Say You Will turns 18 this month

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

18 years ago I felt a bittersweetness towards this release. I was glad a new studio album had come out but disappointed that Christine was not involved. How galling to be SO CLOSE to an actual studio follow up to the lineup that made Tango! I expected to be underwhelmed and admittedly was on the first listen. But then, after a few more tries, the album got under my skin and I admired how SUBSTANTIAL it really is. Substantial—that’s my prevailing critique of SYW. It’s uneven, possibly overlong, but meaty, innovative, and original. Lindsey and Stevie’s songs do not always hang together well but many of those very songs are impressive on an individual basis. Stevie’s tunes are especially strong, though two of Lindsey’s are among my favorites (Red Rover, Goodbye). I was and am sill moved by Illume. So often, Stevie exploits collective tragedies for self promotion but her performance of this song really puts you in the headspace of someone reeling from 9-11. Everybody Finds Out is amazeballs and Throw Down may be one of her best single songs since the 1970s.

So, yeah, I missed Christine and the way her songs often glued together the work of these star-crossed ex-lovers, but SYW is a genuine album, a real creative effort that, in terms of its integrity, surpasses MIRAGE and TANGO, both of which were created largely to ensure continued commercial success.

And I eventually got over the absence of Christine when, one year later, she gave us ITM, my favorite of her solo albums.

I agree with you on 3 major points.
To have ITM by Christine is a wonderful sacrafice win that she did not record SYW.

I also was a bit underwhelmed when I first listened. Most of it was meh. But after listening to it often made me completely understand and appreciate it like crazy. I mention headphones alot because I used to jog with this CD. Thats right kids, they actually had portable CD players with big head phones that you could take and listen to CDs where ever you wanted. I used to jog to this CD so I know it like the back of my hand. Even though long and unconventional, I appreciate every track and very few of them do I skip over. It was also nice to have Stevie really singing back up to Lindsey's songs so much. Almost like a Buck/Nicks album. On Tango we get "layered" in Stevie vocals (whatever that means). Was it Lindsey trying to be Stevie with a computer or did he actually take vocal tracks and layer them in. None of that here. I also have never heard Fleetwood Mac play so vividly and coordinated like this album. Just listening to John, Mick and Lindsey play on many songs like Everybody Finds Out is completely outrageously good.
Lastly, I also agree Thrown Down is her last best written song. But like Mick says on the documentary, its Stevie's best writing since Rumours.

So many Tusk like qualities to this album which confuses me because Tusk gets so much love on this board yet SYW thrown in the gutter i.e. thrown down.

I take my hat off to Lindsey for this album. I like his solo stuff but not crazy about some of it. I disliked Tango because it was too much Lindsey solo album sounding. This walks "a thin line" of Lindsey solo and with Fleetwood Mac brilliantly. I can hear his solo stuff but its got Mick, John and Stevie on the songs unlike the Tango stuff.
Well done Mr. Buckingham. I get it and I got it and SYW is brilliant.

BTW, I left Destiny Rules off my favorites list. That would make 10 songs that I officially love on the album. 10 songs makes a complete album IMHO. I like the other songs but these 10 are smack you in the face good.