Say You Will sales ten years after release

[bethelblues]

Looking back on this album, I think it could've been great, maybe even without Christine's participation. I know some say her presence was needed to bring balance to the different styles, reign in Lindsey's material and more esoteric choices.

Instead of 18 songs, there should have been 10 or 11, which would've made it more definitive and streamlined to listen to. Maybe a shorter run time would've helped it reach platinum status with better critical reviews?? Maybe then they could've gotten some Grammy traction?? I fully believe the order should have been changed up to make it seem a little more cohesive, and not the two separate solo records critique everyone seems to give. I'm sure some of you disagree but I would've preferred Thrown Down as the first track, since I love the opening guitar part/instrumental that builds over several bars. It also didn't help that Stevie wasn't happy with the production of her songs, one small public example we all have being the Thrown Down incident. But I have to agree, some of the production choices were odd, and not just for her songs. I can't listen to this version of Bleed to Love Her or Say Goodbye. The former is way over-produced and is missing the raw passion of The Dance performance, and why Lindsey sped up the latter one doesn't make any sense to me. It loses the power and time for the listener to comprehend the song's meaning and lyrics. Two goodbye tracks at the end only solidifies the disparity, that each songwriter needed their own ending to the album. I'm sure some of you have some opinions on the album too...overall, I see the potential is there, and I can definitely see why some say the work is underrated. I only wish in hindsight they had made a few different choices, as the reception might have been more positive and then we might've seen another album sooner.

[bluefox4000]

This album crushed my hopes for a FM sans Christine. I know this album introduced a lot of people to the Mac, But.....man did it not work for me. I call it the solo mash-up. Still does not work for me, ten years on. I still have the album cause i'm a completest.....but it gathers dust.

Mick

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

This album crushed my hopes for a FM sans Christine. I know this album introduced a lot of people to the Mac, But.....man did it not work for me. I call it the solo mash-up. Still does not work for me, ten years on. I still have the album cause i'm a completest.....but it gathers dust.

Mick

I don't think works either. They didn't harmonize like they are doing on Extended Play. It was too long and they didn't sound like a group. I like a lot of the songs on it, but as a cohesive Fleetwood Mac, no way. It was two solo albums meshed together. I'm really liking what I"m hearing on EP though.

[seekerj]

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

This album crushed my hopes for a FM sans Christine. I know this album introduced a lot of people to the Mac, But.....man did it not work for me. I call it the solo mash-up. Still does not work for me, ten years on. I still have the album cause i'm a completest.....but it gathers dust.

Mick

I just don't understand why only this particular album gets called out for this. When were any albums "cohesive", and if so, what about them was cohesive? The music, the arrangements, the lyrics... what? To me, all Rumours-era line-up FM albums, having three songwriters, have always had a "separate" feeling to the songs. And that's a good thing, and it's why I was attracted to the band in the first place. I'm sorry, but Monday Morning does not sound like Sugar Daddy to me. Second Hand News does not sound like Songbird. Think About Me does not sound like Beautiful Child. And anything by Stevie or Christine on Mirage does not sound like any of Lindsey's songs on Mirage. (Actually, nothing on this planet sounds like Lindsey's Mirage songs.)

[WildHearted]

I really love Say You Will, actually, save for a few songs that I could do without. I'd be interested to see what the sales figures are for it today.

[bluefox4000]

Originally Posted by seekerj

I just don't understand why only this particular album gets called out for this. When were any albums "cohesive", and if so, what about them was cohesive? The music, the arrangements, the lyrics... what? To me, all Rumours-era line-up FM albums, having three songwriters, have always had a "separate" feeling to the songs. And that's a good thing, and it's why I was attracted to the band in the first place. I'm sorry, but Monday Morning does not sound like Sugar Daddy to me. Second Hand News does not sound like Songbird. Think About Me does not sound like Beautiful Child. And anything by Stevie or Christine on Mirage does not sound like any of Lindsey's songs on Mirage. (Actually, nothing on this planet sounds like Lindsey's Mirage songs.)

I dunno.......lol. I don't. Maybe It's cause Chris isn't there. So it's more noticeable. I DO know I don't like it

Mick

[mitzo]

I actually like the meshed solo project feel of SYW and the 18 tracks make it an extra juicy listen, to me. The downside is that it seems Lindsey had complete free reign to go nuts with things like Murrow and Red Rover and Come. Meanwhile, these are Stevie's best efforts in decades - why she bitches about Lindsey's production on the songs is a mystery to me, he coaxed out some remarkable vocals and made real sonic gems out of virtually all of them. In contrast to the ragged, often drab production on most of TISL.
I love every Stevie track on here, even Silver Girl.

So anyway, yeah, how many units sold?

