Smile at You on AOL - Page 10

chiliD · #**136** 03-18-2003, 06:22 PM

I just don't like the way Stevie sings this...sounds like she beamed in from the Rock A Little or Other Side Of The Mirror sessions. But, the background instrumentation kicks butt. "John, you're a monster!" ** The overall production, sounds very TISL, though...as if it is the missing link between "Bombay Sapphires" & "That Makes Me Stronger".

**= as far as "lead bass'...listen CLOSELY...John has played that way for a long time:

Black Magic Woman
Station Man
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Bare Trees
Child Of Mine
Miles Away
Revelation
Bermuda Triangle
Blue Letter
Go Your Own Way
You Make Loving Fun
among others

Sugar · #**137** 03-18-2003, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chiliD
I just don't like the way Stevie sings this...sounds like she beamed in from the Rock A Little or Other Side Of The Mirror sessions.

Yeah! Actually my absolute initial reaction was that it sounded like "Doing The Best That I Can".

Skylark · #**138** 03-18-2003, 07:01 PM

Rainman...Your a comedian! We will all wait
for the introduction!!! Took forever to load!

Don't you think these mature rock stars feel the
music differently now and want to be timely! This
is a not 1977 and therefore the vibe changes !!!

A smart man said in an interview once ... ...

"Music is to be enjoyed! It does not have to
be rocket science!" Just Listen and ENJOY!!!

sparky · #**139** 03-18-2003, 08:48 PM

I can't wait to hear this in optimum quality sound.

That being said, I too was taken aback by the arrangement. I always loved the fire of the original vocals, even though I found the phrasing of that chorus clunky and awkward. I like the way it is now used as a bridge.

Verb tense and pronoun usage have always been two of my pet peeves. This is hardly the first time I have thought that Miss Nicks could have reworked her phrasing to be grammatically correct without sacrificing the melody or the emotional impact. I am with the esteemed CarneVaca on this one. I was an English major and my training still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up when certain rules are broken. But Stevie just opens her mouth and sings, and I generally forgive the most grievous grammatical sins.

The vocal is pretty powerful, though it does sound shot through a tunnel of ether and fog. The overall feeling of the song to me now is that of a cloudy, painful recollection. The guitar part in particular is lending a tone of yearning and regret that I didn't get in the famous "angry" demo. To give the band credit, I am impressed the tone of the song changed. The demo now sounds to me like one of those horrible, invective laden letters we all have written to a lover who really screwed us over. The new version is from a wiser, more detached person who is reflectiing on a long gone event. It only makes sense. I'm happy to have both versions. Ultimately, the vocal is impressive. We all know Homegirl can wail when she wants to. But it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to blow the roof off in a studio if you can't reproduce it every night on tour. I think she knows what she's doing.

Overall, it's a thought provoking version. It will be different yet again when heard in context with the entire record and on a top notch system.

Bella Figura · #**140** 03-18-2003, 09:17 PM

"sounds like she beamed in from the Rock A Little or Other Side Of The Mirror sessions. " and this is bad??

you totally cracked me up with that one chilid!!!

if you are right, then I'm glad to know that Lindsey now is truly respecting Stevie's take on her own music and is using that newfound respect as well as his own production wizardry to make one of Stevie's best demos into a great new song

but I have to agree that the boyz did a great job!! the rhythms (excuse my spelling, I'm not getting up and get my dictionary

) are jolly splendid!!

strandinthewind · #**141** 03-19-2003, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chiliD
**= as far as "lead bass'...listen CLOSELY...John has played that way for a long time:

Black Magic Woman
Station Man
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Bare Trees
Child Of Mine
Miles Away
Revelation
Bermuda Triangle
Blue Letter
Go Your Own Way
You Make Loving Fun
among others

LOL - I was totally thinking the same thing this morning on the way to work as I was jamming to Gypsy and the The Chain. Albeit not on lead, but John's bass is so present in those songs, especially in the beginning of Gypsy and the middle of The Chain. Same thing for Dreams. It seems like it was not until the pop hits of TITN and later that the bass became less noticeable, etc. I am glad they are back as the bass is incredible in Smile at You!!!

