American Idol Does Fleetwood Mac

This performance of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," would make any Fleetwood Mac fan vote for American Idol contestant, Haley Reinhart.

Not many people can pull of this song, but Reinhart sure did.



From the very moment that this season of American Idol started, I thought to myself, "Haley reminds me of a young Stevie Nicks." Obviously, record producer Jimmy Iovine thought the same thing and chose this song for Reinhart to sing in finals for the top three contestants.

Unfortunately, Reinhart was eliminated the following night and as a result, the finale between Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina was somewhat of a snooze-fest.  Lauren Alaina has a beautiful voice, but the finale would have been much more interesting if the top two were between Scotty McCreery and Haley Reinhart. The battle between the country boy and the rocker chick.

Reinhart should be able to look back on this performance of "Rhiannon" and be proud. She did a perfect job of making this 1975 classic her own. She didn't try to copy Nicks, like many amateur performers sometimes do.  Yes, she may have mimicked that "airy-fairy" quality that Nicks possesses in her performances, but she remained sophisticated and brought her own personality into the song.  It was a perfect blend of both Nicks and Reinhart in one performance.

Lets take a look at Stevie Nicks' performance of "Rhiannon" in 1976...



Obviously, the original by Nicks wins hands down, but that isn't to say that Reinhart's performance wasn't equally as memorable. We need more singers out there like Reinhart. I am sick of the "too-perfect" and therefore overdubbed voices that I hear everytime that I turn on my radio. Sometimes being imperfect, is what makes the song raw, emotional, and real. Stevie Nicks proved this point in the seventies and continues to do so today, and her musical persona has obviously rubbed off on the young talent of today's generation.

I'm sure that this performance by Haley Reinhart on American Idol would have made Stevie Nicks proud!

JDSkills

Stevie's Birthday Bash!

It was Stevie Nicks' birthday this past Thursday, May 26.  She turned 63 but she looks like she could honestly be 36. Its insane!
It figures that Nicks decided to do a show on her birthday.  She loves being with her fans and it seems like she is happiest when singing on stage.  She performed at the Wiltern Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

We can't all be in LA, although sometimes we wish we could, so here is a clip that can make you feel like you were actually in attendance at Nicks' B-day Bash...


63 years old? Seriously? Its so thrilling to see Nicks sing this song live.   Lets cross our fingers and pray that Nicks decided to do a tour for the In Your Dreams album.  I need to see some more live performances!
Want to hear something cute? My sister was lucky enough to attend the show (and hold up the phone so I could hear every song...) She said that Nicks gave each member of the audience a birthday cupcake! How adorable is that?

Drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham were in attendance. In fact, check out the video above from mark 4:20 onward. I heard from multiple sources that Nicks was singing those lyrics to Buckingham who sat in a balcony seat next to Mick Fleetwood. Gossip? Maybe. Interesting? Yes...

Record producer, Jimmy Iovine was in attendance. Iovine produced Nicks' first solo album, Bella Donna, in 1981. Actress Reese Witherspoon and musician Orianthi were also spotted in the audience. Nicks sang eight songs off the In Your Dreams album.

Lindsey Buckingham sang vocals and played his guitar riff on the song, "Soldier's Angel". Here is a clip of that performance...


Happy Birthday Stevie! 63 and still rockin' hard...

JDSkills

Teasers for In Your Dreams Documentary!

I'm back!  Sorry for the long MIA macsters.  Last week, people seemed to be in a frenzy for clothes and I was there to tell them A.) "You look great," or B) "Mmm not so hot..."  Yes I work  in retail and it is an interesting little job  You meet a bunch of characters on a day to day basis, but in the back of my mind of course I was thinking, "Fleetwood Mac Fill, Fleetwood Mac Fill, Fleetwood Mac Fill..." 

Rumor has it that Stevie Nicks plans on releasing a documentary on her most recent album, In Your Dreams.  She goes into depth about most of the songs that are featured on the album.  Take a look!

Part I


Part II


Wow. So great stuff right?  I am seriously teased and seriously thrilled about the release of the documentary in its full entirety.
JDSKills

Review a Day: My Heart

Remember that little diddy I posted a few months back?  It was probably under the demo section, but it was a song called "My Heart."  Stevie Nicks has done it again and brought back this demo track that was originally supposed to be on her 2001 solo album, Trouble in Shangri-La.  Lets first listen to the demo track from 2001, and then the updated bonus track that is on In Your Dreams.

