The best way to get Stevie involved in the studio

[KarmaContestant]

I'm sure there will be an album before they go on tour again. In all seriousness - there is little point in FM releasing an album after a three year period of touring. They've always been a band that puts an album release right in front of a tour. They've toured to get their name out there and get the feels back on for working together, made a huge hubbub about Christine being back, and now is the time to go record an album. At the snails pace with which these people have always worked, a new album should be ready just in the nick of time to go on the road again in 18 months as planned.

I doubt sales potential has anything to do with Stevie's reticence (if that reticence is even factual, which we don't really know) because she's saying in interviews that sales don't matter anymore to her.

They aren't going to release an album without her. To think they will is foolish - look at the history from Mick's perspective:

Behind the Mask - No Lindsey, flop
Time - No Stevie or Lindsey, flop
Say You Will - No Christine, relative flop

Why on earth would they go forward and do another album sans one of the 'golden' members, when they've all just toured for three years and rebuilt some chemistry? If there is only going to be one more, might as well do it right. As Lindsey said - It Takes Time.