Mirage and Tango Remastered - Page 2

louielouie2000 · #16 06-22-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

It's one of my favorites. The good stuff on it is incomparably good (although the junk on it is filler).

Agreed, when it's good it's GREAT: Hold Me, Only Over You, Gypsy, Straight Back, Eyes Of The World. The rest of it just sounds like filler to me though. I'm just not nuts about the retro 50s theme going on either, ala Love In Store, Oh Diane, etc.

To me, the album just reeks of a pendulum swing following Tusk... it's so conservative, accessible, pop friendly, and almost dumbed down. I must admit though, on the rare occasion I put on Mirage, I always find it a very light and refreshing listen.

golddustdrummer · #17 06-22-2009, 02:45 PM

Mirage is tied with Tusk as far as being my favorite FM album.
Christine was genius on Mirage...some of my favorite songs of hers come from that album.
I love Hold Me, but I am most addicted to Wish You Were Here & Only Over You! lol
it also has three of my most fav Stevie songs.
and all Lindsey's songs are great (fav is Empire State)

Stew_Matthews · #18 06-22-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

It's one of my favorites. The good stuff on it is incomparably good (although the junk on it is filler).

Interesting point David. The good stuff - Hold Me, Straight Back, Gypsy & Eyes of the World is as good as their best work but it is probably the album with their worst material too. I could never understand how Christine contributed Love in Store & Hold Me and then two of the worst tracks imo in Only over You and Wish you were Here. Her work on Tusk had been great and she excelled herself on TITN with the best tracks but those two Mirage songs were really poor by her standards (IMO). The poster above liked them though, so who knows really!

golddustdrummer · #19 06-22-2009, 05:31 PM

stew: what is it about those songs you don't like?

just wondering...not trying to start a debate or anything lol
if we all had the same taste in music, the world would be a boring place!

I agree that she was better on Tusk and had some kickass songs on TITN though

TrueFaith77 · #20 06-22-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

It's one of my favorites. The good stuff on it is incomparably good (although the junk on it is filler).

Inquiring minds want to know: what do you consider the "good" stuff and what is the "junk"?

louielouie2000 · #21 06-22-2009, 09:03 PM

I definitely agree that Christine's Tusk songs were just outstanding. Every single one was worth it's weight in gold, every single one had it's own aura, and was completely different. You had poppy with Think About Me, sultry with Brown Eyes (something we've never really seen before or since with Chris), mellowest of the Mac mellow with Never Make Me Cry, etc.

Unlike some other folks, I adore Only Over You, and Wish You Were Here. I think they're great. I especially think Only Over You is cool... the way that it begins with NO instrumentation, right in the middle of the chorus... pretty neat. Almost groundbreaking for Christine. Love her voice on that one too.

I know this won't be popular, but I think That's Alright is filler fluff. I know it's a much adored Stevie song, but I think it's horribly cliche and unimaginative. Other fluff: Love In Store, Oh Diane, Can't Go Back, Book Of Love, and Empire State. This is Lindsey's weakest Mac material by far, it's almost like he was protesting the backlash from Tusk, and just released the most bland, pedestrian crap he could roll out. Which is totally at odd with how creatively on fire he was during this time. I hate he felt it had to be all his way or nothing as far as creativity within the Mac after Tusk. I guess he felt he should reserve his best material for his solo albums in that era. But at least he came back strong with Tango I suppose

.

TeenageMac · #22 06-22-2009, 09:10 PM

I think Tango is Christine's strongest set of songs. At times I almost feel like Christine held that record together in a way. Stevie is basically non-existent on that album, with the exception of Seven Wonders. Lindsey has some good songs, but he was pretty much out the door and he knew it. Christine delivered big time with Everywhere, Little Lies, Mystified, and Isn't It Midnight (one of my favorite FM tracks ever). I think it is very clear that with her solo album in 1984 and then Tango, Christine was on a tear songwriting-wise.

bucklind17 · #23 06-22-2009, 09:21 PM

The songs I really like on Mirage, I really like. The ones I don't, I really don't. Same kind of goes for Tango too, actually. I like Mirage better as a whole, but there are a few songs on there that I can't stand (That's Alright, Oh Diane) and a few that I consider favorites (Eyes of the World, Can't Go Back, Gypsy). I don't think it's Christine's strongest work, but I like every song of hers on the album, most being "Love in Store". I love the demos floating around from this period and would love a few more of those. What is most fun to me about this period is how everyone was branching off into their solo lands and you can start to hear it. There's that one demo of "Eyes of the World" where Stevie is singing "Enchanted" over it at the end, this is around when the demo of "Can't Go Back" bred "Wild Heart", etc. I love that kind of stuff and would love to hear more of the stuff that was floating around the studio at this time.

I'm not as interested in a Tango reissue, though I'd buy it if it existed. It's my least favorite Rumours era album, but like Mirage, there are some songs I love and some songs I can't stand, just less in the middle. I am one of what seems like the very few who loves Stevie's tracks on Tango more than anything, love the Chris/Lindsey collaborations but can do without about half that album, truth be told.

louielouie2000 · #24 06-22-2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeenageMac

I think Tango is Christine's strongest set of songs. At times I almost feel like Christine held that record together in a way. Stevie is basically non-existent on that album, with the exception of Seven Wonders. Lindsey has some good songs, but he was pretty much out the door and he knew it. Christine delivered big time with Everywhere, Little Lies, Mystified, and Isn't It Midnight (one of my favorite FM tracks ever). I think it is very clear that with her solo album in 1984 and then Tango, Christine was on a tear songwriting-wise.

