STYLIST article on Christine Doc

[nicepace]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Christine plays a lot of keys on Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, though her work is often mixed down (especially on Rumours). I've heard isolated instrumentation for "Rhiannon" and "Gold Dust Woman" and was surprised at how full and creative the keyboard parts are--but because of the mix we just don't hear them as clearly as the guitar. They are a texture, a layer of sound.

It seems that making the keyboard parts into a "layer of sound" has cheated us Christine fans out of something we would have really enjoyed, and probably robbed Christine of the recognition she should have received as the really fine keyboard player she is at her best.

I think I'm objecting to the entire style of Fleetwood Mac production in the Buckingham and post-Buckingham era. I know her keys are more prominent on the five Bob Welch era albums and on the 'Fleetwood Mac' album than they ever were again (except on some of her own songs and the rare ballad where the keys were a lead instrument). Her keyboards are not used enough on 'In the Meantime' and they're definitely not used enough on 'Buckingham McVie'.

I know Christine herself has spoken of her keyboard playing as "part of the rhythm section," but I really dislike this characterization. Can it possibly be true that Christine has never felt confident of her own keyboard playing? What other explanation can there be for this production style that submerges her keyboards under a layer of sound?