Mirage: The Most Underrated Pop Record

[AncientQueen]

Probably only me, but I like "Oh Diane" in the context that Jeremy Spencer did some Buddy Holly stuff earlier on and that Lindsey reintegrated that into the Rumours version of FM. He's following a tradition.

[redbird]

Originally Posted by AncientQueen

Probably only me, but I like "Oh Diane" in the context that Jeremy Spencer did some Buddy Holly stuff earlier on and that Lindsey reintegrated that into the Rumours version of FM. He's following a tradition.

I like "Oh Diane" and I echo PenguinHead above, it's just a very inoffensive song. Not brilliant or revolutionary by any means, but I don't think it claims to be, it's just this itty bitty bit of retro pop. Never bothered me much.

---

I would love a funkier "Hold Me", it's one of those songs that I'm so close to liking, much like "Everywhere", if not for certain production choices.

[SpyNote]

Mirage is my favorite album, and it is Fleetwood Mac's most romantic album. It is conceptually well-executed, this notion that love appears abloom in the distance. But that's the clever facade of the mirage -- seeing something, usually beautiful, that isn't actually there. Nine of the 12 songs seem to revolve around this theme, so Mirage stands out as one of the band’s most cohesive albums.

On the surface of each song is a bright, carefree melody. (I think some music critics would describe this as the stereotypical SoCal soft rock sound.) But what each songwriter writes about is longing and nostalgia for love that's "slowly slippin' through your hands" ("Oh Diane"). In "Gypsy," Stevie is nostalgic for the best years of her life, when she was fearless and had nothing but love to give. But it is now a passing warm memory. Christine's always writing about love, but she's especially vulnerable and heartbreaking on this album (probably for Dennis Wilson), afraid of how she feels ("Love in Store"), out of her mind (“Only Over You”), lying in the darkness ("Wish You Were") -- simply inconsolable. And then there’s Lindsey, the most heartbroken of all, demanding for “someone from up above” (“Book of Love”) to explain why he is so lonely and unsuccessful at finding love.

I do agree with Andy that side two is inconsistent. It starts off rough with a totally random song about New York ("Empire State"). I think songwriters sometimes write these songs, hoping it will one day get picked up by the media, like in a commercial. And that would translate into mass exposure and grand royalties. It didn't work here, but Lindsey sure hit a home run with with "Holiday Road"!

"Straight Back" doesn't work for this album either. Its reggae-flavored beats and esoteric lyrics about dreams, melodies, and ivory keys are one gleaming mess. But I do love the song. It just doesn't fit conceptually with the album.

"Eyes of the World" is another random, misplaced song. Granted, it is the album’s best uptempo song, by far, and even a better song onstage. But here, it’s a lot of pleasant hoo-ha about nothing.

My only other gripe about Mirage is the editing, which is quite poor. The cut-and-paste approach is very evident on many songs, especially on “Gypsy,” “Only Over You,” and “Straight Back,” where you can clearly hear where the song was edited, probably out of Rumours-inspired fear of running over on vinyl. No bueno.

But overall, musically, Mirage runs beautifully from beginning to end. It doesn’t rock too hard or too soft, which is how love, if we should find it, should ideally play out.

[bombaysaffires]

the conceptual theme of Mirage was reportedly a music box... the music had that sort of tinkly, plinky sound and airy feel of music played on a music box which is a brilliant concept. Not every song quite fits, but the ones that do are among the best: Gypsy, Hold Me, Can't Go Back, Wish You Were Here other Stevie songs were deemed too dark for this collection (Smile at You for example). I know there's some debate over when Make Me a Mask came into being, but to me it sounds like it fit this concept really really well.

[Andy Man]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

Mirage is my favorite album, and it is Fleetwood Mac's most romantic album. It is conceptually well-executed, this notion that love appears abloom in the distance. But that's the clever facade of the mirage -- seeing something, usually beautiful, that isn't actually there. Nine of the 12 songs seem to revolve around this theme, so Mirage stands out as one of the band’s most cohesive albums.

On the surface of each song is a bright, carefree melody. (I think some music critics would describe this as the stereotypical SoCal soft rock sound.) But what each songwriter writes about is longing and nostalgia for love that's "slowly slippin' through your hands" ("Oh Diane"). In "Gypsy," Stevie is nostalgic for the best years of her life, when she was fearless and had nothing but love to give. But it is now a passing warm memory. Christine's always writing about love, but she's especially vulnerable and heartbreaking on this album (probably for Dennis Wilson), afraid of how she feels ("Love in Store"), out of her mind (“Only Over You”), lying in the darkness ("Wish You Were") -- simply inconsolable. And then there’s Lindsey, the most heartbroken of all, demanding for “someone from up above” (“Book of Love”) to explain why he is so lonely and unsuccessful at finding love.

I do agree with Andy that side two is inconsistent. It starts off rough with a totally random song about New York ("Empire State"). I think songwriters sometimes write these songs, hoping it will one day get picked up by the media, like in a commercial. And that would translate into mass exposure and grand royalties. It didn't work here, but Lindsey sure hit a home run with with "Holiday Road"!

