DISCUSSION: Lindsey's songs from Say You Will

[TrueFaith77]

1. What's the World Coming To

I am haunted by this line: "There's no truth in my life / There's no light in my eyes" -- It's one of those great moments where Lindsey expresses personal turmoil while also capturing the essence of the culture's turmoil.

2. Murrow Turning Over In His Grave

Mixed feelings about this one. I think Murrow as person and symbol is rotten (like a corpse). Yet! Though Lindsey repeats liberal/media cant in the song, his grisly image of Murrow spinning in his grave and the visionary stinging-wasp sound turns the tables: Murrow mythology as perpetual motion machine, the engine of the fascist and demonic forces.

3. Miranda

Personal: Apparently it's about Anne Heche's childhood abuse(?). But through the voices of Lindsey&Stevie and through its context on this (totally unified!) album, it achieves the Political: two vets extending empathy through understanding the psychosexual components of the celebrity culture.

4. Red Rover

Awesome. Lindsey transforms childhood cruelty and social indoctrination (the schoolyard game of red rover) into a cosmic vision of the culture's dulled sensitivity:

Anyone at all
Could see what was missin'
Could see you were dyin'
But no one was cryin

5. Peacekeeper

I prefer the SYW version to the GOS version. More visionary, very affecting language here about our shared humanity:

You know all of our friends are gods
And they all tell us how to paint our face
But there's only one brush we need
It's the one that never leaves a trace
6. Come

"Wow!" Is what my mom said after watching Lindsey perform this song live on a bootleg dvd.

"I only see two people on this cover!" is what a friend of mine said to counter Lindsey's protest that this song is about Stevie.

Again, the great "post" Mac theme is the dulled culture, the Mac's invitation to love ("Say You Will") is here acted out as rock-cock orgasm. Self-indulgent, but... "Wow!"

7. Steal Your Heart Away

My favorite Lindsey track on the album: the album's finest seduction. "All alone we suffer": so true. "And the light was creeping down down down / While we were sleeping / Suddenly we hit the ground": Note Mick's tumbling drumming. The sublime (light was creeping) / the subconscious / the real political world ... Good God this is what Love is, to have your heart stolen, given its supreme pop expression in the famous Mac harmonies.

8. Bleed to Love Her

Controversial its inclusion may be, there is something to it as its Dance performance is so much a part of Mac lore (I'll save THAT for another day). The foregrounding (and outro extension) of Lindsey's lead guitar justifies this studio production. "Somebody's got to sacrifice / If this whole thing going to turn out right" -- more hard-earned understanding, expressed by masters.

9. Say Goodbye

I actually enjoy the fact that we get both speeded-up and slowed-down versions. The sped up version is so refreshing (like the rippling water effect of "Time Precious Time")... it creates the feeling of healing.

[David]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Just say how much you love and admire it.

I like the gist of it! With Lindsey, I'm frequently of the same mind as Gielgud, who said of Olivier: "I admire his execution even when I don't care for his conception."

Did people say that about NGBA? That surprises me. Of course, I can see that reaction to SHN.

Yes, one reviewer did, at least. But I think the criticism pertained more to musical ideas than to lyrical ones. Mozartean purity & stateliness are often absent in Buckingham's songwriting. Instead, one finds a sort of unpleasant wallowing in a particular musical or lyrical sentiment, a kind of inveterate kvetching or harping on a musical idea, well beyond the endurance of most well-bred people to tolerate.

[elle]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

9. Say Goodbye
I actually enjoy the fact that we get both speeded-up and slowed-down versions. The sped up version is so refreshing (like the rippling water effect of "Time Precious Time")... it creates the feeling of healing.

Although I agree that the sped-up version showcases great guitar work similar to TPT, the schlager-like Julio Iglesias/Charles Aznavour-ness of the overal song especially in the slower version just kills it for me.
Wasn't Lindsey's Murrow written long before Clooney's film put Murrow back in the center of conversations for a bit? But all in all, I really enjoy reading your song analyses and interpretations!

[elle]

Originally Posted by David

Mozartean purity & stateliness are often absent in Buckingham's songwriting. Instead, one finds a sort of unpleasant wallowing in a particular musical or lyrical sentiment, a kind of inveterate kvetching or harping on a musical idea, well beyond the endurance of most well-bred people to tolerate.

Hmm, I guess people who like Buckingham's songs must be low-bred savages (sorry, couldn't resist. Although I have to admit there is some of the harping on a musical idea going on from time to time, in some of LB solo work)

Mozartian stateliness, interesting description... isn't Mozart's music considered almost like a breezy pretty pop of classical music? (that's probably why I like Mozart...)

