Best Song Ever
"And did you say she was pretty? And did you say that she loves you? Baby, I don't wanna know."
I love Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. The story behind that album is epic and has been told many times by many different people. The short story is that a bunch of incredibly talented and ridiculously attractive musicians essentially locked themselves in a studio in Sausalito to record pop awesomeness. They fueled this goal with lots of sex and lots of drugs. Out of it came one of the best pop records ever recorded.
This song is not on that album. It came out of the recording sessions for Rumours and for a variety of reasons it wasn't included on the album. It was placed on the B-Side to Go Your Own Way, Lindsey Buckingham's take on the end of his relationship with Stevie Nicks. This song should have been on the album and released as its own single. It finally got its due in 1997 when a live version was recorded for the Dance. And, dude, Stevie really gave the song its due. She is quoted as saying, this version was "'for posterity...I wanted people to stand back and really watch and understand what [the relationship with Lindsey] was." So, the emotion you feel here is totally real. Totally raw. This was Stevie's version of the end of the relationship and she wanted the world to hear her side. In the video (please, please, please watch it), she actually stares Lindsay down at the end of the song. It's intense.
Lets go through the song from start to finish since there is so much goodness going on here:
"You could be my silver spring. Blue-green colors flashin'. I would be your only dream. Your shinin' autumn ocean crashin."
That piano is great and when Stevie comes in her voice is perfect for it. Stevie starts off the song poetically. She has said that she actually called Lindsey her silver spring as she thought of Silver Springs as heavenly magical safe place. The song begins in this super poetic way with beautiful, slow music. And, then it switches, and Stevie's anger starts to come out.
"And did you say that she's pretty. And did you say that she loves you? Baby, I don't want to know."
Read what she just did said. She is telling Lindsay to stop telling her how pretty and awesome this other woman is and how he is in love with her. She actually has to tell him to stop telling her about the awesomeness of the other woman. Giving you a sense for the extent of Lindsay's famous narcissism.
In the second verse, Stevie tells him that she is moving on.
"So I'll begin not to love you. Turn around, you'll see me runnin'. I'll say I loved you years ago. And tell myself you never loved me no."
But she hasn't
"Don't say that she's pretty. And did you say that she loves you?. Baby, I don't want to know. Oh no. And can you tell me was it worth it? Baby, I don't want to know."
This is when watching the video is crucial to getting what is going on here in this version of the song. Lindsay and Stevie are newly reunited. This is the first time they are playing this song together in ages. Up until this point in the song, Stevie has looked straight ahead even though Lindsey is standing right next to her. Listen to the vitriol in her voice and watch the look she gives Lindsey at the end of this crushing line:
"Time cast a spell on you but you won't forget me."
At this point, everyone knows this song is about Lindsey being an asshole to her. Lindsey is standing on stage with her. And, yes, this is a duet. Lindsey doesn't get to use words. He gets to take his response and put it into a guitar solo. This guitar solo here is saying "I am wrong. I am remorseful."
Stevie takes that guitar solo and uses it fuel her response. At this point in the song it start to appear like its just Stevie and Lindsey in a room arguing. Stevie has unleashed her emotion and is not putting it back. She has over 20 years of emotion in this single moment. And Lindsey knows this. He can't look at her. She starts looking at him more and more now. As of 4 mins, he won't look her in the eyes.
But, get this. At 4:13 Lindsey looks over when Stevie is looking at him. It is fucking on. Stevie never lets him look away at that point. She is singing directly to him. She has turned away from the audience (as Lindsey is slightly behind her) and she is focused on Lindsey. And watch Lindsey looking back at her. You gotta sorta hand it to Lindsey here. He could have stayed away, but he chose to engage with her and it really brings out some amazing intensity.
And man, when we get to that final outro the intensity is sky high and Stevie and Lindsey stare at each other while Stevie sings with every ounce of emotion she has in her:
"Was I such a fool? I'll follow you down til' the sound of my voice will haunt you. Give me just a chance, you'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you? Time cast a spell on you but you won't forget me. I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me. I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you."
I mean look at the look in Stevie's eyes as she screams directly at Lindsey, "Never get away, Never get a way!" Wow. You want to see some raw emotion on display. This is your song.
"Baby, I love ya. Always thinking of ya. Huh"
I saw Dehd open for Julien Baker at the Fox Theater. They were awesome. I wasn't expecting the amount of awesome I saw. This song highlights a lot of the awesomeness. First off you've got bassist and lead vocalist Emily's deep (baritone?) voice. Then you've got the Jason Balla on guitar playing off of her. All the while, Eric on drums just pounds and propels the song forward. At the same time, this is just a simple rock n roll song with words that have already been said before. Just not in this way and with this much emotion behind them.
This song is about longing for someone. A deep, deep, longing. This is really a classic love song. The simple opening clearly defines the song's intentions with Emily screaming out:
"Baby. I love you! Always thinking of you!"
Then Jason breaks in with these vocals that just crush me. His almost playful vocals at a notably higher register are the perfect foil for the depth and darkness of Emily's vocals.
"Well, I still see you with fire in my eyes. Seen you walking, I know it's goodbye. These are long days, that are longer at night. Been a long day, it's longer tonight."
But, Emily brings us back to the core of the song. Again, screaming out:
"DESIRE. DESIRE. DESIRE. DESIRE"
With her harshness balanced again by the sweet "ohhhhhhhhh" backing vocals provided by fellow vocalist Balla.
Verse 2 brings Emily into the sweet zone where she really provides the compelling underplay to her desire. This is the why to her desire. I love how in the last line of this verse, Emily uses her deep voice to call in some Elvis style crooning.
"When will this hoping. Feel like a win? For now I'm soaking. Weak in my knees. Here's to this hoping. Taking wing. I want to show you. You are my dream."
As awesome as the first part of the song has been, we're going to blow the top off. Now begins the build up to the climax. Watch Jason jump around the stage while this is going on.
Just sit in and enjoy 2:00 - 2:34.
"Let me out, let me out. Let me out, let me out. Let me out, let me out. Let me out, let me out. Let me out, let me out."
Followed by just moaning and oh's. Just perfect.
Watch that climax again. So awesome. Check. It. Out.
Monthly New Music Playlist
“Total disassociation, fully out your mind. Googling derealization, hating what you find."
Lots of great music continues to be released. This will be my last regular new music playlist of the year. I will post one more of new holiday music in December. There are a lot of songs on this list, so some highlights for you:
That Funny Feeling - Phoebe Bridgers. This is just a great singer-songwriter song that captures what is going on in the world circa 2020-2021. And the quote that leads off this post is from this song.
Virginia Beach - Hamilton Leithauser, Kevin Morby. Just dig this collab so much. I missed these guys live, which i regret.
Joey - Kevin Devine. This is off his awesome 2007 tour ep just released. Kevin Devine live circa 2007 was awesome and I loved his cover of Joey. So glad that its memorialized here.
Bunny is a Rider - Caroline Polachek. God damn this is so catchy.
Ben Franklin - Snail Mail. “Got money, don’t care about sex.”
Jazz on the Autobahn - Felice Brothers. Just discovering the Felice Brothers. This song is a great argument about what the apocalypse will look like, sound like, and feel like. And really whether it will or will not sound like “Jazz on the Autobahn.” But, its really about connection between people and agreeing to disagree.
Can I Call You Tonight - Dayglow. This is just feel good music.