Which two albums represent Christine's best Fleetwood Mac work?

[Ulpian]

Originally Posted by On Ice

Penguin and Heroes often get lost in the shuffle. Christine's pre-75 work is just so good that it deserves a lot more attention than it gets. A song as catchy as Did you Ever Love Me ought to have been covered many times over by contemporary artists, it's that good. It's also an utter shame that Bad Loser or Prove Your Love aren't on classic rock frequent rotation.

I still think Why is one of the best songs she ever wrote. There isn't a song I can think of that captures a sort of melancholy optimism better. It breaks my heart whenever I hear it.

I also have a soft spot for Come A Little Bit Closer, which is superb.

[MacShadowsBall]

Check out the Pre-Rumours forum for Bob Welch's corresponding thread.

[Ulpian]

No one has voted for Time. It's a ropey album, to be sure, but Nights in Estoril and Sooner or Later are good; All Over Again is lovely, if a little too reliant on synthesiser; I Do and Hollywood are happy, catchy songs. They aren't her best work, but I think they're not far off par with BTM.

[Dex]

Originally Posted by Ulpian

No one has voted for Time. It's a ropey album, to be sure, but Nights in Estoril and Sooner or Later are good; All Over Again is lovely, if a little too reliant on synthesiser; I Do and Hollywood are happy, catchy songs. They aren't her best work, but I think they're not far off par with BTM.

I almost wondered if her Tango/BTM/Time songs shouldn't all be under one happy, Eddy Quintela-collab umbrella? If her first three Mac albums are, it makes as much sense that her last three be, too. Those Chris songs are very easily grouped together in terms of sound and songwriting quality.

I think, though, that her Time songs are simply too similar and overshadowed by their (albeit maybe only slightly) superior Tango counterparts to really get any actual votes. Doesn't necessarily mean people are hating on Time (although really, probably a lot of people are )

[MacShadowsBall]

Christine's Time songs are okay and all, but to me they sound more like solo songs that FM band songs. From what I've heard around here, they pretty much are!

[Ulpian]

Originally Posted by Dex

I almost wondered if her Tango/BTM/Time songs shouldn't all be under one happy, Eddy Quintela-collab umbrella? If her first three Mac albums are, it makes as much sense that her last three be, too. Those Chris songs are very easily grouped together in terms of sound and songwriting quality.

I think, though, that her Time songs are simply too similar and overshadowed by their (albeit maybe only slightly) superior Tango counterparts to really get any actual votes. Doesn't necessarily mean people are hating on Time (although really, probably a lot of people are )

I think BTM and Time could be lumped together as 'good'-ish, but Tango is sublime. It stands alone. Lindsey's production and collaboration just send some already fantastic Christine songs soaring up amongst her best.

I've never really been sure what Eddy Quintela contributed to, say Little Lies etc. I'd be keen to know. Oh, though Everywhere is hers alone, so there's another reason to leave Tango out from under the Quintela Umbrella

[Dex]

Originally Posted by Ulpian

I think BTM and Time could be lumped together as 'good'-ish, but Tango is sublime. It stands alone. Lindsey's production and collaboration just send some already fantastic Christine songs soaring up amongst her best.

I've never really been sure what Eddy Quintela contributed to, say Little Lies etc. I'd be keen to know. Oh, though Everywhere is hers alone, so there's another reason to leave Tango out from under the Quintela Umbrella

Yeahhhhh. I admit I was sort of wanting to take that back a bit, almost immediately after I hit "submit". There are noticeable differences between her Tango songs and the others. But in my head I do tend to group them all together and enjoy them all for very similar reasons.

[jbrownsjr]

Nice to see Mirage getting some love. You could make an argument that this was some of her bet work as well. Some of her backing vocals on Gypsy, Book of Love and even... ack... Oh Diane... really nice touches...

I think Lindsey is under rated on this album too.

[jbrownsjr]

I also love the way Christine says the word, "Mirage". lol

[Dragonfly]

Tango was her at her peak I think, Everywhere and Little Lies still sound great today.

Rumours was my second choice as You Make Loving Fun is my favourite song of hers.

[MacShadowsBall]

Where is that article that talks about what Christine said was her favorite three albums? I remember it being posted on the Ledge perhaps a few months back. I'm wanting to say she said, Rumours, '75 Mac, and Mystery to Me.

[Ulpian]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

Where is that article that talks about what Christine said was her favorite three albums? I remember it being posted on the Ledge perhaps a few months back. I'm wanting to so she said, Rumours, '75 Mac, and Mystery to Me.

That's right, she did. I read it as saying Rumours was third out of three and Mystery to Me was her favourite. The way she says it is ambiguous!

[Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

Where is that article that talks about what Christine said was her favorite three albums? I remember it being posted on the Ledge perhaps a few months back. I'm wanting to so she said, Rumours, '75 Mac, and Mystery to Me.

It was from MOJO magazine and I think you're right about the ones she said.

To be fair I'd probably put FM and MTM in my top 5, along with Rumours, Tango, and Tusk as far as her contributions go.

[gssmith]

I voted for Behind the Mask and Tango because she saved those two albums. With out her they would have been horrible. Otherwise this poll would have been impossible to judge. I think she had done an amazing job at staying consistently good on all the albums even though I find her to be a little too adult contemporary/mainstream pop sometimes. But hey, she was the hit machine and had more of them then the other two. The only album I thought she was weak on is Tusk. Besides Over and Over and Think about me, its just too dull and boring. I do like the three part harmony on Honey Hi.

I first started listing to the band in 1997 when I was 12 and my family drove from Alaska to NC in a motor home. My parents accidently packed up all the cds so we listend to The Dance over and over. Its funny how during an interview around that time she said she hoped kids would pick up the band from thier parents lol. I thought Christine was the weakest link back then, but I appreciate her a whole lot more now that I am a little older. I have actually gotten all her pre rumours FWM albums. they are all really good. especially Mystery to Me. There is a song on Bare trees that talks about her just wanting to go home away from the jett setting/ limelight life. I thought that was pretty funny.

As I already said, she can be a little too easy listing sometimes and its hard to listen to only her songs for too long at a time. (I have her 1984 album and will get In the mean time at somepoint) The best part of FWM- the dynamic between the three singers. You can't get bored listing to them! Thats why I can't figure out how someone could hate one of the band members and still like FWM. favor one over the others yes, but hate one?

[bethelblues]

^^^ I agree with a lot of what you said about Christine. I think she was "a little too adult contemporary/mainstream pop sometimes." And I think she was weak on Tusk. Yes, being easy listening has definitely contributed to a sometimes negative image of the band as being pure pop and not as substantive. But for people who know the band and its history, the dynamic between the three singers is really unparalleled.