Buckingham Nicks Reunion Rumblings

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Who are Stevie's employees, NOT members of Fleetwood Mac. They'd likely also be part of a BN tour. Same goes for Neale and Brett. At that point, what's the difference?

For the record, the only "additional" musician the band had on the "Time" tour was Steve Thoma, who was playing Christine's parts on tour, as she wasn't touring back then. In other words, none of the extras are the call of Mick and John.

Honey, I don't have anything against Mick and John. Wanting a Buckingham Nicks reunion has nothing to do with them. It's about material and how it is presented.

If there wasn't a difference then Stevie and Lindsey wouldn't be qualifying it as such.

[David]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

Honey, I don't have anything against Mick and John. Wanting a Buckingham Nicks reunion has nothing to do with them. It's about material and how it is presented.

But how does anyone know how songs would be presented on a brand-new Buckingham Nicks tour? How does anyone even know which songs would be performed? It's just as likely that the set would be filled with Fleetwood Mac songs as not.

I agree with Dougie—Fleetwood Mac right now is Buckingham Nicks (the duo). Nicks & Buckingham are the sole songwriters and the stars of the show. They're free to write what they want and structure the set how they want. The only artistic obstacles either of them runs into come from the other. How would a revived Buckingham Nicks act change any of that? They aren't going to write differently for one project vs. another, they aren't going to sing differently, and they aren't going to twirl any differently.

And what is Buckingham Nicks (the duo) anyway? Its characteristics all come from a time that's loooong gone. Do you think a new Buckingham Nicks album is going to sound like the 1973 album? How on earth would they manage that (supposing they set out to do so)? They don't write like 1973, they don't sing like 1973, they don't harmonize like 1973, and they don't look like 1973.

Are you guys imagining an album full of tracks like Soldier's Angel? I suppose it's possible—but what makes Soldier's Angel any more Buckingham Nicks than Destiny Rules or Say Goodbye or other Fleetwood Mac songs? Just the fact that it's a twangy, countryish dirge in a minor key with an acoustic guitar ringing like a funeral bell?

When we're talking about overall style or mood, just what is Buckingham Nicks? I think it's a largely unanswerable question, especially 40 years later. In fact, the best answer is probably: "It's anything Lindsey and Stevie want it to be today."

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by David

I agree with Dougie—Fleetwood Mac right now is Buckingham Nicks (the duo). Nicks & Buckingham are the sole songwriters and the stars of the show. They're free to write what they want and structure the set how they want. The only artistic obstacles either of them runs into come from the other. How would a revived Buckingham Nicks act change any of that? They aren't going to write differently for one project vs. another, they aren't going to sing differently, and they aren't going to twirl any differently.

True, after Come got on, it became obvious to me that Lindsey would put any of his solo songs on a Fleetwood Mac album. He only had to be in the mood. I mean, for FM they do (and I'm sure this is all 4 of them) try to acknowledge the need for a Christine presence, which is why we had SYW (the song) and SYHA on the last album. But other than that, they just seem to be doing what they feel like, without feeling the need to stay within a particular genre or to access a specific audience, old or new. Everyone Finds Out sounds nothing like Fleetwood Mac. It's just what Stevie and Lindsey felt like doing at the time.

The only distinction would be whether or not a song was more suited for a solo singer, than a duet. Do the two voices add to the song's impact or detract from it? The added vocal detracted on Peacekeeper, but that didn't keep them from putting it on the album. But vocal arrangements for singing are the only differentiating criteria I see in separating the songs. The types of songs can't be categorized into a BN, solo or FM experience any longer.

Michele

[MacShadowsBall]

I'm partly confused by this debate between BN and FM.

Since Christine left, Fleetwood Mac is Lindsey/Stevie with John/Mick as the rhythm section. The only difference in a new Buckingham/Nicks album/tour vs a Fleetwood Mac album/tour is no involvement from Mick and John. Obviously a new BN album/tour would still need a drummer and bass player. Does anyone here know of anybody better than Mick Fleetwood and John McVie?