[ramattack22]

My thoughts on the matter:

1. What's The World Coming To
Quite obviously the only song written for SYW rather than GOS. I still like it though. The studio version eclipses the live version IMO especially with the inclusion of the guitar "solo".

2. Murrow Turning Over In His Grave
Kind of a weird song but I still enjoy it. The Soundstage version is far better IMO being more stripped down and in a lower key. The random noises and falsetto vocals just don't do it for me. And the I'm So Afraid solo sounds great at the end of the song. This song may seem out of place on the album but one must consider that 4/5 of the Rumours line-up played on the track.

3. Miranda
Great song. I actually don't mind the Stevie overdubs on this song. It makes for a great FM song and I think it blends well with the rest of SYW when taken in that context which can also be said about GOS. The guitar work on this song is great. Very similar to Big Love (live).

4. Red Rover
Probably my favorite LB song on the album. Such a great guitar piece, and lyrically powerful. I have to say that the soundstage version is a step up for me, but the best version IMO are from the Under The Skin tour. It's such a shame that this song wasn't on the Bass Hall DVD. Although I have to mention that the bass drum on the studio version is just awesome.

5. Peacekeeper
As great as this song is it should have been a solo track. The GOS version is the ultimate version IMO. I like the lower key, I like the all male (all Lindsey) vocals, and the guitar fills are more relevant.

6. Come
This song is absolutely amazing. I can very easily get past the lyrics. The tremelo on the verse guitars is perfect. The contrast between the verses and choruses isjarring but in a good way, similar to Love Runs Deeper and the original Twist Of Fate mix. And whatever speed/pitch effect Lindsey used on the chorus vocals could not be better. The guitar solo fits perfectly with the rest of the song. Great track.

7. Steal Your Heart Away
Another song which, like Miranda, fits well with SYW or GOS depending on which album you're listening to. They really mixed this one up giving it its own identity (i.e. they didn't just throw Stevie's vocals over Lindsey's version and call it good) which I like, but unlike Peacekeeper, the song isn't ruined by this (sorry but i just can't get into SYW Peacekeeper).

8. Bleed To Love Her
I don't understand why people don't like this song on SYW. This song made it's debut on The Dance which was a Fleetwood Mac album. Lindsey can tell us that this was on a solo album he had been working on until he's blue in the face but outside of those five people, the world sees this as a Fleetwood Mac song. The Dance saw 4 new songs and only 1 made it to the next FM album. I can see why My Little Demon wasn't included though I wouldn't be opposed to it and Temporary One was obviously a no go considering Chris wasn't a big part of this album. Frankly I'm surprised that Sweet Girl wasn't on SYW, I think it would have gone great with the rest of the album. I think it would have been a mistake to not include this song on the album. It was very well liked on The Dance (and the tour). I'm sure some casual fans who liked The Dance picked up this album just because they saw this song on the album. That being said I like The Dance version better, but the long outro is absolutely hypnotizing and the whole song sounds just like I would expect it to sound coming from FM.

9. Say Goodbye
This song is far better with Stevie. It's obviously about her (maybe FM as a whole but still mostly Stevie) which adds that much more to the song. The speed ruins the song IMO. Such a tender song should be slower like the live versions. But it's still a very good song.

[BaronVonBielski]

I am actually a bit surprised how many people like Morrow. To me it's kinda all over the place. It of course has great guitar work, but it's 'edginess' is just a bit too extreme for my taste. Red Rover and Come are some of his best IMO.

[aleuzzi]

1. What's the World Coming To
2. Murrow Turning Over In His Grave
3. Miranda
4. Red Rover
5. Peacekeeper
6. Come
7. Steal Your Heart Away
8. Bleed to Love Her
9. Say Goodbye

I like all of these except What's the World Coming To and Come.

My favorite songs of his are Red Rover, Steal Your Heart Away, Bleed to Love Her, Say Goodbye...

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by BaronVonBielski

I am actually a bit surprised how many people like Morrow. To me it's kinda all over the place. It of course has great guitar work, but it's 'edginess' is just a bit too extreme for my taste. Red Rover and Come are some of his best IMO.

When I first got the GOS demos it was Murrow that stood out among the pack for me. I played it over and over and over again. It almost reminded me of The Ledge, in a way. Then when it appeared as the 2nd track on SYW, I could see the connection clearly. Like The Ledge being song number 2 on Tusk(the double album) it was so right to place Murrow as song number 2 on SYW(would have been a double album if vinyl still existed).

