Underrated in FM?

[APerfectLie]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Many people have said that with Stevie, less is more.

Although I agree with you.

Probably because she didn't technically play an instrument on Chris or Lindsey's songs.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I love Stevie's piano playing.

It seems like this would mean they would do more of her songs. If you think about it, Lindsey and Chris had a lot of involvement in Stevie's songs, and her songs became their songs because the entire band had to contribute. However, Stevie was neglected and only used for backing vocals for Lindsey's and Christine's songs. So to me it seems like they would use more of Stevie's songs so that way they would be more of a collaborative effort. That being said, I do think band politics and jealousy were the reason Stevie seemed to get the sham. Stevie was the one who got the most attention from the fans and media, why let her get all the songs too? And also, her songs are usually longer than Christine's or Lindsey's. That being said tho, even if you add up the time each one got in time per album, Stevie still gets shafted except for on Tusk.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by peer_gynt10

Oh no! I never meant this to be an anti-Lindsey statement. Do you honestly think that he's to blame?

No, I don't think he's to blame but a lot of Stevie fans think that. Perpetuating drama...

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I've always boiled it down to band politics, though. Stevie was probably the most prolific songwriter of the lot, but most of her songs were airy fairy gibberish garbage... and thus she probably lost credibility because of that. Add that to the fact she played no instruments, and that's why she wasn't taken very seriously by the likes of Christine and Lindsey. Compound these attributes with the always tenuous relationship with Lindsey, who was in many ways the musical director of the band and Stevie's crutch, and we start to see why Stevie didn't get much air time. I think Christine and Lindsey respected one another greatly as musicians, even though the way they approached their crafts was so different. They just naturally energized each other, and bounced ideas and energy off one another. In contrast, it was probably a creative drain to work with Stevie, since she played no instruments and has no real musical knowledge. Her product was so raw, that the band members spent large amounts of time fashioning it into a useable product. Hence why she didn't get much airtime on Mac albums.

Louie, both Christine and Lindsey have expressed an affinity for Stevie's songwriting and even her style of composing being "simple" - it actually gave them a lot of wiggle room - musicians love that. I think as a producer and member of the band, Lindsey would vote in her songs that he felt would best enhance the project. It's not like he didn't know what he was getting.

In the end, if Stevie's (and the other two songwriters) management was on the ball they would insist their client would have a certain number of songs on each FM album.

[baboles]

In some ways I believe Stevie didn't mind only having a couple songs on the first two records. She was just happy being a part of the band. She could come and go as she pleased and did her job when they needed her present. But eventually she needed another outlet for her other songs, which led to Bella Donna.

[jellyman10]

Originally Posted by baboles

In some ways I believe Stevie didn't mind only having a couple songs on the first two records. She was just happy being a part of the band. She could come and go as she pleased and did her job when they needed her present. But eventually she needed another outlet for her other songs, which led to Bella Donna.

This is my hunch as well. I remember her saying once that she would have done anything, been a gopher or a secretary or anything, just to be with those people.

So yeh, I also feel it was a gradual feeling of there not being the outlet that she would have had if it had just stayed her and Lindsey. Clearly there were also people around her whose business interests in how many units she could sell on her own coincided with certain other events - by which I mean that if Mick hadn't taken her best friend away from her, she wouldn't have given Paul Fishkin and Danny Goldberg a five-album solo contract. (I tend to think losing Sara hurt SN much more than losing Mick!)

Seem to have got a bit OT there, soz!

[fairydust75]

It always seems to me that Lindsey worked it out so that he was on every song as much as possible. His duets with Christine, Hold Me and World Turning were not originally meant to be duets but Christine songs. I have always wondered why Stevie and Christine didn't sing together more often, I suspect Lindsey discouraged it. Stevie has said that when Lindsey was happy everybody was happy, so to keep what little peace they had the rest of the band let Lindsey have his way. Lindsey is a great guitarist, singer and producer, but Fleetwood Mac needed an outside producer to balance out the three distinctive sounds.

[priestofnothing]

Originally Posted by baboles

In some ways I believe Stevie didn't mind only having a couple songs on the first two records. She was just happy being a part of the band. She could come and go as she pleased and did her job when they needed her present. But eventually she needed another outlet for her other songs, which led to Bella Donna.

I totally agree with this statement, but in addition, I believe that Mick and the rest of the band also did not want to become Stevie's backup band, so that they would become or be known as Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac, kinda like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers or Bruce Springsteen & the East Street Band.... so they limited her input as a way of keeping her in line and not being 100% in the spotlight....

[peer_gynt10]

Originally Posted by priestofnothing

Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac, kinda like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers or Bruce Springsteen & the East Street Band....

That's hilarious!!

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by fairydust75

It always seems to me that Lindsey worked it out so that he was on every song as much as possible. His duets with Christine, Hold Me and World Turning were not originally meant to be duets but Christine songs. I have always wondered why Stevie and Christine didn't sing together more often, I suspect Lindsey discouraged it. Stevie has said that when Lindsey was happy everybody was happy, so to keep what little peace they had the rest of the band let Lindsey have his way. Lindsey is a great guitarist, singer and producer, but Fleetwood Mac needed an outside producer to balance out the three distinctive sounds.

There weren't any duets. There were harmonies and they all worked out those parts. Stevie wasn't around even by her own admission for the majority of recording for Tango in the Night. Lindsey had to compensate for her vocals however possible.

Fleetwood Mac also had Richard Dashut, Ken Caillat, Keith Olsen (White Album), and other band members who I am sure all voiced their opinions on their sound.

[David]

Originally Posted by fairydust75

His duets with Christine, Hold Me and World Turning were not originally meant to be duets but Christine songs.

