Your opinion: the Mac's zenith concert performance?

[louielouie2000]

So if you could pick one song, from one concert that represents Fleetwood Mac at the top of it's game, at it's most Fleetwood Macness , what would it be?

I began pondering this question while I was cruising youtube at work this morning. For me it will always be "Sisters of the Moon" from the Mirage concert in '82. To me that's Fleetwood Mac at it's crazed best. Stevie screaming in tongues in all her coked out goodness... babbling about stuffed animals living in her house, assistants pouring beer down Mick's throat while he plays , John's absolute pounding bass riff, Lindsey's comical appearance yet SCREAMING guitar playing, Lindsey and Christine's exchanged sordid looks, Christine visibly being completely tanked... all tied together in arguably the hardest rocking performance of the Mac's career is what makes it for me. This one performance alone proves FM is NOT the California soft rock dinosaur that the press claimed them to be at the time. I listen to this song every single morning to get me going... I've heard it several thousand times I'm sure, and it is the one performance that NEVER fails to make me smile. It is just the complete essence of Fleetwood Mac tied up into one song, with each member of the band playing out their stereotyped role to it's max.

[David]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I began pondering this question while I was cruising youtube at work this morning. For me it will always be "Sisters of the Moon" from the Mirage concert in '82. To me that's Fleetwood Mac at it's crazed best. Stevie screaming in tongues in all her coked out goodness... babbling about stuffed animals living in her house, assistants pouring beer down Mick's throat while he plays , John's absolute pounding bass riff, Lindsey's comical appearance yet SCREAMING guitar playing, Lindsey and Christine's exchanged sordid looks, Christine visibly being completely tanked... all tied together in arguably the hardest rocking performance of the Mac's career is what makes it for me. This one performance alone proves FM is NOT the California soft rock dinosaur that the press claimed them to be at the time. I listen to this song every single morning to get me going... I've heard it several thousand times I'm sure, and it is the one performance that NEVER fails to make me smile. It is just the complete essence of Fleetwood Mac tied up into one song, with each member of the band playing out their stereotyped role to it's max.

How familiar are you with other performances on the same tour?

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by David

How familiar are you with other performances on the same tour?

I'm not as familiar with the other performances from the Mirage tour. I just know that I love how assertive the entire band is for the Mirage concert video. Stevie really puts herself out there forcefully, confidently, and unapologetically with all her vocals (this is really the only time in Mac history your could say that), Lindsey is just insane with his guitars, and John knocks it out of the park with his hard driving bass. Even Christine seems to be visibly having fun on stage during this concert, whereas she usually comes across as rather indifferent. Everyone but Mick seemed to be at their ripest and best... but of course history proves you can only go downhill from there. What I mean by that is it seems everyone was enhanced by their substance usage, whereas Mick seemed like he was suffering from it, and it was well down the path to his addiction bringing him down.

So is there something else I should know about the Mirage tour? Was it better/worse than the Mirage concert video?

[David]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

So is there something else I should know about the Mirage tour? Was it better/worse than the Mirage concert video?

It's highly subjective, as you know, but I think that there were some performances on that tour which outstrip the videotaped Los Angeles stuff in terms of energy & passion.

[mylittledemon]

I just love everything about "The Chain" from the Dance. But just about everything from the Tusk tour was amazing, too.

[sillydreamer64]

It would most deff. be Rhiannon for me. She would be so intense in that song.

[JbbyStew86]

Hell yes man. Great choice. I agree with your selection. I was even thinking about that one before I read your description. That would have been my choice if I didnt put the same concerts The Chain in front of it. Lindsey's guitar playing alone sets that song above Sisters. The solo is unstoppable. When I have a friend who nay says Fleetwood Mac, all I have to do is play that one for them and even if they wont admit they're amazing, will at least admit that Lindsey is sick. I dont think its possible to argue that anything shows the Mac at their musical best better than the Mirage tour. The frustration of everything around them was fueled through their playing. It definitely shows.

[aleuzzi]

Good choice. But I'd pick their performance of "Tusk" in, I think, St. Louis, for the Tusk Tusk Documentary. That's primal. It's like nothing else the band did before or since--and unlike anything else in all of rock.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

So if you could pick one song, from one concert that represents Fleetwood Mac at the top of it's game, at it's most Fleetwood Macness , what would it be?

