should FM release the album without SN's songs?

[elle]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I voted to wait for Stevie.

I don't think this news has pushed Fleetwood Mac's album back at all. Christine told more than one journalist that the band was working on material to release "sometime next year"/"sometime after the tour."

Who knows... maybe Stevie's current recording sessions in Nashville had been planned all along, and were the reason Lindsey said she hadn't yet decided on the "how" & "when" of recording with Fleetwood Mac.

yes my speculation is that Chris and Lindsey have been saying all this stuff lately since they were waiting for SN and were unsure when she'll be on board. that doesn't mean she'll be on board ever for an FM album, but they seem hopeful. Mick's "we're hoping" it will be fast, 2 weeks, tells me they are still waiting for her. and i just don't get that mentality. why wait and beg and try to coerce her for 5 years now, if she doesn't feel like it? let her do what she wants to do, and they can do what they want to, you know?

plus, i just don't get why you think FM should wait? don't you want more stuff out rather than less?

i need this Mac album to come out. we've been waiting since 2012.

(and i need LB solo album. ASAP. )

[Dex]

Unfortunately, if they do release an album without Stevie, they really lose all of the "WE'RE ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN YAY" media hype that's been built up around them over the past few months. Commercially it's not a smart move at all. Personally I couldn't care less about commercial success for Fleetwood Mac at this point, but history has shown that they obviously do.

[elle]

Originally Posted by Dex

Unfortunately, if they do release an album without Stevie, they really lose all of the "WE'RE ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN YAY" media hype that's been built up around them over the past few months. Commercially it's not a smart move at all. Personally I couldn't care less about commercial success for Fleetwood Mac at this point, but history has shown that they obviously do.

albums don't sell anyway so why would that matter?

old acts release albums for their soul, and tour for the money and media hype. just looks at how many cobbled together old acts in their 60s are touring and raking in money for the last 2 years!! Rumours 5 are legendary and new kids will want to go see them for their legendary hits of the 5, not for the new material. although it's true that hipster kids will care whether they are still relevant and putting out new material.

[Dex]

Originally Posted by elle

albums don't sell anyway so why would that matter?

old acts release albums for their soul, and tour for the money and media hype. just looks at how many cobbled together old acts in their 60s are touring and raking in money for the last 2 years!! Rumours 5 are legendary and new kids will want to go see them for their legendary hits of the 5, not for the new material. although it's true that hipster kids will care whether they are still relevant and putting out new material.

I take your point, but I honestly think this whole planned studio release is motivated by a sense of "well... the fans REALLY want it", which would be lost if Stevie was missing. The "for their soul" argument sounds good on paper, but has this band honestly found working as a fivesome at all artistically gratifying or even enjoyable since 1977? Maybe very ocassionally, but for the most part I think these members wouldn't find it worth the hassle except for the fans. This move seems to be more about rewarding fan response (be it monetary or something more abstract) than anything else.

[WildHearted]

At this point I think the "for their soul" albums are the solo albums. FM is always an attempt to be commercial / more successful, despite whatever guise it's labeled under, and despite the fact that they're simply not going to be in this day and age.

And if FM were to do a "for their soul," album, then in my mind that would certainly be the point when they wanted it to be all 5 of them.

Otherwise they'd all just guest on each other's solo projects, as they have in the past.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

And if FM were to do a "for their soul," album, then in my mind that would certainly be the point when they wanted it to be all 5 of them.

Except, for Stevie, recording with FM is not "for the soul," so the album can't be that for the 5 of them, since it's not that for her.

Michele

[elle]

Originally Posted by Dex

I take your point, but I honestly think this whole planned studio release is motivated by a sense of "well... the fans REALLY want it", which would be lost if Stevie was missing. The "for their soul" argument sounds good on paper, but has this band honestly found working as a fivesome at all artistically gratifying or even enjoyable since 1977? Maybe very ocassionally, but for the most part I think these members wouldn't find it worth the hassle except for the fans. This move seems to be more about rewarding fan response (be it monetary or something more abstract) than anything else.

exactly! while as 4, Lindsey and Christine obviously enjoy working together as songwriters. so why not release what they can put together instead of trying to force what has not been working for decades?

they don't do any of it for the fans, let's not fool ourselves.

[The Catdancer]

Originally Posted by elle

exactly! while as 4, Lindsey and Christine obviously enjoy working together as songwriters. so why not release what they can put together instead of trying to force what has not been working for decades?

they don't do any of it for the fans, let's not fool ourselves.

Very good point. I don't think they ever have.

[Dex]

Originally Posted by elle

they don't do any of it for the fans, let's not fool ourselves.