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by ramattack22

3. Miranda
Great song. I actually don't mind the Stevie overdubs on this song. It makes for a great FM song and I think it blends well with the rest of SYW when taken in that context which can also be said about GOS. The guitar work on this song is great. Very similar to Big Love (live).

What I like about her vocal is that it tends to add a layer of echo-y distance that fits the mood of the song quite well. You can imagine that a person suffering from mental disorder hears a removed voice just like that in her head, telling her to take the stars down.

But that's the same dispassionate quality that Stevie's vocal brings to EFO where the woman is delusional. It's almost got a clinical quality to it. We see no change in sight.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by David

Yes, one reviewer did, at least. But I think the criticism pertained more to musical ideas than to lyrical ones. Mozartean purity & stateliness are often absent in Buckingham's songwriting. Instead, one finds a sort of unpleasant wallowing in a particular musical or lyrical sentiment, a kind of inveterate kvetching or harping on a musical idea, well beyond the endurance of most well-bred people to tolerate.

After the intro, which could be deemed stellar, NGBA has little variation as you move through the verses and, sometimes, elongated chorus, so I guess I can see why some would hear it as wallowing.

Michele

[jcalzaretta]

1. Bleed to Love Her
2. Steal Your Heart Away
3. Miranda
4. Peacekeeper
5. Say Goodbye
6. What's the World Coming To
7. Come
8. Murrow Turning Over in His Grave
9. Red Rover

[Artemis]

I've been listening to SYW a whole load more, recently. After dismissing most of it initially. There's quite a few Lindsey songs on here that I really like.

What's The World Coming To.

Ehhhhhhhh. A nice little song. But so not the song to start the album with.

Murrow Turning Over In His Grave

I didn't like thie song, initially. But, I've grown to really like it. I like the vocal production.

Miranda

My favourite Lindsey song on the album. It just does it for me. I love Stevie's "echo" vocals, I love the guitar, I just love the whole damn song.

Red Rover

Again, didn't like this at first, but, I really like it now, it's fun to walk to.

Peacekeeper

After Miranda, this was the most "instant" Lindsey song, for me. I liked it when I first heard it. It's catchy.

Come

Ehhhh. I still don't really get or like this song that much.

Steal Your Heart Away

Is that Christine I hear on this track? It's totally gorgeous. I can't find a bad thing to say about this song. Some days, I just stick it on repeat and listen to it for hours.

Bleed To Love Her

I don't get why it's on the album when we already have a perfectly nice version on The Dance, but, it's still a great song, and I suppose it's funky (never used that word before) that we have a studio version.

Say Goodbye

I don't really... get this one either. Not a huge fan of some of Stevie's vocals on the song either.

[bluefox4000]

Lindsey's songs

What's the World coming to- Like it a lot. Great Lyrics. Dig the melody. Great Guitar solo in this album version, as was mentioned. A winner.

Murrow- Meh......Just....meh. The ending solo....that doesn't even win me over. This just does not work for me.

Miranda- Home run Everything about it is great. Catchy as hell. The guitar work. Everything fits. Oh I suppose I should mention this now and be done. The only thing I dislike....and it's all over the place.....is the tacked on Stevie vocals. These are obviously lindsey solo songs. And it annoys the hell out of me. I don't know why....it just does. Particularly here on this song. sorry.

Red Rover- Used to hate this one. Now I love it. The playing, the vocals, I can play this one all day. My Wife loathes it though.

Peacekeeper- The opposite of Rover. Used to love it...now hate.....why kids.....say it with me....THE STEVIE VOCAL. god it just does not work. The demo version.....much better. I don't even like the playing on this version. Stinker.

Come- OH. MY. GOD. Adore it. Say what you want about the lyrics. This was love at first listen. Love the vibe the solo at the end. Just amazing

Steal your heart Away- Lovely song. One of my favs. Tacked on Stevie does not honk me off as much here. But Still like the Stevie--less version better. Wonderful tune though.

Bleed to Love Her- Love the song......HATE the version. Lindsey's muddy vocals....ummm....****. His long noodling solo at the end. What did he do to a great song.

Say Goodbye- Once again, Love the song...hate the version. Speed does not work here, Bucky Live in boston version is MILES better.

On the Whole I like the solo version of some of these tunes better. The thing I dislike about this is it is basically not a Mac record. You can stick the name on all you like.....IT'S NOT

Mick