I was streaming some Fleetwood Mac this weekend, and taking a look at ther back catalog on Tidal — and came across this weird 1995 record Time—with Dave Mason! His song “Blow By Blow” is above.
Post-superstardom, I knew they did kind of a bad record without Lindsey Buckingham and one I actually like without Christine McVie, but replacing Stevie Nicks with Bekka Bramlett? Can you imagine in late 1995 or early 1996 going to see Fleetwood Mac and there’s no Stevie Nicks or Lindsey Buckingham?
I guess Mick Fleetwood thought he could assemble another “new” Fleetwood Mac for the mid-’90s like he did in the mid-’70s, but after listening to this, I will never complain about Mirage again!
Last week a guy I only know through Internet means but really enjoy “seeing” posted something about how much cooler Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac are than Bruce Springsteen. I’m not a fan of either band, but thoroughly dig 6 to 8 songs by each band. Stevie Nicks solo, however, is atrocious. What’s that “Tears Like a White Winged Dove” song, or whatever she’s going on about? She should have been gagged once that thing hit the airwaves.
I can understand Boss Backlash as well as anyone, but although I once did a few weeks’ time trying to convince myself of the “genius” of Lindsey Buckingham, the long-running mystification of Fleetwood Mac baffles me. They were a pretty cool, pretty weird mainstream band with a half dozen killer songs. However, I’m too old and was too-cool-for-school as an outwardly dorky teenager to pretend these days that “Landslide” and deep cutz from Buckingham’s Go Insane album should get me looking off into the distance or reflecting on missed opportunities to snort mounds of cocaine.
Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, ABBA, and Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band have been discussed here before, I’m sure. Who approved their Critical Upgrades? Each band has its charms. I’m not immune to the best songs by those bands in small doses, but for the last 20 years their stature as Important Mainstream Rock Artists Who Were Hipper Than We Originally Thought has exploded. I can’t buy into this. There were hipper bands then, and there have been hipper bands since. The fact that they were relatively hip doesn’t make them hip. I’ve scoured enough used bins to find relative gems from an era’s music I generally (and probably rightfully) ignored.
What I want to know is which of these bands will lose their Cinderella powers first? Whose limo will turn back into a pumpkin? I think the clock is ticking on at least 2 of the following 4 artists, while 1 artist’s belated hip status is ascending. What do you think? What other bands fall into this category, and what perhaps rightfully looked down-up (by music snobs) ’80s artists are now becoming unfathomably hip?
For all the stupid rock trivia stuff I’ve taken the time to know, I know nothing about Bob Welch. As a kid I was dazzled by “Sentimental Lady.” I still am. Both versions: his solo hit and his earlier take on the song when he was still a member of Fleetwood Mac.
I know nothing about Bob Welch. He never looked cool, not even when it wasn’t unnecessarily uncool to wear a pink, scoop-neck shirt, a beret, smokey oversize shades, and a scarf, but “Sentimental Lady” was magic. There’s a sense of resignation and obsession in that song that’s hard to beat.
I’ve heard a few other songs by Welch, including “Ebony Eyes,” his second hit song from his brief moment in the sun. I don’t recall liking anything else I’ve heard by him, but I love “Sentimental Lady.” Both versions.
I have no idea why Welch committed suicide, but it’s a damn shame. Anyone who’s ever done anything creative wishes they could do one thing as well as Welch did when he wrote and sang “Sentimental Lady.” When I was trying to write my “Sentimental Lady,” my one masterpiece (who am I kidding, I still am), I used to think it would give me strength, get me through the worst times in life. Probably trying to chase that dream is what gives me strength. Maybe peaking doesn’t last forever.
RIP, Bob Welch. You wrote one more excellent song than most of us will ever write.
CAUTION: Please be aware that some of the following content is likely Not Safe for Work viewing, depending on where you work. I don’t add the potentially offensive material for salacious reasons. Rather I only offer the truth of the situation.
For every moment of triumph,
for every instance of beauty,
many souls must be trampled.
– Hunter S. Thompson
I hate to post this on the heels of the, arguably, new high water mark set by KingEd and Mr. Mod. Their interview and backstage hang with Nick Lowe was indeed impressive and I don’t want to detract from that in any way. However I do want to say that I, sammymaudlin, have been fortunate to top even that mountain top.
Last night, Ms. Maudlin and I went to a local-ish fair, Conejo Valley Days, to watch and dance to a local Fleetwood Mactribute band called Belladonna, http://www.belladonna-music.com. Note that they, and rightly so, said to beware of http://www.belladonna.com. Don’t shoot the messenger. Here they are making lovin’ fun:
Good and fine. They were fun as usual. BUT the band that opened for them was far, far more. They were so much more than I, or you, could possibly have hoped for. That I was able to glimpse them at a place like this is beyond comprehension. And “no,” I was not able to interview them. And “no,” I was not able to hang backstage with them. But no matter, as who they are and that I was within eye-shot of them is enough to humbly put me at the pinnacle of the RTH mountain top. I should note that, due to my respect for them I chose not to make eye contact and rather looked nervously to the side when the opportunity presented itself. For the record, I did not drink a drop, yet the shear power of their performance impacted me severely when the show was over:
UPDATED: Proof that it “happens to the best of them”: your Moderator forgot that he already included ELO in an earlier 1-2 Punch! For this offense, Mr. Moderator will spend the next 2 minutes in the Penalty Box. Mad props to tonyola for his pince nez. Feel free to leave your 2 selections for Fleetwood Mac.
Let’s try another 1-2 Punch, shall we? Top 10 lists are too much; Top 5 lists invite too many opportunities for throwing in a hipster, obscuro choice to distinguish oneself from the raging masses. What I’d like to know is what TWO (2) songs you would choose from an artist’s catalog to say as much about that artist that you believe represents said artist’s core as possible? In other words, if you could only use TWO (2) songs from an artist’s catalog to explain all that said artist is about to a Venusian, what TWO (2) songs would you pick to represent said artist’s place in rock ‘n roll?
I’ll pose two artists and you—love ’em or leave ’em—give me each artist’s representative 1-2 Punch. Dig? Here goes!Continue reading »
Who was that anonymous, mid-1970s band featured in our most recent Mystery Date that sounded a lot like a Jefferson Airplane that had been hijacked by The Byrds with Lindsey Buckingham calling the shots from an undisclosed location? As BigSteve and misterioso knew—and as mockcarr actually mentioned in his initial comment—it was…
A recent post by an otherwise well-respected Townsman in another, unnamed forum (for shame!) has prodded me into action. This Hall member took the time to “join” a “group” professing their admiration for the works of Lindsey Buckingham. Now, we’ve discussed Lindsey in the Hall before, but I feel it’s time for folks to take a stand on this issue. I’m looking for a digital answer, people. No pipe-tamping, no donning of the lab coat, no dithering over shades of gray. Summon all the strength you possess and CHOOSE SIDES! Are you FOR or AGAINST Lindsey Buckingham?
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