"Straight Back" doesn't work for this album either. Its reggae-flavored beats and esoteric lyrics about dreams, melodies, and ivory keys are one gleaming mess. But I do love the song. It just doesn't fit conceptually with the album.

"Eyes of the World" is another random, misplaced song. Granted, it is the album’s best uptempo song, by far, and even a better song onstage. But here, it’s a lot of pleasant hoo-ha about nothing.

My only other gripe about Mirage is the editing, which is quite poor. The cut-and-paste approach is very evident on many songs, especially on “Gypsy,” “Only Over You,” and “Straight Back,” where you can clearly hear where the song was edited, probably out of Rumours-inspired fear of running over on vinyl. No bueno.

But overall, musically, Mirage runs beautifully from beginning to end. It doesn’t rock too hard or too soft, which is how love, if we should find it, should ideally play out.

Thanks for the response. I never really viewed 'Mirage' as a thematically cohesive album, however your post has changed this! Thanks to your interpretation, Mirage has gone up even more on my 'artistic credibility' chain.

I also agree about the 'cut and paste' format. Gypsy is so much better in the original long form, as is Love In Store. One can't help but wonder if Hold Me has an extended version as well...

[redbird]

I don't exactly agree that "Empire State" and "Straight Back" are unconnected. I always saw "Empire State" as Lindsey's running away song, like "That's Alright" is Stevie's. New York is about as far from L.A. as you can get. And "Straight Back" is full of a kind of nostalgia, IMO, especially (obviously) "She remembers how good it can be, he remembers a melody." Like others on the album, these are both songs that have happened in the wake of some kind of watershed moment.

[shackin'up]

I'll take my mirage anytime above tango. Musically Mirage outshines Tango on all levels.

[guillamene]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

I'll take my mirage anytime above tango. Musically Mirage outshines Tango on all levels.

Agree!
I have very fond memories of this album as it was my first Fleetwood Mac album. Up to the time I bought it, I was only vaguely aware of the name of the band through ' Albatross ' and nothing more. Remember hearing 'Hold Me' being played regularly in my local bar and asked the barman who this band was. That Friday went out and bought a cassette(!) of 'Mirage' as it ,of course, contained this song.
People sometimes say they can remember the moment when hearing a particular song/album for the first time and the sensation they felt: well, playing 'Mirage' for the first time that night was such a sensation for me. I was absolutely mesmerised by the fact that there were so many wonderful songs (Oh Diane excepted, of course) and such a SOUND!!!
My 'musical life' would never be the same again - I had found my band!

[SpyNote]

Originally Posted by redbird

I don't exactly agree that "Empire State" and "Straight Back" are unconnected. I always saw "Empire State" as Lindsey's running away song, like "That's Alright" is Stevie's. New York is about as far from L.A. as you can get. And "Straight Back" is full of a kind of nostalgia, IMO, especially (obviously) "She remembers how good it can be, he remembers a melody." Like others on the album, these are both songs that have happened in the wake of some kind of watershed moment.

I can see "Empire State" being about a different kind of love, maybe a love for New York. But it's more about ambition, makin' it in the Big City, flying high. It's a song I could have pictured on Tusk, for its restlessness, but not so much on the laid back Mirage.

I look at "Straight Back" as Stevie forgetting why she and Lindsey wanted to became rock stars, which was fulfilling "the dream" to perform music. This is what I think all the ivory keys, melodies, and how good it can be talk is all about -- Stevie trying to turn herself around and head straight back to the sun, where all the energy is. So it's less about feeling nostalgic, but feeling inspired again to create great music again with Lindsey and Fleetwood Mac.

Just an interpretation. I can talk forever about Mirage.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

I can see "Empire State" being about a different kind of love, maybe a love for New York. But it's more about ambition, makin' it in the Big City, flying high. It's a song I could have pictured on Tusk, for its restlessness, but not so much on the laid back Mirage.

I look at "Straight Back" as Stevie forgetting why she and Lindsey wanted to became rock stars, which was fulfilling "the dream" to perform music. This is what I think all the ivory keys, melodies, and how good it can be talk is all about -- Stevie trying to turn herself around and head straight back to the sun, where all the energy is. So it's less about feeling nostalgic, but feeling inspired again to create great music again with Lindsey and Fleetwood Mac.

Just an interpretation. I can talk forever about Mirage.

And I don't mind that you do. I like your insight.

[SpyNote]

Originally Posted by redbird

I like "Oh Diane" and I echo PenguinHead above, it's just a very inoffensive song. Not brilliant or revolutionary by any means, but I don't think it claims to be, it's just this itty bitty bit of retro pop. Never bothered me much.

I think inoffensive is a great word to describe it. That's probably why Warner Bros. released it as a single. I always thought that "Eyes of the World" should have been a single, especially because Lindsey loved performing it onstage. So when I heard it for the first time as the b-side of "Hold Me," I was really surprised that they let such a good song go to waste.