Fleetwood Mac - September 1,1980 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl torrent

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Funny cause I dont disagree with what anyone posted. However why is it just me that is not crazy about The Dance. Lindsey back and everyone back was a treat but the music was so studio like and I missed the raw, live sound. I would even paint with a broader brush and this is the same reason I am not crazy about Tango In The Night. Its just too programmed slick 80s sound.

I agree on both. Mirage is the last time they were a BAND. Then the FM orchestra took over.

Less is more.

[BigAl84]

This might be an unpopular opinion - I think The Dance tour was the last time that the band could have performed without all of the extra musicians.

From 2003 onward, I think some of the extra musicians helped round the rough edges that were clearly there and they helped keep the energy up. Could they still pare it down a little bit? Absolutely.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

This might be an unpopular opinion - I think The Dance tour was the last time that the band could have performed without all of the extra musicians.

From 2003 onward, I think some of the extra musicians helped round the rough edges that were clearly there and they helped keep the energy up. Could they still pare it down a little bit? Absolutely.

I agree. I think they were super worried about NOT sounding on par during the Dance. Instead of just going for it.

[BigAl84]

I love those dance rehearsal clips of them performing GYOW and YMLF, it appears to be just the 5 of them....and they sound great.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

I love those dance rehearsal clips of them performing GYOW and YMLF, it appears to be just the 5 of them....and they sound great.

Are those the clips where Christine's hair is short?

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

This might be an unpopular opinion - I think The Dance tour was the last time that the band could have performed without all of the extra musicians.

From 2003 onward, I think some of the extra musicians helped round the rough edges that were clearly there and they helped keep the energy up. Could they still pare it down a little bit? Absolutely.

I agree but this was an era of controlled sound. Many of us were shocked when Christine leaked several years ago that the Clinton inauguration ball was a pre-recorded track. They pretended to play instruments to the track but sung it live.
The technology of the 90s really took over and bands seemed to embrace the studio sound over the arena rock golden days. I was disappointed in 1987 when I saw Stevie's back up singers microphones being set up. Not one but THREE of them.
Speaking of unpopular opinions I probably have the biggest one. I preferred the 1990 concert to the Dance. Of course I prefer Lindsey over Billy and Rick but 1990 still had the arena rock sound vs the controlled studio sound of The Dance. I felt guilty leaving the Dance concert in 1997 to feel this way. Speaking of The Dance, I was watching Dont Stop with the USC Marching band. I have a hunch the band music was pre recorded and the band still played but mostly went through the motions. Anyone agree?

I give Stevie credit. I saw the 24K Gold tour and she sung every word and every line. She may flub here or there but its LIVE. Waddy was cranked up too during Crying In The Night. He blasted his guitar through the arena.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I agree on both. Mirage is the last time they were a BAND. Then the FM orchestra took over.

Less is more.

That’s why I dug the Time lineup shows. It was just six people of stage.

Going from that to the overly slick sound of The Dance felt like a regression.

[BigAl84]

To be fair...that was sort of what MTV was doing with all of the specials at that time. They scrubbed Joe Walsh up squeaky clean fresh out of rehab, in a sweater and glasses playing classical guitar on Hotel California for Hell Freezes Over

From my own personal experience seeing The Dance tour in Buffalo, NY - the sound mix was terrible from my seat in the nosebleeds. Deafening bass that I've never experienced since. You could see Lenny Castro hitting those bongos, but you couldn't hear a lick of it!

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Are those the clips where Christine's hair is short?

Yes, I believe so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK37WT_B4tQ

Mick's backup drummer is actually playing behind him, so it's not quite just the 5 of them.

[David]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

Mick's backup drummer is actually playing behind him, so it's not quite just the 5 of them.

Tony Todaro played drums behind Mick on “Tusk” in 1980. He played behind a backlit curtain, allowing you to see his silhouette.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Are those the clips where Christine's hair is short?

Yes—and I agree with BigAl84: on those clips, they sound like the actual band, minus extensions. The three-part harmonies are wholly in tact. I remember watching that in 1997 and getting tingles....

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by David

Tony Todaro played drums behind Mick on “Tusk” in 1980. He played behind a backlit curtain, allowing you to see his silhouette.

Did Tony play on every song, or just the heavy drumming songs?

[David]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Did Tony play on every song, or just the heavy drumming songs?

Just that number, as I recall. Mick was on his own most of the set. Sova, Todaro, and Ray Lindsey played on only a few select numbers. It was pretty purely Fleetwood Mac most of the night, and no workstation extensions, modules, and MIDI sequencers (although other bands certainly used them), and certainly no singers in the back.

Truth to tell, I like the idea of singers in the back at a lot of concerts, and many of them I’ve seen added to the spirit — like the Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison, Nick Cave, Dylan, Graham Parker, etc. But for some reason, the singers Fleetwood Mac usually uses are rather colorless in their harmony arrangements. There was one exception I recall: the Jamaican Elisecia Wright. She was gutsy, soulful and fun. It may have been her gospel background. Dylan used her before Stevie or Mac did.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Yes—and I agree with BigAl84: on those clips, they sound like the actual band, minus extensions. The three-part harmonies are wholly in tact. I remember watching that in 1997 and getting tingles....

If wishing made things so....

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by David

Just that number, as I recall. Mick was on his own most of the set. Sova, Todaro, and Ray Lindsey played on only a few select numbers. It was pretty purely Fleetwood Mac most of the night, and no workstation extensions, modules, and MIDI sequencers (although other bands certainly used them), and certainly no singers in the back.

Truth to tell, I like the idea of singers in the back at a lot of concerts, and many of them I’ve seen added to the spirit — like the Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison, Nick Cave, Dylan, Graham Parker, etc. But for some reason, the singers Fleetwood Mac usually uses are rather colorless in their harmony arrangements. There was one exception I recall: the Jamaican Elisecia Wright. She was gutsy, soulful and fun. It may have been her gospel background. Dylan used her before Stevie or Mac did.

You are correct Dylan used Wright. Wright toured with Stevie on RAL and Mac's Tango tour. Another black female Lynn Mabry was hired by the Mac for BTM and Stevie's Timespace tour. Mabry sang with Sly and the Family Stone. She was a powerhouse singer but too powerful Like you said, it was very powerful and gospel. If you watch Stevie's Timespace pro shot show on youtube, Mabry is overpowering everyone on Stand Back. What made the Eagles incredible was their harmony among themselves. Fleetwood Mac was the same. The harmony among the band members was incredible. When Stevie brought her back up crew to the Mac, it was a downer for me.
Did you see Joe Walsh with Stevie in 1983? Marilyn Martin was showing off her vocal ability and would over power Joe and the other back up singers. It was so annoying. Marilyn can sing for sure but she was doing Mariah Carey stuff in the songs and I wanted to tell her to SHUT UP. This is rock and roll girl not practicing for American Idol

Stevie seems to grab her backup singers from artists she toured with. She took Wright after doing shows with Dylan in Australia on her RAL tour. She took Martin after touring with Joe Walsh's band.