The One Great Song on These Terrible Albums

[cascade13]

I've always liked "I Do" -- I've listened to it a few hundred times over the years -- but I think it's a safe, easy choice for that article. Reading the summary, it seems the author just followed two steps. 1) Don't bother considering the other three singers/songwriters because they're not Stevie and Lindsey. 2) Pick the Christine song that sounds the most like a Rumours-era track (a choice that was even easier because that was the only single from the album).

It would have been more interesting to me for the author to step outside the box a bit, especially outside Christine's five songs. "Winds of Change" and "Dreaming the Dream" were always my favorite among Billy, Bekka, and Dave songs. Certainly on par with "I Do" in my mind. Solid guitar work, unusually restrained (for her) but resonant vocals from Bekka, great backing vocals on the former, and steady-as-usual work from Mick and John on that one, too.

Since they didn't comment on BTM, I won't either...except to say I'd have loved to have heard the Rumours lineup's take on "Save Me."

Originally Posted by In Your Dreams

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/grea...errible-album/

Fleetwood Mac, "I Do"
From: Time (1995)

No Lindsey Buckingham or Stevie Nicks? No problem! Actually, lots of problems. Thankfully, Christine McVie could still provide a reliably joy-filled chorus

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by In Your Dreams

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/grea...errible-album/

Fleetwood Mac, "I Do"
From: Time (1995)

No Lindsey Buckingham or Stevie Nicks? No problem! Actually, lots of problems. Thankfully, Christine McVie could still provide a reliably joy-filled chorus

huh--I guess I disagree with the premise. TIME is no masterpiece, certainly. But there are about seven or eight really good tunes on it. It's more of a matter of the end result lacking cohesion. But hey, that was the problem with PENGUIN, too, and that's one of my favorite albums.

Anyway, the songs from Time that I think hold up VERY well are:

Talking to My Heart
Winds of Change
Nothing Without You
Nights in Estoril
Hollywood
All Over Again
Sooner or Later
Got it In For You

Ironically, the only Christine song I don't like is "I Do." She sings it well and it's solidly put together, but the arrangement is pretty bland.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

TIME is no masterpiece, certainly. But there are about seven or eight really good tunes on it. It's more of a matter of the end result lacking cohesion. But hey, that was the problem with PENGUIN, too, and that's one of my favorite albums.

I agree, but Penguin and Time have completely different predecessors and came in different times. After the huge trajectory of the Rumours lineup, one expected a far better album. But that was impossible for obvious reasons.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by Villavic

I agree, but Penguin and Time have completely different predecessors and came in different times. After the huge trajectory of the Rumours lineup, one expected a far better album. But that was impossible for obvious reasons.

I don’t think people expected a far better album. What they wanted was Stevie Nicks somewhere on it. Without her or Lindsey, they shut their ears. TIME is for a number of diehard fans a better album than MASK, which was the REAL disappointment coming after TANGO. In 1995, no one was talking about FM anymore. Few even knew the album was released.

Song for song TIME stacks up in a way few people are willing to acknowledge.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by moon

Hi! I'm taking it too late, but I think it's just in time...
Personally, it's a joke to know that I Do was the only single from Time, so it's sad to know that the press only writes its opinion based on it, without listening to the whole album.
Hollywood and Sooner Or Later were definitely the best songs of Chris from that album, and probably some of the best from her career.

Agreed! People were/are not willing to listen to TIME with objective ears. I also think the Billy/Bekka opening “Talking to My Heart” is damn good.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I've come full circle on Skies. It's really sung well, and the chorus is fantastic. Also, love Stevie on this song.

And this is where I say “huh?!” and insist Temporary One is a great tune, and you say “huh?!” and we go round and round…

But, as Christine once sang, “it sure feels nice.”

[Villavic]

Resurrecting this thread because of the word "terrible". Unlike the article in the original publication, which discusses various bands, I found this other one—published just three days ago—in which Christine describes Time and BTM as terrible and expresses the opinion that no one liked them. Does anybody know when did she say that? No surprise she thought that about the albums, specially Time, but I don't remember reading that interview before nor that she was so explicit in saying so.

Christine reveals the 2 albums she called terrible

[Mr Scarrott]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Resurrecting this thread because of the word "terrible". Unlike the article in the original publication, which discusses various bands, I found this other one—published just three days ago—in which Christine describes Time and BTM as terrible and expresses the opinion that no one liked them. Does anybody know when did she say that? No surprise she thought that about the albums, specially Time, but I don't remember reading that interview before nor that she was so explicit in saying so.

Christine reveals the 2 albums she called terrible

It was 2017

https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/...ie-remembered/

What was the trigger for leaving Fleetwood Mac in 1998? Did it have anything to do with the Mac albums that preceded it, Behind The Mask (1990) and Time (’95)?

I don’t think anyone likes those albums. They’re terrible. They’re scrubbed under the carpet. Did they have anything to do with it? Yeah, very possibly. Dave Mason [ex Traffic guitarist/vocalist, who joined the Mac from 1993 to ’95] and I did not get along, and I thought the music was suffering. I think Mick thought it was the end of the road as well, for the first time. Also, I was more gone than them during the making of Time. Emotionally not there, physically not here. I just didn’t show up. I left Mick and John holding the baby. I couldn’t bear watching it all fall apart. And I couldn’t keep peace with Dave Mason, I’m afraid. It was very acrimonious with him and I just bailed. Mick and John were OK. Also, I was tired of living out of a suitcase, tired of travel, plus I had a fear of flying. I’d been doing it longer than Stevie and Lindsey and I’d just had enough. Plus, my father was really sick and I wanted to come back to England and rediscover my roots and I was quite adamant that this was what I wanted to do.


