Open Letter to The Mac

[RockawayBlind]

Originally Posted by On Ice

I think this article sums things up pretty well and reflects my message to the band that there are plenty of options to stay relevant other than these endless, stale, too-Rumours-heavy concert setlists designed to dig deep into our pockets.

Great post. It certainly confirms that the views of those of us who are frustrated with the band aren't so outlandish after all -- not that we really needed confirmation.

I've already commented about the embarrassingly thin catalog and other problems, so I won't repeat myself. But it strikes me that FM and its fans have a bit of a battered wife syndrome going on. "Sure he beats me, but he is a good provider."

With the band, it goes like this, "Sure they disappoint the fans, take us for granted and blame us for their lack of commercial success, but they are still so great. They have the best 40-song catalog ever and, you know, they've had their own problems."

Some folks seem blown away that 60-plus rockers can still tour. No one's ever done it before apparently -- not the Rolling Stones, B.B. King and a long line of blues players. Not Clapton, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Aerosmith. Not Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen or Paul McCartney or ... or. Well, no one really! No one has ever rocked so hard into their 60s, or even 70s, as Fleetwood Mac.

Take the Stones. As old and crusty as they are, when they have toured in recent years, they still leave everything on stage. They change up the setlist, dig up old gems that we haven't heard in years, play covers, and Mick still shakes his ass on stage like there's no tomorrow while Keith, as he stands there doing his trademark drunk man guitar playing, still gets a huge kick out of watching Mick.

Sorry, folks this willingness to accept too little, and this attitude that "they don't owe the fans anything" (Wrong, they owe us EVERYTHING), is why I say the hardcore fans are like a battered wife.

Someone said FM is no longer relevant musically. Agreed. Someone else said maybe they should have packed up and shacked up in 1980 and be done with it. I am starting to agree with that too.