What is your favorite song on Mirage?

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

hahahaha! oops. obviously, it's been QUITE some time since i listened to it.

you got me.

Anal retentive. That's me!

[The Tower]

Stevie was riding her Greatest Vocal Period Ever on this album. She rules this disk with all three tracks. The thing I like most about Stevie's contributions (besides her phenomenal vocal performance) is the fact that she offers such diversity. "Gypsy" is gorgeousness and bittersweet heartbreak personified. "That's Alright" is Western- not country. "Straight Back" is the perfect follow up to the material from Bella Donna.

"Only Over You" is one of my favorite Christine tracks. Vulnerable beauty and a fantastic vocal to boot. "They say I'm a silly girl, but I'm not a fool".

Lindsey just plain sucks on this album. His worst collection ever. "Empire State" is a crime that no one should have to listen to more than once. "Eyes of the World" is O. K. Otherwise, bllllleeeeeeeeeeecccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh. Mirage is the perfect example of Lindsey as brilliant producer but hideous writer.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Mirage is the perfect example of Lindsey as brilliant producer but hideous writer.

I'm surprised you didn't get hate posts for this. Oh well, it's only true.

My favorite song on Mirage is probably "That's Alright." Gypsy is my second favorite with Hold Me trailing closely behind. I love Buckingham/McVie collaborations---they are just grand.

So yeah, That's Alright. To me, this song showcases a perfect vocal from Stevie, I'm serious, I've never heard her voice sound more beautiful and poignant---it just SOARS! I also love the bittersweet, nostalgic sentiment winding throughout it conveying an independent, "if you love something set it free" kind of feeling. I also think it's some of Stevie's most straightforward songwriting to date.

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I'm surprised you didn't get hate posts for this. Oh well, it's only true.

I disagree, as I think Lindsey's songwriting is pretty good on Mirage, with the exception of "Empire State;" but "Eyes Of The World," "Can't Go Back" and especially "Book Of Love" are all great songs. But I'm not really into the whole hates posts thing. I prefer passive-aggressive sarcasm...

So yeah, That's Alright. To me, this song showcases a perfect vocal from Stevie, I'm serious, I've never heard her voice sound more beautiful and poignant---it just SOARS! I also love the bittersweet, nostalgic sentiment winding throughout it conveying an independent, "if you love something set it free" kind of feeling. I also think it's some of Stevie's most straightforward songwriting to date.

I agree that this song features a fantastic Stevie vocal, and the production is perfectly understated to allow her voice to really soar. This is something they really ought to try out on tour next time around. Stick it in the stop-hugging-nobody-cares-anymore "Landslide" slot, with just Lindsey on guitar and harmony vocals. Or perform it with just the band (i.e., none of the peripheral orchestra, and no soulless back-up singers).

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by The Tower

"That's Alright" is Western- not country.

can you - or anyone else - fill this central-canadian city-girl in on the difference between the two? i know they ARE different - but i don't know why. i would have said that's alright is country... what makes it western?

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

can you - or anyone else - fill this central-canadian city-girl in on the difference between the two? i know they ARE different - but i don't know why. i would have said that's alright is country... what makes it western?

Here's an interesting Wikipedia article on Western music: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western...rth_America%29

The original difference is one of geography. Western music developed (wait for it...) in the west, while country music developed in the Applachians and in the south.

[Moony]

from that article....

Traditional Western Music used the voice, and the guitar, with other instruments as to the musician's taste, with one major exception: Percussion and percussive sounds were missing from most if not all performances

Well, I suppose "That's Alright" isn't really Western then, is it?

Anyway, it certainly is my favorite song on Mirage, for reasons that many have stated above. Stevie's voice is wonderful, and I love the more straightforward lyrics from her this time. Plus, the harmonies are gorgeous. One of the Rumours era's best, IMO.

As for Christine, my favorite of her offerings by far is "Love in Store," and part of that reason are Lindsey and Stevie's backing vocals. And poor Lindsey, I only really care for "Oh, Diane" (go figure).

