‘The Other Side of the Mirror’- likes and dislikes (what are yours?)

[Dodfather]

Not too political, no, but I just don't buy that as a reason. One - Stevie is minted! Let's not kid ourselves. Two - isn't it that if you spend less than 30 days in one country, not one continent, that you have the lower tax rate? So she could easily do a European tour of less than a month. I could be wrong but I'm sure that's how it works.

[amberlemegan]

Since I haven't listened to the whole album I don't think I really have an opinion on that, but I can talk about the songs I've heard and the cover.

I'm probably one of the few who actually like the cover, well beside the makeup. I'm not a fan of that. Someone posted a picture thats on the back. I really like that one. I like it better than the cover, but I still like the cover.

So Songs...
Rooms On Fire- Love the song. Love the video. One of my favorite songs.
Long Way To Go- It's an okay song I've got to be in the right mood to listen to it
Two Kinds Of Love-I enjoy this one sometimes, but I usually skip it.
Ooh My Love- Love this song. I don't know why but I love the There was a light that lighted the way line. I really like the way it sounds
Ghosts- I also love this song I really connect to it, but ignore the husband line..
Whole Lotta Trouble- Once again another song I enjoy. I love the video for this song that's on Crystal Visions
Fire Burning- It's okay
Alice- I like Alice a lot. I could be because of the whole Alice in Wonderland thing.
Juliet- I like this song sometimes. Another one I have to be in the mood for.

I haven't heard Cry Wolf, Doing The Best I Can, and I Still Miss Someone so I don't have an opinion on them

Originally Posted by starshine

I'm very very very sorry that my so called 'style' of writing has bothered so many people here. Maybe my posts aren't needed anymore. Maybe I'll just read more than post.

The way you write doesn't bother me at all and I read all your posts so keep on posting

[sorcerer999]

Originally Posted by starshine

I'm very very very sorry that my so called 'style' of writing has bothered so many people here. Maybe my posts aren't needed anymore. Maybe I'll just read more than post.

Sweetie, you just keep being yourself and write the way YOU want to write. If people don't like your style, it's THEIR problem, not yours. I'm sorry they made you feel bad about it.

[SapphireSister]

I've been thinking about this for days. I was going to just list the tracks that I like and dislike and go into detail about why but decided to listen to the whole album first and re-asses. My conclusion - the album that we have is sub-par. There are a few notable songs, Alice, ROF, and DTBTIC but other than that it is lifeless. Makes me wanna take a Klonipin.

Now here's the thing, it's not the songs themselves that are so bad, it's the production behind them! If you break down some of Stevie's songs, listen to the demos, and imagine a whole different sound to them they are a great collection of songs (minus I Still Miss Someone). I mean look at Julia and Fire Burning - they suck on the album but if you strip them down and take away the horrible things that were done to them they aren't as bad.

I hate the album cover, reminds me of a circus freak. No style or class, just trash lol.

Oh and Rupert Hine can blow me. Nothing personal but he ruined some songs. I don't know the story behind how he came into the picture or exactly how much he had to do with each song creatively but someone made a horrible decision when they brought him on board. So not a good match for Stevie.

I'd like to just think of Rooms on Fire when I think of this album. That takes some of the pain away...

P.S. - notice how I never blame Stevie for these things? She was just strung out and couldn't make a coherent decision. It was the label's fault!!!

P.P.S. - Rooms on Fire is a masterpiece! I would sell my soul for her to bring it back in to her setlist.

[mitzo]

Can someone explain why Rooms on Fire is so great? I never liked it, to me it is Stevie's great clunker. Meandering, dull, with an irritating vocal and arrangement.

[David]

Originally Posted by mitzo

Can someone explain why Rooms on Fire is so great? I never liked it, to me it is Stevie's great clunker. Meandering, dull, with an irritating vocal and arrangement.