It would be almost rude of Stevie and Lindsey to exclude Mick/John from a potential future album/tour.

[elle]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

I'm partly confused by this debate between BN and FM.

Since Christine left, Fleetwood Mac is Lindsey/Stevie with John/Mick as the rhythm section. The only difference in a new Buckingham/Nicks album/tour vs a Fleetwood Mac album/tour is no involvement from Mick and John. Obviously a new BN album/tour would still need a drummer and bass player. Does anyone here know of anybody better than Mick Fleetwood and John McVie?

It would be almost rude of Stevie and Lindsey to exclude Mick/John from a potential future album/tour.

to be cynical, i think the difference might be the involvement of lawyers + managers + potential label for 3 people (+ whatever FM brand is) instead of 2?

although i would think tension between SN's and LB's people would be larger than between theirs and Mick's.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by elle

to be cynical, i think the difference might be the involvement of lawyers + managers + potential label for 3 people (+ whatever FM brand is) instead of 2?

although i would think tension between SN's and LB's people would be larger than between theirs and Mick's.

I suspect that's not all that cynical. However, I thought Mick, John, and Lindsey were all with Frontline. I could be wrong.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

I'm partly confused by this debate between BN and FM.

Since Christine left, Fleetwood Mac is Lindsey/Stevie with John/Mick as the rhythm section. The only difference in a new Buckingham/Nicks album/tour vs a Fleetwood Mac album/tour is no involvement from Mick and John. Obviously a new BN album/tour would still need a drummer and bass player. Does anyone here know of anybody better than Mick Fleetwood and John McVie?

It would be almost rude of Stevie and Lindsey to exclude Mick/John from a potential future album/tour.

I agree. It doesn't make any difference to me who plays drum and bass. Others have insinuated that a BN tour would exclude Mick and John. I have no idea how they would choose to present it, but personally I'm open to whatever as long as it means the Buckingham Nicks material has ample representation. I also think that the Buckingham Nicks sound (think BN album and "Soldier's Angel") might inject a much needed adrenaline shot in the arm of a stale FM set list. Which is why I think a new album or a few new cuts in conjunction with a tour that has been discussed by Stevie (loosely) and Lindsey as a "reunion" of Buckingham Nicks would be billed as such - Buckingham Nicks. I have no idea if that's what will happen. But, I think it would be really neat if they did follow through and if they bring Mick and John along then so be it. My fear is that not much would change and if they label it a Buckingham Nicks tour then I would hope it would be that -- meaning a significant change in the material or the way they presented it. Another example is the SYW version of "Silver Springs" -- that sounds Buckingham Nicks to me.

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

However, I thought Mick, John, and Lindsey were all with Frontline. I could be wrong.

Fleetwood Mac is manged by Front Line. Irving Azoff manages Lindsey. Howard Kaufman manages Stevie. Azoff and Kaufman reformed Front Line in 2004. It's basically all the same.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by David

But how does anyone know how songs would be presented on a brand-new Buckingham Nicks tour? How does anyone even know which songs would be performed? It's just as likely that the set would be filled with Fleetwood Mac songs as not.

I agree with Dougie—Fleetwood Mac right now is Buckingham Nicks (the duo). Nicks & Buckingham are the sole songwriters and the stars of the show. They're free to write what they want and structure the set how they want. The only artistic obstacles either of them runs into come from the other. How would a revived Buckingham Nicks act change any of that? They aren't going to write differently for one project vs. another, they aren't going to sing differently, and they aren't going to twirl any differently.

Soldier's Angel sounded like Buckingham Nicks. I can't explain that from a technical musical standpoint like you can. Maybe it was the same kind of guitar Lindsey played in BN? The Les Paul? Idk.

And what is Buckingham Nicks (the duo) anyway? Its characteristics all come from a time that's loooong gone. Do you think a new Buckingham Nicks album is going to sound like the 1973 album? How on earth would they manage that (supposing they set out to do so)? They don't write like 1973, they don't sing like 1973, they don't harmonize like 1973, and they don't look like 1973.

