New Mick interview with Alec Baldwin

[David]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

On reflection I wonder if Mick is angling for some sort of Stevie-less band.
He says, by now Stevie would have done one of her tours, but that obviously hasn't happened. I think maybe he realises Stevie's still going to have her 2 years away for her own work and he can see himself sitting, inactive for 2 more years. He's hedging his bets. If Stevie is out of the equation for 2 years he's probably thinking there's mileage in a Lindsey, Mike, Neil line up. Not as much as if Stevie was there, but there'd be a degree of intrigue.
...and its actually an interesting proposition. I might be tempted to part with money to see them.

The thing that at least used to be true of Lindsey is that he got fired up if the project fired him up musically. He burned up the asphalt playing with Rage Against the Machine — not so much Leo Sayer. Know what I mean? And I just can’t envision him getting all fired up playing with Campbell or the Crowded House guy. I don’t think he listens to the Crowded House dude much if at all, and what would he do with Mike Campbell? Swap guitar riffs onstage? If that’s the extent of the intermixing, I don’t think he’d find it all that gratifying, tossing blues licks back and forth in concert. Just not his style. So what is there for him to really sink his teeth into with such a proposed project? I guess just $$$$. Rather pathetic for a guy who characterized the post-Buckingham Fleetwood Mac (both times) as mass-market corporate rock and a musical non-sequitur.

He’s really a study in failed ideals. I realize he hasn’t embarked on this project yet and it may very well not happen. But if it does, it’ll be really aesthetically pointless.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by David

The thing that at least used to be true of Lindsey is that he got fired up if the project fired him up musically. He burned up the asphalt playing with Rage Against the Machine — not so much Leo Sayer. Know what I mean? And I just can’t envision him getting all fired up playing with Campbell or the Crowded House guy. I don’t think he listens to the Crowded House dude much if at all, and what would he do with Mike Campbell? Swap guitar riffs onstage? If that’s the extent of the intermixing, I don’t think he’d find it all that gratifying, tossing blues licks back and forth in concert. Just not his style. So what is there for him to really sink his teeth into with such a proposed project? I guess just $$$$. Rather pathetic for a guy who characterized the post-Buckingham Fleetwood Mac (both times) as mass-market corporate rock and a musical non-sequitur.

He’s really a study in failed ideals. I realize he hasn’t embarked on this project yet and it may very well not happen. But if it does, it’ll be really aesthetically pointless.

There’s no way Lindsey would succumb to such a carnival of mismatched egos and intentions. Whether one respects Lindsey’s musical role or not (and only a small subsection of the fan base wouldn’t) there is no question that he brings vision to the table. Historically, he has lead the charge in the musical arc and attack of each tour involving him. He would not share that role with imposters now. No—there’d need to be a fake but very public reconciliation between Stevie and himself where they both ate a bit of crow for him to return. I think he’s game. She isn’t.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by David

and what would he do with Mike Campbell?

Walls?

Complete with a Stevie-less slideshow featuring Lindsey with Tom, Mike, and the gang.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Walls?

Complete with a Stevie-less slideshow featuring Lindsey with Tom, Mike, and the gang.

He was on The Last DJ album too

I don't think Walls would be brought in a FM set. On the 2018 Tour, Freedom wasn't touched, neither was Stop Draggin, Insider, I Will Run To You, or Whole Lotta Trouble.

I think those would've been more appropriate than DDIO, Free Fallin, or IGY

[David]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Walls?

A nifty little song. But could you build a set around it?

“Walls.” “The Man Who Loves Women.” “Asshole.” Several nifty little songs, all associated in the public mind with Tom Petty. I don’t see a small stack of tunes that Lindsey and Mike Campbell happen to have worked on together as making for a very coherent Fleetwood Mac set. Seems more like a Heartbreaker set with Lindsey joining for a few at some star-studded club gig in LA — and that ship has sailed.

[David]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Complete with a Stevie-less slideshow featuring Lindsey with Tom, Mike, and the gang.

By the way, nothing personal, but I’m so glad you didn’t manage Fleetwood Mac all these years, with your revolving-door aesthetic and swap-out approach (as if the group’s exquisite chemistry were nothing but a potluck meal).

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by David

By the way, nothing personal, but I’m so glad you didn’t manage Fleetwood Mac all these years, with your revolving-door aesthetic and swap-out approach (as if the group’s exquisite chemistry were nothing but a potluck meal).

Steve Hopkins' Fleetwood Mac featuring Dave Walker, Bob Brunning, Dave Mason, and Mick's drum tech on drums. Busking on a corner near you!

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by David

A nifty little song. But could you build a set around it?

No. Just a song in the set, probably after the acoustic set, like “Over My Head” in 2014, with Mick on cocktail drums.

Originally Posted by David

By the way, nothing personal, but I’m so glad you didn’t manage Fleetwood Mac all these years,

Me too. Life’s too short to deal with that lot’s horsesh*t.

with your revolving-door aesthetic and swap-out approach (as if the group’s exquisite chemistry were nothing but a potluck meal).

That’s how Mick and John view the band.

TITN was the first Fleetwood Mac album I bought and that was in early August, 1987. Think of the first decade in my fandom: Lindsey quits, Billy & Rick join, Christine and Stevie retire from touring with the band, Rick and Stevie quit, Billy quits, Bekka and Mason join, Billy rejoins, Mick disbands Fleetwood Mac to go work with Lindsey, and the Rumours lineup reunites. So, I’ve never been married to the idea that the Rumours lineup was the only lineup, and the players were largely interchangeable on some level.

