SYW, best album of all time?

[applebucked]

Ooh, I love Neko Case, both solo and her work with the New Pornographers. Would love to see a collab of them.

The first few tracks form In Your Dreams, I liked, but after that it started to drag on for me, honestly, especially those god-knows-how-long songs.

[CADreaming]

I really love SYW. It is the 2nd FM album I bought (Rumours was first). It holds a warm place in my heart because I listened to it as an unbiased, new fan. I didn't know all of the things I know now about their history, the demos, the ifs ands and whys of the reunion. I had no real clue about the DR doc, just a snippet of the "fight" I had seen in a preview. So, my initial response to the album is what I always come back to and I'm glad I have it to hang onto. I felt it was a genius offering from Lindsey & Stevie that showcased their musical maturity in a relative & fresh way. I loved the way the album flowed and only felt ambivalent about a couple of tracks: Come and Silver Girl. But, I never expect to hear an album full of "singles", usually I listen for an album that is solid in concept and flow. And, this album did not disappoint in either. There are still very strong statements in this project and I feel it proved that Fleetwood Mac was still viable as a band and that Stevie & Lindsey together are a pop rock force unparalleled.

[elle]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

I really love SYW. It is the 2nd FM album I bought (Rumours was first). It holds a warm place in my heart because I listened to it as an unbiased, new fan. I didn't know all of the things I know now about their history, the demos, the ifs ands and whys of the reunion. I had no real clue about the DR doc, just a snippet of the "fight" I had seen in a preview. So, my initial response to the album is what I always come back to and I'm glad I have it to hang onto. I felt it was a genius offering from Lindsey & Stevie that showcased their musical maturity in a relative & fresh way. I loved the way the album flowed and only felt ambivalent about a couple of tracks: Come and Silver Girl. But, I never expect to hear an album full of "singles", usually I listen for an album that is solid in concept and flow. And, this album did not disappoint in either. There are still very strong statements in this project and I feel it proved that Fleetwood Mac was still viable as a band and that Stevie & Lindsey together are a pop rock force unparalleled.

loved reading this! this actually might be my favorite post that i read from you, ever. very interesting and fresh. shows how different a view can be when one goes into listening to SYW without any preconceived opinions.

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by elle

loved reading this! this actually might be my favorite post that i read from you, ever. very interesting and fresh. shows how different a view can be when one goes into listening to SYW without any preconceived opinions.

Why, thank you, Elle! It's true. I wish so many times I could have those ears again. Because this group is overwhelmingly amazing to me.

[applebucked]

I wish I had those ears when I listened SYW as well. Because when I listened to it, I kept thinking that something is missing.

[Desiree]

Many, many comments have been made questioning why Thrown Down and Destiny Rules, to some extent, were not played at the live show (DR just once and it sounded great, would have gotten even better!) or put out and pushed as singles, were they? Anyway, I wonder if the subject matter is the reason? Anyone who has followed FM knows the story. Those two songs tell the story of what happened during The Dance (something, for sure) and the result. The thought of little Will Buckingham...and people talking about how his conception and birth (the barricade) eventually put an end to S&L, about the rumors that S&L were having a hard time letting go and so on. I believe that Thrown Down in particular was just too 'heavy' as Stevie would say. Too telling. AND, a CHILD was involved this time!

And I do wonder sometimes, now that LB's kids are getting older and have access to the Internet, friends whose parents talk without regard to their children hearing, the things Dad and Stevie say...which confuse the hell out of adults much less kids....just all of that...how do his kids integrate all of the info and how do they feel about it all? Especially Will Buckingham...

[Deeshere]

Originally Posted by secret love

Murrow is all right but just a tad too political...I don't connect with a lyric about the lack of integrity in modern journalism...how can I relate to that? It doesn't make me feel anything. It's just Lindsey having a good old rant...get off that high horse Linds!

Miranda is one of those songs I have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy. Its a kinda kooky crazy song. It just makes me want to be silly and stupid and dance. But sometimes you just play a song too many times you know? And you did like it but now you know it too well, so it's boring? That's Miranda for you.

I kind feel sad for Stevie that she feels the need to have other people produce her songs so extensively. Really her piano demos are works of art in themselves in many cases. I don't care that she doesn't know 100 chords. She can play and she can play well...she needs more confidence in her ability. And I guess she doesn't believe fans would care to see her do anything other than sing.

