Thoughts on the Fleetwood Mac Live reissue

[On Ice]

I was a big fan of Live when it came out in 1980 and had high expectations for it, along the lines of the Eagles live but unfortunately I think Tusk's initial cold reaction dampened enthusiasm and sales. The only quip I had was the version of Don't Stop, like why not an actual concert? As for the new set, so much to like. I love Stevie's growl on Angel and Sisters of the Moon, she had perfected it during the Tusk tour. I could listen to her sing like that for days. Sisters of the Moon is awesome and I really love the Cecelia lyrics at the end, her voice is among the best live voice I've ever heard from her. A big surprise is What Makes You Think You're the One- translates amazing to the stage- so surprised it never made single status and Lindsey's shining moment on this reissue. The keyboard driven Think About Me is also a great listen, to this day I'm shocked this song was not a monster hit, it's truly outstanding and as good or better than You Make Loving Fun. Brown Eyes and Hold Me showcase just how much Christine's voice was improving live, not that she was ever bad, but it was so much stronger. I'm going to enjoy this reissue for years to come, reminds me of why I was such a committed fan for so long and great memories from my teen years. Love it.

[jbrownsjr]

I really love the new stuff!! Especially the start of the bonus album. It does feel like a nice show if you close your eyes and forget about which versions you know, etc.

Second Hand News A (Wow what an energy charge!)

The Chain A- (Cleveland sounds like Los Angeles!)

Think About Me A (This is fantastic! Great "performance")

What Makes You Think You’re The One A (Cleanest version I've heard)

Gold Dust Woman A- (Wonderful arrangement, embarrassed to say, I didn't catch the lyric mishap)

Brown Eyes A (This is so good. Very clean and wonderful)

The Green Manalishi A (Great energy)

Angel B (I've heard better versions, something off about this one)

Hold Me B+ (Still not as good as her solo tour)
{Should have been on the HBO special}

Tusk A- (Don't care for this live, but it's the best I've heard to date. The accordion is great in this, along with the extension of the song)

You Make Loving Fun B (Ho hum, Not their best. The Tusk Live Deluxe is better by far. )

Sisters Of The Moon B- (Very vanilla version, vocals eeek)

Songbird B- (This is the Songbird they choose? Again, the Tusk Wembley version is so much better. )

Blue Letter B+ (I really adore the HBO version)

Fireflies – B- (Ok, what's different?)

[jmn3]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Fireflies – B- (Ok, what's different?)

I love that it's tagged "Long Version" but it's actually quite a bit shorter than the original

[sleepless child]

Mine is due to be delivered tomorrow. I thought a reissue of a live album was pretty strange, but I sprang for the Rhino release with all the goodies. I too love that raw sound. You didn't know what you might hear. Today, every concert is pretty much the same.

[jmn3]

I love the added stuff, it really fills in some obvious gaps in the original Live album. It's not all perfect, but it's a perfect time capsule of Fleetwood Mac in their 1977-82 prime. Some of my favorites...

Second Hand News - I love this as an opener, it's rocking, quick, and full of energy. To my ears, an improvement over using Say You Love Me.

The Chain - The '82 Chain disguising itself as an '80. It is pretty much note for note (99%) as the version from the next night. I thought they nailed it on this tour. The version on the Tusk Deluxe is pretty amazing as well, until I heard that, the Mirage Tour Video was always my favorite version. This one is great. Christine's organ, all of their vocals, Lindsey's guitar...spot on!

Gold Dust Woman - I love this version, the intro really sets the mood. I'll still say she really got this one right on The Dance, but I think this is a great addition.

Brown Eyes - love, love, love this. Why they played it again in 1987-88 but never since is beyond me.

Hold Me - This was the one I waited for. A cleaned up non bootleg version of Hold Me. Count me in as someone who loves the 'yeahhhhs' they did in 1982. This really sounds good!

There isn't really a bad song added, some of them are just same old things I've heard before so nothing overly interesting.