[bluefox4000]

I remember Seeing the run time and that making it almost DOA to me. I hate super CD cramming run times. I love music.....but I don't have the patience for anything over 45 mins.....i'm serious. Maybe 50 Mins, but that's pushing it. you better have strong materiel. I have tons of playlists of my versions of albums, lol

Again I don't why it comes across so strongly as a non group effort but boy is the feeling there

Mic

[Jondalar]

This thead has made me break out Say You Will

[Say You Will]

I agree. I feel the songs on SYW are some of Stevie's strongest in years. Much more than IYD, While I understand why people are having issues with the length of the CD and the number of songs. I am very happy that it was released like this. To me, the more FM songs the better.
I also miss Christine's presence but she didn't want to contribute and that was that..

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by bethelblues

Looking back on this album, I think it could've been great, maybe even without Christine's participation. I know some say her presence was needed to bring balance to the different styles, reign in Lindsey's material and more esoteric choices.

Instead of 18 songs, there should have been 10 or 11, which would've made it more definitive and streamlined to listen to. Maybe a shorter run time would've helped it reach platinum status with better critical reviews?? Maybe then they could've gotten some Grammy traction?? I fully believe the order should have been changed up to make it seem a little more cohesive, and not the two separate solo records critique everyone seems to give. I'm sure some of you disagree but I would've preferred Thrown Down as the first track, since I love the opening guitar part/instrumental that builds over several bars. It also didn't help that Stevie wasn't happy with the production of her songs, one small public example we all have being the Thrown Down incident. But I have to agree, some of the production choices were odd, and not just for her songs. I can't listen to this version of Bleed to Love Her or Say Goodbye. The former is way over-produced and is missing the raw passion of The Dance performance, and why Lindsey sped up the latter one doesn't make any sense to me. It loses the power and time for the listener to comprehend the song's meaning and lyrics. Two goodbye tracks at the end only solidifies the disparity, that each songwriter needed their own ending to the album. I'm sure some of you have some opinions on the album too...overall, I see the potential is there, and I can definitely see why some say the work is underrated. I only wish in hindsight they had made a few different choices, as the reception might have been more positive and then we might've seen another album sooner.

Great points! One of the advantages to trimming SYW down to 10 or 11 songs would have been enough leftover songs to release a follow-up album the following year. The 7/8 songs, plus the extra two tracks from the Deluxe version of SYW.

Alternatively, we could have had singles with real b-sides, or a E.P in 2004 or 2005. Lots of options.

All in all, I like SYW, I think it's a strong album, and while it does indeed sound like two solo albums mashed together, I sort of like that it has a he-said she-said back and forth feel to it.

[MikeVielhaber]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Great points! One of the advantages to trimming SYW down to 10 or 11 songs would have been enough leftover songs to release a follow-up album the following year. The 7/8 songs, plus the extra two tracks from the Deluxe version of SYW.

Alternatively, we could have had singles with real b-sides, or a E.P in 2004 or 2005. Lots of options.

All in all, I like SYW, I think it's a strong album, and while it does indeed sound like two solo albums mashed together, I sort of like that it has a he-said she-said back and forth feel to it.

I get why some would say Lindsey's tracks sound like a solo album....because they were recorded with that intent and Stevie was shoe horned in after the fact. Most of them any way. But Stevie's songs were recorded for Fleetwood Mac (and some even written with the band in mind) and arranged and produced by Lindsey. What did they have to sound like to not sound like a solo project?

[kak125]

ahh i have been listening to say you will like crazy the past few months. its still one of my favorite cd's and i pretty much love all the songs on it. i think its just as amazing today as it was 10 years ago.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by MikeVielhaber

What did they have to sound like to not sound like a solo project?

Great question, and one I'm not sure I really have an answer for. In my opinion, *not* all of the tracks sound like solo songs, most notably Steal Your Heart Away, Bleed To Love Her, Peacekeeper, Miranda, What's The World Coming To, Say Goodbye, Goodbye Baby, Thrown Down, Not Make Believe, Silver Girl, Say You Will, Illume, Smile At You and Destiny Rules. That's a lot, actually, and they all sound very much at home on a Fleetwood Mac album.

I think the most notable "solo" sounding songs are the rest: Murrow, Come, Red Rover, Running Through The Garden and Everybody Finds Out. Perhaps it's just that these songs stand out so much from their album-mates that they overshadow the "Fleetwood Mac sound" of the other tracks.

Christine offered a lot of temperance between the quirky and mystical of Lindsey and Stevie, respectively; temperance that is missing from SYW.

Again, this is just my opinion.

[bethelblues]

To be honest, I don't think Stevie has been able to capture mystical the way she used to. In a few tracks on this album and In Your Dreams, she often comes off more kitsch, riffing on and attempting to recreate her older work. I think, for instance, the album cover for In Your Dreams may speak to my point.