Stevie the Enigma

Spoinny · #1 04-07-2011, 10:25 AM

Love this quote about Stevie from http://xolondon.blogspot.com/2011/03...ng-stevie.html

"She is an enigma. We don't have stars like this anymore. So original and smart and artistic. We have a few new ones, Florence Welch being the obvious one. You just know Florence reads all sorts of weird books and likes pre-Raphaelite paintings, etc. Rufus Wainwright grew up loving opera. Little Boots? What the hell moves her soul? Sometimes I feel like, as time goes on, we idolize people who don't have any curiosity. They don't have influences other than really shallow ones like, sorry, Madonna. And it's a vague kind of influence. Nothing MOVES them emotionally. Really, what moves Ke$ha? Drugs, Jack Daniels and cock?"

Jondalar · #2 04-07-2011, 10:37 AM

She is an enigma. Always keeps you guessing. The fact that she actally wrote a song called the Wide Sargasso Sea is sooo unique. Who does that?

Annabell Lee · #3 04-07-2011, 10:43 AM

Omg I love it love it love it !! Perfectly stated. " Once in a million years a lady like her rises ". It's sooo true ! Stevie is one of a kind. We will, in all of our lives, NEVER see another like her. I feel blessed everyday to still have her with us after all these years ! Today's stars have none of her endearing qualities. I feel like she might finally be getting her righteous praise and acclaim that she has been so deserving of for all these years ! People now look up to her as a mentor, a legend, a true star. Thank God it's about time !

jrpjr · #4 04-07-2011, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annabell Lee

Omg I love it love it love it !! Perfectly stated. " Once in a million years a lady like her rises ". It's sooo true ! Stevie is one of a kind. We will, in all of our lives, NEVER see another like her. I feel blessed everyday to still have her with us after all these years ! Today's stars have none of her endearing qualities. I feel like she might finally be getting her righteous praise and acclaim that she has been so deserving of for all these years ! People now look up to her as a mentor, a legend, a true star. Thank God it's about time !

WELL SAID!!! agree 100%

Spoinny · #5 04-07-2011, 10:50 AM

Totally agree, there really are not many "new" artists with the mystique or talent of Stevie, either that or they just aren't discovered yet.

HejiraNYC · #6 04-07-2011, 10:50 AM

^^That's what keeps us interested. The fact that the woman has no public persona whatsoever outside of music. The fact that she does not spout her political or religious beliefs to the press. The fact that she's hardly ever photographed out in public. The fact that her lyrics are vague, but very lucid at the same time. Even her Twitter leaves us guessing. Gosh, I would be ever so disappointed if she used Twitter to re-tweet news headlines or to tell everyone she just finished taking a massive dump.

I think she ranks up there with the likes of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison- both constantly working, but hardly ever seen or heard outside of their music.

SufferYourLove · #7 04-07-2011, 11:14 AM

Thing that upsets me about Stephanie is the fact that she could be so much more then she is already. She is such an amazing songwriter. She has a voice like no other. She has just made some really bad choices through out her career. I don't care about her personal life, her views on religion etc. I think that as nothing to do with her as an entertainer.

Christopher · #8 04-07-2011, 11:19 AM

That a good observational quote. Not only is it dead on about Stevie, but of the vapid state of popular singers today.

Last night I was reading the latest RS interview with Rhianna, in which the writer details the great lengths her label and producers went upon embarking on her latest album. They assembled a battalion of professional songsmiths -writers, producers, musicians, demo singers - installing them, machine like, in several studios for 2 weeks to write songs specifically for Rhianna . So approximately 50 writers in all finished 200 tracks

. The best of which made her latest album! Ok, so I know Michael Jackson famously did this on every release after Thriller. But, this song mill is now the new norm, and a glaring example the level many recording artists these days go to for the almighty hit. Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and many others all participate in this...all the way to Adele. Her label employed several "hot" current writers to make sure her 2nd album 21 was as good as it got. Although I was aware of this practice, It should be a good reminder to some of the artistry that Stevie still holds closely to her vest. So when Stevie went in and wrote 7-9 songs organically with Dave Stewart, and some had a hard time digesting. That is nothing, nil, compared to the current state of popular music production. And puts squarely in perspective all the he wrote/she wrote this song/that song and co-writing drama to bed for me. Stevie still has more creative curiosity than most these new tartlets have in their little bunny tattoo.

Christopher · #9 04-07-2011, 11:24 AM

Another good quote I fondly remember is in Rob Sheffield's Rolling Stone review of "Enchanted: The Works of Stevie Nicks"

"Stevie Nicks is more than a rock icon: She's the high priestess of her own religion, ruling a world of prancing gypsies, gold-dust princesses and white-winged doves, all without going anywhere with a sensible shoe. Like David Bowie or Bryan Ferry, Nicks has spent a career turning her private fantasies into an elaborate pop mythology."

Christopher · #10 04-07-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

^^That's what keeps us interested. The fact that the woman has no public persona whatsoever outside of music.

...and no CoverGirl, Clairol or Signature Perfume.