[David]

I listened to some of the first disc and the third disc at low volume (my dog was sleeping) last night on Spotify. The labeling on all three discs is all screwed up. That’s disappointing and yet a little comical at this stage of the game. I’ll listen again at higher volume because I’m curious to see whether intros and outros contain a little more data, with the remastering.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium cuts are dated Sept. 4. New one on me. If it’s correct, it means that these things didn’t come from a band rehearsal in July for the final leg — my working hypothesis. Why would the band gather to play for anything three days after the tour ended? I can only conclude that they intended to play new things for the live album they already had planned, and maybe to record some bits and pieces of things for patching. In fact, maybe Stevie’s wondrously bronchial singing on “Sara” was recorded here and then laid on the instrumental tracks from St. Louis almost a year earlier.

I love the third disc. I love “What Makes You Think,” but I knew I would anyway. (If “So Afraid” was a bulldog onstage, this was a kangaroo on a sugar high — imagine Bobby Van on a pogo stick.) The August 1980 performances mark the band’s live apogee in my brain. There’s nothing before or since in this incarnation’s live cycles that capture the preternatural communication among the musicians and that end-of-tour enervation, bundled with such individuality and such personal voice (no other band in the world sounded like Fleetwood Mac in August 1980). To my ears and eyes, it’s like the sexually desperate, sophisticated waning of a great culture before implosion — it’s Fleetwood Mac’s Weimar period.

“Angel” is supposed to be from Richfield Coliseum, the same show used for the 20/20 TV show. Has anyone checked the two for confirmation? “Angel” is splendid here, but I don’t know whether it’s actually Cleveland as advertised. We were also supposed to get “The Chain” from Cleveland on this album, but we know we got LA 1982. I had really hoped we’d get at least something from the Bowl 1980 because, after all, it was supposed to be the original Live album. Maybe when they reissue this three-disc package a few years from now, they’ll suddenly “find” some Bowl cuts and add them?

Stevie’s harmony singing on “Second Hand News” is powerfully spot on. She matches Lindsey’s drive yelp for yelp. Neither one of them is going to let the other outpace. That kind of competition is so much more thrilling than the staged melodrama on “Silver Springs” in 1997. Give me this genuine musical athleticism any day. I think I was at that LA show, too, but hearing it now doesn’t spark any specific memories other than what was filmed.

And we’ve all complained, even the reviewers: I wish they could have added a fourth disc instead of all the vinyl crap and repro tour collectibles. Who needs that garbage, especially when it displaces another disc of old concert audio?

My grade: A–
It’s about as great as the white, Rumours, and Tusk deluxe sets, and better than the Mirage and Tango sets. I look forward to reading the Wild article and seeing the pictures.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by David

“Angel” is supposed to be from Richfield Coliseum, the same show used for the 20/20 TV show. Has anyone checked the two for confirmation? “Angel” is splendid here, but I don’t know whether it’s actually Cleveland as advertised.

They performed for two nights in Cleveland. As I mentioned in another thread I was so excited for a perfect digital copy of my perfect soundboard bootleg. It was the version from 20/20 that I was hoping to have but they used the Angel recorded on the other show than the version we saw on tv. I didn't care for it on first listen because I was so let down that it wasn't what I had hoped for but now after two more listens I really like it a lot. But it still does not compare to my soundboard from the other night from Cleveland. So if the labeling is right, this version of Angel was recorded on May 20,1980 and the version I wanted(from 20/20) was recorded on May 21, 1980.

[vivfox]

In my opinion this is the BEST Live vocal of Landslide Stevie has ever done and this should hopefully be released on some future live record by the band. Correct date for this show is: 8/29/77

[David]

Originally Posted by vivfox

They performed for two nights in Cleveland. As I mentioned in another thread I was so excited for a perfect digital copy of my perfect soundboard bootleg. It was the version from 20/20 that I was hoping to have but they used the Angel recorded on the other show than the version we saw on tv. I didn't care for it on first listen because I was so let down that it wasn't what I had hoped for but now after two more listens I really like it a lot. But it still does not compare to my soundboard from the other night from Cleveland. So if the labeling is right, this version of Angel was recorded on May 20,1980 and the version I wanted(from 20/20) was recorded on May 21, 1980.

