Mirror, Mirror- what the Heck??? - Page 2

diamondsnake · #16 05-21-2005, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

Those two lines = story of my life.

-Chuck "could type about 'Mirror Mirror' all day (and probably will)" L.

Okay what is your interp. of these lines?

David · #17 05-21-2005, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpyNote

He's notorious for circulating false/unconfirmed information. I think you referred to it in the past as "shameless guesswork."

I don't mean to blast him out of the blue because I think he has a great ear & is often very logical. I love his "Mirror Mirror" zines. They wipe the floor with most of the other fanzines. But he had an authoritarian tendency to pronounce his hypotheses as total fact, & that in turn was passed on to guys who wrote books about the band & didn't know even half of what Michael knew. They assumed Mike's educated guesses were officially supported facts, & the next thing you know, you get books like "The Complete Recording Sessions" which purported to be official data of studio sessions, when it was no more official than all our theorizing on the Ledge -- & a lot less accurate.

David · #18 05-21-2005, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamondsnake

It is clearly her Rock a Little mid 80's voice.

Maybe, maybe not. I hear some '85/'86 style in the song's vocal, but there's also an absence of vibrato (at least relative to typical vibrato-heavy vocal of other 1985 tracks).

Quote:

And the song and instruments in general have a very 80's vibe.

So does "Thousand Days": the Gerry Baker-style alto saxophone blasting away, the human drums mixed with the electronic drums, the patches that are so generic they could be workstations like the Triton or older analog synths like the Prophet or the Oberheim, the slap-loping bass, etc. etc.

I think it's pretty foolish to try to date Stevie's work based on what her session players sound like: the work on "Street Angel" hardly sounds like post-grunge material. It's totally retro -- maybe even deliberately so.

I don't think "Mirror Mirror" was recorded in '94, but I'm not sure that it was recorded in '85, either, or even '86, when she was recording "Seven Wonders" & "When I See You Again." I'm totally puzzled by it, actually. Maybe we'll get some more info on it some day.

Nixxxed · #19 05-21-2005, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamondsnake

Okay what is your interp. of these lines?

Certain people want to put you in a box, classify you, catalog you, and put you on a shelf to admire (or forget about). They don't want to or can't take the time to get to truly know you, much less understand what makes you tick and how that influences what you say or do.

This could be someone you've known only a short time, or (just for argument's sake) an ex-lover whom you met at a party in high school and has actually shared your adventures criss-crossing the globe, yet still can't comprehend what you actually dream of and desire.

"No one knows how I feel -- what I say unless you read between my lines..."

I've run across this situation several times in my life ... the turning point of a relationship (friendly or romantic or sexual), where you're POSITIVE the other person finally knows/understands the things you can't say out loud, and knows WHY you can't. And then, you let your guard down and take a chance, and the other person looks at you as if you are a stranger. Or an enemy.

"Then there are the things, misunderstandings..."

strandinthewind · #20 05-21-2005, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

How do you know that? I know the title of the song surfaced earlier, but what other evidence is there that the recording on the cassette of "Blue Denim" (which I have somewhere) was done in the 1980s?

Do you even know who plays on the recording? Or even what instruments are used? That might help date it.

I used to argue with Mike Bise about some of his dating techniques: for example, he'd give a 1976 date to a demo or something with an instrument on it that wasn't on the market until 1978.

I am pretty sure there is an interview with Stevie where she discusses the song Mirror Mirror in refernce to naming RAL that - but she was not pleased with the way the song was in final form. I do not have that interview though

David · #21 05-21-2005, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I am pretty sure there is an interview with Stevie where she discusses the song Mirror Mirror in refernce to naming RAL that - but she was not pleased with the way the song was in final form. I do not have that interview though

Don't you hate that about interviews? It's like restaurants: you find all the cool ones when you're driving around NOT looking for a place to eat. Then, when you want to go back to one of them, you can't remember where you saw it.

But in relation to my earlier point, the difference between the "song" & the "track" needs to be emphasized. For example, "Rhiannon" is a song Stevie wrote back whenever, & "Rhiannon" is also a bunch of tracks: the studio track recorded in 1975, a live track recorded in 1977 & released in 1980, another live track recorded in 1982 & released on video in 1983, another live track recorded & released in 1997, a home piano-and-vocal track released in 1998, etc.

