An Analysis of the Songs and Image of Stevie Nicks

[David]

Originally Posted by blinker12

Even if you believe Stevie commonly writes from the perspective of someone other than herself (which I personally don't buy) -- don't you think it legitimate to make a connection between a writer's state of mind and her output?

I do, & blinker, by the way, I wasn't implying that your post was bad -- I was talking only about this essay by the two women. It just occurred to me, as I looked back at my own post, that it could be interpreted as having referred to your post.

[blinker12]

Oh, OK... sorry to get defensive on you David.

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by blinker12

Interesting! The piece makes some good points about how Stevie started as vulnerable yet tough, only to become simply vulnerable in the period 1985-1994. We all know some of the reasons for that vulnerability (weight gain, cocaine rehab, Klonopin addiction and rehab).

The piece seems to follow Stevie only through 1998, and I got to thinking about her persona since then. In her writing, she seems to have reclaimed much of the earthiness and fortitude that endeared her to fans in the first place. Just look at newer songs like "Destiny Rules," "Love Changes," "Thrown Down" and "Fall from Grace," in which she seems resigned to the challenges of love but also strong enough to weather them. Even "Silver Girl," despite its references to girly girls and generally soft lyrics, hints at a kind of mysterious resilience: "Sometimes she was just an actress/But you'll never really know/Shadows move across her face/You cannot see her soul."

I thought that whole concept was pretty off. I tend to see Stevie as much more vulnerable on the first three BN era FM albums. I think she discovered her strength with Bella Donna and then moved on from there. The introspective waif on "Dreams", "Storms" and "Beautiful Child" has got nothing on the hard as nails beyotch from "Edge of 17", "Nothing Ever Changes" and "Kind of Woman". Rock A Little, TOSOTM and Street Angel all had their moments of what the writer referred to as "complex meld of vulnerability and hard core strength". "Long Way to Go" and "Love Is Like a River" are hardly soft, weak, feminine piffle.

I agree with the author that this return to a stronger voice has a lot to do with her newfound credibility.

I don't think Stevie ever returned to a stronger voice, unless you're talking about her semi-recovery from her shattered Rock A Little voice. Her TOSOTM voice is way better than TISL or what she's got going now.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by The Tower

. . . I don't think Stevie ever returned to a stronger voice, unless you're talking about her semi-recovery from her shattered Rock A Little voice. Her TOSOTM voice is way better than TISL or what she's got going now.

I disagree in the sense that the SA tour voice was powerful and sublime and she nailed (though not with the same voice) many nights on the Enchanted and Dance tours. After that though, her voice took a beating. I will say though that when she wants it to shine these days, she lets it a la Circle Dance, B&B, and Rock and Roll.

[amber]

Originally Posted by Richard B

I couldn't believe what was happening in the last half hour. I was riveted. Yes, that's right riveted and digusted at the same time. It's finally available on DVD too.

Yay! I should get that. I've seen it a bunch of times, it's one of my favorite movies ever. I saw it when I was 18, it had come out the year before, I think. I loved it right away.
And I'm suprised, thinking about it, that the ending of the movie was so consistent with the whole. I could easily see having trouble resolving that movie in an effective way - it could be inconsistent and look really cheesy.
But it turned out really well, especially considering it's fairly low budget.
A small masterpiece.
(Diss knows, every time someone mentions The Rapture, I have to talk about it. )
Ah, it's when I first saw James LeGros...

[David]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I disagree in the sense that the SA tour voice was powerful and sublime and she nailed (though not with the same voice) many nights on the Enchanted and Dance tours. After that though, her voice took a beating. I will say though that when she wants it to shine these days, she lets it a la Circle Dance, B&B, and Rock and Roll.

You guys are talking about her singing voice but I think the article was using "voice" in the context of "narrative voice" or "authorial voice" or at least "creative voice."

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by David

You guys are talking about her singing voice but I think the article was using "voice" in the context of "narrative voice" or "authorial voice" or at least "creative voice."

ahhhhhhhhh - in that case, the storyteller who spoke in hushed whispers has not been seen since Tusk, though BD, WH, and Mirage were great. I think she tried to recapture that personage with TOSOTM - it has that vibe to me - but it was not the Stevie Regina Gloriana of Tusk.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I will say though that when she wants it to shine these days, she lets it a la...Rock and Roll.

That analysis was not referring to her singing voice, but I just had to quote this and . It was competent, but her voice is so weak that she couldn't do it justice. There was no power to her renditions of it. Not bad, but not great.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by dissention

That analysis was not referring to her singing voice, but I just had to quote this and . It was competent, but her voice is so weak that she couldn't do it justice. There was no power to her renditions of it. Not bad, but not great.

I was standing ten feet from her with my hands on the stage in Vegas and I could hear her R&R and B&B without the aid of the mic. So, I would go further than competent.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I was standing ten feet from her with my hands on the stage in Vegas and I could hear her R&R and B&B without the aid of the mic. So, I would go further than competent.

From all the boots I've heard, I certainly wouldn't.

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by David

You guys are talking about her singing voice but I think the article was using "voice" in the context of "narrative voice" or "authorial voice" or at least "creative voice."

Well, if that's the case- then she lost that in the early 80's and never gained it back....

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Well, if that's the case- then she lost that in the early 80's and never gained it back....

Amen sister woman!!!!!

Though there have been glimpses of it like the songs Twisted and TISL - but she hadn't the voice to pull those off like that IMO.

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by dissention

From all the boots I've heard, I certainly wouldn't.

Don't rely on boots to form a opinion on sounding good. They all pretty much suck...even some "alleged" soundboards.

Boots that were recorded up close tend to be the worst with way too much amp of a particular area of the stage.

[Ghost_Tracker]

Originally Posted by blinker12

Even if you believe Stevie commonly writes from the perspective of someone other than herself (which I personally don't buy) -- don't you think it legitimate to make a connection between a writer's state of mind and her output?

Maybe SHE does - but her ENGLISH teacher doesn't . . . .
(What can I tellya - I've had "issues" with English Teachers. )

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by David

So has this been published in a legitimate peer-reviewed journal?

LOL!!!

At some point, we probably are going to pick up an issue of Metatext or something & read about the crucial clusters of cultural representation which grad students can "locate" in Stevie Nicks songs, using queer theory, decolonialization effectivities, transformative politics & Jell-O brand vanilla pudding.

Hey, my freshman year in college, I took a sociology seminar about "manufacturing authenticity" in popular music and wrote an eight-page paper about the calculation which went into the launching of Stevie's solo career. It could happen...