Do You Think It's Over?

[FMlex]

Well this thread sure is making me depressed guys -- come on, where's the optimistic outlook?

[SteveMacD]

I'd be more optimistic, but with the death of Mary Travers and the subsequent end of Peter Paul & Mary (a very similar sounding group to the "Rumours" Fleetwood Mac, IMO, only with significantly more substance), the writing is kind of on the wall for Fleetwood Mac. Nothing lasts forever.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by FMlex

Well this thread sure is making me depressed guys -- come on, where's the optimistic outlook?

HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! No seriously, I lurked here from 2002 and joined in 2005, and We have this conversation like every ten minutes. ITS DONE! ITS OVER! NEVER AGAIN! Stevie too! Blah,BLah,BLAH. AND it never is. It of course is not as much as i would like, (new studio albums cranked out every couple of years or so), but there is ALWAYS *SOMETHING that surprises me. For example, Since stevies TISL, There was "touched by an angel", "your NOT the one" w/Cheryl crow, "THE one" w/ venessa Carlton, the stand back remixes, the remastered tusk w/demos, white album with single versions, and rumors w/demos AND single versions, the Dreams REMIXes, Mr. Buckingham s soundstage and albums and tour,the Tom Petty Tour (featuring "INSIDER" live) which by the way was one of the "NEVER"s also. Other "NEVERS" include Beautiful child live, and STORMS live which people always said "I could die happy if stevie would ONLY just actually sing INSIDER, BEAUTIFUL CHILD, or STORMS, Live". Crystal visions ( I LIKED having all the videos, and a Good quality version of Rock and roll and edge w/the orchestra ect., the Say you will album, the tour, The DESTINY RULES Documentary, Stevies couple of solo tours and Her SOUNDSTAGE which i think is one of the BEST things shes ever done. and then the CD with Circle Dance and Crash and my FAVORITE version of how still my love. AND then this New tour, where there going to Europe and NZ. It really isnt as bleak as it sometimes made out to be, so keep the faith. they/she are not yet done.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! No seriously, I lurked here from 2002 and joined in 2005, and We have this conversation like every ten minutes. ITS DONE! ITS OVER! NEVER AGAIN! Stevie too! Blah,BLah,BLAH. AND it never is. It of course is not as much as i would like, (new studio albums cranked out every couple of years or so), but there is ALWAYS *SOMETHING that surprises me. For example, Since stevies TISL, There was "touched by an angel", "your NOT the one" w/Cheryl crow, "THE one" w/ venessa Carlton, the stand back remixes, the remastered tusk w/demos, white album with single versions, and rumors w/demos AND single versions, the Dreams REMIXes, Mr. Buckingham s soundstage and albums and tour,the Tom Petty Tour (featuring "INSIDER" live) which by the way was one of the "NEVER"s also. Other "NEVERS" include Beautiful child live, and STORMS live which people always said "I could die happy if stevie would ONLY just actually sing INSIDER, BEAUTIFUL CHILD, or STORMS, Live". Crystal visions ( I LIKED having all the videos, and a Good quality version of Rock and roll and edge w/the orchestra ect., the Say you will album, the tour, The DESTINY RULES Documentary, Stevies couple of solo tours and Her SOUNDSTAGE which i think is one of the BEST things shes ever done. and then the CD with Circle Dance and Crash and my FAVORITE version of how still my love. AND then this New tour, where there going to Europe and NZ. It really isnt as bleak as it sometimes made out to be, so keep the faith. they/she are not yet done.

Thanks for summarizing everyone's solo careers under the guise of prophesizing the group's future. Like we didn't already know all of this ourselves- even in the context of this conversation.

No offense, seriously, but no one is talking about the creative vitality of any one member. We're talking about the group. If you can come up with anything the band has done since 2004 that could possibly suggest that there is a creative future afoot, please go right ahead.

[Nikolaj]

I think it's over, yes. Their fortune is in the touring, and that's where they are focused. Sadly, I also think they aren't wanted by Warner, Reprise, or any label. They're in their 60s. At most, I think they'd only get a generous offer to once again re-record their best known songs (Carly Simon's soon to be released project) a "genre" type album (like when Rod Stewart did those standards albums) or cover songs that would guarantee the label a good publishing cut- I may not be phrasing correctly-
What I mean is that a new cd of new material wouldn't have any guaranteed money for anyone except possibly Fleetwood Mac, and due to everything- age, the Internet, lack of radio interest, even Fleetwood Mac wouldn't make much money, likely. I think its why we also don't see new cds from Aerosmith, Heart, or anyone in the 60ish age bracket unless they do a 'songs of the 70s' kind of project. Good old Cher has a deal now she's doing her best to sound enthusiastic about, a songs of the 60s cd, paraphrasing "there were so many great songs from that era and I want to do songs I loved hearing on my transister radio or on the AM radio in my '65 Ford Mustang'-- so, the label makes money if 'Warner (Brothers) Publishing' just happens to be among the hits she'll re-record. I think LB has too much artistic integrity to play that game, when it comes to recording. Yet, as a father of 3 with a young wife to support, and being a gifted performer, he can make a fortune playing live with Mac (not solo, most definitely) and it's wise for him to do so.
I think Stevie would do the cover types of project, or play the game, more than LB will. I give him a lot of credit for his 2 recent solo cds and dvd, because he stuck to his guns and got the projects released on his own terms and likely, for not much money. I mean, of all people, both Donny Osmond and Barry Manilow have had recent releases giving the labels what they wanted- remakes of old hits. I just don't think any label wants a new Fleetwood Mac cd enough to pay the band what I think they expect, and haven't, apparantly, been offered.

