Who are the most talented members of Fleetwood Mac?

[Bella Figura]

it is a shame you won't be taking my recommendations, CarneVaca, for you will be missing much joy and pleasure when the new album and tour gets underway...but this is how you honestly feel so I will not disrespect that...I have read your "Trio" thread with much enthusiasm, your loyalty to Lindsey is well placed...he has been for too long underated both musically as well as his production talent and he too, has had to endure much misconception about his public personna...

ps: my musical tastes have also changed over the years, the only thing I brought along with me from my rocknroll youth has been FM...

[bjk3047]

Originally posted by blinker12


Whoa. I don't see how the scenario you describe has ANY relation to our debate about Stevie Nicks's talent. No one is claiming Stevie is being discriminated against because she is a woman, or blonde, or based on any other physical characteristic. And in any case, those arguments would not hold water in a band where there is already another blonde woman whose talent is not questioned.
We're debating Stevie's talent on its own merits, not as it relates to her appearance.
Incidentally: In any situation where there is one black man _ surrounded by white men _ who is fired, it's not unreasonable to look into the possibility of discrimination. I'm not saying discrimination is always or even usually going to be at play, but it's not illegitimate to consider the possibility.

GEEZ. Okay, this is the SECOND someone has misunderstood the proceedings. PLEEEASE read more of the thread before picking one piece out of context and getting all worked up about it! AHH.
I was talking to tuigirl (thus the....quote) about her making this a gender issue when it had nothing to do with gender. I WAS NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT STEVIE BEING DISCRIMINATED. I would've thought that was obvious by what I replied to. I'm sorry for getting a little upset, but you really took my comments as far out of context as I can see possible.
And incidentally: In the situation I described, you conviently disregarded the following sentence The black guy slacks off and doesn't do his job so he's fired. So yes, it's quite unreasonable to suggest discrimination. Thanks for understanding and if you could take a slightly close look next time, it would be much obliged.
-Brian

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by Bella Figura
it is a shame you won't be taking my recommendations, CarneVaca, for you will be missing much joy and pleasure when the new album and tour gets underway

Honestly, I appreciate the recommendation. Maybe I'll give TISL another chance.

[Rumours]

Originally posted by baugh
...as far as Stevie goes, sitting in your room high and righting lyrics, well, anyone could come up w/ something interesting....

Alrighty, smarty-pants , first of all, it's writing, there's no such thing as righting. And my lord, by saying what you have just said, you have just taken away all validity and legitimacy of talent from most if not all artists in the history of music. Cuz let me tell ya something, THEY ALL GET HIGH AND DRUNK. Then, they write & play. That's the way it's been, that's the way it'll always be. If you think otherwise, then I'm really sorry, I don't know how to help you realize the truth. So, if you're statement is true as you believe that it is, then no musical artist has any talent in them at all and it's just the drugs and booze talkin'!!!!!

I just don't understand how anyone can say oh yeah I love Fleetwood Mac, they're my favorite band.....then sit there and have nothing but negative things to say about any of the individual members. I mean, for goodness sake, it doesn't ALL have to be positive, but find SOME good contributions....commenting to simply FLATTEN somebody is just irritating.

Oh mercy (deep sigh)......Stevie would not just have a sheet of lyrics......SHE does the basic track as well as the words to her songs........and might I just say that, sometimes, the same thing can be said about Lindsey--he's never been much of a lyricist....might he have wound up with just a sheet full of notes at times???? While the man is a genius and a guitar god, I've seen him be very short with words at times....repetitive at times as well. Hell one of his songs didn't even have a name until Stevie told him to use her name as the title!!

Jo & Jensen, I will agree with you there, Stevie can play when she wants to and needs to.....it IS more than simply fiddling....she just will never be one of the best guitar or piano players, is what I was trying to get at.

