Your opinion: the Mac's zenith concert performance?

[jmn3]

The Chain, Go Your Own Way, Sisters of the Moon are all incredible on that video. Certainly my favorite version of both The Chain and GYOW.

I will agree that there are some other Mirage shows which capture even better what the Mac was about at that time...love the Denver and Oakland shows.

It's hard to believe that 5 years later the band would have such a completely different live sound.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by jmn3

It's hard to believe that 5 years later(after Mirage) the band would have such a completely different live sound.

Is that because Lindsey was no longer the lead guitarist?

[louielouie2000]

Lindsey not being the guitarist certainly had a lot to do with it, as did so many other factors. Stevie was calmed the hell down due to being off cocaine, and totally zonked out on Klonopin. For all intensive purposes their power house front people were gone for that tour. Rick and Billy I believe ushered in a more soft rock/middle of the road sound to the band too. Tango era everyone was hitting their 40s too... so maybe they calmed down just a bit too? (of course Lindsey's exit from the band after Tango isn't a good example of this lol)

[JbbyStew86]

i think the change in guitar during Tango is the biggest reason for the different sound. just watch the Chain video from that concert series and compare it to the Mirage Chain vid and see the difference. IMO they utterly lamed out. Rick and Billy did seem to bring in a laid back type soft rock style.

on a side note, does anyone out there have an MP3 of the GYOW from the Mirage concert that was turned into the tape? Ive heard its spectacular and I would love to hear it. I have SOTM, Rhiannon and The Chain. Does anyone have anything else!?!!? HELPPPPP!

[jmn3]

Originally Posted by JbbyStew86

i think the change in guitar during Tango is the biggest reason for the different sound. just watch the Chain video from that concert series and compare it to the Mirage Chain vid and see the difference. IMO they utterly lamed out. Rick and Billy did seem to bring in a laid back type soft rock style.

on a side note, does anyone out there have an MP3 of the GYOW from the Mirage concert that was turned into the tape? Ive heard its spectacular and I would love to hear it. I have SOTM, Rhiannon and The Chain. Does anyone have anything else!?!!? HELPPPPP!

I totally agree an it's nothing against Rick and Billy personally. The sound was just so unbelievably different and low key. The Chain is the best example (Tango VHS versus Mirage VHS)...Lindsey had such a manic solo and the vocals were scorching during that entire song in 1982. By 1987, the band was playing note-for-note and everything was "perfect." They just seemed to lose a lot of punch. Lindsey's departure is certainly a factor, the then-new mini-Mac is obviously a factor, Stevie/Klonopin, and so on. I guess like all incarnations of the band, they were just totally different from their former selves.

Jbby - I have that GYOW mp3...shoot me a PM with your address and I will email to you.

[David]

Originally Posted by jmn3

I totally agree an it's nothing against Rick and Billy personally. The sound was just so unbelievably different and low key. The Chain is the best example (Tango VHS versus Mirage VHS)...Lindsey had such a manic solo and the vocals were scorching during that entire song in 1982.

I defy anyone to listen to Rick on THE CHAIN from both 1987 & 1990 & to tell me, without knowing beforehand, which audio is from which tour.

Rick has excellent chops & a lot of soul, guitarists tell me, but over the nearly two years he was on the road with Mac, his playing never evolved. You can pick any live song on which he's prominent from the first few weeks of his tenure with the band, & then pick the same song toward the end of the last tour he did with the band, & you can't hear a difference in the extemporaneous aspect of the playing. It's uncanny! It's akin to listening to Stevie Nicks sing live these days. (Can anyone really tell the difference between a STAND BACK from 2005 & one from 2008?)

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by David

I defy anyone to listen to Rick on THE CHAIN from both 1987 & 1990 & to tell me, without knowing beforehand, which audio is from which tour.

Rick has excellent chops & a lot of soul, guitarists tell me, but over the nearly two years he was on the road with Mac, his playing never evolved. You can pick any live song on which he's prominent from the first few weeks of his tenure with the band, & then pick the same song toward the end of the last tour he did with the band, & you can't hear a difference in the extemporaneous aspect of the playing. It's uncanny! It's akin to listening to Stevie Nicks sing live these days. (Can anyone really tell the difference between a STAND BACK from 2005 & one from 2008?)

Sadly, yes. The 2005 version was better, Brett Tuggle gave it away.

[jmn3]

[QUOTE=David;759838]I defy anyone to listen to Rick on THE CHAIN from both 1987 & 1990 & to tell me, without knowing beforehand, which audio is from which tour. QUOTE]

Totally agreed. There is no difference at all. Same for Billy's vocals on Go Your Own Way. The passion is lacking altogether. I never have gotten on board with the love fest that some have for the "new" non-Lindsey versions of GYOW. The bland vocals and anthem like arrangement and solo take away from the raw emotion that the song should bring out. And I can't buy that only Lindsey can sing those lyrics with emotion....I mean, who hasn't had an ex they wanted to tell off?

Of course, in the later years, Lindsey has done his own version of blanding down the vocals on GYOW....but that's another story.