Demo Track: My Heart (2001)


Bonus Track on In Your Dreams


So which one is better? It is really hard to answer that question. Personally, I like the raw quality that is found on a demo track, but that's not to say that the clean album track isn't equally as good. The mandolin guitar break and the "Ooh yeahs" are pretty cool when they blend together. Chilling if you ask me.

So once again, Miss Nicks has brought back a song from the dead. First the single, "Secret Love," and now "My Heart." I, along with other die hard fans, am loving that she is bringing back the "long lost songs."


"And you understand...

...It's all the same."

JDSkills

Review a Day: Soldier's Angel

Wow. Seriously, I can't pick which song I like best on this album.  The more that I listen to the album, the more that I seem to find new favorites!  This song, "Soldier's Angel," is a song dedicated to those brave soldier's who have served our country within the past decade. Lindsey Buckingham sings vocals and plays guitar on the song.  Gosh, it is just pure heaven when those two voices blend together isn't it?

Track 9: "Soldier's Angel"


In 2006, Stevie Nicks  visited the heroic soldiers overseas in Iraq and actually donated hundreds of Ipods to the wounded soldiers. Nicks included some of her songs on the Ipods, as well as songs by Aerosmith and Elvis Presley. She simply wanted the soldiers to feel  better and uplifted.  She was deeply effected by her interaction with those soldiers and that is where the inspiration of this song came from.

Stevie Nicks told People Magazine that any one of those soldiers could have been her own child.  "You can't help but fall in love with them," Nicks said.

"Through the eyes of a soldier, I am a soldier's mother."-"Soldier's Angel"

Whether it is present day in Iraq or whether it was over 100 years ago during the Civil War, we are all connected to those who served our country.  As Americans, we have an obligation to support those who have served our country. We may not support the war, but we can support those who sacrificed their lives to defend our country.

JDSkills

Review a Day: "For What It's Worth"

This next song is another one of my favorites on the album.  Take a listen to "For What Its Worth." Record producer and Heartbreaker (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers...) did some work with Stevie Nicks on this track.

Track 2-"For What Its Worth"


Don't you just love how she does the harmony part with her own voice for the second and third chorus parts? Wow, I don't know if that came across right, but listen to it at mark 2:16 on. You will see what I mean. Its absolutely beautiful. Its so simple and passionate all at the same time. Love it.

"I got to sing
I got to dance
I got to be apart of a great romance
Still forbidden..."

Ok...now I am leaning towards believing that this song is about Lindsey Buckingham...again.   You all are probably thinking that I am crazy and a little bit fanatic about their everlasting relationship (both musical and physical), but I can't see these lyrics pointing to anyone else!  Obviously, the relationship between Lindsey and Stevie is and was considered a "great romance."  This was also evident in 1997 when Fleetwood Mac went on the road for "The Dance Tour."  "I got to sing and got to DANCE.  I got to be a part of a great romance..."  And I also heard that Buckingham did have a girlfriend during the time of that tour, which obviously made the relationship between Nicks and Buckingham somewhat forbidden.   I might be taking this too far, but you get the point.

And how can you deny this quote?  This is what Buckingham had to say about his relationship with Nicks during "The Dance" tour.

"This was like the girl I used to live with again. And it was no longer bittersweet, like it had been for so long, it was just sweet."

-[Lindsey] VH1 Behind the Music



Beautiful song!

JDSkills

 



Review A Day: "Moonlight"

I was seriously getting some major withdrawals/sweats when I saw that blogspot was down for the past two days.  I have so much to talk to you Macsters about!

As promised, I will deliver my thoughts on the new Stevie Nicks album, "In Your Dreams."
 Guys, it is really one of her best solo records to date.  The songs are perfect to listen to when going for that long summer drive.  It is evident that Nicks has poured her heart and soul into this album.  Lets take you through the album song by song shall we?- But don't hesitate to go out and by the album!  Its so worth it.

Actually, I take that back.  Lets review ONE song off the album each day.  You didn't think I was going to spoon feed you the entire album did you?  Nope.  You need to actually go out and BUY it.  This might seem like a tease, but it is all the more reason as to why you need to go out and BUY the album.  You will thank me later...


Track 6: "Moonlight ( A Vampire's Dream)"


This is my favorite song on the album by far. Those first few versus are actually from an unreleased demo track that Nicks recorded in the late seventies. The demo track, "Lady From the Mountain," was one of those demos that is believed to be written about her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham. Nicks also said in past interviews that the chorus of this song was inspired from the film, "Twilight." Nicks told online website, "Spinner UK," about her inspiration behind the song...

