Favorite Christine song from Rumours

[MacShadowsBall]

Time to vote for your Favorite Christine McVie song from the Rumours album.

Remember, choose your favorite according to original album version.

I realize that certain songs may have been "played to death", but try to set that aside when choosing your favorite.

[bluefox4000]

Gotta go with Songbird.......pure perfection

Mick

[Silver Springs]

Being the romantic that I am, I have to agree with Songbird. It's just a beautifully simple yet compelling and gorgeous piece of music. And Eva Cassidy's version doesn't hurt its popularity either. But Christine's definitely has more feeling and heart to it.

[TrueFaith77]

"Oh Daddy" -- It gave birth to Tusk.

Here's my REVIEW of the song!


"Me" Of Many Voices

Song: "Oh Daddy"
Songwriter: Christine McVie
Album: Rumours (1977) by Fleetwood Mac
Review by John Demetry


Why are you right when I'm so wrong
I'm so weak but you're so strong
Everything you do is just alright
And I can't walk away from you, baby
If I tried


THIS WORKS SO beautifully on so many levels. It should make one skeptical of Robert Christgau's claim: "The cute-voiced woman [Stevie Nicks] writes and sings the tough lyrics and the husky-voiced woman [Christine McVie] the vulnerable ones." Christine is the tough one. (And I mean this as no offense to Stevie, whose extreme sensitivity speaks to my own.) "Oh Daddy" shows this magnificently because she -- anticipating Erasure's take on love struggles -- recognizes her own fault in the "Drama!" The song is an integral part of Rumours -- and I believe it to be Christine's masterpiece.

It's a great blues song, whose autobiographical meaning is timed musically: to the exquisite beating of Fleetwood's drum. Rumours have it that he is the literal "Daddy" of the title, keeping the group together (as signified by the swirling harmonies that dance around Fleetwood's drumming, anticipating the Christine Tusk tracks). Even if he's not, it's the legend told to keep the group intact (in honor of ex-husband John McVie, the bassist who put the "Mac" in Fleetwood Mac). This insistance on putting the group and the Truth above her "fool"ishness is how one perseveres. Christine seeks out signs that validate this faith. She finds them (Daddy's "smile"). Her blues vocalizations reveal the heartache from which this consiousness was constructed. McVie's honey voice turns the word "know" into a sweet moan, spiking the listener's own consciousness, i.e. "know"ledge:

Oh daddy
You soothe me with your smile
You're letting me know-ow-ow
You're the best thing in my life

The "tune" plays out like a big tease (think "Go Your Own Way" without the chorus), so the closest thing to an orgasmic delivery is the big harmonizing on "me" at the end with the repeating of the line: "It's got to be me." I find that so moving and strangely fulfilling: "me" with many voices. It bears the burden of responsibility while recognizing shared heartbreak. It's an off-kilter song (what with Mick's "fancy" playing on the offbeat. . . "Oh Daddy," indeed). As such, it's an interesting example of Christine's synthesis of pop and blues structure, making the song available to Lindsey Buckingham's avant-garde soundscapes and the Mac's autobiographical mythologizing.

[MissLadyLoki]

I was torn between Songbirdand You Make Loving Fun, but her tale of an affair with the lighting guy won out.

[DefDumbandBlond]

I love all of these songs for different reasons, but as an all around favorite I went with YMLF.

[Artemis]

I went for YMLF. Only because I prefer the demo version of Oh Daddy.

[chiliD]

YMLF. Because it ROCKS!

[starshine]

Well I voted for YMLF cause I just really like this song.....I don't think it gets played as much as other songs by her. I do love Songbird...though I do love the extra line that was taken out of the original version....than it would be Oh Daddy ...last would be Don't Stop cause that ones played to death (& it was Clintons song Ugh) so.....anyway....YMLF is awesome!!

[Gailh]

Originally Posted by MissLadyLoki

I was torn between Songbirdand You Make Loving Fun, but her tale of an affair with the lighting guy won out.

Yep me too. Tough choice though

Gail

[MacShadowsBall]

I keep forgetting to post my opinions of the songs!!

I love "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun." I just recently discovered "Oh Daddy," and I like "Songbird." My vote went to "Don't Stop." I know it won't win but I voted for it nevertheless. I just get so excited and happy when that song comes on! One thing that's kinda annoying about YMLF is the rhythm/tempo changes between the verses/choruses - I tend to prefer songs that maintain a consistent rhythm/tempo.

[MacShadowsBall]

The battle for Christine ends in a few hours!!! Looks like "You Make Loving Fun" may win!

[louielouie2000]

Oh Daddy, hands down! The production of this song is total perfection... all the "space" left creates such a mystical atmosphere. Every single sound present has a specific function, and wasn't just thrown in to create noise. I just love how the volume ebbs and flows, too... it slowly gets loud, then sharply gets quiet again. Oh Daddy is signature Fleetwood Mac to me... it represents Fleetwood Mac's sound in it's most pure, distilled form. It's the best of what the band can and should be.

[MacShadowsBall]

With 20 votes "You Make Loving Fun" wins and will represent Christine's songs in the Favorite Song from Rumours battle.