Carnevaca, by the way you are talking, it does not seem to me that you WANT to be exposed to anything that might give you the impression that Stevie did fine with her songs before Lindsey's influence upon them.........just my opinion. I do however agree with you on the point about Lindsey turning away from the "Fleetwood Mac" thing on his solo work and being more experimental on it, hence the reason for not as much, popularity, I guess you would say. But also, in his work with Fleetwood Mac, wouldn't you say that in order for him to do great things with the music, he had to start out with wonderful stuff--it's pretty hard to fashion something spectacular out of crap, don't you think. So the music he was getting from Stevie (and from Chris too) must have been pretty good.

My musical tastes have really changed as well......and it was really Stevie, her image, her writing, yes her singing, her everything, who initially brought me to this band.........she must still have something, because I am not alone in this.

I'm done reading threads with people that insist on pitting one member against another......it's the same damn band........they're all in it......

Stephanie

[sara1998]

I LOVE STEVIE NICKS!!

[BBALLGYPSY17]

These are just MY OPINIONS ..we all have a bias wether or not we choose to admit it...But this is what makes me a FAN and not some hard-nosed rock critic ....plus I don't get paid



Lindsey/PRODUCER- Wonderful voice, nice guitar licks, but let's face it-Lindsey's genius is when he took the "raw material" and made it golden.....ENOUGH said.

Stevie/PERFORMER- Be honest....she was "the face" of this band. Ticket sales were moved by her as well as units...not just because of her look, but because she really can't play guitar OR Piano(that well anyways)...it's the people's "rockstar". The WRITING and the image that she contributed was immense, BUT that doesn't mean she's Lindsey's puppet..she survived on her own. Her words as well as her performance take talent in my eyes....to put yourself OUT there the way she did...CHARISMA is a talent...not everyone can go out there, act like an "ass" (I know some people out there think it) and get AWAY with it.

Chris/PLAYER-Always dependable,always understated, ALWAYS solid. The "musician's musician" yet she can crank out plenty of hit pop ditties on the drop of a dime. (and she did because she had the most hit singles of the band)....However I tend to think that her skill was "craft". She's wonderful and all,but when you think of "the sound of Fleetwood Mac" you don't think Chris Mcvie...You didn't really see her personality inside of it...not as much heart as other writers. I'm not saying she's "Nsyncy" or anything, but she kinda is the "Soupcan"(as far as writing not popularity) of the group...no offense, I still love her.

LOL
~alex~*

[Vianna]

I. Lindsey and Peter-can't really make a distinction between them-both are awesome and intense and so involved in their music
2. Chris-she's unbelievably talented and along with that, a hard worker and a person who does what needs to be done with a minimum of fuss and emotional trauma=:-)
3. John-have you heard that bass line in Sisters of the Moon lately? Incredible! He also is somebody who gets things done with a minimum of fuss and bother
4. Mick-he's held that band together through all the trauma and soap opera stuff and different people and personalities-I don't know about musical talent but he certainly has talent for holding things together
5. Stevie-her gift is her ability to write lyrics that speak to people and her ability to relate to an audience
6. Bob Welch-let's not forget him-he tends to get forgotten-he's got some great songs there=:-)
Jeremy Spencer was no slouch either from what I have read-I am not as familiar with his solo work as I probably ought to be; this is also true of Rick and Billy-I just don't know enough about them to say anything.

[Amy Y]

Originally posted by Gypsy-Rhiannon
Just one thing though....If Lindsey is the be all and end all of Fleetwood mac and made them the success they are then why did he not mirror that with his solo career. Even the die-hard Lindsey fans have to admit that Stevie is the most popular member with her solo career. Mind you I think Lindsey reclusive behavior has alot to do with that too. This isn't me bashing Lindsey....I think he is a genius...it is just an observation

Pip

I would write a list of the most talented, but I can't do it. Why? Because I haven't even heard any fm albums that don't include Lindsey Buckingham, and although I wouldn't mind taking a listen, I probably won't unless an copy of something lands in my lap. I tend to agree with CareVaca who conluded that Lindsey's lack of popularity as a solo artist compared to Stevie's had to do with name recognition. I don't know, but at the time, in my town, my age group, Out of the Cradle singles were more popular than Stevie's solos.

