Let's talk about Say You Will marking FM's legacy

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by AnthonyMI

When SYW came out I had been waiting for MY first new FM album ever after having become a fan during The Dance Tour.

I was of course the first in line to buy the expanded special edition in the cardboard gatefold CD case. I was excited to hear proper official versions of my favorite demos like Running Garden, Smile at You and The Tower (goodbye baby).

What I got was great lyrics, decent vocals, and great mixing, but what I thought was a Soulless album. It was overproduced. Too much noise, no air. No organic instruments, and only what felt like robotic MIDI file instruments. Too many guitar parts, not enough piano or organ. And all the songs sounded the same way. There was not enough variation in the instrumentation and sound field. It was flat. The mastering was also flat and everything was fighting in a wall of sound way. I wanted a Fleetwood Mac album and what I got was Tango In the Night on steroids only with better Stevie presence.

I will still listen to it, but I skip more than half the Buckingham songs, and I actually like the Live Running Through The Garden from Columbus better than the album version. She really knocked that one out of the Park. A shame they only did it once.

I would like to have access to the original tapes and do a "Naked" version of SYW, strip it down to Drums, Bass, Guitar and maybe a few scant extra instruments and backing vocals. Then master it better. I bet it would be a fantastic sounding Fleetood Mac album.

I absolutely detest that whole "wall of sound" aesthetic and agree it permeates SYW and ruins a lot of it. There are a few glimmering moments-- John's bass finally gets in the forefront on Smile At You and the acoustic guitar bit at the end of it as well that reminds me of Buckingham Nicks stuff.

All of what you describe above applies to the BuckVie album. Seeing Mitchell Froom in the 'making of' video mucking around with pro tools depressed me. Christine's voice LITERALLY sounds like minnie mouse on several tracks-- and is really bad on Game of Pretend where he tweaks it to get high notes out. Listen to her voice on this album and listen to her voice on In The Meantime, where it sounds very honeyed and warm and natural. (oh and they used pro tools on that album also-- it's a question of degree and restraint)