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by Moony

from that article....

Traditional Western Music used the voice, and the guitar, with other instruments as to the musician's taste, with one major exception: Percussion and percussive sounds were missing from most if not all performances

Well, I suppose "That's Alright" isn't really Western then, is it?

Well, it's certainly got Western influences, and of course the Buckingham Nicks demo didn't have percussion, but I don't think Stevie sat down with a book on the conventions of Western music and set out to write a real traditional Western song.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I prefer passive-aggressive sarcasm...

So I've noticed

How'd you like mine?

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

So I've noticed

How'd you like mine?

Not a bad effort, but not quite sarcastic enough. "Really? I hadn't noticed," would have had a bit more bite to it.

Plus, good sarcasm always loses something if you have to explain that it's sarcasm, which is what the little smiley guy effectively does. Imagine how much less effective A Modest Proposal would have been if Swift had begun it with, "So I think we should all eat babies. "

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

Plus, good sarcasm always loses something if you have to explain that it's sarcasm, which is what the little smiley guy effectively does.

I put the smiley in so as not to be an a**hole, but I guess that line of reasoning is lost on you .

Okay, there. How's that? Notice: no smiley.

[David]

My favorite song on Mirage is book of love OR that's alright OR hold me. I really can't decide.

what we need to do here is post rolling stone's excellent review of the album. RS declared mirage "one of this summer's sunny entertainments" & lauded hold me for "bristling with randy fun."

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I'm surprised you didn't get hate posts for this. Oh well, it's only true.

Well, my take on the whole deal is this: I think that of all the FM albums that feature Lindsey, Mirage was the one that he was most "forced" to participate. I really don't think he wanted anything at all to do with FM at that point and I think he resented the whole "let's get back to the Rumours groove" thing as a slap in the face to his best work on Tusk. And, frankly, it shows in his material- uninspired and derivative. Fortunately, I think Stevie and Christine's material actually did inspire him.

So yeah, That's Alright. To me, this song showcases a perfect vocal from Stevie, I'm serious, I've never heard her voice sound more beautiful and poignant---it just SOARS! I also love the bittersweet, nostalgic sentiment winding throughout it conveying an independent, "if you love something set it free" kind of feeling. I also think it's some of Stevie's most straightforward songwriting to date.

"I hope you a find a love,
Your own designs of love
That's alright"

It's a great song.

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I agree that this song features a fantastic Stevie vocal, and the production is perfectly understated to allow her voice to really soar. This is something they really ought to try out on tour next time around. Stick it in the stop-hugging-nobody-cares-anymore "Landslide" slot, with just Lindsey on guitar and harmony vocals. Or perform it with just the band (i.e., none of the peripheral orchestra, and no soulless back-up singers).

It'll never happen. Even if it did, the timbre of Stevie's voice from that time that makes the vocal so respendent is gone. If she tried it today the song would either be in a much lower key, or her vocal would be a strained bleat ala "Silver Springs" from the second leg of the SYW tour- or most likely, both.

Originally Posted by Jyqm

Well, it's certainly got Western influences, and of course the Buckingham Nicks demo didn't have percussion, but I don't think Stevie sat down with a book on the conventions of Western music and set out to write a real traditional Western song.

Exactly. It's a pet peeve of mine when Western or Western-tinged/influences music is characterized as "Country".

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by The Tower

"I hope you a find a love,
Your own designs of love
That's alright"

This is exactly what I was going to quote to support my post, and of course you did it. Nice.
The lyrics to this song are superb.

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I put the smiley in so as not to be an a**hole, but I guess that line of reasoning is lost on you .

Okay, there. How's that? Notice: no smiley.

Yes there is, you put it in there again!

(Why is it being an asshole to say something about me being sarcastic when I'm the one who brought it up in the first place? And how does an eye-rolling emoticon make something less asshole-ish?)