Lindsey's TITN Opinion

[mikeboston]

Lindsey said in Rolling Stone around the time of "The Dance" that the Fleetwood Mac sound was "already starting to sound generic" with TITN, and that was one of the reasons why he left.

With all apologies to "Family Man" afficionados, I can't think of a more generic sounding, mid-eighties, voice-modulated. over-synthed song in the whole FM stable of songs.

A friend argued to me that "Family Man" may have been what he was referring to. However, again with all due respect to Lindsey, he rarely if ever is prone to criticizing his own work. I took his comment as a slap at his partners.

Which leads me to this tangent-thread: Lindsey likes to deflect the bad press away from himself and take credit for all the positives...he left FM to get away from the "generic"-ness and preserve the purity of his craft...The Dance came about thanks to his machinations (which he made sure to mention everytime he did Big Love during the tour)...Stevie's lyrics came alive thanks to his graciously crafting them into songs...

...and the doozy of them all...He always planned on a FM album post The Dance, so that's why he's here, but little mention is made of the fact that it was the only way the label would consider putting his songs out. I guarantee if they had released the album he presented to them, we would probably have seen the last of what we are now calling Fleetwood Mac.

Lindsey fans, fire away. I can take it!

[strandinthewind]

LB does like his cake and eating it too I can remember him saying The Dance was a creative process and then a few months ago he said The Dance was pretty much for the money. While I think the two can coexist, I just think LB loves to play the tortured artist and then when he can't sell it, he seemingly comes running back to FM. This is what happened with Say You Will and seemingly The Dance (all of FM but Stevie were working on parts of the GOS songs when they get SN on beard and did The Dance instead).

Moreover, I have always said his leaving after recording TITN basically boiled down to the biggest punitive, self-indulgent, spoiled brat temper tantrum I have ever seen that had the potential to cost alot of people at all levels of the totem pole alot of money. I know he says he was in a bad place emotionally, but who hasn't had to go to work that way.

But, many disagree with me and I respect their opinions. I mean who am I to say I know what really went down. For all I know, the true story could have nothing to do with my or any other proffered theory

Note: In an attempt to avoid a rehashing of WWIII on this already discussed topic, I am not saying I hate LB or that any other members' actions at any time were better than his. I comment solely on my take of LB's actions at that time

[mikeboston]

Strand,

I couldn't agree more. Stevie has fully acknowledged that FM was / is a soap opera, and she revels in it ("here I am dramatic"). What bugs me about LB is that he tries to appear above it all, when he's neck deep in it as well.

None of this detracts from his immense talent and his undeniable contributions to the music world. He just needs to realize we're on to him! While some would say that Stevie lives in her own special world, flying across the world in a golden ball (if I may!) I think Lindsey is really and truly locked into a world of his own and doesn't realize that most people see that for what it is. And to depart on a catty note (sorry LB fanatics) he definitely is his own biggest fan!

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by mikeboston
. . . he definitely is his own biggest fan!

LOL - many on trhius site are putting contracts on you as we speak

Seriously, I totally love LB and the vast majority of his solo work. It just seems there is pattern that once he doesn't sell the solo stuff he comes back to Fleetwood Mac to get popular again. I support this by noting his interviews at the time of The Dance where he said, I am glad to be doing the reunion tour, etc., and, by the way, the exposure can only help my new solo CD, which I plan to release soon after this tour is over. In the end, he pretty much had to go to Fleetwood Mac to get it released for a variety of reasons even though the work was really good and most of it appears as he recorded it with the addition of SN's vocals on this current CD (Say You Will).

So, I am all for LB and his solo stuff. In fact, I think most of it is great if not genius (See Out of the Cradle (entire recording) ). I just find irony in LB's self-professed and apparent journey against what he defines as the status quo and his seeminginly inconsistent and simlutaneous return to the status quo of Fleetwood Mac to sell his records. Oh the drama!!!!!!!!

Note and again: I am not bashing LB. I love his work and find him to be a great artist!!!! In fact, I rather admire his ability to release "out there" solo work and then come back to FM.

[wetcamelfood]

Well, I agree with much of what's been said here, but can I ask why this was posted in the "post Rumours" area (given the idea that LB stuff either goes under "Rumours" or the LB board)? Just curious.

I was thinking about the thread that's going on under the "Rumorus" board right now about "Mirage" and was thinking, on top of Lindsey possibly saving his best stuff for "Law and order" etc. at the time and obviously not wanting to do "Mirage" in the first place, let alone the fact that the band "wanted to get back to the Rumours formula" (which he was obviously against, as he has referred to "Mirage" as "Rumours 2") that he, well, maybe not have tried to make "Mirage" bad but didn't want to give "Mirage" his "all" so that he could...

