Unleashed review says Stevie is bloated and sedated

[Jondalar]

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Lindsay raised us up; Stevie brought us down


By John Petric
The Other Paper

I have a theory about Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac: She’s really Nancy Reagan as seen through a slight time warp.

The former first lady was definitely there in the bloated weirdness of the mystical chanteuse Nicks Saturday night at the Mac’s well-attended, well-intentioned Nationwide Arena show.

Despite a wealth of fine and good songs, everyone’s parade of memories was mercilessly squalled upon by the lethargic and loopy Nicks. You’ve never seen a bigger psychic party pooper.

Thanks to gigantic video screens flanking the stage, Nicks’s eyes appeared as toxic slit-trenches honing down on us like Big Brother’s weird big sister—that is, when her eyeballs could occasionally be seen. Normally they were half-closed, as if Nicks were focusing on her inner Ouija board, conjuring up spirits of Manuel Noriega and other notorious cocaine kingpins to rescue her from the banal reality of singing the hits yet one more time.

And I’m not going to even talk about how large the screen made her nostrils. You can only imagine how much illegal activity those air passages have seen in their day.

Nicks was a living wreck. When she spoke between songs, she made no sense. Between her garbled story about growing up idolizing the Velvet Underground and her trademark bleating vocals, which were more half-hearted than the onset of age would allow for, one could be forgiven for thinking Nicks was a tad heavily sedated.

All of which made her the complete opposite of Lindsay Buckingham, the hyper-intense, emotional guitarist/singer/songwriter and her former love partner.

Buckingham, slim and trim and highly energetic; Stevie, low and slow and quite possibly affecting Earth’s orbit. Buckingham, jovial and happy to be alive, his personality definitely his own; Nicks, everyone from The View rolled into one person, but on their worst days only. (Nicks seemed to hate everyone for being at the show—her unhappiness was that visceral.)

Buckingham, raw passion; Nicks, quite possibly the most depressed woman to ever waddle onstage on platforms. Sad, really.

The hits sounded good, though: “Rhiannon,” “The Chain,” “Dreams,” “Landslide,” “Tusk,” etc. But I’d have to say this was only because they were so well-written to begin with and were supported by the dy-no-mite rhythm section of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Buckingham and Nicks—once the equivalent of Lennon and McCartney for the spoiled-rotten California narcissistic set—did an uneven job of selling them.

As the pair traded the spotlight, Buckingham would work the crowd into a frenzy only for Nicks to bring it down. He was a lightning strike with an inimitable guitar style. She had the happiness level of a gorilla fresh out of banana rehab. You didn’t want to be around her.

By the time the band got to “Say You Love Me,” Nicks—who clearly was Moby-Dick to Lindsay’s Captain Ahab by this point—began to seriously lose what little steam she had stored in the haunted old engine house called her soul. She seemed prepared to collapse onstage, her platforms and top hat destined to be her lasting memorial.

And then she surprised us.

When she came out from backstage after her latest costume change, she was draped in black for “Stand Back.” (No problem, lady.) She crossed her arms, black Mass-style, but unintentionally looked like a Mardi Gras float. Then she unloaded the song with a heretofore unseen amount of emotional energy: vitriol, pure vitriol.

The woman has issues, by God, and to her credit she finally made them work for her.

[WildHeart69]

I mean, I wasnt THERE and I know she has some off nights, but was it that bad? Anyone there? Or is the author just a Nicks hater? Maybe there is some arguing btwn bandmates again? I dunno!

[WildHeart69]

OH! This was the Columbus show they are talking about!?!

[jedw]

"Bloated and Sedated"

This review sounds like it was written by sombody who just looked up Fleetwood Mac on wikipedia 10 minuites before they wrote the article.

[jannieC]

I really do think we cut Stevie a LOT of slack because we love her so much. I doubt that negative reviewers are Stevie "haters"- they're just watching her with an objective eye; something many of us here on The Ledge don't have.

[ontheEdgeof17]

Originally Posted by jannieC

I really do think we cut Stevie a LOT of slack because we love her so much. I doubt that negative reviewers are Stevie "haters"- they're just watching her with an objective eye; something many of us here on The Ledge don't have.

We have a tendency to say, "Well, she is sixty". "Her hip hurts." "She's this." "She's that." Obviously these things we overlook, some can't and it comes off as sluggish and boring. To me, she is sluggish and boring on this tour. If she wants to be on stage, then she should act like it. It's a live show, not a record. There has to be the visual aspect of it, too.

[diamondsnake]

I think this article is completely harsh. Bloated? No! I think she looks great. See my pictures in the Rumours era forum. Compared to Stevie Nicks in 1975? Yes, she is bloated! But, considering her age, she looks absolutely gorgeous. Even stunning.

