The Other Side Of The Mirror - A Re-Evaluation? - Page 3

markolas · #31 05-04-2011, 12:24 PM

The RS review is the only one where I've heard TOSOTM mentioned. Have there been others?

Anyway, I go back & forth with this album. I saw an old post here where I described it as my favorite Stevie album, and was like "wtf?"

I don't remember it ever being my favorite, but it must have been at some point.

I actually like Rupert Hine's production and the sound of the album, overall. And I can take Kenny G in small doses, as on this album. I just think it desperately needs to be remastered. Some of the songs are not Stevie's best, lyrically, and I prefer RAL in general, but it's a decent album.

Ghosty · #32 05-04-2011, 12:49 PM

I remember listening to it for the first time. I was really suprised by how much I didn't love it. I had been hearing Rooms On Fire and loving it, so when I heard the whole thing I was just like, what the heck?!? It confused me. This was not the Stevie Nicks I had come to know. I played it a lot, I mean, it was new Stevie. I'll take it. But it was so different, and weird. One minute there's something fast and modern like Long Way to Go, then some Kenny G in the background of a song. Then it ends with the circus coming to town with a silly organ version of I Still Miss Someone. Had the music been different I would have loved her singing that song. But not when you picture clowns juggling around her! What in the world was rupert thinking. I did not like his work with her, not at all. And I sort of think he's a scum. Stevie was all zoned out on klonopin and he was married and he goes and gets her all caught up in him, and then makes it his album, not hers, (it doesn't sound like her, imo, sorry Stevie, it was not magic like you say, you were doped up and being led on, long nets of white cloud your memory and that is so sad, but thank God you are better now). Then he goes back to his wife, breaking Stevie's heart. Not that I condone sleeping with married people, but she was especially vulnerable at that point. The scumbag! (oops, i'm off on a tangent!).......

I loved Rooms On Fire, loved Ooh My Love, but the rest had to grow on me (like Two Kinds of Love, Ghosts, etc.) and some never grew on me back then (Cry Wolf, I Still Miss Someone, even though I like Johnny Cash). And it was like half the songs could be on my parents easy-listening radio stations. Kenny G on her cd?!?!?! WTF? It * was * weird.

I like it more now, probably because I am older. I actually really like Cry Wolf (used to barely be able to stand it). But still, it is what it is. Not a gem, to me, but just there. Better than nothing.

Meanwhile, I love that demo of Whole Lotta Trouble, it reminds me of the band playing in the garage and getting down and gritty, lol. It rocked much more and had a more intense, in your face sound to it. I love at the end of the demo when she is like "midnight...when will I see you...I don't think tomorrow baby..." She was so into it. It was wild. Rupert was a snoozer though. Big time.

It's my least favorite Stevie album. I know for her it's SA, but I love SA.

TheSorcerer · #33 05-04-2011, 02:09 PM

It's definitely grown on me over the years, but it's still half-half in terms of songs I like and songs I don't. 'Ooh My Love' has been one of my favourites for years now and it was a shame it was never issued as a single. 'Two Kinds of Love' and her cover of 'I Still Miss Someone' are two of my least favourite Stevie songs. I guess in some way I've always been a little disappointed that it's actually her highest selling album and her only one to make the top 10 here in the UK when it's not even her best or close to being her best.

Jondalar · #34 05-04-2011, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

This thread made me brave enough to try the album. Big mistake, could not finish it...It's ust so blah. Fades into the walls.

Mick

When it first came out, I gave it a couple of listens and threw it in the trash. I was heartbroken. I thought she couldn't get any worse than Rock A Little and somehow, she managed too. I would not have released that album. Her management should of stopped her. After that I thought anyone who released that couldn't be that talented. It hurt her reputation.

tabruns · #35 05-04-2011, 03:27 PM

I would have been really bummed if The Other Side of the Mirror never came out. When it originally was released it got a slightly better review from RS than The Wild Heart and Rock A Little had, and it went higher on the album chart than Rock A Little had. It didn't have the same staying power though, so it both took longer to go Platinum and it didn't have a 2nd hit single.

Jondalar · #36 05-04-2011, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabruns

I would have been really bummed if The Other Side of the Mirror never came out. When it originally was released it got a slightly better review from RS than The Wild Heart and Rock A Little had, and it went higher on the album chart than Rock A Little had. It didn't have the same staying power though, so it both took longer to go Platinum and it didn't have a 2nd hit single.

Rock a Little had Talk to Me, I Can't Wait, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything and then If I Were You and No Spoken Word.

Other Side of the Mirror had Rooms on Fire and then whatever struck your fancy. I personal thought Juliet and Ooh My Love were ok. Just saying Rock A Little stayed longer cause it had smidge more on it. Has Anyone stood the test of time pretty well.

I remember Other Side of the Mirror got a ton of returns in the CD stores. Bad word of mouth.

TheWILDheart · #37 05-04-2011, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

it was garbage then and still belongs in the dump pile

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

The Other Side of the Mirror gave her her only true hit in England, so it was good for something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Rock a Little had Talk to Me, I Can't Wait, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything and then If I Were You and No Spoken Word.

Other Side of the Mirror had Rooms on Fire and then whatever struck your fancy. I personal thought Juliet and Ooh My Love were ok. Just saying Rock A Little stayed longer cause it had smidge more on it. Has Anyone stood the test of time pretty well.

I remember Other Side of the Mirror got a ton of returns in the CD stores. Bad word of mouth.

For someone that's supposedly a Stevie Nicks fan, all you do is bad mouth and slate her music!