I'm not trying to paint any of them as selfless anti-capitalist saints, or anything. Don't get me wrong! But I do think that, money aside, even having a bunch of fans gushing and going "OMG YOU GUYS ARE SO AMAZING ALL TOGETHER I AM SO HAPPY I COULD WRESTLE A RAINBOW" feels awesome and can be a really strong motivator to do something a certain way. Solo projects and a more fragmented incarnation of FM just don't give any of the members that kind of reward on the same scale. And I do think that sort of fanbase "high" is the main reason they want to do this as a fivesome. If it was just for artistic gratification then Lindsey and Christine would already be doing what we suggest. That's not what these guys have on the brain.

[ragrsrocalot]

I responded NO. But, not to the " however long it takes part". Because we don't know that Stevie was given a time frame, or a specific date that she needed to comply by. If in fact she was given this information, and then proceeded to keep the band waiting for " however long it takes ", I would probably have a different answer. But we don't know that to be the case. Has Stevie even said she was going to record on this album yet?

[elle]

Originally Posted by ragrsrocalot

I responded NO. But, not to the " however long it takes part". Because we don't know that Stevie was given a time frame, or a specific date that she needed to comply by. If in fact she was given this information, and then proceeded to keep the band waiting for " however long it takes ", I would probably have a different answer. But we don't know that to be the case. Has Stevie even said she was going to record on this album yet?

no she hasn't. everyone else in the band (other than John) said they are working on the new FM album. but Stevie hasn't and she said she didn't know what she was doing before August of 2014.

so wait i'm confused... you think they should wait for SN, whether or not she's interested? if SN is not interested it would seem that the wait would be forever.... maybe the answer in that case should be "we don't need FM album"?

[Macfanforever]

I have mixed feelings on this.I think they should throw in the towel in if Stevie does not want to record with the band and put up with the BS in the studio .It will flop.I can not blame her for putting up with the stress doing it.

I'm not worried about a new album nor dont want retreads of greatest hits albums.

I'm just so happy that Chris will tour again with them later this year.
Thats the highlight of year so far to see Chris back in the band.

It is strange to see Chris with Stevie in Nashville and who knows really whats going on there but it would be nice to see some thing with the whole band on record with Chris here.

I always say why bother releasing a album these days.It never see the top 40 Us fan are the only ones are going to buy it.It probably wont or get little radio airplay.

We will feel honored if they do a album just for the fans.

[loverly13]

I hate to bring this up, and I am kind of prepped for the backlash but... I think everyone's so focused on Stevie NOT being in the studio with FM that they automatically assume that the rest of the gang is, seriously working on an album.

This is nearly a month old, but looks like Lindsey may not have even been there in the beginning of April (assuming he was with his family). Again, just a guess.



But I think everyone's quick to jump the gun and think that Stevie's quitting, FM is going to release an album in he near future, etc. I'm just going to sit back and watch this confusing scenario unfold. Who knows with this band, right? Their dynamic has never been uncomplicated - why start now?

[ragrsrocalot]

Originally Posted by elle

no she hasn't. everyone else in the band (other than John) said they are working on the new FM album. but Stevie hasn't and she said she didn't know what she was doing before August of 2014.

so wait i'm confused... you think they should wait for SN, whether or not she's interested? if SN is not interested it would seem that the wait would be forever.... maybe the answer in that case should be "we don't need FM album"?

My answer " NO " was in response to the poll question, which was, should FM release the album without Stevie's songs? She is a member of the band, and until she says she no longer wants to record with them, that will be my answer. I answered that way because we don't know what her commitment to recording is at this point. If she said, " You know what guy's, I'll pass ", then by all means record and release. If she is undecided because of other obligations, projects, waiting for the availibility of musicians, studio time , then I feel that they should wait a mutually agreed amount of time.

[BlueDenimLamp]

Originally Posted by ragrsrocalot

My answer " NO " was in response to the poll question, which was, should FM release the album without Stevie's songs? She is a member of the band, and until she says she no longer wants to record with them, that will be my answer. I answered that way because we don't know what her commitment to recording is at this point. If she said, " You know what guy's, I'll pass ", then by all means record and release. If she is undecided because of other obligations, projects, waiting for the availibility of musicians, studio time , then I feel that they should wait a mutually agreed amount of time.

The boys have been trying to "get Stevie on board" with recording for 5 years now with no luck...Mick wanted to get the band together in early (Feb) of 2010 and see if they wanted to work on an album or tour and Stevie said NO and then started working on "IYD"...The boys started recording without her hoping she would like what they were doing an get on board with them...Stevie declined to participate (except for "Without You" which didn't turn out very well)...Christine has returned and time has been purchased at the Village and as far as we know Stevie was never there...If Stevie is in fact dead set against recording with FM again what will it take for them to realize it...
I don't mean to sound harsh but it is what it is...