Rock A Little: Rolling Stone Review

[SapphireSister]

Originally Posted by sparky

Coke can be a creative drug. Coke is a lot of fun, like most drugs, until it has you in a death grip. From the music, and her appearance, I would say Stevie wasn't completely swallowed up by cocaine until the Wild Heart tour. I think that the making of Rock A Little was completely derailed by her substance abuse. She and Iovine have both said as much.

I'll agree that she was completely out of control at this time and in the grips of her drug abuse but my whole point is that she was still able to write some amazing music during the RAL period despite this.

[David]

Originally Posted by SapphireSister

I'll agree that she was completely out of control at this time and in the grips of her drug abuse but my whole point is that she was still able to write some amazing music during the RAL period despite this.

And give performances I'll never forget.

What a gal that Stevie was . . . what a gal. Memories . . . ah, memories.

[bushesandbriars]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Uh, how embarassing! The last post, under the name of 'storm' was me. She's a friend of mine who came over today and created a user account here. I forgot to clear the cookies and log in as myself.

This is actually a response to what you actually posted as Storm, obviously, but I wanted you to know I realize the previous post was yours and not someone else's. ("KarmaContestant, this is for you. This is your post." ) Anyway, glad you found what I wrote interesting; I thought what you had to say was quite interesting as well. I don't think any one person has precisely the same reason as the next for loving--or hating--one of Stevie's albums, but the nostalgia factor is in there always, maybe.

[tabruns]

Rock A Little is an interesting album because the sound was so different from her previous two albums. To me, Bella Donna was pretty clean & clear Stevie Nicks....then Wild Heart added in synths and Sandy Stewart because (IMO) Nicks and Iovine were trying to knock out an album faster than they had Bella Donna. Rock A Little is her most "80s sounding" album.

[Jondalar]

I was fan of Fleetwood Mac, but not a huge Stevie Nicks fan at the time of Rock A Little. I remember my brother telling me that Stevie had a great new song out called Talk to Me and that he was going to get the record. I remember asking him a few days later what he thought of the record. He told me it was God-Awful except for a few songs. He let me listen to the record and I knew he was right. I thought the album was wayyyyyyyy overproduced and sounded very crazy. I still think that. I did not become a fan of her solo work until I discovered Bella Donna like a year later. However, a few later she came out with the Other Side of Mirror and after a few listens I threw the record in the trash. I was soooo disappointed. I thought she would try harder after Rock a Little and that OSOTM would be a comeback. It was even worse. She should not have released that record. I knew her career was dead. Over the years, Rock A Little has been Stevie's fall from grace to me. It was the beginning of the end. It's still perplexing how someone could release Bella Donna and then release OTSOM a few albums later, but Rock a Little was the tipping point.

[bluefox4000]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I was fan of Fleetwood Mac, but not a huge Stevie Nicks fan at the time of Rock A Little. I remember my brother telling me that Stevie had a great new song out called Talk to Me and that he was going to get the record. I remember asking him a few days later what he thought of the record. He told me it was God-Awful except for a few songs. He let me listen to the record and I knew he was right. I thought the album was wayyyyyyyy overproduced and sounded very crazy. I still think that. I did not become a fan of her solo work until I discovered Bella Donna like a year later. However, a few later she came out with the Other Side of Mirror and after a few listens I threw the record in the trash. I was soooo disappointed. I thought she would try harder after Rock a Little and that OSOTM would be a comeback. It was even worse. She should not have released that record. I knew her career was dead. Over the years, Rock A Little has been Stevie's fall from grace to me. It was the beginning of the end. It's still perplexing how someone could release Bella Donna and then release OTSOM a few albums later, but Rock a Little was the tipping point.

So so agree with you. First listen to RAL......I was stunned. Not in a good way. Interestingly enough. IMO, the rot started with the back half of the wild heart I love WH, still the 2nd favorite for me. But that 2nd half really dips. Anyway, RAL, is awful, the first of many turds in the Nicks punchbowl.

Wow, old thread BTW.