I've never really thought of it that way, but you're totally right. Christine pulled everything together and shined everything to such a glossy pop luster that it covered up the albums other flaws. But honestly, I still think Tango is the quintessential textbook 80s pop album. I don't know that I'd change a thing about it, even if it has a couple of little flaws. It's really great music that was made out of turmoil and trauma, much like Rumours. I'd definitely enjoy a remaster of this one, more than any of the other Mac/solo albums.

I think more than any other album, Tango just makes you smile. When it's over, you just can't be in a bad mood. And THAT says more about it than any words could!

Stew_Matthews · #25 06-23-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golddustdrummer

stew: what is it about those songs you don't like?

just wondering...not trying to start a debate or anything lol
if we all had the same taste in music, the world would be a boring place!

I agree that she was better on Tusk and had some kickass songs on TITN though

No it is fine - I'm happy to answer. I agree it is good that we have different tastes.

Generally I really like the melody in Christine's songs. Whether slow or fast there is usually something that hooks me into the song pretty quickly. With Only Over You, I just can't get into the song - the melody never develops and the piano playing sounds heavy handed to me. With Wish You Were here, I'm not keen on the lyrics to the verses. The bit from 'There's distance between us..........thro to.......no peace inside'.....is really nice and I get what she's saying. The rest of that verse is like a demo set of lyrics I think. It feels to me like four lines that rhyme but it doesn't develop the mood she created in the first bit of the verse. She then repeats those lines a couple of times and I tend to switch off.

Just personal taste I guess

. Love in store and Hold me, I can listen to those all day long.

shackin'up · #26 06-23-2009, 04:39 PM

WHAT???????

Love In Store- Can't Go Back - Book Of Love - Empire State -Gypsy - Eyes Of The World - Wish You Were Here-That's Alright are all fab.
The only junk on it are Oh Diane, Straight Back and Only Over You.

I love Mirage. But it is definately not a masterpiece like Tusk.

And when do we learn NOT to rip apart a bandalbum by comparing contributions of each member? It's Fleetwood Mac. They all agreed on the contributions of eachother!

michelej1 · #27 06-23-2009, 05:07 PM

Mirage was the last FM album I listened to on vinyl and I always remember being absolutely mesmerized by Christine's last 2 closing songs on each side of the album. I don't know if I'd have liked them as much on their own, just presented as a single or something, but the way they came in and brought things to an ending like that was really mood-stirring. Almost like subliminal stimulation.

And the little rise in intensity, as her voice gets more urgent and a bit hurried at the last, "caa-ant get you out of my mind. As I lay here in the darkness, I can't find no peace inside . . . " It makes my pulse quicken.

I didn't discover FM until after Tusk was released, so Mirage was the first of the band's albums that I anticipated. I would stalk the library looking for news of it in magazines (because I didn't have a subscription to them) and I'd go to the campus record stores and look at the "Upcoming Releases" list. I was so excited about it. I really have no objectivity regarding Mirage.

Michele

Fannymac · #28 06-23-2009, 05:37 PM

I would buy both albums in remastered form in a heartbeat....I think they're both REALLY strong albums!!!
But the MAIN thing I want to see??? TANGO remastered, so that we FINALLY get "Ricky" ~ one of the MOST underrated FM songs EVER!! ~ on CD for the first time!!

shackin'up · #29 06-23-2009, 05:37 PM

I can't stand Tango in The Night. It's Big Love, Everywhere, the titletrack and the rest is simply garbage bubblegum nothing with an incredible smart and visionary productionsauce. Isn't it midnight is Ok. The acoustic guitarsolo in Family Man is. But overall it's grilled air. And that album ruined all the reasons why I loved this band: because of the fact that there was a lot more depth in their music than only radiofriendliness. And Then there was the track that underlined ALL the preoccupations that sceptic people had, and I fought like a lion all these years playing people Fireflies, Sisters Of The Moon, World Turning, I'm So Afraid, Eyes Of The World, Why, Brown Eyes, Not That Funny, Think About Me, That's Enough For Me, but I didn't have anything left as a defense if they said: They suck bigtime, boy, they released Little Lies.

michelej1 · #30 06-23-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackin'up

And Then there was the track that underlined ALL the preoccupations that sceptic people had, and I fought like a lion all these years playing people Fireflies, Sisters Of The Moon, World Turning, I'm So Afraid, Eyes Of The World, Why, Brown Eyes, Not That Funny, Think About Me, That's Enough For Me, but I didn't have anything left as a defense if they said: They suck bigtime, boy, they released Little Lies.

I know what you mean about that last part. And don't get me wrong. I like Little Lies. It falls into an ironic pattern she has that I savor. I think there's steel and darkness underneath that sugar and I very much appreciate it. I have since SYLM. BUT. I think Little Lies and Don't Stop give FM the unjust reputation that they have. FM is not Neil Sedaka, but people who think they are, think so because of those 2 songs. I mean, the singlehanded power of Little Lies to define the band forever, to condemn its entire repertoire to Captain and Tennille status -- that's somewhat remarkable. Little Lies is kind of a symbol of everything that people ridicule.

Michele