1. "Prove himself more right" in the idea of "see I told you, we gotta get away from this Rumours stuff and do other things" and...

2. Wanting the album not to do/be thought of well so that the band would break up and he could then go off and do his solo stuff (which he obviously wanted to do badly at that time since it took them 5 years to get him back in for TITN (as he probably liked the idea of wanting in effect to say "oh well, I guess we just don't have it anymore, so I guess we should break up and do our own things, see ya later")?

Just some thoughts. Again, I'm not saying "I know this for a fact", these are just things I had been thinking about regarding this and wanted to bounce it off some of you is all.

John

[mikeboston]

John,

I have to take the hit for the poorly located thread. I had Behind the Mask playing, which got me thinking "post-Rumours", then the Lindsey-TITN thing jumped in and suddenly I was posting here. Then we segued to the LB discussion, and here we are...

I'm still learning. Sorry

Again, so as not to come across as not liking / respecting Lindsey's work, let me reiterate that I do. I just wish he'd be a bit more straightforward about his motivations for almost everything he does, be it joining / leaving / returning to FM, etc. This plays into my feeling that he really believes that the general fan base doesn't pick up on these things.

[macfan 57]

It's a good thing that you didn't start this thread in the Lindsey forum. But, I agree with everything that's been said here. Lindsey has always enjoyed bashing other band members, especially Stevie & Mick. He nows seems intent on minimizing Christine's contributions to Fleetwood Mac over the years. There's an enormous ego here. If you read Ken Caillet's Q & A here on The Penguin, you can get a little more insight into his personality & character. I respect his talent, but I'm afraid I have very little respect for him as a person. This is just my opinion.

[wetcamelfood]

I agree with both macfan57 and Mike.

I really do like Lindsey's work as well but going by what I can go by of him as a person, I'm not so sure though I feel this with many of the Mac members in one way or another, maybe that's why I try to concentrate on the music and try not to let the personal stuff get to me but I know, it's not so easy to do that sometimes like in regards to what we've been saying about the above etc.

It may just be the east coast in me but yeah, it would be nice if Lindsey was more straightforward as you were saying Mike. Oh well, we seem to agree anyways and nah really, "I" don't care about this thread being here, I just thought I'd mention it in case it was suddenly moved by a moderator to either the LB board and/or the Rumours board is all.

John

[mikeboston]

Thanks John. I kinda get the feeling I'd get massacred if this did get moved to the LB forum! Take care.

[strandinthewind]

Well, I have posted my exact opinion on the Rumors board and did not get too much flack. Basically, I made a statement similar to my statement above that "I have always said his leaving after recording TITN basically boiled down to the biggest punitive, self-indulgent, spoiled brat temper tantrum I have ever seen that had the potential to cost alot of people at all levels of the totem pole alot of money. I know he says he was in a bad place emotionally, but who hasn't had to go to work that way."

People responded that LB was in a bad place emotionally and should be cut some slack. It also turned into the dreaded Stevie had no good reason to think FM would not get back together someday and even though she released two solo records in the interim, she, therefore, held back or used the "good" songs for her solo work and gave the weak leftovers to FM on her way to rehab., LB did the best he could with what he got, etc.

So, it was not that bloody Just people with different points of view that most can argue with a level head.

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by mikeboston
And to depart on a catty note (sorry LB fanatics) he definitely is his own biggest fan!

What rock star isn't? It's part of their makeup.

[Karen]

Originally posted by mikeboston
Thanks John. I kinda get the feeling I'd get massacred if this did get moved to the LB forum! Take care.

No need to worry.

Besides, TITN can be considered Rumours or Post-Rumours, right? Lindsey was with the band during the studio recording, but was replaced during the tour.

Lindsey's departure is a general topic that doesn't need to be limited to just one forum.

BTW, you've brought up an interesting topic. Gotta love the reactions.

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
What rock star isn't? It's part of their makeup.

literally and figuratively!!!!!

[wetcamelfood]

Originally posted by wetcamelfood
I agree with both macfan57 and Mike

Oops, I didn't mean to leave out Strand, Karen and gldstwmn, gotta love what you guys had to say here as well.

John

[wondergirl9847]

Glad I stepped in here. Interesting convo!! I'm not gonna flame ya or whatever, I love hearing everyone's take on stuff!!

I have to say that LB DOES acknowledge the "musical soap opera" and uses that phrase QUITE a lot...along with cycles and bittersweet. LMAO!!

I get what you are saying, YES, he has an ego...what man doesn't? LOL

Seriously, if you don't believe in your music, WHO will? I write poetry and stories, and while *I* am my own worst critic, *I* am also VERY proud of my "work", the good, bad and VERY ugly. LOL

Perception. That's a word I use a lot when describing situations because it's TRUE...we all view things differently.

Makes for great threads, dudn't it?