SYW, best album of all time?

[TotallyTusked]

Yeah, I mean, Say You Will has some great songs on it... and I might be one of a minority that absolutely LOVES Stevie's matured voice (on SYW particularly) but I agree, I doesn't quite make the cut as an ALBUM.
Lindsey is the spectacle here, once again, and his songs are definitely the stand-outs of the album. Simply, I think that there were too many songs I skipped, and the absence of Christine weighed the LP down more than I thought it would. It's not all that bad, but not stellar. I think this is where the Rumours lineup (minus C.M) kinda lost the plot with FM's style of music the most. We see a classic Mac sound again in this year's EP, but Say You Will is a bit out of it in my opinion.

[secret love]

Originally Posted by TotallyTusked

Yeah, I mean, Say You Will has some great songs on it... and I might be one of a minority that absolutely LOVES Stevie's matured voice (on SYW particularly) but I agree, I doesn't quite make the cut as an ALBUM.
Lindsey is the spectacle here, once again, and his songs are definitely the stand-outs of the album. Simply, I think that there were too many songs I skipped, and the absence of Christine weighed the LP down more than I thought it would. It's not all that bad, but not stellar. I think this is where the Rumours lineup (minus C.M) kinda lost the plot with FM's style of music the most. We see a classic Mac sound again in this year's EP, but Say You Will is a bit out of it in my opinion.

Respectfully I disagree - there are far too many Lindsey dud songs on SYW. Murrow, Red Rover, Miranda, Say Goodbye are just sub-par for someone as talented as Buckingham and did not really excite me as I listened to them for the first time. Miranda I used to like but after a few listens it wore thin. Say Goodbye is just cliché central, as is Red Rover. Murrow is too frenetic musically and the lyric doesn't make a lot of sense. I loved the four new Stevie songs Illume, Destiny Rules, Say You Will and Silver Girl - they make a neat little EP-style playlist like that. What's the World Coming To, Peacekeeper and Come are all really cool.

I agree the collection of 9 Lindsey songs and 9 Stevie songs does not work very well as a cohesive Fleetwood Mac album but I am grateful that the band worked hard to perfect these songs and release them as Say You Will. SYW is the record which spiked my interest in Fleetwood Mac. I'm only 20 so was largely unfamiliar with the Mac's music for most of my childhood except for Rumours songs which get played to death on Sydney radio station 101.7 W.S. F.M. The Live in Boston 2003 film clips on YouTube hooked me in last year, so I downloaded SYW on iTunes (subsequently I've purchased 90% of the Rumours line-up Fleetwood Mac catalogue).

SYW is definitely not the greatest Fleetwood Mac album for me. It is not the greatest album of 2003, its year of release (I have a soft spot for Pink's Try This from the same year). But it is an outstanding musical work and I'm glad to have it. If only the band could gets its act together and do just one final, new Fleetwood Mac studio album! 12 tracks minimum thanks! Or at least something new from Stevie

[Dex]

Originally Posted by secret love

Respectfully I disagree - there are far too many Lindsey dud songs on SYW. Murrow, Red Rover, Miranda, Say Goodbye are just sub-par for someone as talented as Buckingham and did not really excite me as I listened to them for the first time. Miranda I used to like but after a few listens it wore thin. Say Goodbye is just cliché central, as is Red Rover. Murrow is too frenetic musically and the lyric doesn't make a lot of sense. I loved the four new Stevie songs Illume, Destiny Rules, Say You Will and Silver Girl - they make a neat little EP-style playlist like that. What's the World Coming To, Peacekeeper and Come are all really cool.

I like you, secret love, but I really can't make any sense of any of this!

Murrow too frenetic and nonsensical, but Come is really cool. Say Goodbye cliche central but you really like Silver Girl. Miranda (!!!) wears thin but not Say You Will. My mind is having trouble processing all of these. Different strokes, though!

Generally, I really like almost every song on the album (Silver Girl and Come being ones I sort of struggle with) but I can see why people say Lindsey "shines" here. His work on the album is just showier. He's a great guitarist going absolutely crazy on his guitar and demonstrating the heights of his skill level whenever possible. Stevie is a great singer-songwriter, but her voice and lyrical content are more subdued on much of SYW compared to the work that made her famous. I can just see Lindsey hitting harder for many listeners.

[TrueFaith77]

I had two friends, totally independent of each other, who had gotten the album on my urging both enthuse: "Greatest album EVER!"

For me, I do consider SYW to be the best American album of the '00s.

[secret love]

Originally Posted by Dex

I like you, secret love, but I really can't make any sense of any of this!

