10 best vocals out of 6 albums

[Kayli]

I'm bored, let's discuss. We're all in love with Stevie's voice (that's why we're here, I presume), but out of her six solo albums, what 10 songs do you think vocally she reaches a colossal sound of pure goddess-amazingness? Oh, and feel free to pull from Timespace and Enchanted tracks, too. Any solo work is fine. Honorable mentions are encouraged, but must be controlled! (Her vocal work with FM
is for another thread entirely )

Here are mine, not in any particular order:

#1 Crystal (from Practical Magic) - My favorite sound of hers vocally comes after 1989, and this is a perfect example. I love her husky, smooth sound. You can hear remnants of her soft and breathless '70s-sound still creeping in. Her voice is so full. This is one of my favorite songs of hers to listen at maximum-volume and just drift.

#2 Leather and Lace - If the woman can't sing country, nobody can. I don't know if everybody hears this as a country song, but I do, and to put it simply, her parts on this song make me melt. "I need you to love me, I need you today", ah, so gorgeous.

#3 Imperial Hotel - Never mind the fact that this is one of my favorite Stevie songs as a whole, her voice is top-notch here. I love the way she sings the second verse, all those "oh baby, baby, baby, baby...."

#4 Listen to the Rain - Another song that her voice seems to wrap around the melody and music perfectly, raspy and rock-y. She'd kill at singing this one live on her next tour!

#5 Wild Heart - Everything I could ever love about Stevie Nicks' voice is right here, line by line. Best part? That last minute of the song where her voice gets that tangled, however, effortless sound in the 'darkest places of your mind', 'the children are hopelessly enchanted', etc. And the little ooh's after. I heard this song for the first time two years and it's still giving me chills; I'm sure it still does to listeners of 20-something years.

#6 Somebody Stand By Me - We get unreserved, passionate, full-on blues here. OHMYGOD.

#7 Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Love the quietness of her voice before it fills the chorus with Tom Petty's vocals. She did it great in the '80s and she does it great now.

#8 Trouble in Shangri-La - One of Miss Nicks' strongest vocals around a really wordy song. I really like the production behind her voice in the chorus, it brings out a really cool (and still raw) sound.

#9 Bella Donna - I love this because the vocals feel effortless. All the little added ohh's and high notes between the verses. The 'don't change, baby, please don't change', is so soft and carefree in the way she sings them.

#10 Nothing Ever Changes - I think this is one of her sexiest vocals. She manages to give her voice an attitude, there's a sneer in it. Total rock-y vocal, one of her best.

Honorable mentions that deserve a place!

I Miss You - Pretty vocal

Gold and Braid - Why do we worship her? Right here.

No Spoken Word - Her voice was gaining that raspier sound on this record. Just love the way she sings each line. Love the little pauses between the line "you fill the room with the rain and the wind and the water", whatever it is Ha.

I Will Run to You - I swear, her and Tom Petty should make an album after this next album, lol. Their voices blend beautifully together.

[Gypsybecca]

Cool thread, Kayli,

My favorite Stevie vocals are :

1. Belladonna- just sounds so raw and emotional, weird but beautiful song.

2. Insider- used to think the song was wth?! and still don't really understand it, but always love to listen to her and Tom, they sound soooo stoned.

Honorable mentions:

1. Sisters of the Moon- always makes me laugh..so dramatic and when she says "sistah" she means it, dammit!

2. Magnet and Steel- for a long time, I didn't know it was Stevie singing background on this lame song...then when I found out it was her, it was no longer lame?!?!

[GypsySorcerer]

Solo only:

Sable on Blond (!!!)
Kind of Woman
How Still My Love (My lonely ooooooneee!)
Bella Donna ("But the woman is so tired....oooooh so the woman disappears!")
No Spoken Word
Sleeping Angel

I agree about Somebody Stand by Me. The song is kind of blah, but her vocal is awesome.

[APerfectLie]

1. If You Ever Did Believe- One of my favorite Stevie songs ever! And like Crystal, her voice is very husky and smooth!

2. Kind Of Woman- Very haunting vocal with some awesome high notes.

3. Beauty and the Beast- Simply flawless and heartbreaking at the same time.

4. Sorcerer- This song isn't one of my all time favorites, but she hits some really amazing notes she hadn't hit in years.

5. Whenever I Call You Friend- Amazing amazing amazing vocal.

6. Blue Lamp

7. Bella Donna

8. Dreams (Deep Dish)- OMG. For the longest time, I did not believe Stevie actually recorded new vocals for this. You can tell, but those high notes are amaaazing.

9. Nothing Ever Changes- God how I love the raw vocal in the verses. I think this song would be sooo good live. The only thing I don't like is the way over produced chorus.

10. Love Is- There is something about the way sings the dialogue that is amazing. She says one line very strong and then the next kinda soft, such as (strong)"Do you know what this is?" (soft)"No I don't." I ****ing love it.

