Bad News: No Best-of Cd

[Street Angel]

Originally Posted by TheWILDheart

An oldies act is someone who is no longer around anymore and who are remembered for the "classics".

My definition of an oldies act is slightly different. It's someone who's relying on the old hits only and touring endlessly with them - without even making the smallest effort to come up with something new. That's why I personally wouldn't put the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner or Paul McCartney into that category. Of course people go to their concerts to hear the big hits, but at least they always have new material to offer and they tour on the back of that *new* material. I'm sorry to say that Stevie currently isn't in that group. She doesn't have to put out an album every year (no one does that anymore anyway) but she doesn't even introduce ONE new song on her seemingly endless tours which have taken place over the last couple of years in the US.
Hell, even Paul "I'll play Hey Jude yet another time" McCartney took the opportunity at Glastonbury Festival to introduce a new song from his latest album way before it was released to give the audience something else but only the hits and also to test the audience's reaction to the track.

Oh and her US tours are another point - of course she's touring only there with her collection of old material, that's where the big money is. In Europe she'd probably be forced to play in small clubs with a setlist and ticket prices like that. That's why she never shows up here anyway. As much as I love Stevie's music, but these days she seems to be an oldies act indeed - just because she doesn't have to play in front of supermarkets and fairs (unlike other oldies acts) doesn't make it any better. Let's say she's an oldies act deluxe (because of the crowds she admittedly still draws)

Stevie should take a look at someone like Marianne Faithfull. A 60-year-old woman who's gone to hell and back and is not even thinking about looking back musically and personally all the time. She's moving forward - that's artistic integrity in my opinion.

But like I said, this is MY understanding of an oldies act. Playing all the hits in your show is one thing, touring endlessly with them and apparently not even bothering to give the fans something new for the expensive tickets they've paid is another thing. But that's everyone's personal decision.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by Street Angel

(Stevie) doesn't have to put out an album every year (no one does that anymore anyway) but she doesn't even introduce ONE new song on her seemingly endless tours which have taken place over the last couple of years in the US.

You know I love ya, Maik, but that's not entirely accurate.

In the earlier part of 2005, in Vegas, she may not have sung anything new, (though she did perform "If Anyone Falls" and "Beauty And The Beast," which hadn't been done on stage in 14 years, and "How Still My Love," which hadn't been performed in 16 years), but during her summer tour, Stevie performed "So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star" (for the first month of shows), "Rock & Roll" and "Circle Dance"... three songs that she's never performed in concert.
I don't think that's too bad for a somewhat impromptu tour.

You know how I feel about all of this anyway... I wish she'd just retire from the road altogether and concentrate on recording.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

It is frustrating that the carrot keeps getting dangled. I knew something was up when Rhino's sister site OnlyHitMusic.com removed the best-of listing a few days ago. Granted, it is only a best-of CD, but I would have been happy with some remastered tracks from her earlier catalog, Nightbird in particular. Oh well. Bring on Lindsey!

PLUS we would have likely gotten one or two new recordings - like gold to us!

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

In the bottom right-hand corner of someone's post, there's a "Quote" button -- all you have to do is click that button and it'll take you to a screen where you can type your response to their quote. It's easy once you get the hang of it.

Trust me, I know where you're coming from. The utter lack of new studio material from Stevie and the band over the past 16 years has been maddening. In Stevie's situation, I blame most of that on her stubborn insistence on touring after every single release (even compilations and boxed-sets!).

I've often wished I was a Jimmy Buffett fan, as it seems he ****s out a new album every single year.

Yep, I'm getting tired of being a Stevie fan. Never thought I'd see the day.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Yep, I'm getting tired of being a Stevie fan. Never thought I'd see the day.

I'm really not.
I pretty much made my peace with the paucity of material years ago. I became a fan shortly before the "lean years" began, so I'm used to it.

Plus, I still have all of those amazing older songs to listen to... the ones that made me a fan to begin with.
It's kind of like sitting down with a favorite book... I don't need new chapters to keep me interested. I keep re-reading and revisiting it because I find something new to appreciate every time. And it's the same way for me with Stevie's songs.

Mind you, I'm not saying that I don't want new songs from Stevie. I always want new songs from Stevie and could never have too many, and I think if she would stop touring incessantly, she would actually release new music more often.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I'm really not.
I pretty much made my peace with the paucity of material years ago. I became a fan shortly before the "lean years" began, so I'm used to it.

Plus, I still have all of those amazing older songs to listen to... the ones that made me a fan to begin with.
It's kind of like sitting down with a favorite book... I don't need new chapters to keep me interested. I keep re-reading and revisiting it because I find something new to appreciate every time. And it's the same way for me with Stevie's songs.

