Like or dislike: Long Way To Go

[skcin]

This song rocks! It's not in my top 10, but I really like it - high energy, powerful vocal, one of the only "rock" songs on this album. I can even forgive Rupert's annoying synthesizer keyboards. I chuckled when I read the credits - Tambourine: Stevie Nicks.

This song strikes me as desperate & passionate, but still hopeful ("well I can make it!") What's it about? I haven't a clue. It's so easy to say that a song must be about Lindsey, or about drugs, or whatever, so I won't do that. For some reason, I'm thinking Mick's in here somewhere, but I have nothing to back that up at all. Just a feeling.

The lyrics aren't all that great, now that I'm reading through them, just the same three verses (someone will be here shortly, I'm sure, and say that 'verses' isn't the right term, but you know what I mean) repeated a couple times each. But for some reason it works.

The best part is the timing of the different vocals at the end & they way they all mesh together. What's that called? You know, like when you start "row row row your boat..." and the next person comes in & starts their own "row row row..." right when you start "gently down the stream?" That's what I mean. It's really cool on this song, IMO. "I thought we already I thought we already..."

Favorite line: "High in my life, obsessive was my love" She sounds sexy as hell during that line, the first time esp. Least fave line "Have fun tell the world." Huh? OK.

I adore the ending, when the drum beat gets really strong & fast for "well I can do it, well I can make it!" Damn near impossible not to belt that out along with the song.

[David]

Originally Posted by skcin

This song rocks! It's not in my top 10, but I really like it - high energy, powerful vocal, one of the only "rock" songs on this album. I can even forgive Rupert's annoying synthesizer keyboards. I chuckled when I read the credits - Tambourine: Stevie Nicks.

This song does rock! The only thing I don't like about it is the anaemic recording of the kick drum.

This song strikes me as desperate & passionate, but still hopeful ("well I can make it!") What's it about? I haven't a clue. It's so easy to say that a song must be about Lindsey, or about drugs, or whatever, so I won't do that. For some reason, I'm thinking Mick's in here somewhere, but I have nothing to back that up at all. Just a feeling.

Stevie talked about it once. It has something to do with her split with Joe Walsh.

The best part is the timing of the different vocals at the end & they way they all mesh together. What's that called? You know, like when you start "row row row your boat..." and the next person comes in & starts their own "row row row..." right when you start "gently down the stream?" That's what I mean.

Canon.

It sure is a rockin' tune, Paula! I wanna try this one with Mikki!

[Jyqm]

This is one of the few songs on TOSOTM that doesn't seem to suffer from that "head cold" syndrome, and yes, it really rocks. The production and engineering still aren't great, but they're a lot better than most of the rest of this album.

Negative points:
~That sure ain't much of a guitar solo.
~"Worth it was my time." Sometimes, Stevie, inverse sentence construction just doesn't work.
~And of course, the age-old: what the hell is she singing about again?

But hey, who cares, we're like, totally rocking out. I even like the synth-y keyboards. And this is one of Stevie's best vocals on this album.

I also like the shift between the verses and the chorus. In most songs, the verses are kind of relatively laid-back, and then you get to the chorus and everything gets in-yo'-face. Here it's the opposite: the verses are really intense, almost foreboding, with Stevie practically spitting out the lines. Then the transition to the chorus is almost like shifting down gear. The synth keys bring us down a notch, and Stevie pulls back from her fiery delivery on the verses to croon, "Well, it's a realy long way to go..." before kicking it way back up by the end of the chorus.

Does that paragraph make any sense?

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by skcin

This song rocks!

It sure as hell does!

Here's what I had to say about this song in my "Long Way to Go Appreciation Thread":

Originally Posted by The Tower

Holy macaroni.... TOSOTM has been in my car CD player for the last three weeks and I'm too lazy to change it. Good thing, though. The perfect salve for nazzty LA traffic hatred is a good ol' dose of "Long Way To Go".

She is pissed on this song. Her vocal is fantastic- killer. Absolutely killer. My favorite things about this song:

1) Stevie plays tambourine and is rocking the joint.

2) The second verse- "High in my life"

3) ALL of the second verse (!!!)

and the best part of all

4) The vocal comeback after the guitar solo (!!!!!!!!!) Stevie as background vocalist to Stevie as lead vocal is such a great concept. Her background vocal on this line is so freeeeeking high and she rips that mo-fo.

