And Another Article (With possible FM tour mention)

[David]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

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.

Youth & pulchritude, Stew. She was young & sexy, & we lapped it up.

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by 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.

I thought some of her behavior this summer seemed pretty manic, unfortunately.

Curtis..I sort of disagree that she was trying to sell Sorcerer. I think she just related to the song this summer, for whatever reason. She enjoyed it, she played lots of little games during it, charades, animated gestures, etc etc...it seems when connects emotionally with a song, she performs it better. She connected to Circle Dance, so her vocal was impassioned. She was totally feeling Sorcerer the entire summer, it started in Vegas last May and continued every night. That had to be one of the best songs each night. When she isn't feeling that connected to a song, like Rhiannon, her performance is so blah. She hardly even tries to pretend she is into it. HSML is another example...she was totally feeling that song in Vegas..she could feel the heat coming off of her. Total hotness.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by David

. . . pulchritude . . . .

Thank you for using that word

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17

It's Rhiannon...the opening note alone draws big cheers.

Then I guess Lindsey gets a gold star for that one .

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by dissention

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.

Oh my god, I am rolling with tears of laughter running down my face. I was TOTALLY picturing Stevie jumping up on monitors and headbanging...oh lord the visual is too much . But you're totally right. I prefer the rock and/or roll to any analysis of perfect pitch wtf is that all about anyway?!?!

Still rolling...

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by dissention

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.

As much as I hate to say it, I agree. For me, it seems as though Stevie is not as emotionally present now as shows from the past. I particularly noticed this during the SYW shows, but yes even on this recent tour. I don't really know how to describe it, other than I feel like she's just not "there" at times. She appears bored to me, and has for a while. This doesn't reconcile at all with her statements of her love of performing.

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by 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.

Whatever year Richard said it, he can kiss my ass. So what? What's the point? The point is that people paid good money for tickets to a concert so they could see the band put on a good performance, not so they could go home saying, "Oh well, I guess Stevie just couldn't get psyched up for this one, I mean she was wearing all those clothes." Please.

Fleetwood Mac weren't gods, but they are performers charging people to see them put on a show. If the show is in any way subpar, why should critics not point that out?

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 find it interesting, too. You'd think she'd have gotten the hint by now. And she has to some extent, but she seems very slow on the uptake.

I didn't see Stevie's tour this year, but even just looking through this thread, it seems clear that the highlights of each concert were the songs Stevie hadn't done before (or at least hadn't done in a very long time): "Sorcerer," "Circle Dance" and "Beauty and the Beast." I don't see anybody saying, "Man, weren't her performances of 'Dreams' and 'Rhiannon' a blast! I'm so glad she played them!"

[David]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

Whatever year Richard said it, he can kiss my ass.

Actually, he was talking about reviews that appeard of the band's Penguin Country Summer Safari in 1978 -- reviews like the one in Rolling Stone of the band's JFK Stadium show in Philadelphia.

You can hear that bored, listless quality on recordings like Dallas Cotton Bowl July '78 on "Dreams," "Rhiannon" & "Gold Dust Woman." But I'll take 1978 bored over 2005 excited any day.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I find it interesting, too. You'd think she'd have gotten the hint by now. And she has to some extent, but she seems very slow on the uptake.

If Stevie was accused of being "bored" with songs that she had only sung on one or two tours back then, and she's accused of being bored with those same songs now... perhaps the fault was never with Stevie's desire to perform them, but simply how they come across on stage.

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I didn't see Stevie's tour this year, but even just looking through this thread, it seems clear that the highlights of each concert were the songs Stevie hadn't done before

Of course those were the highlights for the people who have seen Stevie in concert quite a number of times.
If I had seen her perform "Rhiannon" at 12 different shows, I'd be more psyched to see her perform "Sorcerer," too. As it is, I've been to one show... in 1990... so I'd be quite thrilled to see her do "Dreams" or "Rhiannon," even if they are passé to tons of other fans.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by David

You can hear that bored, listless quality on recordings like Dallas Cotton Bowl July '78 on "Dreams," "Rhiannon" & "Gold Dust Woman." But I'll take 1978 bored over 2005 excited any day.