First of all I think the reason Lindsey wrote songs like Morrow, and Miranda was because he has kids. As a father he's looking at the world as a whole and asking questions (like a lot of parents do) about what is world going to be like for my kids. I see Morrow as Lindsey dipping his toe into the water of politics, he's maybe trying to see if lyrics like those would accepted by the fan's because he and Steve have always said they stay out of politics and usually are none committal on those kinds of questions, but now that he has kids, he can't help but question "What's The World Coming To"

I also think he was including those types of songs on the CD because he's grown as a person, he doesn't just want to write songs about how this girlfriend left him or this other girlfriend did him wrong. He's trying to broaden the subject of his songs and maybe making them more meaning full.

I have heard her say again, and again that she only knows a few cords, and pecks on the piano. I agree I think she's a much better piano player than she gives herself credit for. I don't think there's any lack of confidence in Stevie. Her musical taste is just different than you might like. If Steve wanted her song's to just be piano ballads, they would just be piano ballads. If she wanted to tour with songs of that nature, she could get any professional piano player to play the music while she sings. She just likes a more produced sound on her songs.

Also she likes what Lindsey adds to her songs, she said he adds "sparkle" to her songs. She likes the music the two of them create when they can get along.

[Deeshere]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

I really love SYW. I felt it was a genius offering from Lindsey & Stevie that showcased their musical maturity in a relative & fresh way. I loved the way the album flowed and only felt ambivalent about a couple of tracks: Come and Silver Girl. But, I never expect to hear an album full of "singles", usually I listen for an album that is solid in concept and flow. And, this album did not disappoint in either. There are still very strong statements in this project and I feel it proved that Fleetwood Mac was still viable as a band and that Stevie & Lindsey together are a pop rock force unparalleled.

I love SYW too. The reason the CD is disjointed in sound, is because by the time Stevie's solo tour ended and she was able to join the band to record the CD, all of Lindsey's songs were done. He, John and Mick had been recording Lindsey's songs for almost a year before Stevie showed up.

Lindsey didn't even get any song's from Stevie to produce until they were about 8 month's into recording. So when Steve showed up around January 2002 all she had to do on Lindsey's songs, was to record her vocals.

The reason having Stevie's songs earlier mattered, was that if Lindsey knew what Stevie's songs sounded like before he recorded and produced his own songs he most likely would have tried to make the flow of the music/sound between his songs and Stevie's songs more complementary, and the CD would not have sounded like 2 solo works (which is really was) all on 1 CD.

However, since his songs were recorded and produced (they were kinda dark and edgy like a Buckingham solo CD usually is) before Stevie showed up to start to record her song's (I think) he darkened the sound of Stevie's songs somewhat to try and match the sound of his own song's and make the CD more cohesive sounding.

Which if I am not mistaken (and Lindsey eluded to in a few interviews) caused some pretty big arguments between Lindsey and Stevie at the end of making the CD, and I think is one of the reason Stevie has refused to do another Fleetwood Mac CD.

[Deeshere]

I just realized that my last 2 post were kinda contradictory. On one post I say Stevie likes the way Lindsey produces her songs, and on the other post I say they fought about the way Lindsey produced her songs.

Let me clarify what I was saying. Stevie did like the way Lindsey produced her songs until the SYW CD and that is one the the reasons she's not been willing to record a new Fleetwood Mac CD with Lindsey as the producer.

[Desiree]

Originally Posted by secret love

Stevie Nicks did well in her most recent effort, In Your Dreams album. Thing is, the highlights of that for me are Lady from the Mountains [I refuse to believe the Bull**** story Stevie spun about the song being inspired by the insipid Twilight books/film series...majority of the song was written during the Tusk-era...20+ years before Twilight was written. So let's call the song what it is puh-lease.] also, Soldier's Angel, You May be the One, My Heart, Annabel Lee. The song Italian Summer is just embarrassing, cringe-worthy and cliched: honestly, the closing vocals are autotuned to the hilt: come on Stevie, you can do better than that. Cheaper Than Free is a stupid, dopey song in its lyric...and Dave Stewart cannot sing very well so that spoils it too: Dave's a guitarist not a singer! Secret Love - overproduced. For What's It's Worth was good.