[daniellaaarisen]

Hmmm, I'm gonna go with:

1) Sable on Blond
2) How Still My Love
3) Love Is
4) Trouble in Shangri-La
5) Wild Heart
6) Beauty and the Beast
7) Fall From Grace (the emotion in her voice is totally awesome)
8) Bella Donna
9) Kind of Woman
10) Leather and Lace

[SapphireSister]

In no particular order:
Sleeping Angel
Trouble in Shangri-La
Wild Heart
How Still My Love
Rock a Little
One More Big Time R&R Star
Fall From Grace
Beauty and the Beast
Sable on Blond
Leather and Lace

[LiquidDiamonds]

1. Edge of Seventeen
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Stand Back
4. Nothing ever changes
5. Rooms on Fire
6. Stop Draggin My Heart Around
7. Leather and Lace
8. I can't wait
9. Kind of Woman
10. After the Glitter Fades.

The only post 1980s vocal I truly like is from The Dance. I am not a big fan of the deep nasally drone. I refer to this voice as constipated Stevie.

[DefDumbandBlond]

I stink with explanations but these are my favorites:

Violet & Blue
Rock A Little
Rooms On Fire
Fall From Grace
I Can't Wait
Long Way To Go
Nothing Ever Changed

I just have to throw in some FM ones.
Sisters Of The Moon
Beautiful Child
No Questions Asked

[Artemis]

Can't be chewed to explain right now, I'll edit later buuut.

Solo only, in no particular order -

1) Edge of Seventeen
2) Wild Heart
3) Sable on Blond
4) No Spoken Word
5) Ghosts
6) Greta
7) If You Ever Did Believe
8) Sleeping Angel
9) Trouble In Shangri-La
10) Fall From Grace

[Jondalar]

1. Talk to Me - bad album but great performance on this song. She had to be perfect and was.
2. Edge of Seventeen
3. Leather and Lace
4. Has Anyone Every Written
5. Kinda of Woman
6. Everyday
7. After the Glitter Fades
8. It's only love
9. Stand Back
10. Outside the Rain

[gypsy4life]

No particular order, but here are my vocal-amazingness picks!

1) Wild Heart (I think the huge, sweeping note, toward the end may be one of the hardest notes she's done, on an album anyway)

2) Love Is (The inflection in her voice is superb. This is truly beauty in a song,)

3) Kind Of Woman (I feel mesmerized everytime this song comes on. She nailed the vocals to the wall on this one!)

4) Beauty and The Beast (My favorite version is the Melbourne Orchestra, but, since we are dicussing albums only, I still say this is in my top 8.)

5) Nothing Ever Changes (This one is pure, hard rocking Mama! I love to pull into my parking space at work, windows down, and this song blaring at top volume!)

6) Trouble In Shangri La (Oh my goodness! This song, her voice, the echo part...wow!)

7) Rooms On Fire (My youth, in a song. I could never leave this one out. Plus, I love the rough, sultry tone in her voice.)

8) Sorcerer (I'm proud to be a Stevie Nicks fan when she hits those high notes!)

Ok, there are many, many more I want to add, but, I will stick to these 8, for now.

[tilthefirefades]

The album version of Edge of Seventeen has got to be her strongest ever. Other than that:

Sleeping Angel
Destiny (WH demo)
Bella Donna
That's Alright
No Questions Asked

[vivfox]

Blue Lamp
Nothing Ever Changes
Imperial Hotel
One More Big Time Rock And Roll Star
If I Were You
Sister Honey
No Spoken Word
Ghosts
Ooh My Love
Desert Angel
Sometimes I'm A Witch
Trouble In Shangri La
Violet & Blue

[jellyman10]

Got a ton of work to do, so of course listing 10 fave SN vocals is an excellent use of my time.

Sorceror - I really like the way she pronounces the words in this song: 'I'm thurst-hay-hay-hay ...' - it tickles me every time!
Rock A Little - her voice is so f**ked, it's gone into a whole new level of ravaged beauty
Wild Heart - agree about that huge sweeping 'Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild Heaaaaaaaaaaart' right at the end - chills ...
Nothing Ever Changes - comes over like she's throwing a proper little strop
I Sing For The Things - never used to care for this, but recently began to really love that almost-not-quite-right glissando she does on 'anythiiiiiiing you waaaaaant me to do, my love'
Nightbird - I'm not sure Stevie, Lori and Sharon ever sounded better together than they do on this track; the girls complement the lead beautifully
I Miss You - just so tenderly sung - I have to be feeling strong to listen to it at all!
Sable On Blonde - she really knocked this one out the ballpark - perfect
Gate And Garden - love how she floats the last note on 'You give in to your friends ...'
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - cos it's a harmony/lead mix-up genius thing that is so much fun to sing along with

Great thread, thanks.
Loz

[baboles]

"If Anyone Falls" - Especially the ending when she is wailing.
"Talk to Me" - Again...the ending when she is singing full force.
"Wild Heart" - The entire song! So epic and emotional!
"No Spoken Word" - Love the attitude in her voice.
"Sleeping Angel" - "Well someday, when we're older and my hair is sliver grey." - need I say more!
"Bella Donna" - effortless vocals.
"Edge of Seventeen" - She manages to deliver that hard rock n' roll sound while delivering that velvet-smooth vocal at the same time.
"How Still My Love" - starts off slow and then kicks you in the face!
"Violet and Blue" - Rough, ragged, and filled with the signature wails.
"Sable on Blond" - Tender and haunting.