't untrue, and they've all done pretty awful things to him -- Mick and (to a lesser extent) Christine talked about how much easier it was without Lindsey, and Mick was the main person spreading the Lindsey wouldn't tour storyline. And that was after Lindsey made an album and toured with Chris, and spent a lifetime working with Mick. On some level, why should he pretend they were better people than they are -- he was probably asked why they didn't stand up for him, and the answers are the answers -- no lies detected there.
I don't think it makes any of them look good. The cynic in me says that this is all a set up for a major cashing in tour with Lindsey back, because it would drum up serious interest. But maybe it's just that they're all deeply flawed people who really should avoid each other for everyone's sanity.
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