Live 1980 and The Dance 1997

[PenguinHead]

A ramble...

In comparing their two official live albums (excluding the Boston DVD/CD), I feel that the 1980 album is often overlooked by many people, and overshadowed by The Dance, especially for newer fans.

For me, the Live album really embodies the true essence of their peak live performances. Unlike The Dance -- with its numerous side musicians and compressed, steril and safe sound -- the Live album is just the five of them and the overall mix is very airy and organic. Granted --there appears to be some studio tinkering and vocal overdubs -- but generally it's the band -- the "five firelies" at their gritty best. I recall at the time of its release, Christine was quoted "it's a warts and all album."

As excited I was at the time of its release, however, I was slightly disappointed...only because I knew there were other more blistering performances (and song selection) that could have been included that would have made the album even better. Still we get some incredible songs/performances:

Oh Well
Fireflies
Farmer's Daughter
One More Night
Don't Let Me Down Again
Over and Over

In my newfound "re-appreciation" for the Live album, I wonder how other fans feel about these two albums. I wish we'll someday get a live album from their 1975-77 era. Would love to have an official release of some of their rare performances, like:

Frozen Love
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Sunny Side Of Heaven
Get Like You Used To Be
Hypnotized
Believe Me
Spare Me A Little
Why
Green Manalishi
Crystal (Did they really perform this?? There's no evidence of it other than a mention in Mick's book)

When pigs (and penguins) fly.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

For me, the Live album really embodies the true essence of their peak live performances.

I'd throw away the dance in a blink of an eye if I had to choose between those two. Live 1980 rocks bigtime. And lindsey is not singing about Come, he just does it. Live in Boston would be my Nr2, if it had been released on audiodisc completely.

[MirrorInTheSky]

Fireflies is currently my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. (Because of course my favorite is never static...)

"The stiletto cuts quick..."

[ShangriLaTroubl]

I love both...although my only problems with the LIVE CD is that I would prefer it to be recorded from one show...it doesn't flow very well..and some of the performances are not from where they actually claim they are from...a few of them are not even from the actual TUSK Tour..although I loved that they listed all the tour dates in there..

The Dance was just incredible...the sound is just so superb it's hard to compare...but the performances on the LIVE CD, like Rhiannon, Oh Well, Sara an Dreams are far better

Chris

[PenguinHead]

I somewhat agree that the album may have flowed better if all the performances were from one show. Still, even The Dance album isn't from one show...it's the best of two.

The Tusk tour was their most massive tour up until that time. I like that they recorded many of the shows and (someone) selected what they thought were the best performances. But having listened to so many shows from that tour, there were some amazing performances that would have better represented the songs.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the following songs were the only ones from the Rumours tour:

Monday Morning
Say You Love Me
Rhiannon
Don't Let Me Down Again

Looking at the liner notes, it's noted that there was additional guitar, percussion and keyboards by Ray Lindsey, Tony Todaro and Jeffery Sova, respectively. Ray Lindsey is familiar only because he appeared on stage to provide acoustic guitar for 'Go Your Own Way." Not sure what other songs he or the others play on.

I think they may have "sweetened" things up in the studio. "Not That Funny" seems to have more than just Mick drumming. Yet, on the bootleg of that particular performance, I don't hear that extra percussion, and the song is edited.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

I thought DREAMS was also from the Rumours Tour

Chris

[ontheEdgeof17]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the following songs were the only ones from the Rumours tour:

Monday Morning
Say You Love Me
Rhiannon
Don't Let Me Down Again

DLMDA is from the White Album Tour.

[David]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

The Tusk tour was their most massive tour up until that time. I like that they recorded many of the shows and (someone) selected what they thought were the best performances. But having listened to so many shows from that tour, there were some amazing performances that would have better represented the songs.

The original plans were to make the album just the last two nights of the tour in L.A. I'd have been really happy with that!

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the following songs were the only ones from the Rumours tour:

Monday Morning
Say You Love Me
Rhiannon
Don't Let Me Down Again

All of those, plus Dreams, Over My Head & Don't Stop, predate the Tusk Tour.

Looking at the liner notes, it's noted that there was additional guitar, percussion and keyboards by Ray Lindsey, Tony Todaro and Jeffery Sova, respectively. Ray Lindsey is familiar only because he appeared on stage to provide acoustic guitar for 'Go Your Own Way." Not sure what other songs he or the others play on.

Ray also used to play on Second Hand News & Gypsy. Todaro only played on Tusk from behind a partially opaque backdrup, & Sova stayed backstage & played the brass arrangement on Tusk, as well as some pad on Hold Me on the 1982 tour. All three of those guys were used minimally at best -- a far cry from the backup guys in 1997, who were part of the band, & thus present throughout the entire concert.

I think they may have "sweetened" things up in the studio. "Not That Funny" seems to have more than just Mick drumming. Yet, on the bootleg of that particular performance, I don't hear that extra percussion, and the song is edited.

I think there's a fair amount of stuff -- both vocal & instrumental -- that's studio-added. But in general that album is really pretty basic. The members of the band even said back then that they didn't spend much time on overdubs; they just didn't sink much time into that album, & the selection of tapes that tracks were lifted from bears that out. We always complain about there having been "better versions" of things, but that practically prooves Fleetwood Mac didn't spend much time listening to many tapes.