Annabell Lee · #11 04-07-2011, 12:18 PM

I would be so upset if Stevie ever sold-out. Just the thought of it, ugh ! True talent, the songwriters of our time, are just that, of OUR time. Within the next 20yrs. ( if that ) it will be a lost art. It's just too easy to let someone else do it for you ! Just another reason we all love our Stevie ! I, personally love all her little quirks, and seemingly unawareness of technology, her little mimes in concert, the whole 9-yards ! That's what makes Stevie, Stevie. To me, she's perfect, i wouldn't change a thing about her !

SufferYourLove · #12 04-07-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christopher

That a good observational quote. Not only is it dead on about Stevie, but of the vapid state of popular singers today.

Last night I was reading the latest RS interview with Rhianna, in which the writer details the great lengths her label and producers went upon embarking on her latest album. They assembled a battalion of professional songsmiths -writers, producers, musicians, demo singers - installing them, machine like, in several studios for 2 weeks to write songs specifically for Rhianna . So approximately 50 writers in all finished 200 tracks

. The best of which made her latest album! Ok, so I know Michael Jackson famously did this on every release after Thriller. But, this song mill is now the new norm, and a glaring example the level many recording artists these days go to for the almighty hit. Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and many others all participate in this...all the way to Adele. Her label employed several "hot" current writers to make sure her 2nd album 21 was as good as it got. Although I was aware of this practice, It should be a good reminder to some of the artistry that Stevie still holds closely to her vest. So when Stevie went in and wrote 7-9 songs organically with Dave Stewart, and some had a hard time digesting. That is nothing, nil, compared to the current state of popular music production. And puts squarely in perspective all the he wrote/she wrote this song/that song and co-writing drama to bed for me. Stevie still has more creative curiosity than most these new tartlets have in their little bunny tattoo.

That was interesting to read. However, it has nothing to do with Stevie co writing for her new album. Just because a singer who doesn't write songs has to use a team of writers for her album doesn't mean a talented song writer should. She has songs like Julia, If You Were My Love, China Doll etc that she could use. Why put a song like Cheaper on her album? Sorry, it really makes no sense to me.

Spoinny · #13 04-07-2011, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SufferYourLove

That was interesting to read. However, it has nothing to do with Stevie co writing for her new album. Just because a singer who doesn't write songs has to use a team of writers for her album doesn't mean a talented song writer should. She has songs like Julia, If You Were My Love, China Doll etc that she could use. Why put a song like Cheaper on her album? Sorry, it really makes no sense to me.

Because SHE likes it and feels it's better suited for her album maybe? Maybe she honestly doesn't feel some of the "vault" songs are ready to be released or should be released, whatever the reasons, it's her choice.

Christopher · #14 04-07-2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SufferYourLove

That was interesting to read. However, it has nothing to do with Stevie co writing for her new album. Just because a singer who doesn't write songs has to use a team of writers for her album doesn't mean a talented song writer should. She has songs like Julia, If You Were My Love, China Doll etc that she could use. Why put a song like Cheaper on her album? Sorry, it really makes no sense to me.

I disagree. This was just an example, forget Rhianna for the moment. New songwriter's as talented as Adele, all the way to Pink, Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift and even Madonna and many many more, all heavily rely on this song-mill method, some to lesser degree than others. But it is a prominent method for old and new promising songwriters today. The fact that Stevie has not lowered herself to this is a TRUTH worth praising and acknowledging.

Stevie old songs seem to come out when she wants them to.

Unless we get a full blow-out official bootleg release from Stevie, she will never put out an entire record full of her old gems. Stevie albums are her journals, as such, they are relevant to what she is feeling and going through at the time. Cheaper Than Free obviously has sentimental pull and is relevant for her today. And as much as I LOVE the old demos/outtakes, I'm firstly curious what Stevie has to say at this time in place in her life, as opposed to a whole album filled with a bunch of old songs derived from another place another time.

Artemis · #15 04-07-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SufferYourLove

That was interesting to read. However, it has nothing to do with Stevie co writing for her new album. Just because a singer who doesn't write songs has to use a team of writers for her album doesn't mean a talented song writer should. She has songs like Julia, If You Were My Love, China Doll etc that she could use. Why put a song like Cheaper on her album? Sorry, it really makes no sense to me.

Eh, Stevie will have most likely have written 95% of the words on the entire album. My impression, from the way she's described it, is that Dave is acting like an editor of sorts, helping translate her poems into music. I think the majority of the words are Stevie's, and the music is from Dave. Do I see this as Stevie selling out or compromising her talent? No. She's still using her talent to the best of her ability, and someone else is there helping her utilise her potential to the fullest.

Therefore, the sentiments and feelings expressed in the song are all Stevie, it's still her thoughts, her opinions, her fantasy; she's not mindlessly singing someone else's words in a way someone like Britney or Rihanna is.

As for her including Cheaper Than Free over "more deserving" songs, I say... that's her choice. Clearly the song means something special to her, and she clearly sees it as deserving, so... I'm not gonna get caught up in thinking it's bumped off "better" songs.