I don't think that's true about "World Turning." I think Lindsey & Chris wrote that specifically to be a blues rock two-singer production & to provide the band with a newly written concert muscle-flexer. The very backbone of the song is Buckingham's Travis-like riff.

I have always wondered why Stevie and Christine didn't sing together more often, I suspect Lindsey discouraged it.

What prevented those two from singing more together on "Behind the Mask" or any of their numerous solo projects? I don't think there was very keen interest from one party or the other, or perhaps there's the old cliche "the time was never right."

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by fairydust75

It always seems to me that Lindsey worked it out so that he was on every song as much as possible. His duets with Christine, Hold Me and World Turning were not originally meant to be duets but Christine songs. I have always wondered why Stevie and Christine didn't sing together more often, I suspect Lindsey discouraged it. Stevie has said that when Lindsey was happy everybody was happy, so to keep what little peace they had the rest of the band let Lindsey have his way. Lindsey is a great guitarist, singer and producer, but Fleetwood Mac needed an outside producer to balance out the three distinctive sounds.

If Lindsey ever bogarted himself onto their songs, I don't think it was as a vocalist. Instrumentally, yeah maybe YMLF, Rhiannon and SOTM had some extra guitar action, but I I don't think he was sitting there just dying to sing on Hold Me, Think About Me , Don't Stop or Crystal. In fact, Stevie once said she had to drag Lindsey to go and sing on Christine's songs, because she refused not to have singing. She acted like the harmonizing was more her idea than anyone else's.

Yeah, when I really love something that she [Christine] does, I really get in there and help her with it. She can do it alone, she really doesn’t need anyone, but when she writes something that I really take to heart, then I go for it. I stay up all night with her and we work on it. I really work on it and I drag Lindsey and her in there and make them sing, because that’s what they forget—they forget that there’s three of us and how good we sing. I irritate them to death, it’s like a little bug. I keep saying, "Lindsey, you and I should sing this part. It’s important that we sing this part, it would sound terrific." And they eventually do it. Especially because I am not going to stand by and watch no singing go on this album.

Then, based on that one mention when they're high in the limo talking about Lindsey singing on Hold Me and Stevie telling Christine that "it's over" if she has Lindsey sing on another one of her songs, I think that Stevie thought the vocals were fully Christine's idea. I think when you have men and women in a band, it's just natural to have one singer from both sexes trade lyrics. It's just following an historic trend.

I don't think Lindsey would have to sit around trying to devise ways for Straight Back never to happen again. The boy/girl thing is just more natural and organic.

Michele

[michelej1]

Mick LaSalle on Stevie Nicks, Gallery of the Underrated, San Francisco Chronicle [she is listed 45 of 50 underrated celebs]

http://blog.sfgate.com/mlasalle/2011...rated/#1945-45

Stevie Nicks: When I was a teenager photos like the one above would make my jaw drop, and I'd just stare with devouring lust. Stevie Nicks looked like what everyone wanted their girlfriend to look like in 1976. But as a result of being so pretty, she was always written about as the lightweight of Fleetwood Mac. Lightweight? She was the best songwriter by far and put the others in the shade. (Getty Images)

[Silver Springs]

I'm probably going to receive a verbal backlash for this, but am I the only one who thinks Stevie is kind of, well...overrated? The people talk about Fleetwood Mac most of the time, you'd think she was the only member. John and Mick deserve the Lion's share of the rating because of the sheer fact that the band wouldn't even exist without them. Just because she's at the forefront of the stage, doesn't mean she's the "highlight" of the show. People forget those in the back who, nine times out of ten, contribute a hell of a lot more to the overall musical "recipe" than those in the limelight do.

[bluefox4000]

Originally Posted by Silver Springs

I'm probably going to receive a verbal backlash for this, but am I the only one who thinks Stevie is kind of, well...overrated? The people talk about Fleetwood Mac most of the time, you'd think she was the only member. John and Mick deserve the Lion's share of the rating because of the sheer fact that the band wouldn't even exist without them. Just because she's at the forefront of the stage, doesn't mean she's the "highlight" of the show. People forget those in the back who, nine times out of ten, contribute a hell of a lot more to the overall musical "recipe" than those in the limelight do.

I do. Before i got fully into FM. she was ALL i ever heard about. You'd think she WAS FM. i suppose in the public's mind......she is.

So i agree. But i suppose you're thinking.......Of course YOU would, Mick. lol

Mick

[beccamorrisfift]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Mick LaSalle on Stevie Nicks, Gallery of the Underrated, San Francisco Chronicle [she is listed 45 of 50 underrated celebs]

http://blog.sfgate.com/mlasalle/2011...rated/#1945-45

Stevie Nicks: When I was a teenager photos like the one above would make my jaw drop, and I'd just stare with devouring lust. Stevie Nicks looked like what everyone wanted their girlfriend to look like in 1976. But as a result of being so pretty, she was always written about as the lightweight of Fleetwood Mac. Lightweight? She was the best songwriter by far and put the others in the shade. (Getty Images)

My eyes popped out of their sockets when I saw that Anne Heche was included in this list!

I personally think John is the most under rated, he's so cool.

[GoldDustGypsy]

Originally Posted by Silver Springs

I'm probably going to receive a verbal backlash for this, but am I the only one who thinks Stevie is kind of, well...overrated? The people talk about Fleetwood Mac most of the time, you'd think she was the only member. John and Mick deserve the Lion's share of the rating because of the sheer fact that the band wouldn't even exist without them. Just because she's at the forefront of the stage, doesn't mean she's the "highlight" of the show. People forget those in the back who, nine times out of ten, contribute a hell of a lot more to the overall musical "recipe" than those in the limelight do.

I don't think Stevie is overrated.... I just think the rest of the band is underrated. I don't think that Stevie should be talked about less or given less credit, just that the others should receive more.