Trouble in Shangri-La Face Off: Round 1

[agnes121275]

Originally Posted by wolfontherun

Really? Man I thought this tour was horrible. She cleary did not want to be on stage. First it was getting sick, she cxled several shows, then it was 9/11 and to me she looked scared on stage and sounded terrible.

Waddy's guitar playing stomped all over her voice I believe they jacked up the volume on it so as to drown out her voice.

Well... I guess I based that statement on the beginning of the tour. I was at the show opener in Burgettstown, PA... and the place was packed... everybody was really diggin' it... and Stevie looked and sounded fabulous!! It turned out to be a terrible year after September...

but on that July day... It was like a storybook day. I always described it as a Walt Disney day because the weather was so beautiful and the night was crystal clear...

all in all a memorable experience... and I already knew all the new songs by heart...
Now a days... its the same set list tour after tour after tour after tour...

[strandinthewind]

^^^

Yea -- that tour fell into ruin pretty early on. Again, I think she got sick in the beginning and never got better.

[GypsySorcerer]

That Made Me Stronger. Self-indulgent drivel.

[LukeA]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Not a favorite of mine by a longshot but you can't consider Love Changes more generic then Everyday. At least Love Changes has that funky caribean feel to it and that echoy vocals.

As for Love Changes, David Kahne (the producer of the song, the executive producer of the album, and the head of the label at the time) pushed HARD for it to be the lead single of the album, but Stevie didn't like how it came out. Everyday was one of the last songs recorded for TISL, and was recorded specifically for it to be the lead single/radio song.

TFFT should/could have been a considerable crossover AC/Country radio hit- not really sure why you all hate it.

By far, the worst song on this album is Bombay Sapphire(s)

[markolas]

Originally Posted by LukeA

TFFT should/could have been a considerable crossover AC/Country radio hit- not really sure why you all hate it.

Because Stevie's vocal sounds like a dying cat in heat.

I'm listening to this album all the way through for the first time in a couple of years probably. A couple of thoughts - it's more enjoyable than I remember it being. I really like Every Day and Love Changes, which a lot of people on here have expressed disdain for in the past.

And I've always liked Bombay Sapphires.

Really, the big clunkers on here for me are TFFT and TMMS.

[strandinthewind]

The cool thing about this poll is there is little agreement.

Personally, I think TFFT is a good song because although I realize La Nicks' vocal is not that great (though it is good), the music is slammin to me. It sounds like it could have come from Bella Donna. Conversely, That Made Me Stronger is just awful on all fronts, though the line "Well once more I tell the shadows of my soul to stay back" is mildly interesting until you hear the delivery

Sadly, much of TISL lacks the note placement La Nicks was so famous for. A good example of good note placement on the record is her use of her upper register on the "yeeee yaaa yea" on Sorcerer. When she modulates her voice, ascending to hit that high note, it is like a light coming on suddenly in a dark room

[wolfontherun]

Originally Posted by markolas

I went with Too Far from Texas. I actually think it's a good song, but Stevie's vocal ruins it. I remember when I bought this CD; I loved the first four songs, and then TFFT came on, and I was like - what the hell is that!? I actually like Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks quite a bit. If only Natalie had been singing on it by herself, it would've been great, but that wouldn't have made much sense, it being Stevie's album and all.

I may go back and listen to this CD. My first impression of it was that the first four songs were great, and the rest of the album was very hit-or-miss. Certainly a step up from Street Angel (not that that's saying a whole lot).

Agree 100% and her vocals on much of this CD are very hard to appreciate IMO. I think many of us tolerate the very low almost monotone quality becaus we are die hard fans several people I know who heard her on this CD were less then kind about her instrument and were shocked that it was the same Stevie Nicks from FM or even Bella Donna. I often wonder if they try too hard to tame it in the studio and that is what ruins it many times.

[markolas]

Originally Posted by wolfontherun

Agree 100% and her vocals on much of this CD are very hard to appreciate IMO. I think many of us tolerate the very low almost monotone quality becaus we are die hard fans several people I know who heard her on this CD were less then kind about her instrument and were shocked that it was the same Stevie Nicks from FM or even Bella Donna. I often wonder if they try too hard to tame it in the studio and that is what ruins it many times.

Her vocals had been going downhill since at least The Wild Heart. I remember when I first heard this album, I thought her vocals on It's Only Love and Love Changes were almost back up to the level they were on Bella Donna. I like female singers with deep voices - Stevie's voice didn't start to irritate me until about 2005.