Murrow too frenetic and nonsensical, but Come is really cool. Say Goodbye cliche central but you really like Silver Girl. Miranda (!!!) wears thin but not Say You Will. My mind is having trouble processing all of these. Different strokes, though!

Generally, I really like almost every song on the album (Silver Girl and Come being ones I sort of struggle with) but I can see why people say Lindsey "shines" here. His work on the album is just showier. He's a great guitarist going absolutely crazy on his guitar and demonstrating the heights of his skill level whenever possible. Stevie is a great singer-songwriter, but her voice and lyrical content are more subdued on much of SYW compared to the work that made her famous. I can just see Lindsey hitting harder for many listeners.

I like Come because it's the only overtly sexual song Fleetwood Ma have ever produced. It was shocking at first but awesome too. Murrow is all right but just a tad too political...I don't connect with a lyric about the lack of integrity in modern journalism...how can I relate to that? It doesn't make me feel anything. It's just Lindsey having a good old rant...get off that high horse Linds! And I must admit as a Stevie fan I'm biased. Even though her voice has changed, it's rougher and huskier on SYW than it was before, Stevie can sing the Yellow Pages and make it sound soothing and intriguing. Silver Girl just hooked me in because at first I thought it was about Christine. Then later I read it was actually written about Sheryl Crow...and there is something about listening to Stevie sing about her friend in such a sweet voice, and with such honesty...that although there are many cliches in the lyric...it's still a great song for me.

Miranda is one of those songs I have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy. Its a kinda kooky crazy song. It just makes me want to be silly and stupid and dance. But sometimes you just play a song too many times you know? And you did like it but now you know it too well, so it's boring? That's Miranda for you. The song Say You Will, what can I say? It just gives me an instant happy buzz every time I listen to it. So groovy, yes so commercial but oh it's Stevie! And it's so cute.

I think for Stevie to really shine and grab people's attention she has to play an instrument? I don't know. If she played piano on stage...I would just die to see her sing and play Planets of the Universe. Just her and a grand piano. No band. Just that intimate feel of the original demo live in concert - that would be wow.

I kind feel sad for Stevie that she feels the need to have other people produce her songs so extensively. Really her piano demos are works of art in themselves in many cases. I don't care that she doesn't know 100 chords. She can play and she can play well...she needs more confidence in her ability. And I guess she doesn't believe fans would care to see her do anything other than sing. But I would. With some of her songs, what ended up released compared to the demo she made by herself is worse...it's like, why did you have to wreck the beautiful, intimate feel and emotion of your song with this cacophony of instruments and synthesizers and whizz bang production?

[bluefox4000]

Album could use some serious trimming of fat. There's some good stuff but it's Way too packed. if you're gonna make a long album. you better have class A materiel across the board. It's kinda sad that SYW is most likely how they're going out. Putting aside the EP i mean.

Mick

[Macfanforever]

Yes I agree for most recent album .Plus since it had alot of radio airplay at the time as it was release.

[KarmaContestant]

If Say You Will had a vinyl release, I'd be all over it.

Maybe I'll put the CD in the car for tomorrow's commute.

[FierySequences]

I really enjoyed SYW and still do, even without CM. I don't want to count this as their swan song....I'm still holding out for something special with Chris. New Material Please!

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by secret love

Really her piano demos are works of art in themselves in many cases. I don't care that she doesn't know 100 chords. She can play and she can play well...she needs more confidence in her ability. And I guess she doesn't believe fans would care to see her do anything other than sing. But I would. With some of her songs, what ended up released compared to the demo she made by herself is worse...it's like, why did you have to wreck the beautiful, intimate feel and emotion of your song with this cacophony of instruments and synthesizers and whizz bang production?

After having and loving her demos for many years I used to say that Stevie went into the studio and spent thousands of dollars to destroy her songs. It looks like you would agree.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by secret love

Really her piano demos are works of art in themselves in many cases. I don't care that she doesn't know 100 chords. She can play and she can play well...she needs more confidence in her ability.

She is an amazing piano player. But the 2 times she allows us to see her playing piano in the IYD doc, she plays horribly. I don't understand why she chose those segments to highlight her piano skills.