In other words, I know "Mirror Mirror" the song began life back around the "Rock a Little" era, & was probably written back then & recorded a bunch of times (different takes). But I want to know when the track on the B-side cassette was recorded -- or at least when the lead vocal was recorded. Was it 1985? 1988? 1992? The lead vocal on the cassette sounds like the same session (only a different take) of all those takes we have in scratchy form. But when were those laid down? It would be nice if Stevie would address that issue.

strandinthewind · #22 05-21-2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

. . . It would be nice if Stevie would address that issue.

ITA - we need to sit her down one day and ask the tough questions

On edit- the nicksfix lists the date of the song as 1985 - so there is that little tidbit that may provide some clue. I will look for my cassette of it and see if there is any info. on it.

BTW - here are the lyrics (thanks to the nicksfix) and I LOVE them

Mirror, Mirror
- written by Stevie Nicks
- b-side to cassette single Blue Denim (U.S. August 1994)
Lyrics

And as all this comes to an end
So go the lilies of the valley
From this hour on
Brilliant is your danger
Darker than the image on the wall
Is the fear of it all
But he never said no to you baby
Mirror, Mirror

Ooh, sometimes your frightened
And you don't know why
There's been a few things
Well, I know you really loved a lot
And then one day
In your bright blue sky
Well, I never did say why to you...
Why... You must know...
He said No not really

Some of us will...
Some of us will never see the light
Some of us will only say,
Well, I don't want to fight about it
And then one day,
Well, you really fall in love
And you never did say
No to me did you?
He said, See ya!

Mirror, mirror
Mirror, mirror
Mirror, mirror

Memories fade like the wind
Oh, and she says
No, this will never come again
He says, Oh well... who can tell?
She says...I think you walk a thin line
Walk a thin line
She said you must know
He said No not really...

Then there are the things,
Misunderstandings...
Well I know that there's a few things
That you really loved a lot...
I know, in spite of what you say,
One thing that I really wanted,
I really wanted you...
This will leave you
Haunted in your mirror

David · #23 05-21-2005, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

ITA - we need to sit her down one day and ask the tough questions

Yeah, but you do realize that you'll never get that chance, right? And you know why, right?

strandinthewind · #24 05-21-2005, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Yeah, but you do realize that you'll never get that chance, right? And you know why, right?

Because Eulid will yell at me for wanting to do so

and

Eulid (I know you know and am joking here

)

I will never get that chance because I do not know her

But, I have to say if she keeps giving interviews like the recent Ladd one, she will shed some light on other songs

David · #25 05-21-2005, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I will never get that chance because I do not know her

But, I have to say if she keeps giving interviews like the recent Ladd one, she will shed some light on other songs

I just meant that all the callers on all those interviews over the years NEVER ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!!

strandinthewind · #26 05-21-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I just meant that all the callers on all those interviews over the years NEVER ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!!

I know - I was just joking around. I mean you would think someone would have asked a very detailed question about an obscure song instead of the repeats we see. Maybe in the written ones she sees the detailed ones and says NEXT

Johnny Stew · #27 05-21-2005, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

How do you know that? I know the title of the song surfaced earlier, but what other evidence is there that the recording on the cassette of "Blue Denim" (which I have somewhere) was done in the 1980s?

You're right, I don't know the exact date... I just made an educated guess, based on Stevie's voice (which sounds straight out of "The Nightmare" or "Some Become Strangers," to my ears), and, more importantly, the fact that Keith Olsen produced the track.

To the best of my knowledge, the recording sessions for 'Rock A Little' mark the only time Stevie worked with Keith in her solo career.

David · #28 05-21-2005, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

You're right, I don't know the exact date... I just made an educated guess, based on Stevie's voice (which sounds straight out of "The Nightmare" or "Some Become Strangers," to my ears), and, more importantly, the fact that Keith Olsen produced the track.

Well, I didn't know that Keith Olsen produced the track, so there. But sure enough, I went to go look at the cassette just now, & there's Keith Olsen's name, in serif print.

Now what have you got to say for yourself, Stew?