Christine's father Cyril died in 1990, by the way. Recollections may vary...

I'm glad that All over again finally did get a live outing, with Stevie singing along as well. It's a beautiful, simple song and a fine way to say goodbye, even if it did turn out to be a temporary one.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Mr Scarrott

It was 2017

https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/...ie-remembered/

So sad that she was so right when she gave that last answer Everything has come right. But, don't forget, this is Fleetwood Mac.

So true that when the time came, those T-shirts he had proposed could no longer be worn.

[Villavic]

Checking Bob's book he mentioned what John told him about the 1990 "terrible" (according to Chris) album.

On January 15, 1989 the band, with new members Rick and Billy, went into the studios to start work on the next, post- Tango In The Night album. John McVie told me that the new album was even better than Tango, and so it proved to be.

In promotional interviews, artists often praise their latest work, sometimes even saying it's the best they've ever done. But if these words were during a private conversation, it is worth analyzing why he said that. It was most likely easier to record the album because there were fewer conflicts than during Tango sessions. But let's face it John, I like BTM but it was not better than Tango.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Ignore the haters. Skies the limit is a great song. I love everything about it INCLUDING the spelling!!!!!
Yes it was a song quickly thrown together and it shows. But IMHO it shows the talent of Chris because even in a pinch she can write and put down some great chords. Supposedly BTM was finished and after playback the consensus was the album was very dark and lacked the typical peppy Chris song. So they came up with Skies the limit quickly and threw it on the first track, side one. It has some great harmonies with the 4 singers too. I particularly like Chris's keyboard playing and Mick's cracking of the drums.

i have an old audio interview w chris from BTM time and she had this to say about Skies the Limit-- i don't think the album was finished but they were a few songs in when stevie (who obviously hadn't been there much) decided it sounded dark...

"That was actually written as a consequence of Stevie coming in one day and saying, "These songs are so depressing!!" Because I think we'd recorded hard feelings and I think we recorded a couple of others-- love is dangerous, and behind the mask, and she'd heard like a whole string of songs that, back-to-back had a kind of a dark side, you know, so we sort of sat around kind of tended to agree with her that it was a bit serious vibe, you know, when you hear them like that. So I went home and I said to my husband, 'we're going to write a happy song. Now what constitutes a happy line?' and I just thought the sky's the limit. And we just went from there. The song ended up being not so much of a love song but a kind of anthem to the band. You know, the words are very dual, double-edged sword kind of thing. You can take it as being with a romantic context, or not, and the words kind of read as sort of a tribute to the new band if you like."

--Lis

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

i have an old audio interview w chris from BTM time and she had this to say about Skies the Limit-- i don't think the album was finished but they were a few songs in when stevie (who obviously hadn't been there much) decided it sounded dark...

"That was actually written as a consequence of Stevie coming in one day and saying, "These songs are so depressing!!" Because I think we'd recorded hard feelings and I think we recorded a couple of others-- love is dangerous, and behind the mask, and she'd heard like a whole string of songs that, back-to-back had a kind of a dark side, you know, so we sort of sat around kind of tended to agree with her that it was a bit serious vibe, you know, when you hear them like that. So I went home and I said to my husband, 'we're going to write a happy song. Now what constitutes a happy line?' and I just thought the sky's the limit. And we just went from there. The song ended up being not so much of a love song but a kind of anthem to the band. You know, the words are very dual, double-edged sword kind of thing. You can take it as being with a romantic context, or not, and the words kind of read as sort of a tribute to the new band if you like."

--Lis

A few years before Chris's passing she called BTM suicide music because the album was so dark. Personally I like that about the album with it also being relatively non-commercial.
Notice that Skies The Limit is the only song that has authentic harmonies from all 4 singers. Its another indication how late the song came in the process. Stevie was layered in on the end of Save Me and even for the title track and When The Sun Goes Down. Like Tango she was barely there and on her solo tour.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Checking Bob's book he mentioned what John told him about the 1990 "terrible" (according to Chris) album.

On January 15, 1989 the band, with new members Rick and Billy, went into the studios to start work on the next, post- Tango In The Night album. John McVie told me that the new album was even better than Tango, and so it proved to be.

In promotional interviews, artists often praise their latest work, sometimes even saying it's the best they've ever done. But if these words were during a private conversation, it is worth analyzing why he said that. It was most likely easier to record the album because there were fewer conflicts than during Tango sessions. But let's face it John, I like BTM but it was not better than Tango.

In 1990 Stevie called BTM her favorite Fleetwood Mac album.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

In 1990 Stevie called BTM her favorite Fleetwood Mac album.

I think i actually like it a bit better than Tango myself. it has a nicer vibe.

--Lis

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

I think i actually like it a bit better than Tango myself. it has a nicer vibe.

--Lis

It has more soul than Tango. I love Chris's keyboard playing on BTM. In a BTM promo interview Chris said she loved to hear John's bass thumping, and Mick playing drums again. I don't think she was dissing Tango but I know what she meant. Many songs on Tango used programmed bass or keyboards. As much as I like BTM I think Stevie's songs are worse than Tango. Freedom is ok but Second Time and Affairs of the Heart are probably my least favorite songs she wrote and they are on the same album.