Mike Campbell talks about FM in New interview

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by David

But the arguing over “viability” — who was more “viable” — is all about commerce, not creativity. So boring!

I don’t disagree with most of what you said, but you can’t have one without the other with a band at the level of Fleetwood Mac.

Put it a different way: people around here express the sentiment that Fleetwood Mac was so desperate by 1995 that they needed Lindsey to bail them out. How so? As you mentioned, Christine wrote lovely songs for Behind the Mask and Time, and even more so on the box set songs. So, the core three, the only ones who matter in the Time equation, still had their creativity in tact. So, they didn’t necessarily need Lindsey to bail them out creatively.

So, how else would he have bailed them out? Commercially? That where the viability and sales come into play, because he wasn’t in a position to bail anyone out on his name. Charity begins at home.

[anusha]

Honestly, I hadn’t been here for a few weeks after my last post and this thread and possibly this fandom is mirroring the toxic cesspool that the band is. It’s ridiculous to try and weigh the respective involvement of everyone. Stevie is the most marketable, commercial, identifiable part of the band. I don’t think anyone really questions that. But there is value in the five of them together, and the attempts to make that happen after 1987 were/are an attempt to recapture the frenzy of Rumours. They obviously were able to do a successful tour in 2018 without Lindsey and many tours without Christine, but it’s the five together that is the apex of what I enjoy about them.

It’s the arguing over who matters and who contributed and the petty sniping I hate the most. I don’t regret cutting off my involvement in the band endeavors after Lindsey was fired. I did enjoy trying to figure out the timeline of how it happened and to piece it together from the clues we have. But ultimately it doesn’t matter. At this point, I hope they don’t reunite. I was able to believe that they were in it for something other than money in 1997 until 2018. Now it’s clear that’s really what binds them together, and the act they sold us was just to make more money. .

For me, there’s no point in debating who is most valuable or marketable. They have all made a lot of money — much of it selling us a love or camaraderie that was pretty fake as far as I can tell — and they can all make more. Maybe that’s a damper on the thread, admittedly, but what is the point in warring over who matters most in a band that has decided that money matters most of all?

[elle]

Originally Posted by anusha

Honestly, I hadn’t been here for a few weeks after my last post and this thread and possibly this fandom is mirroring the toxic cesspool that the band is.

you know, similarly to what you are saying, it's funny to come back here even every few days as i usually do, to kinda de-stress from everyday life and work, and you see this one thread - which has completely nothing to do with the topic dragged on in it - revived on and on.

the thing is, you usually know exactly where everyone stands, who in the band is each person's favorite - whether it is the band as a whole, Christine, Lindsey or Stevie. the only person who abruptly changed their tune around the time when Lindsey firing became public is Steve, and that's i think why so many people were at first so surprised and tried to rationally argue his points. his arguments used to be interesting and leveled.

now most of Steve's arguments became the same as what any regular chiffonhead would argue, except he is still trying to back up his speculations as fully legit with his old reputation of having some cred from [previously?] working in/adjacent to the industry and first and foremost being FM's rhythm section fan.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by elle

the thing is, you usually know exactly where everyone stands, who in the band is each person's favorite - whether it is the band as a whole, Christine, Lindsey or Stevie. the only person who abruptly changed their tune around the time when Lindsey firing became public is Steve, and that's i think why so many people were at first so surprised and tried to rationally argue his points.

I had a view that changed based on a number of facts. Stevie headlined 20K seat arenas while Lindsey and Christine combined not selling 3/4 of 4000 seat amphitheaters was the eye opener. Factor in Lindsey’s “close your eyes and take the money” comment, Mick’s “Stevie and I want to play obscure songs” interview, and The Eagles successfully going on without Glen (which Fleetwood Mac had already done without Lindsey), it wasn’t hard to see what was going to happen.

his arguments used to be interesting and leveled.

now most of Steve's arguments became the same as what any regular chiffonhead would argue,

Except, I’ve always argued against the ones overstating the importance of any one member, be it Peter, Stevie, or Lindsey. But the Messiah Buckingham sect make it seem like the band couldn’t function without him. My posts show why that’s a massive overstatement.

except he is still trying to back up his speculations as fully legit with his old reputation of having some cred from [previously?] working in/adjacent to the industry

Huh? I was a roadie/studio assistant for a legendary indie rock band from 2010-16. I’ve been a die-hard Fleetwood Mac fan since 1987 and part of the Fleetwood Mac online community since October, 1995. I ran a Dave Mason website, a Fleetwood Mac website, and archived a Lindsey website, which I think was the first Fleetwood Mac related site on the web.

That said, it was seeing Lindsey in 2006 that made me take a break from Fleetwood Mac. When I got to my car, I asked if Robert Pollard was playing anywhere and vowed I’d only go see Fleetwood Mac again if Christine came back. The prerecords and psychobabble finally broke me.

and first and foremost being FM's rhythm section fan.

