Behind The Mask Turns 35 Today (April 9) - Page 2

SteveMacD · #16 04-11-2025, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I am sorry. I don't believe that for a minute. She's trying to create a myth of some fandom like she discovered the song. She could never name any song off Time. In 2018 they were rehearsing for the tour. They were playing tons of songs that never made it to the set and digging deep. No doubt Chris thought this was a good encore since she could not really play Songbird anymore.

There’s more evidence than not that Stevie initiated that.

First, just look at how she opened up her own solo setlist in 2017. She brought in some little or never played songs and it was her biggest solo tour up to that point. Changing the formula suddenly wasn’t nearly as intimidating.

Then, there was the quote from Mick to Rolling Stone in 2017:

“Yeah. I was in Italy recently and met Stevie out there. Actually, she was in Capri and I was close to there. She said to me, “Let’s sit down and really listen to some stuff that sort of almost got forgotten.” So I know she’s already thinking she wants to do some things we haven’t done in years.”

Finally, the Don’t Stop comp was being planned, so opening up the setlist to include material outside of the Rumours band would have seemed obvious, especially in light of her aforementioned 2017 tour.

Now, whether or not “All Over Again” was specifically her idea or something that came up in committee during the tour planning is another matter. As in, “If we’re opening up the setlist like this, there’s a nice song from Time we could try that would be a nice way to end the show…” Still, it seems pretty obvious that Stevie was the one who put that in motion.

As for not being able to play “Songbird”, she was able to belt out a few electric piano solos, so she still had chops. The bigger limitation I see is her singing. “All Over Again”, especially when done as a duet, was a lot easier to sing. Neil playing piano was more so Christine and Stevie could stand together.

UnwindedDreams · #17 04-11-2025, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I am sorry. I don't believe that for a minute. She's trying to create a myth of some fandom like she discovered the song. She could never name any song off Time. In 2018 they were rehearsing for the tour. They were playing tons of songs that never made it to the set and digging deep. No doubt Chris thought this was a good encore since she could not really play Songbird anymore.

Given Stevie's selection of her own songs to perform for the 2018-2019 Tour, it's clear she doesn't think highly of her songs on Behind The Mask. She sang her songs from FM, Rumours, Tusk (Storms not Sara), and Mirage.

Macfan4life · #18 04-12-2025, 04:06 AM

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Mr Scarrott · #19 04-12-2025, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I am sorry. I don't believe that for a minute. She's trying to create a myth of some fandom like she discovered the song. She could never name any song off Time. In 2018 they were rehearsing for the tour. They were playing tons of songs that never made it to the set and digging deep. No doubt Chris thought this was a good encore since she could not really play Songbird anymore.

Christine herself was happy enough to say that Stevie had suggested All over again. Somehow, I don't think Christine would have been brow-beaten into faking that. I'm prepared to give Stevie a little credit, here.

"This is a song that Stevie reminded me of quite a long time ago. It's a sweet song, it's not very famous but it's very pretty." Christine explains.

"We love it" says Stevie.

"We love it" echoes Christine.

"I found it" claims Stevie (well she couldn't have written anything like it, I suppose).

"And you found it.." Christine deadpans, pointing her thumb at the old witch.

How I miss Christine being in the world...

https://youtu.be/wuM1ZXUJUB8?si=678OsXd5qVkqsmsr&t=15

Las Vegas November 30 2018

SteveMacD · #20 04-12-2025, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

................

That being said, Christine’s last public performance of “Songbird” was in June, 2017.

https://youtu.be/6VAZQ_oBHEo

I think she and Lindsey were trying to do more LBCM material on their tour and Stevie wanted to do more obscure stuff in 2018.

Villavic · #21 04-12-2025, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

That being said, Christine’s last public performance of “Songbird” was in June, 2017.

https://youtu.be/6VAZQ_oBHEo

I gave a deep sigh when I finished watching it a few seconds ago.

HomerMcvie · #22 04-12-2025, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

I gave a deep sigh when I finished watching it a few seconds ago.

The Queen of FM is gone, but not forgotten.

moon · #23 04-17-2025, 01:16 PM

Hi hi! Behind The Mask is one of my fav albums at the moment, as I started to listen more deeply in the lockdown, also with Time.
What can I say! I'm only one year older than it, and when I listen to some songs I find myself travelling in time to 1990, with strange hairdos and stuff...

It's not a bad album (except for The Second Time and that unnecessary long intro of In The Back Of My Mind)!! It has good highlights, of course we can discuss which ones!

I'm still waiting for a deluxe edition, but as you can see, no matter how many years the album is turning, there are still "other" priorities...How many songs can you name to make a great and valid three disc edition??

Happy Birthday, Behind The Mask!

WalkAThinLine. · #24 04-17-2025, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moon

Hi hi! Behind The Mask is one of my fav albums at the moment, as I started to listen more deeply in the lockdown, also with Time.
What can I say! I'm only one year older than it, and when I listen to some songs I find myself travelling in time to 1990, with strange hairdos and stuff...

It's not a bad album (except for The Second Time and that unnecessary long intro of In The Back Of My Mind)!! It has good highlights, of course we can discuss which ones!

I'm still waiting for a deluxe edition, but as you can see, no matter how many years the album is turning, there are still "other" priorities...How many songs can you name to make a great and valid three disc edition??

Happy Birthday, Behind The Mask!