The chemistry that made them great is what drove them apart.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by David

By the way, nothing personal, but I’m so glad you didn’t manage Fleetwood Mac all these years, with your revolving-door aesthetic and swap-out approach (as if the group’s exquisite chemistry were nothing but a potluck meal).

Reply #2

Chemistry? What band have you been watching for the last 40 years? You’re talking about something that hasn’t been relevant to them since Azoff came into the picture in late 1980. It’s been more nostalgia and mythology than reality for last few decades. It’s nothing but verisimilitude. Me putting this person in for that person wouldn’t lead to an album more full of random and completely unrelated songs as we got with Tango In The Night, Behind the Mask, Time, or Say You Will.

[anusha]

Man, catching up on this thread has been a trip. First, no one has really disputed that Lindsey was the draw for BN to be hired by FM. His being the initial draw doesn't diminish the obvious star power of SN or her significant contributions to their success. Without her, I don't think the band is a viable stadium act. She knows that, we know that, the band knows that.

So if Stevie isn't in, I don't think you get Mike Campbell or even Neil Finn devoting time to FM touring. MC is connected to Stevie, and he's not going to tour without her. Neil has his own legendary band, and trying a big tour with FM on a lark once is fun, but grinding out a less luxe and less well paid without her is probably not that big a draw. He could play those same venues (or close) with Crowded House.

I would be very surprised to see some Stevie-less version of the band make a serious go of anything. They're all motivated to do the Rumours 5 arena tours because it's huge audiences and huge money. Once you are looking at less money and smaller audiences, I doubt they will be motivated in the same way.

Lindsey could just do his own solo stuff and keep making albums at home, and Chris and John could just enjoy retirement and maybe do some guest spots on Lindsey's solo stuff. Mick is the hard one to predict. He may always be trying to wrangle the others into a Rumours 5 reunion payday, and if Stevie ever says yes, I think it's very possible they will reunite for another farewell tour.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by anusha

Lindsey could just do his own solo stuff and keep making albums at home, and Chris and John could just enjoy retirement and maybe do some guest spots on Lindsey's solo stuff. Mick is the hard one to predict. He may always be trying to wrangle the others into a Rumours 5 reunion payday, and if Stevie ever says yes, I think it's very possible they will reunite for another farewell tour.

There won't be another huge tour with the Rumours five. It would be at least 2 years before it could happen .Some of them are already too elderly. These people are not immortal. That gravy train has made it's last round.

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by David

The thing that at least used to be true of Lindsey is that he got fired up if the project fired him up musically. He burned up the asphalt playing with Rage Against the Machine — not so much Leo Sayer. Know what I mean? And I just can’t envision him getting all fired up playing with Campbell or the Crowded House guy. I don’t think he listens to the Crowded House dude much if at all, and what would he do with Mike Campbell? Swap guitar riffs onstage? If that’s the extent of the intermixing, I don’t think he’d find it all that gratifying, tossing blues licks back and forth in concert. Just not his style. So what is there for him to really sink his teeth into with such a proposed project? I guess just $$$$. Rather pathetic for a guy who characterized the post-Buckingham Fleetwood Mac (both times) as mass-market corporate rock and a musical non-sequitur.

He’s really a study in failed ideals. I realize he hasn’t embarked on this project yet and it may very well not happen. But if it does, it’ll be really aesthetically pointless.

don't get me wrong... I don't think Lindsey would necessarily say yes. In fact, I don't think it'd be his bag at all. I just think it might be something Mick would scheme for.
Mick isn't getting any younger. He knows the score though, Stevie still has projects on the table she'd want to do before she ever came back to FM. I think he might be tired of the waiting.... he's done that too many times. He needs a buck and his working an angle.
For Lindsey, there's not much he could get out of it (except $$$$).
Oh, also it might give him some satisfaction. The final say, as it were. Closure, even.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

I just think it might be something Mick would scheme for.
Mick isn't getting any younger. He knows the score though, Stevie still has projects on the table she'd want to do before she ever came back to FM. I think he might be tired of the waiting.... he's done that too many times. He needs a buck and his working an angle.
For Lindsey, there's not much he could get out of it (except $$$$).
Oh, also it might give him some satisfaction. The final say, as it were. Closure, even.

Stevie could leave FM forever and do extremely well solo.

She gets energy out of her solo shows. I saw her 3 times in the 2018-2019 tour and she just wasn't like how she was on her 24 Karat Gold Tour.
Even when she did Black Magic Woman, she just stood at the microphone and went "ah, ah, ah, ah, ah". Storms in 2018 paled in comparison to Storms on Unleashed.
Also, there weren't any new costumes on the 2018-2019 tour. And people can talk about the cardigan uprising, but SYW Tour had the best and most costumes from her in 20 years!

[John Run]

This is all somewhat predictable and has been since the news broke that Lindsey would not be with Fleetwood Mac "anymore." Now in recent months we have had Lindsey talk about closure and a willingness to play with them again. Mick and Lindsey talking. Lindsey saying he talked about collaborating with Mick. Mick saying he gives ultimate deference to Lindsey. The 5 will play again and the only thing I can be relatively sure of its not going to include the two people they used to replace Lindsey on the last tour. That statement is just Mick being the politician he is.

A Farewell tour. Limited to probably 30 stadium dates in largest of markets in the US, Canada and Europe. 2022.

As for Lindsey's motivation. Some is a softening of his heart, some of it ia ending their "beautiful legacy" the right way and some is a further lining of his already deep wallet and that is a nice legacy to leave for his younger wife and three children.

[bombaysaffires]

Lindsey saying that "Mick is weak" which translates to: Stevie has his balls.