Mick

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

[/B]

So so agree with you. First listen to RAL......I was stunned. Not in a good way. Interestingly enough. IMO, the rot started with the back half of the wild heart I love WH, still the 2nd favorite for me. But that 2nd half really dips. Anyway, RAL, is awful, the first of many turds in the Nicks punchbowl.

Wow, old thread BTW.

Mick

I agree with the Wild Heart too. I think it is her second best album, but it was a big dip below Bella Donna when it came out. That album never flowed and sounded dated very quickly. It was almost too big of a departure from Bella Donna and threw people for a loop.

However, The Wild Heart and Bella Donna are really the only two Nicks solo albums that would recieve a thumbs up from me.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Here's the caricature of Stevie from the review. (Is this too big?)

where is the picture?

[bluefox4000]

RAL should be an example of why not to do coke. "You see kids, you do coke, you make a crappy Stevie Nicks album!" I'm sorry I'm horrible....Bad Ledgie

Mick

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

where is the picture?

Long gone, I guess. I might still have it, but that post was from 6 years ago!

[Silylily]

RAL is my fave, don't ask me why!

At least this review wasn't as bad as some I saw, where "I Sing For the Things" was picked-on in particular. I recall reading one along the lines of... "she sounds like a cross between Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck..."...

[drzubritsky]

Originally Posted by Silylily

RAL is my fave, don't ask me why!

At least this review wasn't as bad as some I saw, where "I Sing For the Things" was picked-on in particular. I recall reading one along the lines of... "she sounds like a cross between Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck..."...

I remember that review! It may have been People magazine and I think the comparision was to Elmer Fudd and Edith Piaf. Pretty harsh, but I sort of see their point. I remember an article years later (maybe around the time of the box set) where she discussed going through a period where she insisted that the first take vocal had to be used, even if it sucked. I wonder if she may have been referring to some of the RAL tracks.

I agree that the RS review sort of misses the point, but they were wise to point out the strengths of "Some Become Strangers" which seemed to get overlooked.

In any event, RAL has some enjoyable moments but it certainly was a mess. I remember being tremendously disappointed in the lead single after the years of anticipation. While "Talk To Me" was definitely commercial, it sounded like it could have been sung by anyone and lacked the unique Stevie qualities that marked her best solo and FM work up to that time. TTM was the first Stevie song that sounded like its only reason for existence was to provide a hit single.

[PenguinHead]

Rock a Little was noticably a departure from her two previous albums. Of course at the time, most fans weren't aware of the turmoil surrounding it.

I didn't hate it, but wished it was more approachable. Her voice was more shrill, the production more synthesized, and the songs less consistent. Seeing her for the first time in concert during the Rock a Little tour gave me some concern. Still, I remained a fan.

All these years later, I enjoy the album for what it is -- a flawed, but interesting work.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

Rock a Little was noticably a departure from her two previous albums. Of course at the time, most fans weren't aware of the turmoil surrounding it.

I didn't hate it, but wished it was more approachable. Her voice was more shrill, the production more synthesized, and the songs less consistent. Seeing her for the first time in concert during the Rock a Little tour gave me some concern. Still, I remained a fan.

All these years later, I enjoy the album for what it is -- a flawed, but interesting work.

I think that fans could tell she was in turmoil by listening to the record. I know I thought she went off the deep end.

[tabruns]

I think she was just trying to sound more modern. Rock A Little and The Other Side of the Mirror are both slickly produced albums so if you don't care for that kind of production, you're not going to like those albums at all. I think both have their moments. "Talk To Me" is catchy, "Rock A Little" is nicely moody, there are other songs on the album that aren't bad. It's a solid rock album. The Other Side of the Mirror had "Rooms On Fire", one of my favorite Nicks songs. I also like most of the rest of the record....its a dark, moody album.

I don't really have an issue with coke-Nicks....its klonopin-Nicks (Behind the Mask and Street Angel) where her songwriting really suffered. Fortunately she came back with Trouble In Shangri-La and Say You Will.