CarneVaca · #**142** 03-19-2003, 10:10 AM

I see what you guys mean about the bass in those songs. I thought Smile at You had something a little different. But I guess I should go listen to those songs again before I shoot my... er... keyboard off again.

Somajoseph · #**143** 03-21-2003, 12:19 AM

Hey everybody

I was reading my post and I just want to apologize to Carne and anyone else I might have offended. I came off too strong and was out of line.
The bottom line is that I really think the Ledgies are a great bunch of people with passionate opinions. And we all love Fleetwood Mac.

Joseph

DownOnRodeo · #**144** 03-21-2003, 01:26 AM

First of all, if I'd never heard the demos, I'd really like this song. And I still do, on the merits of the different song it is. Flaming days are over. The music here, especially in the chorus, is magic.

I couldn't believe so much was being made of some sort of grammatical error. I certainly wouldn't be as pedantic to let such a thing ruin a piece of music.

..Then I heard what you were all referring to. I hadn't been able to hear the chorus very well and thought it said something like 'I should have turned away and prayed, as fast as I came'.

The line 'I should have turned away and ran, just as fast as I can' is not just a grammatical slip-up... it's verging on nonsense! I still am not sure those are the words because US English 'aint' that off-course, or so I thought. I was watching MASH the other day and Hawkeye was blabbing on about 'Write so and so' (apparently meaning 'write to so and so??!!) .... What's going on here?

Beyond the question of who is responsible for writing it, the ball eventually lands in Lindsey's park - how could he commit this to tape - unless the whole idea is that the character in Smile At You is ...simple, or something, which I doubt.

It would have been soooo easy to change it to something in English, such as:

"I should have turned away that day
"Just as fast as I came"

I'm not saying those are very good lyrics, but at least they obey some of the more basic prinicples of English language.

This is the sort of thing you'd expect from a Eurovision entry - Shame on Stevie and Lindsey!!

But - becuase it's so panned and vague, I only heard it becuase you guys pointed it out, so the song is still good!

ERigby818 · #**145** 03-21-2003, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FiercestCalmSea
Hey...i think alot of people would agree...we LIKE Carne's comments..he gives his perpective on things just like anyone else.

I am one of those people!

Quote:

Originally posted by strandinthewind
To add a little levity to this, when I read your comment, I immediately thought of the part in Mel Brooks' "History of the World, Part I" where Moses walks down the mountain after speaking with God; he is carrying three stone tablets. He says unto the people and in a very loud and prophetic voice: "The Lord gave me these 15 . . . " then he accidently drops a tablet, looks down and sees it is destroyed, pauses, and continues with "these TEN, TEN commandments!!"

Bahahahahahhhahahaha

I love that! I thought of that too!

Quote:

Originally posted by Josh2003
And as for the grammatical thing, to ME, it kinda sounds like Lindsey is singing at certain parts:
"I should have turned away and ran just as fast as I CAME"

You know what?! I think you're RIGHT!! I've been listening to it a lot and think this is a real possibility. But then again, the quality is really bad. If this is the case, there goes half the grammatical error. I hope you're right, Josh!
-Sonia

Jessica Leigh · #**146** 03-21-2003, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sparky
. We all know Homegirl can wail when she wants to.

lmao... now i'm imagining stevie with a hankerchief on her head going "what up g?"

CarneVaca · #**147** 03-21-2003, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Somajoseph
Hey everybody

I was reading my post and I just want to apologize to Carne and anyone else I might have offended. I came off too strong and was out of line.
The bottom line is that I really think the Ledgies are a great bunch of people with passionate opinions. And we all love Fleetwood Mac.

Joseph

Apology accepted.

FiercestCalmSea · #**148** 03-21-2003, 12:56 PM

Quote:

We all know Homegirl can wail when she wants to.

LMAO! SO true...