Master of Tusk

[Vianna]

Is Lindsey the genius behind the music on Tusk? Definitely. I admit I didn't realize that until I heard OOTC, but once I heard that, I knew. Even with the beautiful Stevie songs, the main reason they are beautiful is Lindsey's producing.

For those who know any classsical music, Lindsey is like Chopin. The music never gets old. You always hear something you didn't before when you play the music he produces.

I agree, David, the late '70's were a real dry spell in rock music. I wondered at the time would it recover? I remember those songs although I couldn't have told you who sang them, except the BeeGees and Billy Joel...

I think Chris is part of the "sound" too-I didn't really miss her too much on SYW until I got In the Meantime. Now I can tell something's missing on SYW-it's not the same "sound" because she's not there.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by Vianna

For those who know any classsical music, Lindsey is like Chopin. The music never gets old. You always hear something you didn't before when you play the music he produces.

How wonderfully put!

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by David

If you were lucky enough to come at "Tusk" in the same chronology that the band itself did, the reconceptualizing on the album speaks to you very directly because you were probably sick of the same elements & combinations of elements in pop music that the band was sick of, & your frustration jibed with theirs. Radio was awful in 1978; you had micro-engineered garbage like "You Light Up My Life" by Debbie Boone, "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees, "Baby Come Back" by Player, "Kiss You All Over" by Exile, "Three Times a Lady" by the Commodores, "I Go Crazy" by Paul Davis, "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel, "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione, "Dance With me" by Peter Brown, "Sometimes When We Touch" by Dan Hill, & so on. All of it dreck & all of it so predictable that you knew exactly what the song would sound like the moment you heard the opening chords. Drums were never anything more than drums, bass never more than bass, guitars never more than guitars -- tracks were built by businessmen, not artists, & they were engineered to please the widest number of pablum-seekers, the mass audience. There wasn't an ounce of personality or vision or idiosyncrasy in any of the MOR dreck drowning everything else out on the radio.

And, really, let's be painfully honest and not forget that Rumours was a big part of that 1978 sound, too. As well as, Orleans, and Pablo Cruise, and the Little River Band.

Oh, David, wasn't "Dance With Me" by Orleans (their OTHER hit besides "Still The One")??

[Les]

Originally Posted by chiliD

And, really, let's be painfully honest and not forget that Rumours was a big part of that 1978 sound, too. As well as, Orleans, and Pablo Cruise, and the Little River Band.

FM was part of that 1978 sound yes, but yikes, I think there's quite a discernable difference in quality between say Go Your Own Way and I Go Crazy.

A note on Ken -- from what Ken Caillat has said in recent years, he fought 100% against Lindsey's (and Richard's ?) attitudes and ideas about what Tusk should sound like.

[Vianna]

"Oh, David, wasn't "Dance With Me" by Orleans (their OTHER hit besides "Still The One")??"

Do I ever remember that song. Still The One, too.

FM was different, even Rumours. It's not as predictable and boring, truly it's not...

[strandinthewind]

Okay - I'll fess up - I LOVE all those late 70's songs you guys are mentioning -

[sparky]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Okay - I'll fess up - I LOVE all those late 70's songs you guys are mentioning -

OMG - many of them strike a strange nostalgic emotional chord with me too. Trash or not.

[strandinthewind]

Then again, I still LOVE "Love Plus (Plus Plus plus plus) One" by Haircut 100

[wondergirl9847]

I didn't hear Tusk until about 3 or so years ago, which would be a totally different frame of reference than in 1979 (when I was 3 LOL). I remember being scared to death to even buy the album as I read horrible things about it online so I stuck with getting Mirage/Tango first (Me being an 80's music lover), then went to Rumours/White Album next. I remember listening to Tusk with this look on my face. LOL! It's like it was with Time Bomb Town. I HATED that song when I first heard in on my BTTF LP back in 1985, now...one of my fave songs. Same with Tusk, I went "OMG, weird." back in 2001 and now, Tusk is just another fave album of mine.

I have to say that Stevie was in her prime on Tusk, every song is pretty much perfection and Beautiful Child is my fave song. That said, it was Lindsey's hard-headedness that led to this album. His forceful nature saying "We are NOT doing a Rumours, Part Deux!" He made sure at least his songs were nothing like the soft breeziness of the mid to late 70's.

[mylittledemon]

I wouldn't want to give Lindsey FULL credit, even though the Tusk album is fantastic. I do think however that you have to give him kudos for stepping outside the Rumours mania and trying to do something creative. In todays music scene you don't see artists growing and trying to create something new. I like the fact that Tusk is totally different from Rumours. I don't really care for a lot of Lindsey's tunes yes, but he gets points for trying.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Okay - I'll fess up - I LOVE all those late 70's songs you guys are mentioning -

Hee. So do I. And Sara reminds me of being at Sand Hill Cove Beach in Rhode Island listening to an AM transistor radio.