Get your Fleetwood Mac Fill with JDSkills! A blog on the classic band that is Fleetwood Mac. Here is where I dish out all my feelings on the band. After years of being a fan of their music, I'm going to want to talk about everything-so bear with me.
Friday, December 31, 2010
JDSkills post wisdom teeth extraction
Sorry I have been MIA for a week. I was too busy stuffing my face with all of the solid foods that I possibly could before I had to get my wisdom teeth out. I got them out yesterday and right now, I am a chipmunk. The pain isn't what hurts me the most. What hurts the most, is seeing my mom pull up to the house with tons of food...that I can't eat. Oyyyy I can't wait to eat solid food again! Having your wisdom teeth out the day before New Years Eve is an absolute tease.
I will be back in 2-3 days...I promise! Believe me, I am so drugged up on painkillers at this point, that I wouldn't really believe a word that came out of my mouth. Give it time, give it time...
Colbie Cailliat and Dave Stewart working on the song Bulletproof Vest
Take a look outside. Its a snowstorm...and I love it! Don't complain. You know deep down inside that you love it too! Its a late night/early morning the day after Christmas and I can't think of a better night to write a post about a new song that I have fallen in love with.
The song is by Dave Stewart and singer/songwriter, Colbie Cailliat. You may be asking to yourself "Why is JD writing about a song by these two singers? They have nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac!" Well, there is a connection. That soulful lady singer is the daughter of former Fleetwood Mac producer, Ken Cailliat. He produced various Mac albums including the classic Rumours album back in 1976 and this song goes to show that having your dad as a record producer definitely pays off! She is a creative singer/songwriter, who could fit back in with the music scene say, 20 to 30 years ago.
It is a beautiful song entitled, Bulletproof Vest. The song illustrates that no matter the age, love is universal. It is a feeling too precious to be analyzed and afraid of. Let that fear go. Just trust in the love and the rest will fall into place. It is an emotion that should be embraced and held without reservation, for as they say in the song, "Love is all you need". -(Both in the Beatles song and this one coming up!)
Bulletproof Vest :Dave Stewart and Colbie Cailliat
I swoon every time I take a listen to this song and am so impressed by the vocal harmonies between these two musicians. Its is an unlikely pair, but Cailliat's earthy style and harmonies blend beautifully with that of Dave Stewart's.
This song is expected to be on Stewart's highly anticipated collaborative album, in which our very own Stevie Nicks will sing on. The album is in the works and is expected to be released at some point next year. It is supposed to be a rockin' album that would have been under my tree on Christmas morning if it were released earlier.
I know it was just Christmas and I don't mean to be greedy but..I want it.
Ignore the "Love Joan" Replace it with...Love, JDskills.
It really IS the most wonderful time of the year isn't it? It is crazy town at my house because its my dad's birthday today, mine tomorrow and then Christmas. Dad. Jilly. Jesus. Thats just the way it goes...and I love it! I finished wrapping the presents and now I feel like I should post some sort of Mac video having to do with Christmas.
That youtube member has done it again. First she made a Thanksgiving Fleetwood Mac video and now she has made a Christmas themed one. This "Wench" (I'm not calling her that-that's her youtube name!) lady sure gets in the holiday spirit...
Little odd....but gives me a chuckle nevertheless...
Here is Stevie Nicks in a rare 1987 MTV interview. She talks about her upcoming tour with Fleetwood Mac, her favorite Christmas song as well as her Christmas memories. Mark 2:57 is a cute Christmas memory that she has from her childhood :)
I have lots of favorite Christmas songs, but these two take the cake. Take a listen and get in the Christmas spirit!
Trans Siberian Orchestra-Christmas Canon
Dan Fogelberg-Same Old Lang Syne
Both are so pretty aren't they? The second one makes smile/sigh every year. A song about memories and new beginnings that come with the new year. This is my favorite Christmas song by far.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year with family and friends. Again, its the most wonderful time of the year. Enjoy it.
I always had the "work hard, play hard" attitude-even at age four!
So I have been MIA (missing in action) for a good week now. Just finished a long week of exams and I'm ready to take a chill pill...but...
I can't. Other than being a college girl and a blogger, I work retail. It is the week before Christmas (yeaaaahhhhh!) and needless to say, I am much needed at the store. Some nights I will be working until...midnight. MIDNIGHT! Pretty nuts right? But hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. I will just keep singing "Midnight Wind" in my head over and over. Good plan right?
I will be back soon....I promise!
Until then, here is a classic off the Rumours album....
Dreams 1976
Ah speaking of dreams...its time for me to shut my eyes and drift off into dreamland. I just got home from one of those crazy midnight shifts.
Oyyy I am being a pansy... I need to buck up. Its Christmas time! Yayyyy
I bet that little hint that I dropped earlier this evening makes sense now. Here is a song by John Stewart that has Stevie Nicks assisting on vocals and Lindsey Buckingham on electric guitar. Pretty amazing stuff...
