Neil Finn on Fleetwood Mac internal politics

[Villavic]

Before the band left San Francisco, we decided to play a prank on John Courage, who had been ushering us around America like a herd of dazed cattle for the past three months. The prank came on Colonel Courage's birthday and was entirely John McVie's idea. We bribed a bellboy at the St. James Hotel to look the other way while a barnyard scene was lovingly recreated in Courage's room.

When he returned to the hotel that night, he opened his door to find fifty hens and roosters had turned his room into an immense chicken coop. The whole suite had been filled with fresh hay. and the chickens were everywhere all over the bed, stutled in drawers, and one hen had even laid an egg in the smashed TV set. There was chicken sh-t all over his clothes. All the hay made it a fire hazard, and when I walked in, there was Dennis Wilson Iying drunk in the bathtub, smoking two cigarettes at the same time. It was actually Mite scary, but the colonel took it in good humor. In the end we rounded up the poultry, shoved them in the elevator, and pushed "Lobby."

[SteveMacD]

The real legacy of Fleetwood Mac is Mick, John, and Christine enduring and always finding their way back to each other. From Chicken Shack playing just before Fleetwood Mac debuted to the joint auction between those three -and only those three- signaling the end of Fleetwood Mac without actually having to say it, Fleetwood Mac was their journey. The band might have had an awkward ending, the story did not.

[Mr Scarrott]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The real legacy of Fleetwood Mac is Mick, John, and Christine enduring and always finding their way back to each other. From Chicken Shack playing just before Fleetwood Mac debuted to the joint auction between those three -and only those three- signaling the end of Fleetwood Mac without actually having to say it, Fleetwood Mac was their journey. The band might have had an awkward ending, the story did not.

beautifully put.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The real legacy of Fleetwood Mac is Mick, John, and Christine enduring and always finding their way back to each other. From Chicken Shack playing just before Fleetwood Mac debuted to the joint auction between those three -and only those three- signaling the end of Fleetwood Mac without actually having to say it, Fleetwood Mac was their journey. The band might have had an awkward ending, the story did not.

i agree. so much of the story came down to the bond between those three.

--Lis

[tango87]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The real legacy of Fleetwood Mac is Mick, John, and Christine enduring and always finding their way back to each other. From Chicken Shack playing just before Fleetwood Mac debuted to the joint auction between those three -and only those three- signaling the end of Fleetwood Mac without actually having to say it, Fleetwood Mac was their journey. The band might have had an awkward ending, the story did not.

As I type, The Chain has just come on the radio... But I think I agree with you. I love the Rumours line-up beyond almost anything else in music, but when Christine died, I found the most comforting Mac song was Love Shines. There's a purity to it - a simple, beautiful song, unencumbered by the silly Hollywood rock star dramas and squabbles the other two seem to drag around with them.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The real legacy of Fleetwood Mac is Mick, John, and Christine enduring and always finding their way back to each other. From Chicken Shack playing just before Fleetwood Mac debuted to the joint auction between those three -and only those three- signaling the end of Fleetwood Mac without actually having to say it, Fleetwood Mac was their journey. The band might have had an awkward ending, the story did not.

This part. It's always been the spine of my love for them. The spine of the band and story.

When Christine died, I kept listening to non Rumours songs (at first). Not sure why, but I felt closer to those songs. Even ALAYF, kept popping up.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

The real legacy of Fleetwood Mac is Mick, John, and Christine enduring and always finding their way back to each other.

I don't understand. Yes Christine came back but left the band for 17 years, Lindsey just for 10. Yes Christine joined long before, but I think the band will be mainly remembered for the Rumours lineup anyway. The legacy to me is the combination of the 5 members. No more no less, despite the nightmares, disappointments and betrayals.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Villavic

I don't understand. Yes Christine came back but left the band for 17 years, Lindsey just for 10. Yes Christine joined long before, but I think the band will be mainly remembered for the Rumours lineup anyway. The legacy to me is the combination of the 5 members. No more no less, despite the nightmares, disappointments and betrayals.

He's simply saying the Brit core is what Fleetwood Mac means to him. I couldn't agree more.

[sue]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

He's simply saying the Brit core is what Fleetwood Mac means to him. I couldn't agree more.

It is for me too…I love the Rumours line up don’t get me wrong but Fleetwood Mac to me is the Original Peter Green bluesy band.

Stevie and Lindsey were brilliant and made the band huge but the heart is the Brits.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by sue

It is for me too…I love the Rumours line up don’t get me wrong but Fleetwood Mac to me is the Original Peter Green bluesy band.

Stevie and Lindsey were brilliant and made the band huge but the heart is the Brits.

Yep, John, Christine and Mick made it all the way to the end. And were there in some way shape or form at the start.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Yep, John, Christine and Mick made it all the way to the end. And were there in some way shape or form at the start.

Yes—and in many ways two songs from MR. WONDERFUL cement the core trio’s enduring sound, regardless of the revolving guitarists that came and went. Those two songs are “Rolling Man” and “Love That Burns.” Here we hear the foundation that they built upon once Christine joined full-time two years later.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by Villavic

I don't understand. Yes Christine came back but left the band for 17 years, Lindsey just for 10.

That’s a point that needs to die. Fleetwood Mac was only active for five of those sixteen years.

Compare that to when Lindsey was out: Fleetwood Mac made two albums (and maybe two EPs worth of new tracks on various compilations) and did three tours in the ten years Lindsey was gone. (BTM, Time, two songs for GH, three songs for the box, Roll With Me Henry, Lizard People, and the original Blow By Blow.)

If anything, that only proves how vital Christine was to Fleetwood Mac.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Before the band left San Francisco, we decided to play a prank on John Courage, who had been ushering us around America like a herd of dazed cattle for the past three months. The prank came on Colonel Courage's birthday and was entirely John McVie's idea. We bribed a bellboy at the St. James Hotel to look the other way while a barnyard scene was lovingly recreated in Courage's room.

When he returned to the hotel that night, he opened his door to find fifty hens and roosters had turned his room into an immense chicken coop. The whole suite had been filled with fresh hay. and the chickens were everywhere all over the bed, stutled in drawers, and one hen had even laid an egg in the smashed TV set. There was chicken sh-t all over his clothes. All the hay made it a fire hazard, and when I walked in, there was Dennis Wilson Iying drunk in the bathtub, smoking two cigarettes at the same time. It was actually Mite scary, but the colonel took it in good humor. In the end we rounded up the poultry, shoved them in the elevator, and pushed "Lobby."

She consults her book

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

She consults her book

Who are you talking about? Cause I'm not a she.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Who are you talking about? Cause I'm not a she.

Would you say that to Bob Dylan?
I know you are a guy but the proper lyric is "She consults her book"
"He consults his book" simply does not have the same effect.

I am a poet, priest of nothing. But I am a legend (in my own mind)