Behind The Mask turns 31

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by UnwindedDreams

Isn't the title "The Second Time"? Second Time Around is a perfect song by Shalamar

If you had to put Affairs on a Stevie record, where would it fit? I said RAL because I think guitars and keys sound more 85 than 89.

Yes but their version was better than Stevie's


Affairs of the heart has a snoozer vocal (someone pinch her to wake her up). The music is blah but I hate songs where the background vocals finish lines of the singer and vice versa. Its a great line about loved and lost and better not to lose but good grief you dont have to repeat it a thousand times.
I've always wondered if this hallway of pink and grey doors is near the stairs she is staring at?

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Its a great line about loved and lost and better not to lose but good grief you dont have to repeat it a thousand times.

But you do love "I sang these words: Whatever it takes, Whatever it takes.. to be free" right?

[Macfan4life]

Found this little snippet from Chis 1990:

Fans may have been disappointed by Buckingham's absence, but Fleetwood Mac ultimately saw it as restoring a spark that had been increasingly absent during the past few years of his tenure. "We had been sitting around for years not doing too much, and Fleetwood Mac had started to drift apart," mused Fleetwood after Behind the Mask's arrival. "But his departure brought about a real commitment by the rest of us to what we're doing."

Long-time singer and keyboardist Christine McVie agreed. "I like the fact that we really did pull it off," she told Rolling Stone. "The record was well arranged and well thought out, despite the fact that Lindsey wasn't there."

Fleetwood confirmed that McVie filled whatever leadership void remained. "Christine really took the bull by the horns this time," he said during a conversation with the Boston Globe. "And with Lindsey gone, the older members of the band enjoyed getting back to how we used to make albums. It was very much a team effort. ... No offense to Lindsey, but he was becoming obsessive in the studio and we were beginning to take a backseat."

[FuzzyPlum]

"the addition of Rick Vito and Billy Burnette is the best thing to ever happen to Fleetwood Mac"

I bet that reviewer wishes he could turn the clock back.
'what was I thinking???'

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

"the addition of Rick Vito and Billy Burnette is the best thing to ever happen to Fleetwood Mac"

I bet that reviewer wishes he could turn the clock back.
'what was I thinking???'

Christine McVie is the best thing to ever happen to FM.

[bwboy]

I agree with a lot of what was already said here- BTM sounds more like a group album than anything they had done since Rumours, absolutely. Fleetwood Mac had 3 incredible voices, so why not let them all be heard on as many songs as possible? So hearing Stevie, Billy, and Rick on Skies the Limit is just awesome and a real joy. Hearing Christine and Stevie on In the Back of My Mind sends chills up my spine and is so much more effective. BTM is an album I can listen to from start to finish. I can’t do that on Tusk, Mirage, or Tango. I also agree Stevie comes off the worst, but at least her songs aren’t awful... just not as good as everyone else’s, that’s all. I guess I’m in the minority with my love for Do You Know, Hard Feelings, and When It Comes to Love- they’re so good with beautiful harmonies. Save Me and Skies the Limit are outstanding, so I don’t understand how they weren’t bigger hits, except that radio was changing at that time. Also always surprised Skies wasn’t performed live.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by bwboy

I agree with a lot of what was already said here- BTM sounds more like a group album than anything they had done since Rumours, absolutely. Fleetwood Mac had 3 incredible voices, so why not let them all be heard on as many songs as possible? So hearing Stevie, Billy, and Rick on Skies the Limit is just awesome and a real joy. Hearing Christine and Stevie on In the Back of My Mind sends chills up my spine and is so much more effective. BTM is an album I can listen to from start to finish. I can’t do that on Tusk, Mirage, or Tango. I also agree Stevie comes off the worst, but at least her songs aren’t awful... just not as good as everyone else’s, that’s all. I guess I’m in the minority with my love for Do You Know, Hard Feelings, and When It Comes to Love- they’re so good with beautiful harmonies. Save Me and Skies the Limit are outstanding, so I don’t understand how they weren’t bigger hits, except that radio was changing at that time. Also always surprised Skies wasn’t performed live.

When I was in college and had no life, I lived in a small college town in PA. The radio sucked and they had this adult contemporary station that aired a Dick Clark top 40 adult contemporary songs. The only time I heard Skies the Limit on the radio was on this countdown show. I would listen every week because like most top 40 countdown shows, they provide little facts or trivia about the songs or band. Believe it or not but Skies the Limit made it into the top 10 of this countdown show. So I have remembered the little known facts about this era. For example, the band obviously was disappointed in the album sales and lack of commercial success. Skies the Limit was not originally on the album. I believe BTM was originally the opening track. But after the album was finished, the band thought the album was way too dark. It needed that Christine peppy love song. So Christine wrote Skies the Limit very quickly and it was recorded last and it was slapped as the first track of the album trying to soften the dark mood. I am not sure it worked in the end but I love Skies the Limit besides the harmonies. I love hearing Christine play keyboards and the crack of the drums are so freaking cool. Music video shot at Red Rocks. I was surprised Save Me tanked without even making the top 20. But then again we all thought As Long As You Follow would be a #1 song and it did not even make top 40. Fleetwood Mac was a washed up band in 1990. Even their Farewell Tour in late 1990 had tons of empty seats. When I saw them at the Pittsburgh Civic arena in November 1990, the entire balcony of the arena was empty. They even dropped Save Me from the set and replaced it with Say You Love me when I saw them. Stevie and Chris wore the shortest skirts of their career on this tour. I sat behind Chris and could not believe how beautiful her legs were. Skin was in. The last days of the 80's vixens.

BTW, did I mention how good Christine's keyboard playing is on this album. OMG, I wish there was a stripped down version of Save Me with ONLY her keyboards. She is on fire. She also does an amazing keyboard on Do You Know. When I would drive listening to When It Comes To Love and Do You Know in my car, I would try to harmonize with Chris and Billy. Of course I ruined the song every time but I did not care.

Also, as much as Stevie tried to hint Madonna stole her look, Stevie stole Madonna's look by sporting a crucifix in Save Me. Honey, you were about 4 years too late.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or1VPIanDlw