[elle]

Originally Posted by secret love

Murrow is all right but just a tad too political...I don't connect with a lyric about the lack of integrity in modern journalism...how can I relate to that? It doesn't make me feel anything. It's just Lindsey having a good old rant...get off that high horse Linds! And I must admit as a Stevie fan I'm biased.

see i feel just the opposite. when i first started listening to LB's and FM lyrics, i just kept thinking - stop!! what a bunch of self-centered & self-important a-holes! look around you, people, there's a whole wide world around you with bunch of problems and you bunch of indulgent rich people keep whining about you love life for 40 years like you are the only ones and that's the most important thing ever?!

so i was really happy to hear some political or other non-love songs from Lindsey, and that he actually finally stopped being so completely self-indulgent for a change.

and, how can you NOT relate to talk about the media? aren't you spending at least some time watching tv, or reading stuff on your computer? just my 0.02.

[secret love]

Originally Posted by elle

see i feel just the opposite. when i first started listening to LB's and FM lyrics, i just kept thinking - stop!! what a bunch of self-centered & self-important a-holes! look around you, people, there's a whole wide world around you with bunch of problems and you bunch of indulgent rich people keep whining about you love life for 40 years like you are the only ones and that's the most important thing ever?!

so i was really happy to hear some political or other non-love songs from Lindsey, and that he actually finally stopped being so completely self-indulgent for a change.

and, how can you NOT relate to talk about the media? aren't you spending at least some time watching tv, or reading stuff on your computer? just my 0.02.

I guess what I was trying to say is that yes, I agree with the point of view Lindsey is trying to communicate in Murrow. The modern media in my country of Australia are biased and they focus on issues which the owners of the newspapers consider important and then neglect issues which would generate negative publicity for the owners of the papers. How about Rupert Murdoch and his team of people at News Corp grossly invading the privacy of celebrities and people in general by tapping their phones. It is shameful.

BUT! Murrow to me is just ...not very accessible ...it alienates me as the listener. When I listen to music I like to hear a story, it is escapism. To be reminded about how crappy the world is and how corrupt the "free press" is just annoys me. I agree that the people in Fleetwood Mac do appear to be largely self-centred and it annoys me when they complain about their troubles which are mainly self-inflicted... [warning: I'm about to be a bit controversial here] Stevie Nicks would not have a hole in her nose and a less pleasant voice had she not done cocaine. And she would possibly not have asthma either. And she would not have had that chronic fatigue in the 1990s if she had not had breast implants inside her (by her own choice) leaking toxins into her body. And she would not be alone if she was more open to accommodating the needs men have...not sexual needs ...needs like, if I'm living with my girlfriend I don't want to share the house with a nosy butler and an annoying bitch named Karen and an array of other random people. I'd want to be able to live quietly and in peace with my lover.

So yeah it is refreshing to hear Fleetwood Mac sing about worldly concerns for a change, but I think Stevie does this much better in Illume than Lindsey did in Murrow. And I loved What's the World Coming to. But Murrow just did not gel with me. Too...all over the place... I like my music to contain some sort of pattern or a consistent pleasant melody ...Murrow doesn't really have that.

[mitzo]

Originally Posted by vivfox

After having and loving her demos for many years I used to say that Stevie went into the studio and spent thousands of dollars to destroy her songs. It looks like you would agree.

I have to agree but add that with FM/Lindsey her songs are elevated by production, while solo they have been ruined more times than not. It is not about instruments and synths, it is about overall quality and vision.

[Dex]

Originally Posted by elle

see i feel just the opposite. when i first started listening to LB's and FM lyrics, i just kept thinking - stop!! what a bunch of self-centered & self-important a-holes! look around you, people, there's a whole wide world around you with bunch of problems and you bunch of indulgent rich people keep whining about you love life for 40 years like you are the only ones and that's the most important thing ever?!

so i was really happy to hear some political or other non-love songs from Lindsey, and that he actually finally stopped being so completely self-indulgent for a change.

and, how can you NOT relate to talk about the media? aren't you spending at least some time watching tv, or reading stuff on your computer? just my 0.02.

I'd probably use less harsh words, but generally I agree with the sentiment of this post. There's nothing wrong with being the typical narcissistic singer-songwriter, which is what Stevie and Lindsey have both made their fortune on, but it is a nice change of pace to see them focusing outward from time to time. It makes them feel more human, even. I don't understand how anyone could consider a song like Murrow "un-relatable", but I guess that isn't really quite what secret love meant. And if he/she (I don't know sl, sorry!) doesn't get what (s)he needs to out of that song, as a music listener, then that's a-ok.

For me, Murrow was the song that convinced me that I was a Fleetwood Mac fan beyond just a Stevie fan. I won't pretend to be all about the lyrical content. I had no idea what he was saying the first time I listened. The instrumentation on that song is just perfection to my ears. I couldn't not love it.