My thoughts about TISL and the fact she's done recording

johnny4406 · #1 02-24-2007, 11:08 AM

I think that her purpose and motivation for recording "Trouble in Shangri-la" was to get everything out of her chest. I think that it was a final album, and she trully poured her heart out to us. She herself said that it was 'everything that she wanted to say for the past 7 years'

The whole disc takes you on an emotional path, and her angst.. her pain is kinda controlled on "Love Is"... her anger is gone, and she accepts her destiny. This IS what love probably is in her life. Not being with the person you love, but knowing that the love is mutual (although it may or may not be the same kind of love).

I guess what i'm trying to say is.. she's said everything she's wanted to and needed to say about love. Her muse is married, happy and with children. She COULD record a few new songs like she did for "Say You Will".. she could write about Hurricane Katrina, Walter Reed, Her Father's death...

And re-record some old demos (again, like how she did "Say You Will").. but its really not "what she wants to say"... and I think that if she records a whole new album, she'd want to say something about her current life. Perhaps there isn't much going on, and the money from touring, and performing itself, makes HER trully happy.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, you don't tend to get inspired to write when you're happy.

danax6 · #2 02-24-2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnny4406

Unfortunately, or fortunately, you don't tend to get inspired to write when you're happy.

I could not agree more. Stevie doesn't do happy. So she doesn't do new songs. It's as easy as that.

DashingDan · #3 02-24-2007, 03:40 PM

Right on!
Imagine her singing U2's "Beautiful Day"?!
Wait, actually, I can...and she'd probably sound pretty good too.

BlackWidow · #4 02-24-2007, 05:33 PM

She is not "blissed out" just yet. Stevie has alot of fear about putting it back out there with new material again. She said she always wanted to do a LIVE album and Viola..Crystal Visions arrives next month. She is not finished just yet. Winding down..YES!

paleshadow · #5 02-24-2007, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackWidow

She is not "blissed out" just yet. Stevie has alot of fear about putting it back out there with new material again. She said she always wanted to do a LIVE album and Viola..Crystal Visions arrives next month. She is not finished just yet. Winding down..YES!

I think you are completely correct about Stevie being afraid. Before trouble in Shangri-la she was really kind of becoming an "80's" act. At that time I think she didn't feel like she would ever have commercial or critical success again. Trouble in Shangri-la reignited her career. I don't remember reading many, if any bad reviews. Critics as well as her musical peers were coming out of the wood work to praise her. I think she is afraid to release another album and it not be as well recieved as TISL. I think she would prefer, like Seinfeld, to go out with what she feels was some of her best work. Her "masterpiece" as she has refered to it.

BlackWidow · #6 02-24-2007, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleshadow

I think you are completely correct about Stevie being afraid. Before trouble in Shangri-la she was really kind of becoming an "80's" act. At that time I think she didn't feel like she would ever have commercial or critical success again. Trouble in Shangri-la reignited her career. I don't remember reading many, if any bad reviews. Critics as well as her musical peers were coming out of the wood work to praise her. I think she is afraid to release another album and it not be as well recieved as TISL. I think she would prefer, like Seinfeld, to go out with what she feels was some of her best work. Her "masterpiece" as she has refered to it.

The Tower · #7 02-24-2007, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleshadow

I think she would prefer, like Seinfeld, to go out with what she feels was some of her best work. Her "masterpiece" as she has refered to it.

If she wants to go out on top, she's got a lotta work to do. TISL is far, far from a "masterpiece".

paleshadow · #8 02-24-2007, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Tower

If she wants to go out on top, she's got a lotta work to do. TISL is far, far from a "masterpiece".

Well, that's how she sees it. Whatever anyone feels about the record personally, the truth is it did thrust her back into the publics eye and in a favorable light. It became acceptable and even cool to sing Stevie's praises when just a few years earlier she was mostly joked about. When I say she wants to go out on top, that's what I mean.

BlackWidow · #9 02-24-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleshadow

Well, that's how she sees it. Whatever anyone feels about the record personally, the truth is it did thrust her back into the publics eye and in a favorable light. It became acceptable and even cool to sing Stevie's praises when just a few years earlier she was mostly joked about. When I say she wants to go out on top, that's what I mean.

SpyNote · #10 02-24-2007, 09:22 PM

TISL is a solid album. I still enjoy it today. My only disappointments are the usual ones... too much production, too many different songwriters, too many producers.