"He loves her, but he loves his life alone as well' -- people would think that was written about Edward, but it was written about Lindsey. So this really is an ancient song that encompasses my strange and everlasting relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, and Bella and Edward, all mixed into one."

Nicks also said that her relationship with Buckingham was quite "vampiric," in the way that their relationship seems to never die. She said that it was a song about how love never dies.

Alright. My little heart melted when I read that. I can't help it. I wish those two could just work it out...

I also have to say that I am super pumped that she used that demo track.  There was a post a few months back, I'm guessing in January, where I created a "wish list" of songs that I hoped Stevie would include on the album.  They were all demo tracks.  "Lady from the Mountain" was at the top of the list. 

Um, Stevie....are you out there reading this blog?  Give a shout out.  That would absolutely make my day.

More reviews to come throughout the week!

JDSkills

FINAL EXAM MAYHEM!

Quick post.

I realize I have been MIA, but it is simply because I have been studious over the past few days and studying for my finals.  Good girl right?

I will tell you this, I have gotten my copy "In Your Dreams," and it literally brings tears of joy to my eyes.  It was well worth the wait!

Here is a track off the album, and again, I will be back on here to give a personal review over the next few days!

"Annabel Lee"-A poem by Edgar Allen Poe put into musical form by Stevie Nicks.


At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about this song.  It seemed a little too slow at the beginning, but I listened to the rest of the song  and...BOOM.  The chorus comes in at mark 1:23 and now it is one of my favorite songs on the album.   Not only is the musical arrangement simply stunning in this song, but the song allows me to see how similar the lyrical formatting is between Nicks and  Poe.  You can see where she gets her creative influence from.

And I also think it is pretty cool to say, "Yes, I know a poem by Edgar Allen Poe by heart...jealous?" 

JDSkills

 

THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME!

The day is finally here!  Stevie Nicks' solo album, "In Your Dreams," is officially released. 

I gotta say, I was a little bummed to walk out to my mailbox and see that I have yet to receive the album.  I am guessing that I will receive it either tomorrow or the day after, but the this is absolute torture!

I promised myself that I wouldn't cheat and preview the tracks on Itunes, but I caved last night at midnight and previewed track 6 on the album, "Moonlight."  When I didn't find the album in my mailbox, I immediately purchased the song off Itunes. I only caved on one song though...the rest will all be a surprise when I pop it into my car's CD player.

Anyways, if the rest of the album is in any way similar to "Moonlight," then we are all in for a real treat.  It literally brought tears to my eyes it was that good.  She brought back an old track from the late 70's entitled, "Lady from the Mountain," and put a new futuristic spin on it.  Strings galore.  Its an awesome track and it only leave me itching to hear the rest of the album!

If any of you purchased the album, ENJOY IT!  I hope I will be pleasantly surprised tomorrow when I open my mailbox.

Ooooh! But on an even better note, check out Glee tonight!  They are doing a whole episode deicated to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album!

Here is a preview...



JDSkills

In Your Dreams Countdown: Tomorrow!

Well my dears, tomorrow is the big day and I couldn't be happier.  I don't know about all of you, but this highly anticipated album has gotten me through the toughest times the last month.

1.Workouts
2. Last minute tests that professors decide to cram into the end of a semester...just for kicks
3. Depression after realizing that I will never be a  Royal Princess like Kate Middleton. (Yes, I had a touch of the Royal Wedding blues)-just kidding, I wasn't down in the dumps.  I literally watched the wedding three times in one day. Obsessed? Maybe...

Okay, so maybe not the TOUGHEST times, but the album has been a big motivator to GET STUFF DONE. Thinking about it made the tedious moments feel not as annoying.

I am thrilled to say that tomorrow, May 3, Stevie Nicks' solo album, "In Your Dreams," will be released. Yeah yeah yeahhhh! 

TOMORROW!



It seriously feels like Christmas Eve right now.

JDSkills

In Your Dreams Countdown: Day 2

I love the two day mark in any type of countdown.  Its great because all you have to think is, "The day after tomorrow!"  Its just a great feeling.

2 DAYS!

Here is a great live performance from Stevie Nicks in 1981.  The Roxy is a great LA music venue where many great rock stars have performed.   Here she is singing "Gold Dust Woman," with former Mac guitarist, Bob Welch and Mick Fleetwood on bongos (Yup. bongos...how fun!)  Catch it from mark 4:35 onward.  Love the way they break it down in the end.

JDSkills