Ah, but why?
Is it really all due to the fact that she was young and sexy back then?
Surely you're immune to ageism.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

Then I guess Lindsey gets a gold star for that one .

Yes and no. Stevie wrote those notes... though Lindsey gets credit for translating them into a guitar part.

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

If Stevie was accused of being "bored" with songs that she had only sung on one or two tours back then, and she's accused of being bored with those same songs now... perhaps the fault was never with Stevie's desire to perform them, but simply how they come across on stage.

Actually, I think it's probably much more likely that Stevie was just coked out of her mind at some of those late 70s shows and had no idea whether she was giving those songs her all or not.

Of course those were the highlights for the people who have seen Stevie in concert quite a number of times.
If I had seen her perform "Rhiannon" at 12 different shows, I'd be more psyched to see her perform "Sorcerer," too. As it is, I've been to one show... in 1990... so I'd be quite thrilled to see her do "Dreams" or "Rhiannon," even if they are passé to tons of other fans.

Well, I'm sorry you haven't been able to make it to any shows recently, and of course the expectations and highlights are always different depending on what you've seen before, but I've got to believe that at this point in her career - especially having toured five times in the past nine years - the majority of folks in the audience at any given concert are seeing her for at least the second time in recent memory.

And I'd be thrilled to see her do "Dreams" or "Rhiannon," too, as long as it was a passionate performance. I think even more than the fact that she's done those songs every single night since 1977, fans don't care for these songs anymore because Stevie herself doesn't seem to care about performing them.

But again, as always, this isn't an issue of, "She should never play any of the old warhorses ever again." But she could certainly stand to throw in more than just two or three wildcards each time out.

[David]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

Ah, but why?

Why what? Why was she lackluster on "Dreams" at the '78 Cotton Bowl show? Tired maybe, or bored with performing, or not in the mood.

Is it really all due to the fact that she was young and sexy back then?

Is what all due? See, the thing about being young & sexy is that you can give a listless performance & still your young, sexy charisma carries you along. Maybe she's not listless any more. What I don't see in her any more -- her old charisma -- could be just a direct result of her being older & . . . well, older. So maybe she's not really lackluster.

Surely you're immune to ageism.

I'm immune to ageism, or aging? Neither one, actually. Considerations of ageism have no place in any artistic response, as far as I'm concerned. What is presented up there on stage or screen is -- for better or worse -- fodder for my response. I've always believed that & acted on it. I am in perfect accord with the critic John Simon on that point. People who tell me "Give Stevie a break, she's 57" are susceptible to a touching (because profoundly human) but deleterious (because profoundly uncritical) fallacy -- a fallacy that I would characterize as existential because these people confuse Stevie's music with life: being so involved in living Stevie's persona that they cannot properly evaluate it -- hence they often defend Stevie as if she were their most beloved friend or a fragile, sensitive fairytale soul whose life is in danger from brutal ex-lovers & prickly fans. I venture to add that Stevie is used as a surrogate for life by many people, which is why they can't stand to hear public figure Stevie described as fat or old when they themselves have undoubtedly described other public figures that same way (as we all have).

The sensitivities one normally shows people in mannerly ways are not germane to aesthetic judgments.

[LeighB04]

Originally Posted by jannieC

As much as I hate to say it, I agree. For me, it seems as though Stevie is not as emotionally present now as shows from the past. I particularly noticed this during the SYW shows, but yes even on this recent tour. I don't really know how to describe it, other than I feel like she's just not "there" at times. She appears bored to me, and has for a while. This doesn't reconcile at all with her statements of her love of performing.

Glad I'm not the only one who wishes for a little passion from Stevie every now and then. I don't expect her to go headbanging from anything, but some level of energy (other than the rehearsed kick in SB) would be welcome.
In my opinion, longer stays in smaller venues should be where she's headed. Vegas proved that she is more comfortable with that kind of situation now. It's less tiring, and let's face it, very few performers over the age of 50 can rock like they used to (Tina Turner, Cher, Mick Jagger - hard to think of that many more).....

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by LeighB04

very few performers over the age of 50 can rock like they used to (Tina Turner, Cher, Mick Jagger - hard to think of that many more).....

Springsteen, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Paul McCartney... There's plenty of over-50 rock stars out there who still summon that energy.