"Can I be of any help TO YOU?!?!?!?!?
Help me, help her, help him, too BAY-BEH!!!!"

Yes, friends- "Long Way To Go" is the perfect rage-ohol for this rage-oholic...

Why the hell she never did this one live is beyond me.

Originally Posted by skcin

This song strikes me as desperate & passionate, but still hopeful ("well I can make it!") What's it about? I haven't a clue. It's so easy to say that a song must be about Lindsey, or about drugs, or whatever, so I won't do that. For some reason, I'm thinking Mick's in here somewhere, but I have nothing to back that up at all. Just a feeling.

Stevie has said in the past that this song was based on a situation where she had a falling out with one of her many paramours (of course, she didn't state which one). Months/years later she was in contact with said ex-paramour and told him that she had just finished an album and did he want to see/hear it? He said yes and I guess she had deal with a two/three hour limo ride to get to him. Once she got there, I guess the dude decided he wasn't interested in dealing with Stevie or her new album. So her response was, "****, that was a real long way to go just to say good-bye again!"

Originally Posted by David

Canon.

David, isn't it a fugue??? My music theory is sooooo rusty.

[ka10]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Stevie has said in the past that this song was based on a situation where she had a falling out with one of her many paramours (of course, she didn't state which one). Months/years later she was in contact with said ex-paramour and told him that she had just finished an album and did he want to see/hear it? He said yes and I guess she had deal with a two/three hour limo ride to get to him. Once she got there, I guess the dude decided he wasn't interested in dealing with Stevie or her new album. So her response was, "****, that was a real long way to go just to say good-bye again!"

I remember reading that somewhere, too. She got home from the studio at like 3 or 4 in the morning with the finished record in her hand (the "acetate", I think it's called?) and Mystery Man begged her to come see him. From what I remember, she turned to one of the girls in the house at the time (Sharon, maybe?) and asked her opinion ("Should I go? What do you think?"), and the reported response was, "Well, that's a long way to go to say good-bye again." In the end, Stevie went, didn't have a good time, and Mystery Man ended up keeping the acetate, which still pisses her off to this day.

I hope I am remembering this correctly.

~Kat

[skcin]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I also like the shift between the verses and the chorus. In most songs, the verses are kind of relatively laid-back, and then you get to the chorus and everything gets in-yo'-face. Here it's the opposite: the verses are really intense, almost foreboding, with Stevie practically spitting out the lines. Then the transition to the chorus is almost like shifting down gear. The synth keys bring us down a notch, and Stevie pulls back from her fiery delivery on the verses to croon, "Well, it's a realy long way to go..." before kicking it way back up by the end of the chorus.

Does that paragraph make any sense?

Yes, it makes perfect sense. I was actually thinking "I know exactly what he means" while I was reading it, then I saw your question.

[ELIUD]

I remember it being about Joe Walsh also. And all the stuff about having to drive along way just to see him after the relationship was already over and break-up one more time. Was it mentioned in the notes for the Timespace CD? I can't remember.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Stevie has said in the past that this song was based on a situation where she had a falling out with one of her many paramours (of course, she didn't state which one). Months/years later she was in contact with said ex-paramour and told him that she had just finished an album and did he want to see/hear it? He said yes and I guess she had deal with a two/three hour limo ride to get to him. Once she got there, I guess the dude decided he wasn't interested in dealing with Stevie or her new album. So her response was, "****, that was a real long way to go just to say good-bye again!"

I'd never heard that before. Cool.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by skcin

The best part is the timing of the different vocals at the end & they way they all mesh together.

It always disappointed me that the extended remix dropped the ball on that section of the song... so I made my own "re-edit," using the ending from the 7" mix.
It's not perfect, but I think it came out good enough.

http://download.yousendit.com/BE41C4C51EE451AF

[gldstwmn]

Love, love, love...Have fun tell the world!

[amber]

Top 6....<3

[SpyNote]

She spoke about Long Way to Go at great length on Reflections From The Other Side of the Mirror (I think), the radio promo. She didn't mention Joe Walsh, specifically, though I guess it's assumed to be about him.

[foxyluva]

Love it

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by takenbythesky

Since I bought the 12" "Long Way To Go" single I've been wanting one of those remixes in digital form. I didn't even have to ask.

I'm at work right now, but if you remind me later, I'll send you mp3s of the original versions.

[DavidMn]

Great song. Love it!