I don't like it either, but I don't think it's meandering. The structure moves distinctly from verse to chorus to verse to chorus to bridge & back to chorus--atypical for our Stevie, as we know. But it's a rotten -- or ill-recorded -- vocal, & the orchestration is unremarkable in every way. Some folks might like the hook of the chorus, but I don't think it's one of Stevie's better hooks -- not by a long shot -- not anything like the coolness & memorableness of choral hooks on "Gold Dust Woman," "Rhiannon," "Crystal," "If I Were You" (one of her best hooks), or "If You Ever Did Believe."

The '89 tour lead-in arrangement -- the synthesizer pedal points & the schmaltz -- was pretty cool. It was so different from the atmosphere of previous Nicks tours.

[DashingDan]

Originally Posted by David

I don't like it either, but I don't think it's meandering. The structure moves distinctly from verse to chorus to verse to chorus to bridge & back to chorus--atypical for our Stevie, as we know. But it's a rotten -- or ill-recorded -- vocal, & the orchestration is unremarkable in every way. Some folks might like the hook of the chorus, but I don't think it's one of Stevie's better hooks -- not by a long shot -- not anything like the coolness & memorableness of choral hooks on "Gold Dust Woman," "Rhiannon," "Crystal," "If I Were You" (one of her best hooks), or "If You Ever Did Believe."

The '89 tour lead-in arrangement -- the synthesizer pedal points & the schmaltz -- was pretty cool. It was so different from the atmosphere of previous Nicks tours.

The song never did much for me either. Never play it, and never enjoy it when it pops up on my shuffle. The lead vocal sounds like a guide vocal waiting to be re-done. I appreciate the verse structure--it's unique for pop, but the vocal could be so much better and the chorus could have been thought through a bit more, both lyrically and melodically. The music is OK, probably better than anything else on the album.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by Dodfather

Not too political, no, but I just don't buy that as a reason. One - Stevie is minted! Let's not kid ourselves. Two - isn't it that if you spend less than 30 days in one country, not one continent, that you have the lower tax rate? So she could easily do a European tour of less than a month. I could be wrong but I'm sure that's how it works.

I think if you are a U.S. citizen, you still more-or-less have to pay U.S. taxes on foreign-earned income plus local taxes. It's definitely a punitive system. I think you only start earning foreign income exclusions when you have actually lived abroad for over a year.

I think the reason why she hasn't toured Europe in an eon is that she doesn't have any strong advocates there. In Australia and Oceania she has Andrew MacManus, who pulled out all the stops to make a solo tour happen down under, including pairing her up with a locally popular opening act (forgot his name). Plus he treated her like royalty at the Melbourne Cup, and it goes without saying that he also managed to match/exceed her lofty nightly guarantee. Who's got Stevie's back in Europe?

[SapphireSister]

Don't have time right now but will explain later today why ROF is such a gem IMO.

[michelej1]

I like the way the vocals match the words. When she sings about the sensation of rooms being on fire whenever her loved one is near, her voice sounds smoky and smoldering. Then, later I suppose I'm influenced by the video, but I think she sounds gauzy and faint, like a (white clouded) memory: present, but too distant to touch.

The vocal has so many parts and the points where it wanders off just help to accentuate the segments that accelerate. For instance the building up to "and she hated to be separated".

The song gives me the feeling of rising passion and falling hope.

I do think it has a magical quality, or maybe there's just magic all around.

Michele

[baboles]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I like the way the vocals match the words. When she sings about the sensation of rooms being on fire whenever her loved one is near, her voice sounds smoky and smoldering. Then, later I suppose I'm influenced by the video, but I think she sounds gauzy and faint, like a (white clouded) memory: present, but too distant to touch.

The vocal has so many parts and the points where it wanders off just help to accentuate the segments that accelerate. For instance the building up to "and she hated to be separated".

The song gives me the feeling of rising passion and falling hope.

I do think it has a magical quality, or maybe there's just magic all around.

Michele

That was probably one of the best explanations I've ever read! I love your wording!