I don't see very much more output as her career enters its twilight years. She's already accomplished everything on the American Dream list of music fame...mega money, hit songs, respect from her peers, Grammy recognition, R&R Hall of Fame status.

Rickypt · #11 02-24-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paleshadow

I think you are completely correct about Stevie being afraid. Before trouble in Shangri-la she was really kind of becoming an "80's" act. At that time I think she didn't feel like she would ever have commercial or critical success again. Trouble in Shangri-la reignited her career. I don't remember reading many, if any bad reviews. Critics as well as her musical peers were coming out of the wood work to praise her. I think she is afraid to release another album and it not be as well recieved as TISL. I think she would prefer, like Seinfeld, to go out with what she feels was some of her best work. Her "masterpiece" as she has refered to it.

I pretty much agree with you. But then I wonder why is choosing to "go out" by touring with more or less a nostalgia act setlist with only two TISL songs.

And Stevie needs to know that she could record an album with 10-12 of those songs on Nixxed's bootleg thread (with a good producer) and it will be well-received.

BlackWidow · #12 02-24-2007, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickypt

I pretty much agree with you. But then I wonder why is choosing to "go out" by touring with more or less a nostalgia act setlist with only two TISL songs.

And Stevie needs to know that she could record an album with 10-12 of those songs on Nixxed's bootleg thread (with a good producer) and it will be well-received.

f.e.a.r...

Rickypt · #13 02-24-2007, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackWidow

f.e.a.r...

Jesus, she needs to get over it. Surely one benefit of reaching 60 and living a full and interesting life could be loss of fear?

HejiraNYC · #14 02-25-2007, 12:38 AM

I think the reason she has stopped recording is rather simple, actually. As everyone knows, she could just walk into the studio, drop off a disc full of demos, walk away, come back in a couple of months, lay down the vocals, and have a new album. Of course we all know that Stevie would never do that because she is too much of a perfectionist, and she is very involved with the production aspects of her recordings. That being said, I think Stevie no longer feels that the months and months of spending time in the studio, spending money on studio time and equipment and the stress and politics is something that she wants to deal with at this time in her life.

With TISL, Stevie really managed to pull off the unthinkable- to completely undo the Klonopin mess she created with OSOTM and Street Angel.. No, she did not sell millions of copies, but she earned the critical accolades that had eluded her throughout her career. She now finally had the jewel in her crown, and she really did not have anything left to prove. SYW was more of an afterthought... probably something she did in the spirit of being a "team player." Alas, the recording of it was very unpleasant and ultimately she probably ended up touring for 18 months to help recoup the costs of recording that album.

In the end, it has become a combination of closure and finances. With rampant illegal downloading of music, falling sales of CDs and the further marginalization of her peers in the music business, she probably feels that, given the financial, emotional and political costs of recording, it's probably not worth it. My feeling is that she will only consider recording again if Crystal Visions becomes a monster hit and she starts feeling "wanted" again.

BlackWidow · #15 02-25-2007, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

I think the reason she has stopped recording is rather simple, actually. As everyone knows, she could just walk into the studio, drop off a disc full of demos, walk away, come back in a couple of months, lay down the vocals, and have a new album. Of course we all know that Stevie would never do that because she is too much of a perfectionist, and she is very involved with the production aspects of her recordings. That being said, I think Stevie no longer feels that the months and months of spending time in the studio, spending money on studio time and equipment and the stress and politics is something that she wants to deal with at this time in her life.

With TISL, Stevie really managed to pull off the unthinkable- to completely undo the Klonopin mess she created with OSOTM and Street Angel.. No, she did not sell millions of copies, but she earned the critical accolades that had eluded her throughout her career. She now finally had the jewel in her crown, and she really did not have anything left to prove. SYW was more of an afterthought... probably something she did in the spirit of being a "team player." Alas, the recording of it was very unpleasant and ultimately she probably ended up touring for 18 months to help recoup the costs of recording that album.

In the end, it has become a combination of closure and finances. With rampant illegal downloading of music, falling sales of CDs and the further marginalization of her peers in the music business, she probably feels that, given the financial, emotional and political costs of recording, it's probably not worth it. My feeling is that she will only consider recording again if Crystal Visions becomes a monster hit and she starts feeling "wanted" again.

Don't beat around the bush..