Hard to find one song that "represents Fleetwood Mac", since we have 3 songwriters and singers (just to mention the Rumours lineup). And that's why Fleetwood Mac is my favorite band. Their complexity and variety.

So If I look for a song where the 3 of them are "equally" involved, it would be The Chain. Cause thinking in Rhiannon or GYOW doesn't show Christine at her "zenith". So The Chain is the most "band" song..

now the "zenith concert performance" in terms of a whole show could be any from the Rumours-Tusk era, in my opinion, followed by the Reunion Tour

btw, remember the tour was not called The Dance tour, but the Reunion tour, though everybody recall it as The Dance toour).

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Villavic

btw, remember the tour was not called The Dance tour, but the Reunion tour, though everybody recall it as The Dance toour).

I didn't know that.

Michele

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I didn't know that.

Michele

Oh yes I bought 3 t-shirts from that tour (NYC), one has the The Dance cover album, but all of them said "The Reunion tour" with the cities list

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Hard to find one song that "represents Fleetwood Mac", since we have 3 songwriters and singers (just to mention the Rumours lineup). And that's why Fleetwood Mac is my favorite band. Their complexity and variety.

So If I look for a song where the 3 of them are "equally" involved, it would be The Chain. Cause thinking in Rhiannon or GYOW doesn't show Christine at her "zenith". So The Chain is the most "band" song..

now the "zenith concert performance" in terms of a whole show could be any from the Rumours-Tusk era, in my opinion, followed by the Reunion Tour

btw, remember the tour was not called The Dance tour, but the Reunion tour, though everybody recall it as The Dance tour).

I disagree with the way you're looking at it. It doesn't have to be a song where everyone is equally involved, because the reality of the band is each member doesn't get equal spotlight time, even while playing their own songs. Each of the 3 songwriters played their own totally different role within the band. Even when they were performing Christine's songs, she was hidden behind her keyboards, and wasn't a stand out showman... that was just her style and stage presence. You would think Lindsey would trump Stevie in the showman category because he not only runs around and sings, but he also plays hard driving guitar. At the same time, he and Stevie's showmanship is pretty equal because of Stevie's crazy outfits and dancing around.

I feel that the Sisters Of The Moon from the Mirage concert captures each member doing what they do the best. Lindsey's hard driving guitar riffs battle it out with Stevie's take no prisoner vocals. Lindsey shares vocals by singing a verse too. Mick certainly plays up his role by having beer dumped down his throat and looking crazed in general. Christine looks sexy, drunk, and jolly as ever... all while backing the band up with her flawless keyboards. John stays in the shadows as always, but really brings the house down with his bass riffs. I feel personally that this one song performance totally captures every single person doing what they do the best. If you could tie up everything that the Rumours era Mac was in a neat little package, this performance is it (for ME at least!)

[chiliD]

I'd have to say August 29, 1977 at the GW Forum was the peak for me as far as the "whole show". Everything after that was on the downward slide...they'd have 4 or 5 song stretches of grandeur here & there during subsequent tours, but that "Hot August Night" was the peak for me.

[jmn3]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Even when they were performing Christine's songs, she was hidden behind her keyboards, and wasn't a stand out showman... that was just her style and stage presence.

This makes perfect sense. I mean, "Don't Stop" is Chris' song but I would think based on the live performances, many casual fans and newbies would think it was Lindsey's.

[David]

Originally Posted by jmn3

This makes perfect sense. I mean, "Don't Stop" is Chris' song but I would think based on the live performances, many casual fans and newbies would think it was Lindsey's.

Perhaps less so for DON'T STOP than most of her other songs because she was always seated at the grand piano for DON'T STOP, & she kept the lid all the way down so when you were watching the song in person, you could generally see Chris quite well.

In the old days, she was more hidden while standing because the Hammond was in its original case & she generally had two keyboards above it. But when she got the Hammond recased in a smaller console (in time for the 1977 tour), she was a little more visible from the audience.

She was fairly nicely visible from 1977 on, once she cut the number of instruments back. Certainly more so than Mick.



Christine's biggest visibility problem was always that the stupid cameramen ignored her.