Christine McVie 1984 album podcast

[Macfan4life]

I finally got around to listening to this. I really enjoyed it but it was a small panel and 2 panelists are not big Chris fans and dont really know her music. Having said that, its still nice to hear someone else's perspective who is not really a fan. We are all subjective so having someone not a fan's viewpoint can be interesting to hear.
Jeremy, you hit the nail on the head in the beginning how this album came out right before the music industry changed. This was recorded in 1983 when the slick and trendy 80s crap started to take over in 1985.
Someone on the panel called the album mediocre but in a good way. I sense what he was saying. Its very safe and Chris said that herself that she wanted something pleasing to her ears. One music reviewer back in 1984 loved all the talent on the album and liked most of the songs but claimed besides the heavy hitters, the album lacked musical muscle. He purposely said the songs are not wimpy but needed some muscle. All the songs are well crafted and well written. I agree with you that Who's Dreaming This Dream is the weakest song on the album. I think Chris probably agreed because she performed the entire album on her 1984 solo tour except this song. Its a good song its just my least favorite on the album and just like you said, you lose interest for a bit. I would disagree with you that The Smile I Live For was meh. I think its one of my favorite songs on the album. Chris never writes bad songs and she would only have the best of the best work on her songs. Its interesting that the panel seemed to like the Todd Sharp songs better than hers. One thing that was not mentioned that surprised me in 1984 was the album had a country feel at times. I suppose it was Todd and Billy's influence. Songs like So Excited, Love Will Show Us How, and I'm The One have a country feel and sound. I would not say the album was overproduced it just is a very safe album which nothing is wrong with that. I think that if a song like Love Will Show Us How was beefed up a bit and some bouncy drumming, some more keyboards and a rougher guitar could have made that single soar. There is a video on youtube of a mash up of Love Will Show Us How and Scandal's Goodbye To You and uses Scandal's drum track for Love Will Show Us How. It sounds so good and adds such power to the song. There is nothing wrong with the drumming but but needed some power. Thankfully the album was not drowning in slick 80s production which is why it holds up. Everyone's favorite seems to be One In A Million. I agree. When I first heard the song I was blown away. I was celebrating my 14th birthday at a pizza place with my friends in February 1984. I had birthday money and we ventured down to the department store. My friends were mostly into metal and hard rock so I was not ready to buy this album in front of them. Got A Hold On Me was a big adult contemporary hit. In the 80s the record sections of department stores were right next to electronics with stereos. All the stereos were blasting the local rock station. I stood there with the album in hand when all of a sudden One In A Million came on the local rock station "here is the latest from Christine McVie." My jaw hit the floor and suddenly had no problem buying the album and showing it to my friends. "look here guys, Eric Clapton plays on this album." Chris and Steve Winwood's voices are so similar that I did not even catch he was singing with her the first few times I heard the song. A few months later I saw her solo tour in concert and it was one of the best concerts I ever attended. I got to see her tour bus that was named "The Challenge" that was painted on the side. The Challenge was also the name of John McVie's boat. While the album had modest success. It always irked me it was not more successful. There was a 1987 interview with Chris posted here about a year ago where she admitted being disappointed with her 1984 solo album not being more successful. Like Lindsey, they had wild success with Fleetwood Mac but for some reason could not translate it to a solo career. Chris never wanted to do a solo album. Warner heavily pressured her to do it and she brought in her friend Todd Sharp to write with her because she did not want to do it alone. Clearly this is one of the underrated albums of the 1980s. I think its better than Go Insane and blows Rock A Little out of the water.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I was celebrating my 14th birthday at a pizza place with my friends in February 1984. I had birthday money and we ventured down to the department store. My friends were mostly into metal and hard rock so I was not ready to buy this album in front of them. Got A Hold On Me was a big adult contemporary hit.

I just wanted to mention that I had a similar experience, it wasn't really 'cool' to be into Christine McVie...or even to like Fleetwood Mac at that time, really. I only had a few friends that knew my absolute obsession. I remember my 7th grade class making fun of the 'Hold Me' video and I was embarrassed to say I loved that song and video! When I went to see Chris at Great Adventure, I don't think i told many people... but i'm always proud of how well this band and their music has stood the test of time. One hardly remembers all the dweebs my friends were listening to in the 80's, but the name Fleetwood Mac certainly is still well known and respected today.

--Lis

[bwboy]

Who’s Dreaming This Dream is probably mt favorite song on this album, followed by Got a Hold on Me, Love Will Show Us How, I’m the One, Keeping Secrets, and the Smile I Live For. I thought Lindsey’s vocal was so well done on WDTD, and Billy did just as good a job on it when Christine performed it live.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

I just wanted to mention that I had a similar experience, it wasn't really 'cool' to be into Christine McVie...or even to like Fleetwood Mac at that time, really. I only had a few friends that knew my absolute obsession. I remember my 7th grade class making fun of the 'Hold Me' video and I was embarrassed to say I loved that song and video! When I went to see Chris at Great Adventure, I don't think i told many people... but i'm always proud of how well this band and their music has stood the test of time. One hardly remembers all the dweebs my friends were listening to in the 80's, but the name Fleetwood Mac certainly is still well known and respected today.

--Lis

I've been there. My 80s group of friends liked Stevie just because she recorded with Tom Petty. I was the only guy who liked simultaneously Fleetwood Mac (+ their members solo songs), Donna Summer, Tom Petty and Heartbreakers, Pet Shop Boys, Pink Floyd, Beethoven, Carpenters, Rick Wakeman, U2, etc. etc. When I mentioned some of those singers/bands, they never said it out loud to me but did look at me as if I was kind of a freak.

It took several years to recognize the legacy of those, and for example see scenes like Bono bowing to Bjorn and Benny.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

I just wanted to mention that I had a similar experience, it wasn't really 'cool' to be into Christine McVie...or even to like Fleetwood Mac at that time, really. I only had a few friends that knew my absolute obsession. I remember my 7th grade class making fun of the 'Hold Me' video and I was embarrassed to say I loved that song and video! When I went to see Chris at Great Adventure, I don't think i told many people... but i'm always proud of how well this band and their music has stood the test of time. One hardly remembers all the dweebs my friends were listening to in the 80's, but the name Fleetwood Mac certainly is still well known and respected today.

--Lis

I had a similar experience growing up. I fell in love with Mirage at age 12 and the two singles were huge here, thanks to MTV. But to be 12 and 13 in 1982 and claim FM your band was very uncool. Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Duran Duran, REO, and Journey were all more “acceptable” options. By 1984, many considered FM has beens. Christine, who was always a hard sell for most teens, wasn’t attracting a lot of new fans, even with a top ten hit. But I loved her and about 1/2 the songs on her solo album. I remember listening to “Smile” and “Ask” a lot. And “One in a Million” was so hot! But again, no one else I knew was impressed. The Carpenters Greatest Hits album got more traction than 1984’s Christine McVie.

2.5 years later, she was once again a huge force in pop. Everyone was singing “Everywhere” and “Little Lies.” Her resurgence was remarkable.