Has Stevie's songwriting gone downhill?

[blinker12]

Another thing to keep in mind re: Stevie's songwriting consistency:

In the 1970s, with Fleetwood Mac, she only released a few songs every couple of years. The quality was consistently VERY high because only her best songs made the albums.

In the 1980s, however, her output soared: She was releasing full solo albums every two years (or so), and also recording with the Mac. So of course her "batting average" went down a little.

That said, I think her songwriting DID go downhill in the late 80s/early 90s. That was largely because she didn't seem to trust herself anymore: she was relying on co-writers more than ever. Think about it: Hardly any of the songs on OSOTM, SA or BTM were solely written by Stevie. But ever since that talk with Tom Petty in 1995, when he told her he wouldn't help her write, she seems to have regained her confidence and is writing on her own again. And IMO, some of the stuff she's writing now ranks with her best (Thrown Down, TISL, SYW, Illume, Love Changes).