If it hadn't been for hearing some of Out of the Cradle on the radio and wanting to hear more of Lindsey, I wouldn't have ever picked up a FM album. I did NOT like Fleetwood Mac, as all I knew from them were their radio-popular singles "Everywhere" and "Little Lies", songs that I still don't like to this day. I also didn't like Stevie's voice from what I heard of her Bella Donna singles. I took the chance anyway, and went through fm albums one at a time. I liked them, and not just the Lindsey songs. I also ended up liking Stevie's voice. I found her fun to harmonize with. It wasn't her, though, that got me into Fleetwood Mac. It was Lindsey. It was the rest of Fleetwood Mac that made my stay last.

love to all,

Amy Yeo

[CarneVaca]

How often does a thread hit 100 here?

[Hawkeye]

I like sara

[highpriestess53]

Each member of FM is as talented as each other....and let me qualify what I say...... this is because they are all unique in their own way. Each brings their gift and craft to this most enduring of bands and makes the FM entity what it is. Each member gives life to the band there is not one individual that makes the band.
Stevie creates beautiful dreamscapes with her lyrics, Lindsey's guitar playing is pure genius as is his work in the studio, if we are keeping Christine in this mix she plays wonderful piano and keyboards and writes simple meaningful lyrics John and Mick make up the meanest rhytm section going......but you know not one of the individuals can do what the other does. Christine can't write like Stevie, Stevie can't play guitar like Lindsey, Lindsey can't play drums or bass like Mick and John, John can't play piano like Chrisitine etc.......so there is no ONE talent greater than the other......

[rhiannon1119]

Very well said.. Louise.

Michelle

[DownOnRodeo]

Any thread with numerous Carnevaca appearances is always good fun!

OK, music is such a broad term... and everything's relative anyway. So this is how I break down the talent of FM for myself.

MUSIC (strict sense) Dr Christine McVie (heh heh I love writing that DMus!)
MUSICIANSHIP Peter Green
ARRANGER/PRODUCER Lindsey Buckingham
ENTERTAINER Stevie Nicks

(sorry for all the neglected Mac members - well this is the Rumours forum)

Beyond that it'sa question of what ifs.

WHAT IF word hadn't got around about Stevie's powerful/posessed Rhiannon performances?

WHAT IF Chris McVie hadn't been there to supply a steady stream of pop pap that's so fine tuned she no doubt earnt the band the brand Patron Saints of Pop

WHAT IF Lindsey Buckingham hadn't leant his hand in the production process, of course eventually effecting even greater control (and now TOTAL control! Oh man I can't wait!!)

WHAT IF Mick Fleetwood hadn't persisted on the maintaining the band, against hopeless odds, with such a singularly demonic bent, which is not so much about the music or the money as it is the validation of his very livelihood.

WHAT IF John McVie did not exercise the license Lindsey 'suffered' him to play such 'mobile' bass? If you ask me a distinguishing feature between the manufactured sheen of Behind the Mask v Lindsey albums is that Lindsey almost nurtures John's inspired bass lines. This covert musical element defines that bulk of work by counterpoint; like our own subconscious defines us, but we focus and get carried away on the melodies of our conscious.

WHAT IF Greeny hadn't taken up Mayall's suggestion to go his own way?

[WhiteWingedOne]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by highpriestess53
[
Christine can't write like Stevie, Stevie can't play guitar like Lindsey, Lindsey can't play drums or bass like Mick and John, John can't play piano like Chrisitine etc.......so there is no ONE talent greater than the other......



You contradict yourself there. If one plays or sings better than any of the others, then that particular talent is greater than the talent of the other member(s). I need a beer now. I can see that the people who like..totally worship Stevie would applaud if she stood up and shat in the piano bench. No matter what some dudes here say, she can't play piano, and all her demos really blow until someone like Lindsey or someone MAKES them into real songs. Would she have made it on her own? I don't think so.

[DownOnRodeo]

I beg to differ.
I play piano, and although I give a clear rating for piano skills to Dr Chris over Stevie any day...

....the Sisters of the Moon demo with Stevie + simple piano is brilliant. Musically, in every sense, it catches a potency that is not quite there in the Tusk cut, or is somehow hammed up, as it was after all Tusk's only mega-rock outro vent for Lindsey.