It’s always been about the core three for me.

[BigAl84]

LOL there it is again...interjecting the “messiah buckingham” crap that nobody is trying to make this thread about.

Because somebody says Stevie probably benefited nearly the most from the dance, it’s met with responses implying it’s only being said by the “buckingham messiah sect”. Nobody is dismissing you because of your loyalty to “the core three”

[BigAl84]

Lol no offense, It’s still hard for me to believe you STILL buy into that whole “Stevie wants to play more obscure songs” thing. They removed the majority of them mid-tour. As somebody who has been a fan for 20 years, the golden rule that everyone knows is to take everything mick and Stevie say with a grain of salt and then consider it a near fabrication.

Most of us can compile a list a mile long of crap those two have promised that have never happened or back peddled 90% of the way on.

Remember the Stevie Vegas shows where she told everyone it was the most elaborate stage she’s ever had. Opening night it’s a black stage and two screens.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

Lol no offense, It’s still hard for me to believe you STILL buy into that whole “Stevie wants to play more obscure songs” thing. They removed the majority of them mid-tour.

Look at her 24KG setlist. Now, apply that to a Fleetwood Mac setlist.

Mick mentioned it in August, 2017 and they actually did it. Whether or not it lasted is irrelevant, they actually did what they said they were going to do.

I saw Louisville (3), Indianapolis, and Columbus (17...Yes, she made the joke), so I got to see them play the obscure stuff and it was amazing. My only gripe was sequencing.

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I don’t disagree with most of what you said, but you can’t have one without the other with a band at the level of Fleetwood Mac.

Put it a different way: people around here express the sentiment that Fleetwood Mac was so desperate by 1995 that they needed Lindsey to bail them out. How so? As you mentioned, Christine wrote lovely songs for Behind the Mask and Time, and even more so on the box set songs. So, the core three, the only ones who matter in the Time equation, still had their creativity in tact. So, they didn’t necessarily need Lindsey to bail them out creatively.

So, how else would he have bailed them out? Commercially? That where the viability and sales come into play, because he wasn’t in a position to bail anyone out on his name. Charity begins at home.

Steeeeeeeeve!!! Duh... Tango had to of sold way more than behind the mask. I thought that was the gold standard of artistic success. Change of heart eh?

[BigAl84]

Steve I get the feeling that your wet dream Fleetwood Mac tour would involve Stevie nicks and literally anyone else to play the rest. It could be Stevie Nicks & The Pips but with the Fleetwood Mac name attached to it. You would argue for days it’s a relevant Fleetwood Mac project. LOLOLOlOL

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

Steve I get the feeling that your wet dream Fleetwood Mac tour would involve Stevie nicks and literally anyone else to play the rest. It could be Stevie Nicks & The Pips but with the Fleetwood Mac name attached to it. You would argue for days it’s a relevant Fleetwood Mac project. LOLOLOlOL

Ummm...You have seen my signature, right?

My fandom is with the core three.

Right now, I’d like to see the three with Neil Finn and Rick Vito and I’d prefer to see them in theaters.

However, looking at it from their perspective, Fleetwood Mac was their lives. Their band survived all kinds of tragedies and traumas, and was playing arenas over 50 years later. There has to be some level of pride/ego trip in that for them.

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Ummm...You have seen my signature, right?

My fandom is with the core three.

Right now, I’d like to see the three with Neil Finn and Rick Vito and I’d prefer to see them in theaters.

However, looking at it from their perspective, Fleetwood Mac was their lives. Their band survived all kinds of tragedies and traumas, and was playing arenas over 50 years later. There has to be some level of pride/ego trip in that for them.

Well sh*t...put the cone on my head, no I honestly never noticed. LMAO. #oops

That kind of puts everything in perspective now doesn’t it.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Ummm...You have seen my signature, right?

My fandom is with the core three.

Right now, I’d like to see the three with Neil Finn and Rick Vito and I’d prefer to see them in theaters.

I once saw Lindsey in the signature!

I'd rather just see Rick with the three. Amphitheater would be fine for me.

Just thinking, I'm not sure Neil would do a whole tour with Rick. They did a few songs on stage for the Green celebration.

But from his social media, it seems like Rick was a Trump guy and I know Neil wants none of that around. Neil got off social media because of MAGA hate.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by UnwindedDreams

I once saw Lindsey in the signature!

No disrespect to Lindsey. My signature pic for like ten years was of the three from the Time booklet. I decided to switch this time after listening to a comp playlist.

I used my last pic after they announced LBCM (in anger that they weren’t calling it Fleetwood Mac).

[michelej1]

Steve, how long has that been your signature?

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Steve, how long has that been your signature?

The quote from “Love Shines” has always been in my signature.

The pic is new. Prior to that, it was a pic from the 1993 press conference without Stevie.