OSOTM has a lot of appealing points. Lyrically, it was a vast improvement on RAL. I don't like the production at all, but I think it's aged a lot better than anybody expected. I still can't stand "Two Kinds Of Love" or "I Still Miss Someone", but "Ooh My Love", "Long Way To Go" and "Doing The Best I Can" are some of the best songs she's ever written and the album certainly deserves it's place in Stevie history

AliceLover · #38 05-04-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Rock a Little had Talk to Me, I Can't Wait, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything and then If I Were You and No Spoken Word.

Other Side of the Mirror had Rooms on Fire and then whatever struck your fancy. I personal thought Juliet and Ooh My Love were ok. Just saying Rock A Little stayed longer cause it had smidge more on it. Has Anyone stood the test of time pretty well.

I remember Other Side of the Mirror got a ton of returns in the CD stores. Bad word of mouth.

...and I'm sure just as many people have returned Bella Donna, Wild Heart, Rock a Little, STREET ANGEL, and TISL over the years. You are just harping on this because you personally don't like the album.

Jondalar · #39 05-04-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWILDheart

For someone that's supposedly a Stevie Nicks fan, all you do is bad mouth and slate her music!

OSOTM has a lot of appealing points. Lyrically, it was a vast improvement on RAL. I don't like the production at all, but I think it's aged a lot better than anybody expected. I still can't stand "Two Kinds Of Love" or "I Still Miss Someone", but "Ooh My Love", "Long Way To Go" and "Doing The Best I Can" are some of the best songs she's ever written and the album certainly deserves it's place in Stevie history

I'm a Stevie Nicks fan because of Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, this album and some singles. I stayed with her because of her earlier work and because of Fleetwood Mac. I don't support garbage and I'm not the type to feed into her making more of it.

TheWILDheart · #40 05-04-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I'm a Stevie Nicks fan because of Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, this album and some singles. I stayed with her because of her earlier work and because of Fleetwood Mac. I don't support garbage and I'm not the type to feed into her making more of it.

Do you sit at home in a corner clutching your Bella Donna vinyl and writing to Stevie trying to convince her to pick the coke back up, or something?

Personally, give or a take a few tracks, I love everything she's ever done and I love that she's never repeated herself in terms of music style...The Wild Heart sounds nothing like Bella Donna, and RAL sounds nothing like either and so forth. Why bother with the boards and fan community if all you're going to do is piss people off by slating 50% of her career? People like you are the reason that Stevie hasn't acknowledged half of her solo career in her live set for over a decade! Believe it or not, there are fans out there who consider "Rock A Little" and "Street Angel" her best albums. And ya know what? I LOVE that they do!

BombaySapphire3 · #41 05-04-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I'm a Stevie Nicks fan because of Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, this album and some singles. I stayed with her because of her earlier work and because of Fleetwood Mac. I don't support garbage and I'm not the type to feed into her making more of it.

Let's just go with the old "one man's trash is another man's treasure"Just think of the that review of IYD by the Slant magazine critic for example. He must have tossed it into the same trash heap .

Jondalar · #42 05-04-2011, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWILDheart

Do you sit at home in a corner clutching your Bella Donna vinyl and writing to Stevie trying to convince her to pick the coke back up, or something?

Personally, give or a take a few tracks, I love everything she's ever done and I love that she's never repeated herself in terms of music style...The Wild Heart sounds nothing like Bella Donna, and RAL sounds nothing like either and so forth. Why bother with the boards and fan community if all you're going to do is piss people off by slating 50% of her career? People like you are the reason that Stevie hasn't acknowledged half of her solo career in her live set for over a decade! Believe it or not, there are fans out there who consider "Rock A Little" and "Street Angel" her best albums. And ya know what? I LOVE that they do!

yada yada yada (sigh)

bluefox4000 · #43 05-04-2011, 06:07 PM

so not everybody likes Stevie post WH output. So What? I know i'm gonna get yelled at and I should shut up .....but she's not immune to criticism . I'm so gonna hear it from someone..lol

Mick

chiliD · #44 05-04-2011, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

it was garbage then and still belongs in the dump pile

I think this is the one & only topic that we ever agree on. I can live with that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Other Side of the Mirror had Rooms on Fire ....

...and that was it. The rest is foul-smelling, rotting sludge.

Now Rock A Little...Side 1: "I Can't Wait" loved it...the rest of side 1 was crap. Side 2: other than a slight dip in quality with "Nightmare", Side 2 was the best stuff she'd done outside of Fleetwood Mac to date. So, yeah, expectations were beyond high with OSOTM.

When I heard "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind" for the first time, I said OUT LOUD to myself..."She's BAAACK". Was a little disappointed with about 1/2 of Street Angel, but the 1/2 I liked, I liked A LOT. Then came TISL...STILL my favorite non-Fleetwood Mac Stevie album. Will In Your Dreams supplant it? WAY too early to tell. On that Rolling Stone.com preview, let's put it this way...I wasn't turned off by any of the tunes upon first listen.

Kooch68 · #45 05-04-2011, 08:37 PM

For every one person who thought the album was garbage, there are several others who love it. I personally love TOSOTM and RAL because they were definitetly turning points in her career and personal life. I just do not agree with everyone's idea to just dismiss something because YOU don't like it. I don't get it

I think all of her albums have high points and low points. While I love "Bella Donna", in order for her to grow as an artist and share other parts of her life, she has to move on. That unfortunately is the growth of an artist....By the way I really like SA too so I guess that makes me a bad fan.... whatevs !