[LukeA]

If Fleetwood Mac wanted to record/release an album in 2010, they'd have no problem doing so. They might not get the advance they've been accustomed to (or what they got in 2002 for SYW), but they would get more than enough. Its just that they don't want to- its not worth the effort to Stevie, and Lindsey has finally realized that there's an outlet for his material when presented solo.

If we're ever going to get new material from them, I bet it'll probably come in the form as a song or two available as downloads- presented as a lark of sorts (where Lindsey will get to tell everyone how this is their new "single" with his mock pride). Stevie's content in cashing her ~$200K checks every night (as long as she doesn't have to sing SS *every* *night*!!), and Lindsey's just along for the ride.

[silvasprings]

I think this is just one of those dooms day rants...
"The day Fleetwood mac finally decides to die..."
But instead of saying it's over and going home and crying about it, why not just suck it up and admire all the amazing work they have created in the last 40 years...
Sure it's sad that it's coming to an end, but it doesn't have to if we all take out our albums and LISTEN!!!
It's not like there isn't anymore that you can absorb from a band like this...
And if you've had your fill, then find another band to get obsessed over and stop making this forum a negative/ one foot in the grave scenario....

[belladonnadream]

Originally Posted by silvasprings

I think this is just one of those dooms day rants...
"The day Fleetwood mac finally decides to die..."
But instead of saying it's over and going home and crying about it, why not just suck it up and admire all the amazing work they have created in the last 40 years...
Sure it's sad that it's coming to an end, but it doesn't have to if we all take out our albums and LISTEN!!!
It's not like there isn't anymore that you can absorb from a band like this...
And if you've had your fill, then find another band to get obsessed over and stop making this forum a negative/ one foot in the grave scenario....

Stevie did just recently say she's not retiring...I think she still has a spark and will do some fun things... I truly believe this..I don't think after seeing them in 2009 that I got any sense that they just wanted to quit.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Thanks for summarizing everyone's solo careers under the guise of prophesizing the group's future. Like we didn't already know all of this ourselves- even in the context of this conversation.

No offense, seriously, but no one is talking about the creative vitality of any one member. We're talking about the group. If you can come up with anything the band has done since 2004 that could possibly suggest that there is a creative future afoot, please go right ahead.

Indeed. The problem with most of the stuff Phoenix listed too is almost none of it included new studio albums. In this decade we've seen 4 new studio albums between Fleetwood Mac, Stevie, and Lindsey. For comparison, the Mac, Stevie, and Lindsey put out 8 studio albums in the 1980s, 3 in the 1970s, and 4 in the 1990s. I'm kind of stretching my definition of studio albums around the Rumours crew, and am including Time against my will just so I don't get yelled at . So if you look at it that way, the kids aren't being as lazy as we think they are. But even this is flawed logic. Fleetwood Mac put out 3 studio albums in the '70s, but the Rumours band only existed for the second half of that decade. Also, in the 80s, between Lindsey and Stevie combined recorded 3 times the amount of albums that Fleetwood Mac itself put out. Then in the 90s, S&L only recorded 1 album each. My point with all this confusing soup is that you can spin numbers any way you want.

I think Blemelin put it more succinctly than any of us have been able to. I think we're all waiting for that last, sublime album. The album to trump all others, the mythical Swan Song. Instead, the band is aging exactly like a person: getting fat, slowing down, working less, suffering hip injuries, having memory issues, until it finally wheezes it's last breath and dies. How much of this have we already seen with our own eyes???

[newyawka]

I've stated it before, they are done for...bye, bye Fleetwood Mac.

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by newyawka

I've stated it before, they are done for...bye, bye Fleetwood Mac.

Well they are still out there selling a gaggle of concert tickets, and touring the world. So, with respect, you're quite wrong.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

Well they are still out there selling a gaggle of concert tickets, and touring the world. So, with respect, you're quite wrong.

THANK YOU.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

Well they are still out there selling a gaggle of concert tickets, and touring the world. So, with respect, you're quite wrong.

Speaking for myself I was answering the question from the perspective that as far as creating anything new as artists is it all over for them as a band?They have given no recent indication that the answer to this is anything but yes.If you know of something that would indicate otherwise please let us in on it!

[mylittledemon]

I'm sorry...I'm not following you/ I was responding to "newyaka"s comment about Fleetwood Mac being over with.

[Angel69]

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

Well they are still out there selling a gaggle of concert tickets, and touring the world. So, with respect, you're quite wrong.

I still feel there is a market for Fleetwood Mac. If Madison Square Garden holds say 19,000 seats, 15 of them were sold for their show there in June. All this after basically saturating the NY area market. I also went to look at a house today and while in one of the kids bedrooms, there were cd racks. So of course I had to look and sure enough this guy had all of BN era Fleetwood Mac cd's. He also had all of Stevie's solo discs and Lindsey's. They were there along with NIN, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam etc etc. My friends 16 year old daughter loves them. Ans about a month ago i had one of my FM t-shirts on and this girl (about 13) told me she loves them and went to their MSG concert with her older sister. So I dont feel its time to write them off just yet.

As for the sets being stale. Eh. They still put on a great show and from the looks of the crowd reaction, a satisfying one.