I think gradually Stevie is realising she doesn't have to do the whole "let's rock" thing and that it is not what her fans like about her anyway. In interviews she regularly says "People ask me what I do, I say I'm a rock n roll star." Something about that doesn't sit well with me: for a start ...I wouldn't really classify the majority of Stevie's songs as rock music and I'd say really, its not something she need aspire to: take Silver Springs for example: a gorgeous ballad. Or Say You Will, a cute catchy feel-good "commercial pop song". Her only true rockers for me, the songs of Stevie's that get me on my feet singing and dancing, are Stand Back (loved the bongo drums arrangement from 2003 DVD), Edge of 17, Gold Dust Woman, Running Through the Garden, maybe Seven Wonders, Sisters of the Moon, Angel, Ghosts are Gone...generally only one song on each album is a rock-out song.

Stevie could learn a lot from her dear friend Vanessa Carlton...she could learn that music is not about fame. Music is about connecting with people. It is not about Stevie. It is about everybody else. And it is about being genuine, telling your story honestly and not fabricating lies or defaming people just because you don't like them (Planets of the Universe comes to mind...even Stevie thought the original version was too harsh on Lindsey).

If Stevie wants me to fork out $20 - $25 (Yes, that is how much music costs in Australia - a hard copy CD...$16 for digital download iTunes...it is a rip off) for her next album, then she needs to realise I don't care for showy guitar riffs and bass lines at the expense of raw and genuine emotion in the vocals...and I don't care if her piano playing isn't as exemplary as C. McVie's.

Really as a fan...a paying customer actually...I think Stevie should pay more attention to what my opinion, and the opinions of many other fans worldwide are regarding the production of her songs. If only she could be as confident in her instrumental abilites as she is in her singing! Or at the very least: follow the classic rule of Keep It Simple Stupid.

Quote::
Originally Posted by elle
when i first started listening to LB's and FM lyrics, i just kept thinking - stop!! what a bunch of self-centered & self-important a-holes! look around you, people, there's a whole wide world around you with bunch of problems and you bunch of indulgent rich people keep whining about you love life for 40 years like you are the only ones and that's the most important thing ever?!

Hahahaha, Vivfox! Cracks me up, too, and it is so true, but then really, is anything more important than love, my love relationship is ultra important to me and I think it about it all the time...good or bad!!!!!! I'm with you tho, Viv, I' m looking to be taken away from it all for a while!

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Desiree

Many, many comments have been made questioning why Thrown Down and Destiny Rules, to some extent, were not played at the live show (DR just once and it sounded great, would have gotten even better!) or put out and pushed as singles, were they? Anyway, I wonder if the subject matter is the reason?

I doubt it since Lindsey had no problem playing his UTS songs in concert, wife and kids in attendance, and those songs dealt with the same subject matter.

Michele

[Desiree]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I doubt it since Lindsey had no problem playing his UTS songs in concert, wife and kids in attendance, and those songs dealt with the same subject matter.

Michele

Guess you're right, no accounting for it, geez....

[StandbackStevie]

I do think Say You Will album is up there as one of there best, I enjoy listening to the whole album love every song.The Say You Will Tour was an awesome Tour.

[Deeshere]

Originally Posted by Desiree

Guess you're right, no accounting for it, geez....

Lindsey's going to say and play anything he wants too. I don't think his family being in the audience would stop that. But I do think you maybe be partially right.

I don't think Lindsey had a problem with either song, but Lindsey has said that during the SYW tour he and Kristen had at least 1 fight that we know about (he alluded to the fact that it was about Stevie) and Thrown Down and Destiny Rules were definitely about Stevie and Lindsey's relationship.

So I do think that Lindsey stopped the band from playing those 2 songs out of respect for Kristen.

[Lindsfan]

Originally Posted by Deeshere

Lindsey's going to say and play anything he wants too. I don't think his family being in the audience would stop that. But I do think you maybe be partially right.

I don't think Lindsey had a problem with either song, but Lindsey has said that during the SYW tour he and Kristen had at least 1 fight that we know about (he alluded to the fact that it was about Stevie) and Thrown Down and Destiny Rules were definitely about Stevie and Lindsey's relationship.

So I do think that Lindsey stopped the band from playing those 2 songs out of respect for Kristen.

When did he allude to that? I know he's talked of a fight between him and Kristen, but I don't recall him alluding to it being about Stevie. Please enlighten me.

And I'm late to this discussion, so forgive me if this has been mentioned or whatever, but I always thought - and still believe - that Stevie's SYW songs weren't played (or were pulled) because unlike Lindsey, she's just not comfortable playing new stuff. She likes to stick to what she's sure her fans will like. If they played it once, and the fans didn't go nuts, she didn't want to wait for them to warm up to it. That's just my opinion, it's not based on anything else.

It makes no sense for Kristen to be bothered by two songs out of all his, and Stevie's songs!