I think her vocals on TISL are head and shoulders above those from TOSOTM. It's like she's singing from the bottom of a well (and through a haze of cheesy '80s keyboards).

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by markolas

. . . I remember when I first heard this album, I thought her vocals on It's Only Love and Love Changes were almost back up to the level they were on Bella Donna . . . .

I rather agree. I'd add parts of Sorcerer to that.


I think her vocals changed after every CD/album she did with or without FM. She rarely sounds the same. Having said that, starting with the Mirage concert, she really lost or at least rarely used much of the upper register. But, she did give some slammin' vocals since then. Here is Talk to Me from the SA tour:



That is a great, vivacious vocal most of us would kill to see these days.

Then, after the Enchanted tour, her voice just changed in a way that is hard to define.

Even then, she can still sing when takes a notion to. Here she is singing Too Far From Texas and her vocal is, regardless of whether one likes the song, good and mostly spot on - in an era when her voice was known to be unwell:



The performance is, however, uninspired a steals focus from the okay vocal.

Finally, I maintain this performace of Beauty and the Beast in Vegas in 05 was out of a dream. I was standing 20 feet from her with my mounth agape crying with joy that she could still do this like this after hearing "dreams undwind, love's a state of mind" on one note below middle C for almost ten years.



In sum, she can still belt it when she wants (a good example is Sara and Circle Dance from this year's Soundstage). Sadly, and beginning with TISL, she seems content to sing the standards on three rather uninspired low notes.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by markolas

I went with Too Far from Texas. I actually think it's a good song, but Stevie's vocal ruins it. I remember when I bought this CD; I loved the first four songs, and then TFFT came on, and I was like - what the hell is that!? I actually like Natalie Maines and the Dixie Chicks quite a bit. If only Natalie had been singing on it by herself, it would've been great, but that wouldn't have made much sense, it being Stevie's album and all.

Initially, TFFT was the first song on the album that I liked. Upon repeated listenings, the others gained in stature and I believe that Love Is and I Miss You are my favorites today. But at first I found TFFT the most accessible.

I don't like Natalie Maines because she is too full of herself , to the point where I really want to rescue Emily and Martie from her ego. But, in general, I find that the Dixie Chicks are very judgmental people and would do unto others what was so unfairly done to them. That bugs me.

But those are some extremely talented musicians and I was entirely blown away by their work promoting Long Way Around. In fact, I'd love to have them play with Fleetwood Mac. They get into a groove that's fast, furious and incredible.

But for the fact that I'm afraid that some remnants of the censorship they suffered would hurt ticket sales, I'd be thrilled to have them open for FM. And I'd welcome a Landslide performance together.

Michele

[vermicious knid]

Originally Posted by LukeA

As for Love Changes, David Kahne (the producer of the song, the executive producer of the album, and the head of the label at the time) pushed HARD for it to be the lead single of the album, but Stevie didn't like how it came out. Everyday was one of the last songs recorded for TISL, and was recorded specifically for it to be the lead single/radio song.

I read something about how the Bangles used him as a producer and thought he was overbearing, and that they wished they had fired him. I wouldn't be surprised if Stevie included "Love Changes" despite disliking it. She has a history of collapsing under pressure.

[starshine]

I voted for TMMS....its an ok song but not my favorite by far. I saw her @DTE for the Shangri-la tour with Sheryl Crow.....I thought it was pretty good but with Sheryl being there it took away from Stevie to me. I'd have preferred Stevie by herself than with Sheryl. TISL is a good LP/cd....better than SA but I did love the SA tour much better than the Shangri-la tour.....funny huh. Shangri-la is better than SA LP but I don't think that TISL is better than BD or WH at all. I love her voice on those LP's much better than the Shangri-la voice. Anyway, to each his or her own....we all like what we like and thats ok really.....IMO anyway....

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

But, she did give some slammin' vocals since then. Here is Talk to Me from the SA tour:



That is a great, vivacious vocal most of us would kill to see these days.

Then, after the Enchanted tour, her voice just changed in a way that is hard to define.

I think that her SA performances were some of her strongest, vocally. I remember being somewhat shocked at her appearance but thrilled with the performance. Enchanted was a fun tour because of the material, but it was a very uninspired vocal and performance, imo. She seemed so emotionally absent. Same with TISL for me. I remember reading reviews of how she was "on fire!" and I'd think I was losing my mind. She seemed bored and bleh. I think I even mentioned it somewhere (buckinghamnicks.net maybe) and I didn't get much agreement there.