Midnight Wind by John Stewart: Stevie Nicks on backing vocals and Lindsey Buckingham on electric guitar.
Wow. Speechless. The song starts methodical and slow, which only builds the anticipation of what is to come at the end of the song. From mark 2:40 onward, the listener can only expect the song to build into an intense explosion of vocals and intricate instrumental work. The culmination of Nicks' harmonies and Buckingham's guitar build over the course of seconds and then boom....3:15 onward is just pure passion.
Much like their own romantic relationship, both Nicks and Buckingham feed off of each other's emotion to create something magical. As Stevie's vocals intensify, Buckingham wails on his guitar as if it is a harmony to the vocal that Stevie is delivering. It is almost as if the two ex-lovers are competing with each other to somehow gain the upper hand in the relationship, both musical and personal.
I don't know which is more chilling. This unbelievable song or the fact that I posted a song entitled Midnight Wind at exactly 12:00 midnight. Chilling.
"There are dreams that fly in the midnight wind
Souls that cry in the midnight wind
Lovers who try in the midnight wind
You and I in the midnight wind"
I am following through with my promise and delivering some great demos this week. Here is one that I LOVE. Seriously, I am IN LOVE with it. This next demo was to be on The Rumours album, and Stevie is singing with musician Walter Egan.
Its songs like these that make the think "Stevie Nicks. You're amazing."-not that I ever doubted it of course. And hey, I know this blog is about the music, but don't you girls love her style? Even though she is living a man's world of rock and roll, she remains feminine. Her style brings me back to a post that I wrote earlier where I wrote about being subtly sexy. She proves that you don't have to bare all on stage in order to be sexy. Subtly sexystyle...thats the way to go.
And what do you all think about Walter Egan? He sure sounds like Tom Petty doesn't he? Anyways, don't you love how their voices seem to mold around eachother? Jam sessions rock (pun) because they are so natural. The talent just emerges and comes through with no effort whatsoever. Again, LOVE this demo. Its such a shame that it never made an album.
You guys are probably going to get more than one demo tonight...
I will return with more later tonight. I feel like I get more musical inspiration at night. Does that happen for any of you guys? It's like...midnight music.
Oooooh. I just got a sudden inspiration for my next blog post. You guys are going to like it. Come back later tonight to check it out! It will be posted at Midnight *hint*... (any idea what I am going to post?)
Ok, so the next few days I am going to post demos/unreleased gems from Stevie Nicks? Sound good? Good...
Some Become Strangers Demo (Unreleased)
This fast-paced gem has to be from the mid to late 80's. Afterall, the song opens with a blaring synthesizer. But listen to her voice. Hear how her voice is a little more rough? That was the way she sounded around that time. In my opinion, her voice sounds too forced rather than effortless like it did in the mid to late 70's, but that doesn't exclude this song from being a good little diddy to dance to!
Its seems to be that on nights like these-cold winter nights,- I like to cozy up in my bed and listen to demo tracks that I have never heard before. That is seriously my idea of a relaxing night. Throw hot chocolate in the mix and I'm golden...
Wind down with me and take a listen...
Lady from the Mountain (1978)
Ah, I love demo tracks like this. Her voice isn't perfect, but thats what makes it so awesome. Its the unpredictability of not knowing what she is going to say next that makes her demos so great. As the song progresses, she seems to only delve deeper into her creative mindset. Its as though shes having a jam session...with herself! The whole song is rockin', but take a listen at mark 4:00 onward. Chills.
Its sad to say that this song never made it onto an album. It was recorded in 1978, so I'm going to take a guess and say she was hoping it would be on the Tusk album. No luck Stevie...
I am going to go ahead and assume that we all know the song by Dave Matthews entitled Crash into Me. Its a song from his Crash album in 1996 that seems to draw a fine line between sweet and sexy. Matthews describes this song as "The worship of women" on his appearance on VH1's Storytellers. It remains a romantic song, but its that subtle hint of sexuality leaves the audience only wanting more.
We all have heard the song from a man's perspective, but what about a woman's perspective? I bet you will be shocked to know that Stevie Nicks did a live version of this song during her appearance on the Soundstage Sessions in 2008. "Crash through the eyes of a woman..." is how Nicks describes her version of the song. What do you guys think? I, for one...love it!
Stevie does a brilliant job at singing the woman's point of view of this song. Men, there ya have it. We are just as "bare boned and crazy for you" as you are for us! Those are the best songs. The ones that both genders can relate to. This song is pure genius. I mean, everytime I listen to it, whether it be Nick's version or the original by Matthews, I am blown away by the force of creativity. Its that creative force that is missing in the music industry today.
So, two words I will leave you with...Subtle Sexuality. Incorporate this into your song (who knows, maybe I have a few followers who are songwriters) and I will play it all night long. <Oh yeah... go to that link and you will get one of the best Warren Zevon songs of all time. Lets just say he isn't too subtle with his sexuality or anything else for that matter...but hey, thats Zevon! Gotta love him...
