SYW, best album of all time?

[secret love]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Now, I love her work with Tom, but otherwise agree wholeheartedly. Bella Donna rocks without being 'rocky'. Edge is the hardest tune there, and other songs like Outside The Rain and How Still My Love rock just the right amount without sounding masculine. You're rather critical of the album, but I think many fans consider it the benchmark of what a solo Stevie album should sound like.

For *years* I've dreamed of a Stevie album produced by the likes of Tori Amos or Neko Case - or any other female singer/songwriter who doesn't 'rock' and who understands the importance of bringing that realm of femininity to her music instead of trying to cover it all up with that masculine 'let's rock' crap that she seems to embrace so feverishly.

Stevie Nicks did well in her most recent effort, In Your Dreams album. Thing is, the highlights of that for me are Lady from the Mountains [I refuse to believe the Bull**** story Stevie spun about the song being inspired by the insipid Twilight books/film series...majority of the song was written during the Tusk-era...20+ years before Twilight was written. So let's call the song what it is puh-lease.] also, Soldier's Angel, You May be the One, My Heart, Annabel Lee. The song Italian Summer is just embarrassing, cringe-worthy and cliched: honestly, the closing vocals are autotuned to the hilt: come on Stevie, you can do better than that. Cheaper Than Free is a stupid, dopey song in its lyric...and Dave Stewart cannot sing very well so that spoils it too: Dave's a guitarist not a singer! Secret Love - overproduced. For What's It's Worth was good.

I think gradually Stevie is realising she doesn't have to do the whole "let's rock" thing and that it is not what her fans like about her anyway. In interviews she regularly says "People ask me what I do, I say I'm a rock n roll star." Something about that doesn't sit well with me: for a start ...I wouldn't really classify the majority of Stevie's songs as rock music and I'd say really, its not something she need aspire to: take Silver Springs for example: a gorgeous ballad. Or Say You Will, a cute catchy feel-good "commercial pop song". Her only true rockers for me, the songs of Stevie's that get me on my feet singing and dancing, are Stand Back (loved the bongo drums arrangement from 2003 DVD), Edge of 17, Gold Dust Woman, Running Through the Garden, maybe Seven Wonders, Sisters of the Moon, Angel, Ghosts are Gone...generally only one song on each album is a rock-out song.

Stevie could learn a lot from her dear friend Vanessa Carlton...she could learn that music is not about fame. Music is about connecting with people. It is not about Stevie. It is about everybody else. And it is about being genuine, telling your story honestly and not fabricating lies or defaming people just because you don't like them (Planets of the Universe comes to mind...even Stevie thought the original version was too harsh on Lindsey).

If Stevie wants me to fork out $20 - $25 (Yes, that is how much music costs in Australia - a hard copy CD...$16 for digital download iTunes...it is a rip off) for her next album, then she needs to realise I don't care for showy guitar riffs and bass lines at the expense of raw and genuine emotion in the vocals...and I don't care if her piano playing isn't as exemplary as C. McVie's.

Really as a fan...a paying customer actually...I think Stevie should pay more attention to what my opinion, and the opinions of many other fans worldwide are regarding the production of her songs. If only she could be as confident in her instrumental abilites as she is in her singing! Or at the very least: follow the classic rule of Keep It Simple Stupid.