What does it sound like?:
Not sure why the need for this 3 cd release given the number of previous Best of’s that Stevie has. Is it coincidental that former band mate and significant other Lyndsey Buckingham released a 3 cd anthology last year? I think not but it is arguable that Lyndsey was more in need of a reappraisal given his lower profile. Anyway notwithstanding this I think you know what to expect with Stevie – your get the uptempo anthem songs and the first cd starts off at a fair lick with a trio of Edge of Seventeen, Rooms on Fire and Stand Back. that’s three of my favourites out of the way right there.
When Rumours was released in 1977 I thought Dreams was the sexiest song I had ever heard. It is present and correct here but over familiarity has dampened its sensuality or I have grown up or both.
Has anyone written anything for you? its still a fabulous song and we get a splendid slowed down Rhiannon with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which is a high point of this set but there was one exquisite surprise for me. The Walter Egan song Magnet and Steel – I had his album on cassette yonks ago and wore it out I played it that much. Don’t think I have heard that song for 30 years but its still sounds bloody great.
Sadly you also get some dross – God knows why anyone saw the need to include a duet with Chris Isaak of Santa Claus is coming to town but its here. Some of the other duets are seemingly there as filler although she always performs well with Tom Petty and I would have loved to see her in that band on a permanent basis – alas that is not to be.
What does it all *mean*?
Everyone and their dog knows Stevie and most will be familiar with probably half of the songs on this set. My theory is that there is a reason why they are not familiar with the other half – they are second division.
Goes well with…
Very much driving music although I did once go to a strip joint where one of the girls did a magnificent dance to This room’s on fire.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
West Coast rock. I have a special place in my heart for Stevie – her best songs are excellent. I think 3 cd’s is possibly too long but you still get as good a snapshot of her career as there is.
Shame about the cover – it is not the best.
I tried a previous best of and got tired of her voice after 4 tracks. Nicer when you get it diluted by Christine or Lindsey. I used to know someone who called her the singing sheep.
Well done for making it to 4 in a row. V talented lady, but best in small doses and intermingled with others.
Well in fairness it was probably 20 seconds into number 4 that I bailed. Call it 3.1 numbers.
I think that cover is great.
I like Fleetwood Mac and seeing as I don’t have any Stevie Nicks albums, I’m in for a 3 CD overview. I do have my doubts though, as Twang says her voice…
I have to say that I’m really glad she never joined Tom Petty’s band, didn’t mind 1 or 2 duets but full time no way Pedro.
Baaaa 🐑
Ps I’m being unkind. I like Stevie. Just not too much at once.
I bought a pretty comprehensive 1 CD Best Of, “Crystal Visions” about a month ago. It cost about a fiver, and I reckon it would fulfil all your Stevie needs. I like her a lot, but as others have suggested she works better in the Mac environment. She’ll always have a path to my heart for Landslide alone.
Stacy Kent did a lovely version of Landslide. It’s just a great song.
Torrid Amyl did an OK version. As did Anthony before he became Anohni
But really, isn’t it time for Buckingham Nicks to be available on CD.
http://therockasteria.blogspot.com/2017/01/buckingham-nicks-buckingham-nicks-1973.html
I’ll stick to Bella Donna rather than a compilation. Bella Donna is fantastic, but everything else I’ve heard by her sucks. After reading this review I gave another listen to Rooms On Fire (awful) and Stand Back (awful). It’s the same with her versh of Mac, I find them either astoundingly brilliant (first three) or utterly dire (all the others).
@Gary I agree re her Mac – first good, Runours over familiar, Tusk great, rest garbage.
Any love for Tango In The Night? It was a pretty big seller IIRC. Haven’t played it in years but I suspect it hasn’t aged well.
None from me. Polished, sickly-slick formula pop pap. Mystified and Little Lies are about the best tracks on it and they’d be the worst by far were they on Rumours or Tusk. I think Say You Will was more interesting, although it was quite boring.
Some good songs, but few emerge unscathed from that 80s production.
I spent nearly a decade listening to her Trouble in Shangri-La album on repeat.
Some twunt in California decided that, in the absence of an AES/EBU procedure for measuring MP3 players battery playback time, everyone in the industry would use the same album encoded as 128kbps MP3 files, in album repeat mode, with headphones plugged in and volume set to 50%.
I’d rather cut my own ears off than have to listen to it again.