Best/Worst Career Moves

[David]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

WORST: Ugh, where to begin?! a) smoking, b) Jon Bon Jovi, c) Brett Michaels, d) Mike "Desert Angel" Campbell, e) "Tango in the Night" concert video, f) "Just Like a Woman" and "Jane," g) Tango-OSOTM-era pirate hats, h) Frankenbocks, i) Sheryl Crow (I love Sheryl Crow as an artist, but she blows chunks as a producer ), j) leaving "Sleeping Angel" off of Bella Donna.

Bunch of good ones here that I wasn't thinking of! That three-run losing streak of Bon Jovi, Brett Michaels & Frankenbocks is enough to destroy most other careers.

So what's up with all the Rupert Hine hatred??

Hine's seems to me a totally synthetic personality & vapid talent. He managed to take Stevie's Dying Swan appeal & turn it into the Croaking Goose. (She herself must take some blame for that, too, because the 1989 persona was the first major step into that Mae West-inspired female impersonatorish style she clung to for years.)

Hine surrounds her in sonic plod & stodge nonsense (what was he trying to do? bring back the Oberheim?), & then doesn't even have the engineering skill to carry out his middling producer's vision without botching the recording technically. Was it his bright idea to record an entire Stevie Nicks album with drums with no low end?

If Stevie's lyrics on that album appeal to fans, I'd say fine. But if the sound of her & her band appeals, I'd say those fans have cauliflower in their ears.

[AliceLover]

I have to agree with you there David. The band on the record really does sound bad. There was no pizazz or anything. But i did like her band on the tour. great keyboardists.



Jimmy

[Serrart]

Originally Posted by David

Hine's seems to me a totally synthetic personality & vapid talent. He managed to take Stevie's Dying Swan appeal & turn it into the Croaking Goose. (She herself must take some blame for that, too, because the 1989 persona was the first major step into that Mae West-inspired female impersonatorish style she clung to for years.)

Hine surrounds her in sonic plod & stodge nonsense (what was he trying to do? bring back the Oberheim?), & then doesn't even have the engineering skill to carry out his middling producer's vision without botching the recording technically. Was it his bright idea to record an entire Stevie Nicks album with drums with no low end?

If Stevie's lyrics on that album appeal to fans, I'd say fine. But if the sound of her & her band appeals, I'd say those fans have cauliflower in their ears.

Incredible... you're not being sarcastic (at least I think ) and I agree with you. Rupert Hine and that damn synthetizer... he brought up the worst ghosts of the eighties for me..

Other bad moves: be a workaholic (i'm guilty too though); not having ask for help before; have an entourage that sometimes damages her instead of protecting her; be afraid to change look; going too safe in terms of videos and singles; touring even when she felt ill.

Good moves: believe that Lindsey and her could have make it; join Fleetwood Mac; create a unique look; going solo; choose Jimmy Iovine; have the courage to get finally out of addictions; work and keep the friendship alive with Tom Petty; understand that Sheryl Crow could have been TISL producer and keep collaborating with her; involve John Shanks in TISL; rejoin Fleetwood Mac for The Dance; never forgetting to bring empty diaries with her; be very generous with her fans; write new songs for Say You Will; accept to do Destiny Rules; sing in Chris Isaak Christmas album and the PBS special; go to Hawaii after Christmas to write new fantastic songs for us (at least I hope ).

Romy

[Johnny Stew]

Hmm... I'd say her best career move, was creating an identity separate from Fleetwood Mac and embarking on a solo career when she did.
The mercurial personalities and tense relationships pretty much guaranteed that they'd either start working together less and less, or break up. Or both.

In regards to worst career move, I have to agree with David on much of this:

Originally Posted by David

Worst: Kind of an ongoing thing -- the decision to tour as a solo act eight separate years. That combined with another seven years spent on Fleetwood Mac tours, plus concert appearances scattered throughout an additional four years, all means that over the last 23 years, Stevie has performed 21 out of those 23 years (the only years I don't remember her doing anything were 1984 & 1993). I think she has oversaturated the market with her own appearances & touring, & I don't think it's been especially good for her career in some ways. It's probably been a two-edged sword.

I don't necessarily think she oversaturated the market by touring so often (though I can definitely see that point), but I do think she over-extended herself once too often, and that lead to the burnout and listless performances on some of the latter-day tours.

I've always thought she would have been better off doing a solo tour for every second album, rather than for each and every release. She could have easily skipped the 'Timespace' tour, for example... as it really wasn't anything different from her other setlists, etc.
The 'Enchanted' tour, however, I thought was terrific... because of the refreshing setlist, and the amount of fun Stevie was obviously having.

[henryscutter]

Good Moves
Joining Fleetwood Mac = She and Lindsey are very talented, but how many people actually "make it"
GOING SOLO = gotta get those songs out
Having Lindsey as a muse = this goes both ways; they have such an intense connection and make each other more interesting to the public.
Capitalizing on publicity = "striking when the irons hot" usually having something out there to keep people interested

Bad Moves
Drugs = Letting things get out of control
Shady characters in business dealings = Her brother, The Knight , sometimes Mick
Touring to long = Not good for your health ( SYW Tour)

[Mageboy25]

WORST MOVE EVER: NOT releasing Fall From Grace as the 1st single from TIS, and instead releasing those CRAPY songs Everyday and Sorcerer.

WTF was the record company thinking? Esp after they performed Fall From Grace at the Blockbuster awards. That performance rocked, the fire on the screens in the background kicked ass. I could just picture a kickass video, with fire and all. Everyday YUK!

I disagree with the touring thing. If she didnt tour as much as she has, which isnt that much really you all would be bitching about all the years she never toured.

[tynan88]

WORST MOVE EVER: NOT releasing Fall From Grace as the 1st single from TIS, and instead releasing those CRAPY songs Everyday and Sorcerer.

Totally agree, FFG had soo much potential that was neevr tapped, I think they should re-release TISL lol, or put the full FFG on a new album, the extra verse just adds soo much to the song.

[dissention]

Best: Hooking up with Lindsey and breaking away from Fritz. It was all uphill from there.

Worst: Rock A Little. It was all downhill from there.

[David]

Originally Posted by Serrart

Incredible... you're not being sarcastic (at least I think ) and I agree with you.

Are you feeling quite well?