The long intro of "In the Back of My Mind" marks one of the few uses of Mick's drum vest on a Fleetwood Mac studio recording. He may have also used it on "These Strange Times", but I cannot confirm.

Most of the songs on Behind the Mask were written by Billy and Christine, who at the time were the strongest songwriters of the band. The songwriting is fine on the album and the production is serviceable but a little bland at times, with the exception of the title track and the intro to "In the Back of My Mind". The album could have benefited from gutsier production, perhaps from someone like Patrick Leonard, who produced "Love Shines". I'm curious if to what extent the album would have been enhanced with the presence of Lindsey on the rest of the album. Perhaps it would be held in slightly higher regard, particularly if it meant that some of his Out of the Cradle songs were carried over to Behind the Mask and developed by the rest of Fleetwood Mac. Songs like "This is the Time" and "Say We Would Meet Again" would have benefited from some live drums from Mick.

Macfan4life · #25 04-18-2025, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkAThinLine.

The long intro of "In the Back of My Mind" marks one of the few uses of Mick's drum vest on a Fleetwood Mac studio recording. He may have also used it on "These Strange Times", but I cannot confirm.

Most of the songs on Behind the Mask were written by Billy and Christine, who at the time were the strongest songwriters of the band. The songwriting is fine on the album and the production is serviceable but a little bland at times, with the exception of the title track and the intro to "In the Back of My Mind". The album could have benefited from gutsier production, perhaps from someone like Patrick Leonard, who produced "Love Shines". I'm curious if to what extent the album would have been enhanced with the presence of Lindsey on the rest of the album. Perhaps it would be held in slightly higher regard, particularly if it meant that some of his Out of the Cradle songs were carried over to Behind the Mask and developed by the rest of Fleetwood Mac. Songs like "This is the Time" and "Say We Would Meet Again" would have benefited from some live drums from Mick.

You left out that Stevie contributed some of the worst songs of her career. She was saved with Tango because she contributed Sandy's song which became a single. None of her songs on BTM could have ever been a single off the album. They were all B side sort of stuff. Second Time is horrible but I think Affairs of the Heart is one of the worst songs the Mac ever recorded. It's dreadful. Freedom is ok but it needed some punch ups and should have been the second song on the album. Its buried on the second side.
I've mentioned this before but I never upgraded my 1990 cassette to CD for BTM. It was one of the only Mac albums from that era that I never got the CD. Several months ago I got one on Ebay really cheap. I played it for a few weeks front to back. Its not a bad album at all and I like most of it. But its so annoying how Stevie is layered in so many songs. In 1990 I never caught on but Stevie was not much in the studio for BTM and her voice is layered in. She's not on the chorus of Save Me until the far end where she is edited in. She gets layered in during one chorus of When The Sun Goes Down and a moan in the title track. There are a few other places. I suppose the band thought they were clever layering her in on songs and at the same time making Stevie feel relevant. This is why Skies The Limit is a rare song for the album. She is singing live with the rest of the band. The only song 4 singers authentically singing and harmonizing together. There should have been more of that.
Stevie's songs were so bad that she did not even care to promote them on the tour and chose her classic Mac stuff instead. Besides the lead single Save Me (which was dropped late in the tour) Chris never promoted anything from the album either. The album was almost used exclusively to allow the new members to have songs of their own to sing at a Mac concert (Stand on The Rock and In The Back of My Mind).

Villavic · #26 04-24-2025, 09:15 AM

I just found this article. The review of the background has no new info, so I payed attention in the songs review, and I must say I completely agreed with what it says about Do You Know and WTSGT.

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/...hind-the-mask/

So, Skies The Limit really kicks of the trend of starting out as a pretty epic song. But yeah, the chorus just had to be that simple. Fleetwood Mac can make the simple things good, but not this time apparently. Love Is Dangerous was kind of simple and casual. In The Back of My Mind was very intriguing, with the first half of the song being pretty epic before the second half kind of changing up the mood completely. Wasn't a fan of that. Do You Know is one of my favourites, quite nice track. Save Me was also nice, with the instrumental being especially engaging. Affairs Of The Heart was built as a very similar track, so that gave me zero surprises. When The Sun Goes Down has some blues and country vibes and it turned out to be pretty fun. The title track actually proved to be the first real weak song of the album. Stand On The Rock probably was the last track which was among the very likeable ones. The remaining ones just exist.

Macfan4life · #27 04-24-2025, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

I just found this article. The review of the background has no new info, so I payed attention in the songs review, and I must say I completely agreed with what it says about Do You Know and WTSGT.

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/...hind-the-mask/

So, Skies The Limit really kicks of the trend of starting out as a pretty epic song. But yeah, the chorus just had to be that simple. Fleetwood Mac can make the simple things good, but not this time apparently. Love Is Dangerous was kind of simple and casual. In The Back of My Mind was very intriguing, with the first half of the song being pretty epic before the second half kind of changing up the mood completely. Wasn't a fan of that. Do You Know is one of my favourites, quite nice track. Save Me was also nice, with the instrumental being especially engaging. Affairs Of The Heart was built as a very similar track, so that gave me zero surprises. When The Sun Goes Down has some blues and country vibes and it turned out to be pretty fun. The title track actually proved to be the first real weak song of the album. Stand On The Rock probably was the last track which was among the very likeable ones. The remaining ones just exist.

You forgot the most important last line: A step down but still a good album.