They have no choice but to do a greatest hits tour...here's why..

[wheart]

As far as song writing goes, I think Lindsey has only improved with age. His recent songs, starting with SYW and including his 2 recent solo works, are some of the best he's ever written IMO. Stevie's contibutions to SYW are also excellent but that's all she's released since then so it's hard to gauge her current songwriting talents. I think so many people relate to the FM songs of the 70's that it's difficult for them to embrace their current music. I do think that SYW was not properly marketed and was just too damn long for it's own good. With some editing, it could have been a great success. The fact that the Eagles sold 7 million copies of their latest CD from just one retailer shows that people are still interested in new music from older bands. Whatever their motivation behind this tour, I'm just glad they're hitting the road again!

[EveryHour]

It seems to me that not touring behind a new album takes away the pressure that comes with it. And maybe that's what Stevie and Lindsey need right now in order to see if the band has a future without Christine. Meaning, they need to simply work on having a better relationship and just have some fun together for a bit. We all know their ability to get along determines whether or not the band implodes at this point. And they obviously know that. They sat in a fragile position after Christine left, and with the "magical mediator" being gone, maybe they should have done what they're doing now first. It's a major mental, emotional and musical adjustment that perhaps should have been worked through more slowly. I love SYW, but I do wonder how it may have been different had things been done this way. But, of course, then I suppose they would have risked people saying that all they were capable of post-Christine was a Greatest Hits Tour. So I understand there was a need to "prove themselves" as well. You can't win.

I don't mind the tour sans new album. Tom Petty does it all the time, and no one complains because his show is great, and they still effin' rock. On this note, I will be disappointed if the band don't make the show something special. My biggest complaint is that they didn't give fans first stab at the front seats.