I will say that I did notice that Stevie did not seem happy and somewhat withdrawn when I saw her Monday night. She seemed more like she was in pain than anything else. Like she wished she could just be in bed ordering take-out and watching I Love Lucy reruns. She didn't seem sick in a flu-like sense. Indeed, she looked gorgeous! But I think she did not seem as mobile, like she pulled a muscle or something. And, the fact that she is wearing that fabric around her arms, the so-called fingerless gloves, leads me to believe that she somehow hurt herself. Sprained or pulled something.

However, I will say, when it was her time to go up to bat, she put her game face on and belted out her songs with excellent vocals. Even though she was not as energetic as I have seen her, I do think she delivered some of the more impressive vocals I have seen. Gold Dust Woman was particularly passionate. Storms gave me goosebumps. Sara was awesome! Say You Love Me was fun! Dreams actually seemed to have new life breathed into it. So, she actually did deliver when it was her turn. Even the Standback twirls were on fire!

But, when Lindsey was doing his thing and the lights dimmed where Stevie was standing, if you looked over and looked at her, you could tell she was ready to call it a night and looked exhausted. She's getting older, too.

[wheart]

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17

We have a tendency to say, "Well, she is sixty". "Her hip hurts." "She's this." "She's that." Obviously these things we overlook, some can't and it comes off as sluggish and boring. To me, she is sluggish and boring on this tour. If she wants to be on stage, then she should act like it. It's a live show, not a record. There has to be the visual aspect of it, too.

Well, the guy who wrote this either is a hater or a really big,disappointed fan. I'm not sure which. Yes, he was very harsh, never letting up on his criticism and certaintly singling Stevie out the entire time. I did find myself laughing, though, at times while reading the review. I think he overexaggerated her flaws to perhaps an intended comedic response. I didn't really understand the whole Moby Dick reference. However, I agree that she is sluggish and boring on this tour, at least in my eyes. It is a live show.I think I get the whole mystical image she's trying to portray, perhaps in an effort to even out Lindsey's hyperactiveness but she needs to try just a tad bit harder. Or maybe even a lot harder. I know she's 6 years older than she was in 2003 but her performances during the SYW tour (minus the first month or so) and now are like night and day.

[gold_dust]

Was there any need to say half of what was written in that 'article'? She's like a gorilla out of banana rehab? Like everyone from the View on their worst days? That she seemed to be affecting the earth's orbit? WTF? That's just spiteful.

I'll readily admit that, from what I've heard, this tour isn't Stevie's greatest triumph, but I wouldn't but it down to her weight, her personality, even her past drug addictions. I'd put it down to something being wrong, and the fact that she's almost 61. You don't want to use the whole age card, but you can't avoid it. There's only so many years left before she'll say, 'I'm too old to do this now'. Even if she's said that she'll do this 'til she dies. Her heart and soul may be rocking, but her body doesn't sound as keen.

We cut her slack because we're fans and we love her, but even haters don't sounds as vicious as that. There's criticism and then there's this. It's not professional to sound so nasty. It's just poor journalism.

[DigYourGrave]

That was unneasy reading, to say the least.

I wouldn't mind if the usual "Lindsey v's Stevie" style review was written, but Jesus, that made me really angry. The referrences to her weight? The (tiresome) reminder that Stevie was a coke addict (oh, and dont forget, the ONLY one who snorted back in those days..)?
That was a waste of my time. it's like the guy wrote the review not to actually comment on how great the guys sound, but to add them as a sidenote to his blatant and often plain spiteful Stevie bashing. Sorry, but that was just rubbish.

And I know we all have rose coloured glasses on, especially in this forum, but anybody would say that was unjustified and overly harsh.

[BTFLCHLD]

it's called taking the stage night after night after crap reviews...not a good feeling.

anyways... this person has about 10 vids from the 4/23 show here...

[gldstwmn]

WTF is going on?

[BellaDonna93]

Originally Posted by BTFLCHLD

it's called taking the stage night after night after crap reviews...not a good feeling.

anyways... this person has about 10 vids from the 4/23 show here...

What??? That wasn't bad at all....or am I wrong???
Stevie may be tired but she still rocks!!

[BTFLCHLD]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

WTF is going on?

IDK I'd say seems obvious she is not happy with the tour... i.e. standback...during her tour she turns and giggles with carlos...now she turns in frown. and from all appearances...she hesitates her approach to the mic...she's tense, timid and tired. I hope the rest of this tour moves rabbitpace so she can get back to what she wants to do...which is? IDK but it's not this.

[BTFLCHLD]

regardless...the guy that wrote this review is a douche.