And Another Article (With possible FM tour mention)

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by dissention

That alright, because she's not a better singer now than she was 20 years ago, imo. Her voice had spunk and personality and a balls-to-the-wall quality to it twenty years ago that it hasn't had since. She's still flat and monotonal most of the time these days, sounds strained on a regular basis, and generally very tired. Part of that has to do with screwing her voice up so badly and part of it has to do with her finally learning to sing properly. Once she picked up a vocal coach for The Dance who taught her how to use her voice, her live performances became too reserved, now more than ever.

I often wonder how much her age comes into play there as well as her apparent propensity for illness. She certainly can slam the audience with a powerhouse vocal when she wants to a la B&B and R&R. She can also be far more subtle with lots of range a la Circle Dance. Those were brilliant vocals.

Yet, SDMHA, Enchanted, Rhiannon, etc. are all mostly so boring vocally.

Maybe the new material just inspires her as opposed to the standards.

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Maybe the new material just inspires her as opposed to the standards.

_____(fill in the blank with what you imagine my response to this statement would be)_____

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

_____(fill in the blank with what you imagine my response to this statement would be)_____

LOL - get off your a$$$ and sing the shiitte you never sing

[blinker12]

Originally Posted by dissention

That alright, because she's not a better singer now than she was 20 years ago, imo. Her voice had spunk and personality and a balls-to-the-wall quality to it twenty years ago that it hasn't had since. She's still flat and monotonal most of the time these days, sounds strained on a regular basis, and generally very tired. Part of that has to do with screwing her voice up so badly and part of it has to do with her finally learning to sing properly. Once she picked up a vocal coach for The Dance who taught her how to use her voice, her live performances became too reserved, now more than ever.

I would agree if we were talking about the TISL and SYW tours, but I think she sounded truly wonderful on the Two Voices/Gold Dust tour this year. I mean, "Beauty and the Beast" alone would have been worth the price of admission, but all the songs had passion, and her pitch was pretty much always spot-on.

[ontheEdgeof17]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Maybe the new material just inspires her as opposed to the standards.

I agree with this. Case in point: the ending of Sorcerer....Now, that was some energy and great vocals! She really got into that song. She was alive. It seemed like she had to "sell it" since it was a lesser known song...and it came out wonderful....unlike Rhiannon...She knows she can half-ass it and still get a great response. It's Rhiannon...the opening note alone draws big cheers.

[ontheEdgeof17]

Originally Posted by dissention

Once she picked up a vocal coach for The Dance who taught her how to use her voice, her live performances became too reserved, now more than ever.

Yeah. It's hard to decided whether I would like balls to the wall performances with so-so vocals...or vocals stamina and good pitch with so-so performances.

[DashingDan]

I think she communicates a song live better than she ever did.

Back in the early 80's she was so hung up on her "songs", and her insistance to be taken seriously as a "songwriter", that she seemingly took her very strong and natural singing talents for granted (although undisciplined/trained as they were). Now I dunno about you, but it was that voice of hers that dragged me into her web when I was 9 years old listening to my sister's copy of Rumours, not her words - they came next.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17

Yeah. It's hard to decided whether I would like balls to the wall performances with so-so vocals...or vocals stamina and good pitch with so-so performances.

I go to rock concerts so that I can be rocked & rolled, not to watch someone stand in place so that they can find perfect pitch and never ever risk the chance of actually rocking out. Give me her bleaty, high-pitched, cuts-through-you-like-a-knife vocals from the Rock A Little tour where she kicked your ass six ways to Sunday over this reserved, matronly schtick. I'm not expecting her to jump off of speakers and headbang, but do more than some twirling during Stand Back, man. Either that or revamp your show in such a way that people don't badly yearn for the crazy days of yesteryear when they see the half-assed attempts to recreate them.

[Rickypt]

Stevie's reserved stage presence would be just fine if she would pick a setlist that is built around a strong vocal performance. I'd be perfectly happy to sit down and enjoy Storms, Silver Springs, Sable On Blond, Bella Donna, etc.

[jwd]

"It is a really magnificent show and I am really just so delighted to bring it back to Australia because I love it here."

THAT it is! I'm happy for all the Aussies that get a chance to check out her Gold Dust show. She really is in top form this go- round. And backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra! HOW SWEET!

[David]

Originally Posted by jwd

THAT it is! I'm happy for all the Aussies that get a chance to check out her Gold Dust show. She really is in top form this go- round. And backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra! HOW SWEET!

But I thought you preferred the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of George Szell?

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by David

But I thought you preferred the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of George Szell?

Well, he is known for building into one of the greatest orchestras of the world in the 24 years he was there. Did you know that he could sing folk songs from memory and used to correct his mother while playing the piano

[jwd]

Originally Posted by David

But I thought you preferred the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of George Szell?

Welllllllll, it is closer to home!

[Ghost_Tracker]

Excuse me. {ahem!}

WWWHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

{ahem.}

Why, YES, I believe this will be, at the least, mildly interesting
and entertaining, and I shall look forward to it.
I certainly wish them the best of luck.

[Johnny Stew]

Richard Dashut: Several reviews have been unfair in that the critics suppose too much. One article accused Stevie of being lackluster because she was [supposedly] bored with having to perform the same old songs, which isn't true.

Maybe Stevie isn't feeling well; maybe it is 100 outside and she is wearing all these clothes and she's been singing the song for three years. Maybe she can't get herself psyched up each time even if there are 80,000 people out there. Ok, so she can't do it, so what? If there is a critic out there who wants to make something of the fact that her voice isn't in the best of shape, what's the point? That's reality. Fleetwood Mac is not a group of gods.


That statement was made in 1979.
I find it interesting that, 26 years later, she's still being accused of lackluster performances and being "bored with singing the same old songs."

I also find it interesting that, when I watch old footage... for example, the Largo shows from '75 and '78, the Japanese footage from the 'Rumours' tour, the St. Louis footage from the 'Tusk' documentary... she doesn't appear to be that much more animated than she is now, by and large. And, even back then, there were really only one or two songs that she totally cut loose on and went crazy with.

Her manic behavior on the 'Wild Heart' and 'Rock A Little' tours, seems to be the exception for her as a performer, rather than the norm... yet, for some reason, they've become the benchmark that every performance since then must live up to.