Thank you for those extra details, vivfox. So can you share the 20/20 Angel from May 21? I don’t think I have a super-clear audience recording of that night in Cleveland. It’s been so long ago. The only super-clear recordings of the tour I had were the soundboards: Rehearsals, St. Louis, Yokohama, Melbourne, Sydney, Atlanta, and Mobile — and now the pieces from the deluxe sets.

[soul_drifter333]

Originally Posted by On Ice

I was a big fan of Live when it came out in 1980 and had high expectations for it, along the lines of the Eagles live but unfortunately I think Tusk's initial cold reaction dampened enthusiasm and sales. The only quip I had was the version of Don't Stop, like why not an actual concert? As for the new set, so much to like. I love Stevie's growl on Angel and Sisters of the Moon, she had perfected it during the Tusk tour. I could listen to her sing like that for days. Sisters of the Moon is awesome and I really love the Cecelia lyrics at the end, her voice is among the best live voice I've ever heard from her. A big surprise is What Makes You Think You're the One- translates amazing to the stage- so surprised it never made single status and Lindsey's shining moment on this reissue. The keyboard driven Think About Me is also a great listen, to this day I'm shocked this song was not a monster hit, it's truly outstanding and as good or better than You Make Loving Fun. Brown Eyes and Hold Me showcase just how much Christine's voice was improving live, not that she was ever bad, but it was so much stronger. I'm going to enjoy this reissue for years to come, reminds me of why I was such a committed fan for so long and great memories from my teen years. Love it.

Yeah, I agree with you. Live was always one of my favorites and I was starting to think we weren't going to get a deluxe edition for it. I had a chance to listen to it several times now and love everything on it. After several listens I now recognize what Stevie is saying at the end of SOTM but didn't realize it was from Cecelia. This is something that I will enjoy for years, and so glad we got it after being in the vault for 40 years!

As for the haters, if you don't want to buy it then don't. There are digital files for $18 if $100 is too much, but to come on here and try to spoil other people enjoyment over your own hateful rederick makes you out to be nothing more than another internet troll.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by soul_drifter333

As for the haters, if you don't want to buy it then don't. There are digital files for $18 if $100 is too much, but to come on here and try to spoil other people enjoyment over your own hateful rederick makes you out to be nothing more than another internet troll.

Dramatic much?
$100 IS TOO MUCH. If you don't want to hear other people's opinions, perhaps you shouldn't come to community forums!

Btw, have I mentioned that $100 IS TOO MUCH?

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Dramatic much?
$100 IS TOO MUCH. If you don't want to hear other people's opinions, perhaps you shouldn't come to community forums!

Btw, have I mentioned that $100 IS TOO MUCH?

Hey enough with the hateful rederick!

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Hey enough with the hateful rederick!

Wtf is rederick, anyway?

And I'm rarely hateful, but usually a smart ass. Don't confuse the two!

[guillamene]

If there was only one officially released Fleetwood Mac CD that I could take to a desert island, it would be LIVE.( I should point out that I always skip Not that Funny,Never Going back Again and One More Lonely Night) Still awaiting the box, but based on one itunes listening of Disc 3, I am happy with it- despite the apparent inaccuracy with dates and venues, which is really unacceptable.
I have about 100 + live shows from 1975-2019, so I am familiar with live versions of these songs . That said, disc three has some great material. Stand outs at first listening were Hold Me, Brown Eyes and -much to my surprise- Tusk , which is much more 'fluid' than later versions.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by guillamene

If there was only one officially released Fleetwood Mac CD that I could take to a desert island, it would be LIVE.( I should point out that I always skip Not that Funny,Never Going back Again and One More Lonely Night) Still awaiting the box, but based on one itunes listening of Disc 3, I am happy with it- despite the apparent inaccuracy with dates and venues, which is really unacceptable.
I have about 100 + live shows from 1975-2019, so I am familiar with live versions of these songs . That said, disc three has some great material. Stand outs at first listening were Hold Me, Brown Eyes and -much to my surprise- Tusk , which is much more 'fluid' than later versions.

That's the best Tusk Live, that I've heard. It's fluid, it makes more sense as a song, it jams to give the crowd energy.

I've always thought it was just filler live.