2009 tour: Aren't you glad Christine retired from touring?

[jbrownsjr]

I honestly feel that Christine did not artistically dig the sensation of recording with Fleetwood Mac anymore.

I don't think she said it publicly because she is pretty diplomatic when it comes to speaking with the media in this regard. I did get the sense that she felt the music was starting to suffer.

Christine was a musician vs an entertainer... which quite often contrasted the other two in my opinion. And I can hear the lack of magic between them when they sing now... I think she obviously could too..

This is why I have a great deal of respect for her decision to retire. I think Lindsey should have respected it too and I was miffed that he didn't because it showed his lack of character. I really enjoyed In The Meantime and also thought Gift of Screws was solid..

I don't think the FM effort is of the quality it used to be and therefore, would like to see more solo work evolve from each of them... if not... I applaud all of their careers as very successful, artistic and lucrative.

As far as buying into this "Unleashed tour" not going to happen for me... The same songs just keep getting worse... and the price just keeps getting worse...their need to drive a grand institution into the ground just keeps getting worse... and my need to see them well... .it's just fading away....

[nicepace]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Christine was a musician vs an entertainer... which quite often contrasted the other two in my opinion.

Interesting way of putting it. This is why in my thinking Chris was the heart of that band ... the absolute center. She kept the band grounded. You know the picture on the inside of 'Tusk' where Stevie and Lindsey are floating around up by the ceiling of a room, and Chris and John are standing on the floor with bemused looks on their faces ... that picture tells a lot about their characters and relationships with one another.

I really enjoyed In The Meantime and also thought Gift of Screws was solid..

I haven't actually heard 'Gift of Screws.' I lost interest in both Lindsey's and Stevie's solo stuff after the first couple of records.

As far as buying into this "Unleashed tour" not going to happen for me... The same songs just keep getting worse... and the price just keeps getting worse...

I agree. I go to a lot of concerts but my tastes tend to run to lesser-known performers from the indie world, where typically you can buy a ticket for $25 and if you get there early you can sit in the front row. If this were FM with Christine I'd spend the two hundred bucks or whatever it is, but not for the band as it is today. I wonder how ticket sales are going to go, actually, with people hurting financially the way they are.

By the way, what exactly is being "unleashed" ... it looks to me like it's a same old thing tour. How can they possible claim it's a greatest hits tour when they're not going to perform "Over My Head," "Hold Me," "Say You Love Me" and all of Christine's other hits.

[michelej1]

Now for me, I don't think Chris was the heart of the band. I think, overall, Mick is. He wasn't a great manager, but I think he's a great mediator and can bring and keep divergent personalities together. As greedy as he is, he has an ego that subverts itself for the good of the band most of the time. As long as you don't sleep with Jenny . . .

But Stevie has said that Christine was like the school teacher and without her, they were just running around like little children, waiting to be called in from recess. I believe that. When we hear demos and things, you can clearly hear Chris orchestrating their rehearsals. I suppose I would call her a "center" of sorts.

I do think she tethered the other two, by being in between them. Someone each of them could play off of, rather than battling each other. I think that was true from 1975 on. I think she stopped a lot of friction, just being another person they could couple with.

One moment that stuck with me from the Dance tour was when Lindsey was announcing the wrong song and Stevie didn't say anything to him. She went to Christine and whispered to her and then, from her piano, Christine called to Lindsey that he was introducing the wrong song. It was a very small thing, but I think it was symbolic of the way the 3 of them communicated. With Christine there, Lindsey and Stevie didn't have to deal directly with each other.

Then, musically, I do think it's uncanny the way Christine and Lindsey were so different, her trained, him untrained, yet they could arrive at such a good and unique place together. That collaboration. You can have a dinner with broccolli, steak and apple pie and you might not salivate over the steak, unless someone serves you just a plate with broccolli and pie, or pie and steak. Only then do you realize you don't have a full meal. That's how the 3 of them balanced each other for me.

Michele

[sywlindseyfan]

very wel put Michelle, and I just looooove the Christine story, I can't get emough of mama Christine

[Lindsey Jr.]

Look, I'd love to seen them finally live, but I don't understand the whole thing. Why not release a box set now & a new album next year?

I'm quite sure that they will never be best friends. You might ask, "what does that have to do with his first part of this post?", but to me that's the reason why they do this.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Lindsey Jr.

I'm quite sure that they will never be best friends. You might ask, "what does that have to do with his first part of this post?", but to me that's the reason why they do this.

I am sure that the reason we aren't getting new material right now is because of band relations. I don't know if we could have had an entire album anyway, but there could have been a few songs, if not for inner friction. Some of them are hoping that the tour goes well enough that they will be comfy enough to record new music later, since not now.

However, Christine is the answer to that problem too. If Stevie doesn't want to record with Lindsey now, she would definitely record if Christine was going to be on the tracks.

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

They don't realize it, but it's a big middle finger to their real long-time fans.

Why don't they realize it though? That's the question. Actually, they don't even seem to acknowledge the focused fans much, except when Stevie said it was the hard core fans stealing her music. For the most part, when they talk about their concert goers, they seem to have the casual fans in mind.

Yet, Mick just got off of a solo tour. Who exactly does he think was going out to see him perform? It wasn't the people who only know the FM "hits." They know the focused fans are out there. I guess there are just so few of us, that we don't have enough money to make them care. Michele

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I am sure that the reason we aren't getting new material right now is because of band relations. I don't know if we could have had an entire album anyway, but there could have been a few songs, if not for inner friction.

They should just release an EP

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

They should just release an EP

Wow a term I hadn't heard in a while....


Steve what's your favorite EP?

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Wow a term I hadn't heard in a while....


Steve what's your favorite EP?

Guided by Voices: Hold On Hope EP

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

They should just release an EP

An EP? That is way too innovative for Fleetwood Mac!!

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Actually, they don't even seem to acknowledge the focused fans much, except when Stevie said it was the hard core fans stealing her music. For the most part, when they talk about their concert goers, they seem to have the casual fans in mind.

Yet, Mick just got off of a solo tour. Who exactly does he think was going out to see him perform? It wasn't the people who only know the FM "hits." They know the focused fans are out there. I guess there are just so few of us, that we don't have enough money to make them care.

Plus they know we "focused" fans will support just about anything they do, whether we're satisfied or not.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I honestly feel that Christine did not artistically dig the sensation of recording with Fleetwood Mac anymore.

As far as buying into this "Unleashed tour" not going to happen for me... The same songs just keep getting worse... and the price just keeps getting worse...their need to drive a grand institution into the ground just keeps getting worse... and my need to see them well... .it's just fading away....

I believe the situation wasn't that Christine didn't want to record with Fleetwood Mac, it's that she didn't want to be committed to all the obligations that come with it - the PR, months away from home on tour, the whole scene. She was tired and done with the rock and roll lifestyle and ready for a different, more placid change of pace.
But I share your thoughts completely about this nonsense called "Unleashed" The name itself is so dubious, cliched and over-reaching. That said, I will probably see a show, but with full knowledge of them milking a dying cow. Who knows, maybe will penguins fly and they actually create an inspired, fresh approach and arrangement to their set.

[Lindsey Jr.]

Oh well... *whistles classic riff*