I said earlier today that if I had one impossible wish, it would be that I could sing like Stevie Nicks. There is something...um...mystical? magical? about her and her voice. I love everything about her. I love her with early Fleetwood Mac; no matter that they were all so high that they looked right through the crowd into oblivion. I love 80's era solo Stevie, with her big hair and her strut across the stage to "Stand Back." I love duet Stevie, rocking out with Tom Petty and singing sweetly with Don Henley. I love comeback Stevie, reunited with the band and giving me three of the greatest shows of my life. I love spinning Stevie, tambourine shaking Stevie, cheesy 80's video Stevie, young Stevie and old[er] Stevie. I love that she got her heart broken and is so obviously still in love with Lindsey-if only when they share the stage.
Bands today just don't have stories. Fleetwood Mac has a hell of a tale. I think there are about sixteen different versions of "Sara" out there, all with different references to the band's many personal entanglements. Rumours is one of the greatest albums in the history of music. Stevie, Lindsey, and Christine contribute completely different types of songs yet each one somehow undeniably produces the Fleetwood Mac sound. John inconspicuously rocks his bass in the shadows, quietly giving "The Chain" one of the best bass lines in music. And Mick. Ah, Mick, with his crazy eyes and ten minute drum solos.
There are some who might claim that a popular band like FM is just that: popular, but with no real substance, heart, or true talent. Those people are wrong. If you can't see that Lindsey "No Pick" Buckingham is a true artist with his guitar, you know nothing about the instrument. If Stevie can't bring you nearly to tears with her rendition of "Silver Springs," well, your heart just might be made of stone, mister. If you don't think Christine McVie's "Songbird" is one of the most beautiful songs ever penned, you may have a few screws loose. If John's quiet dignity and dedication to his craft don't impress you, I'm not sure if anything would. And Mick Fleetwood puts every fiber of his being into those drums. If you can't see his heart, you have no soul. Mick's got soul.
Rumours is probably the first album I ever picked out of my mom's vinyl collection and put on the turntable. That's how I discovered all the music I still love today. Those album covers are as representative of my childhood as any photograph, and probably more so. Those old songs make me feel like a child again, and make me long for a time that I don't even remember. Sometimes I curse the fact that I wasn't around when all this music was actually getting made, but in a way I'm luckier than those who experienced it firsthand. Now, I get to hear all the history, bond with older folks who love the same music I do, and see how far those bands have risen (and fallen). I'm lucky that so many of my idols are still around and putting on shows so I can hear the songs I know and love with a group of people who also know and love them.
Many have tried to steer me away from my classic rock roots, but I don't think I'll ever change my ways.
No comments:
Post a Comment