[GeminiCusp82]

Originally Posted by ShangriLaTroubl

I love both...although my only problems with the LIVE CD is that I would prefer it to be recorded from one show...it doesn't flow very well..and some of the performances are not from where they actually claim they are from...a few of them are not even from the actual TUSK Tour..although I loved that they listed all the tour dates in there..

Chris

Well, it just says Fleetwood Mac Live. It doesnt say Fleetwood Mac Live Tusk Tour. Maybe that is why they did it that way. Who knows

[77Rumours77]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

I'd throw away the dance in a blink of an eye if I had to choose between those two. Live 1980 rocks bigtime. And lindsey is not singing about Come, he just does it. Live in Boston would be my Nr2, if it had been released on audiodisc completely.

Amen to that! I LOVE Live '80, the Dance is great. But Live '80 is more like a piece of history.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

A ramble...

In comparing their two official live albums (excluding the Boston DVD/CD), I feel that the 1980 album is often overlooked by many people, and overshadowed by The Dance, especially for newer fans.

For me, the Live album really embodies the true essence of their peak live performances. Unlike The Dance -- with its numerous side musicians and compressed, steril and safe sound -- the Live album is just the five of them and the overall mix is very airy and organic. Granted --there appears to be some studio tinkering and vocal overdubs -- but generally it's the band -- the "five firelies" at their gritty best. I recall at the time of its release, Christine was quoted "it's a warts and all album."

As excited I was at the time of its release, however, I was slightly disappointed...only because I knew there were other more blistering performances (and song selection) that could have been included that would have made the album even better. Still we get some incredible songs/performances:

Oh Well
Fireflies
Farmer's Daughter
One More Night
Don't Let Me Down Again
Over and Over

In my newfound "re-appreciation" for the Live album, I wonder how other fans feel about these two albums. I wish we'll someday get a live album from their 1975-77 era. Would love to have an official release of some of their rare performances, like:

Frozen Love
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Sunny Side Of Heaven
Get Like You Used To Be
Hypnotized
Believe Me
Spare Me A Little
Why
Green Manalishi
Crystal (Did they really perform this?? There's no evidence of it other than a mention in Mick's book)

When pigs (and penguins) fly.

great post!

[Kelly]

Dissention...what was it about Sara that you hated? The only complaint I really have is the part when Lindsey comes in with "anywhere...anywhere..anywhere...I would go anywhere...". He sounded like he was screaming into the mic and he did it at every show. I enjoyed the song alot mainly because Stevie actually seemed happy when she was singing it. She smiled and I have always thought she looked stunning in red. It was a nice, refreshing change.

As for Red Rover, I liked it. I liked it much more live, than I did on the album. It was quite amusing watching Stevie mouth all the words.......

Say Goodbye was a gem that the band did not capitalize on. They habitually make bad decisions like that. Not realzing the potential of that song is typical for them. After the success of the Dance...with the emotional punch of Landslide and Silver Springs..it is sort of mind boggling that they did not pursue the Say Goodbye/Stevie and Lindsey interaction angle. Perhaps Lindsey did not want to? Beautiful Child is another one of those wasted opportunities...a live video of that song would have been a much better choice than another Landslide video. Doesn't the label make these type of choices though? I remember reading about Peacekeeper and how WB wanted that to be the first single.
So maybe most of the blame falls on them and not the band?

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Kelly

Dissention...what was it about Sara that you hated? The only complaint I really have is the part when Lindsey comes in with "anywhere...anywhere..anywhere...I would go anywhere...". He sounded like he was screaming into the mic and he did it at every show. I enjoyed the song alot mainly because Stevie actually seemed happy when she was singing it. She smiled and I have always thought she looked stunning in red. It was a nice, refreshing change.

I thought she sounded awful on it for one, her current voice does not suit the song at all. I also don't think she was very into it, it came across more like a chore than something she enjoyed performing. Musically, it sounded rather flat to me. It just went on and on and on and on. I just didn't like it at all and I love it live.

[ontheEdgeof17]

Originally Posted by dissention

I thought she sounded awful on it for one, her current voice does not suit the song at all. I also don't think she was very into it, it came across more like a chore than something she enjoyed performing. Musically, it sounded rather flat to me. It just went on and on and on and on. I just didn't like it at all and I love it live.

I wonder if it was a "I wanna do Sara live again" or a "You will perform Sara on this leg"?


Personally, I thought it was a gem. I'm very glad that I got to hear it live in my lifetime. It is such a classic FM song. Now if they would whip out some more stuff out of the vault......

[GeminiCusp82]

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17

I wonder if it was a "I wanna do Sara live again" or a "You will perform Sara on this leg"?


Personally, I thought it was a gem. I'm very glad that I got to hear it live in my lifetime. It is such a classic FM song. Now if they would whip out some more stuff out of the vault......

Sisters Of the Moon definately..I did get tired of Gypsy lol...Seven Wonders would be nice but I must be dreaming because that would never happen...On the Destiny Rules Doc if you zoom in on the pieces of paper they have on the post it board during the rehearsals you see that there is a paper saying Storms. I wonder how long it took for them to dismiss that one from the set? I think that would have sounded awesome live. Even Angel would be nice. Thrown Down...who knows what else they could do if they tour again. I didnt get to go to a 2nd leg concert but I managed to get quite a few bootlegs from 04 and I do love Sara but it seems toward the end of the tour she was kind of straining more and more each night to hit those last notes...It is amazing to me because you hear some bootlegs of the 2003 stuff and Silver Springs sounds strained (LIB)..but then some others she sounds wonderful almost like she did on The Dance. What is up with that...lol