Are you guys imagining an album full of tracks like Soldier's Angel? I suppose it's possible—but what makes Soldier's Angel any more Buckingham Nicks than Destiny Rules or Say Goodbye or other Fleetwood Mac songs? Just the fact that it's a twangy, countryish dirge in a minor key with an acoustic guitar ringing like a funeral bell?

Not all the songs, of course. That would be boring. But, that was my initial impression when I first heard SA. This is Buckingham Nicks.

When we're talking about overall style or mood, just what is Buckingham Nicks? I think it's a largely unanswerable question, especially 40 years later. In fact, the best answer is probably: "It's anything Lindsey and Stevie want it to be today."

I can agree with that. But, I would like to know how Lindsey would interpret that today. Maybe BN is more stripped down (no pun intended). For example, LB has been notorious for using layers and layers of vocals and music tracks in FM. Maybe the BN sound is less about the background and more about the foreground. Maybe it's about each of their vocals being turned up in the mix to be more of a duet sound instead of having him wailing off in the background with some "ahh haha ahh" like in "Illume" or having Stevie on the left channel chanting "but she loves to be seen" on "Miranda".

So, if Lindsey BUCKINGHAM and Stevie NICKS are saying "we are more like BUCKINGHAM NICKS" today and are inferring they may tour as such, then I'm all for it and want to know what they mean and how they define BUCKINGHAM NICKS outside of FLEETWOOD MAC.

If it exists as they are insinuating, prove it. I'm listening...

[WildHearted]

Clearly theres a difference to Buckingham and Nicks, so there's a difference to me as well. Aside from a difference in sound ( but who knows what their sous would be like today) I think there's a difference in how the material is approached. They may not have ever written together per say, but I think they definitely worked the songs out more together in the early days - or at least, Lindsey did most of the working out, period. In fleetwood Mac Stevie comes in with songs practically finished and same for Lindsey mostly without the others I. Mind, at least, that was the case for Say YOu Will.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

I think there's a difference in how the material is approached. They may not have ever written together per say, but I think they definitely worked the songs out more together in the early days - or at least, Lindsey did most of the working out, period. In fleetwood Mac Stevie comes in with songs practically finished and same for Lindsey mostly without the others I. Mind, at least, that was the case for Say YOu Will.

And I think THAT'S what Lindsey is talking about when he tallks about coming full circle. It's how he wants to approach the music, NOT how it's released.

But, it still won't sound like the old BN. Stevie WILL have that vocal run that has been on almost every album since Mirror (you know, the "and you remember it" vocal run from Whole Lotta Trouble), while Lindsey will try to sound even more like Segovia.

As a huge fan of the post-Green Danny Kirwan material, this has been a huge gripe. Fleetwood Mac had an innocent approach to the music back then. That simplicity changed for both parties in 1975. They spent more time on that first album with LB and SN than they had on all of the albums from Kiln House through HAHTF combined, and probably BN too.

The ridiculous part of the BN vs FM thing, to me, is that Mick wouldn't have been interested if they didn't kind of already sound like Fleetwood Mac.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The ridiculous part of the BN vs FM thing, to me, is that Mick wouldn't have been interested if they didn't kind of already sound like Fleetwood Mac.

I don't think that's why Mick was interested. I think he liked the guitar-playing he heard. I don't think he was sitting there saying, well Rhiannon sounds like it could come from the same band that did Black Magic Woman.

He may have said that later, but I don't think he was saying that on New Year's Eve 1974 and John wasn't thinking about how much he wanted to play on Crystal then either. Mick didn't run home and listen to BN back to front, to compare sounds. Although he might have looked at Stevie from front to back.

Michele

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I don't think that's why Mick was interested. I think he liked the guitar-playing he heard.

He said it reminded him of Danny Kirwan, although Stevie said Peter Green. Either way, it sounded like a good fit for Fleetwood Mac. Think of all the good guitarists they knew back then. Even Waddy would have been perhaps a more obvious choice for a post-Welch guitarist: a blues rocking, Les Paul playing guitarist who had a similar presence to Bob Welch. All great, but a relative unknown from California had that X factor, that sound.