Mind you, I'm not saying that I don't want new songs from Stevie. I always want new songs from Stevie and could never have too many, and I think if she would stop touring incessantly, she would actually release new music more often.

Do you ever just put it all away though? Sometimes I have to. I go on sabatical from it all. Then I unearth the music after a few months and it becomes magical again.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Do you ever just put it all away though?

Never.
I might go a while without listening to albums in their entirety, but a day rarely goes by without me listening to at least a handful of Stevie tunes.

Even when I'm on a jag for one artist, and listening to, say, Chris Isaak constantly, I still always play some Stevie, too.

It really is a strange phenomenon... of all the many artists I'm a fan of, Stevie really is the only one whose music I never get sick of or burned out on. For example, a while back I listened to so much freakin' Tom Petty... morning, noon and night... that I completely burned myself out on him for a solid two years.

That's happened with all of my favorites, at one time or another... but, in 20 years of being a fan, it's never happened with Stevie. Go figure.
But I can understand why other fans sometimes have to walk away from Stevie's music for a while.

[JazmenFlowers]

^^^
looks like it's just you and me buddy. I mean, hello, have you seen my avatar pic? lol.

we chiffonheads must unite.

I never tire of Stevie, never put her in any place not in arms' reach and am at peace with the possibility of no new recordings. yeah, I want them like I want $1M, but it is what it is.

[SapphireSister]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

^^^
looks like it's just you and me buddy. I mean, hello, have you seen my avatar pic? lol.

we chiffonheads must unite.

I never tire of Stevie, never put her in any place not in arms' reach and am at peace with the possibility of no new recordings. yeah, I want them like I want $1M, but it is what it is.

Count me in too! Given I've only been a die hard since 2003 so things aren't as old and tired to me as they may be to some people. I even go through periods of a month or two where I purposely don't play any Stevie/FM music because I get bored but then one day out of nowhere she'll creep up on me and I'll have the urge to hear that voice. I hope the day never comes where I'm completely bored and never want to go back. She's kind of like an ex-lover but one you never have to completely break from, you can just keep going back whenever you want but it's not at anyone else's expense.

That being said I'm thrilled she's doing something, anything, even if it is solely touring. If that's what she has to do to keep herself happy and she's still enjoying it, more power to her. Sure I'd LOVE new recordings (since I've become a fan she has yet to put anything new out) but it doesn't seem like that is an option right now so I'll take seeing her live every year for as many years as she's willing to tour.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by sparky

I don't think it's pointless.
It's interesting to me to hear what people think and why.

Touche' mon cherie Touche'

[sparky]

Originally Posted by takenbythesky

You handed her a rose two years later at a Mirage tour date, no? I'm guessing you were enchanted for just a little longer.

Of course I did. I was stoned, and 16 years old.
I also saw her in Australia twice this year, 24 years later.
Doesn't mean I was or am clueless to what was going on.
I've known since 1980 I might get a great show or a phoned
in performance. It just goes with the territory.

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

You know how I feel about all of this anyway... I wish she'd just retire from the road altogether and concentrate on recording.

I agree with you there.

In the earlier part of 2005, in Vegas, she may not have sung anything new, (though she did perform "If Anyone Falls" and "Beauty And The Beast," which hadn't been done on stage in 14 years, and "How Still My Love," which hadn't been performed in 16 years),

"If Anyone Falls" was okay. "Beauty and the Beast" was fantastic. "How Still My Love" was flat. However, all three of these were nothing to compared to what was alluded to: "The Highwayman", "Talk to Me", etc...

but during her summer tour, Stevie performed "So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star" (for the first month of shows), "Rock & Roll" and "Circle Dance"... three songs that she's never performed in concert.
I don't think that's too bad for a somewhat impromptu tour.

Three covers do zippo for me. I would much rather have three never-before-performed-live songs or brand new ones. Especially considering that the tours did not accompany any new releases or other related materials.

[BlackWidow]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Do you ever just put it all away though? Sometimes I have to. I go on sabatical from it all. Then I unearth the music after a few months and it becomes magical again.

I do. I cannot even listen to Bella Donna, Wild Heart, RAL, OSOTM, SA!
I am too burned out on them. I only listen to Say You Will & TISL....

[markolas]

I listened to a Stevie mix CD in the car the other day. That was the first time I'd listened to her in ages. Part of it is that I'm really getting away from listening to pop/rock music in general. Part of it is that I realized she's not the "artiste" I thought she was when I first discovered her, and that pissed me off.

[Villavic]

I understood the new about the release cancelation is reliable, but this is funny.. Amazon still says about Best Of Availability: This title will be released on November 7, 2006. Pre-order now. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com