Pollers Only Love You When They're Polling: The FLEETWOOD MAC Tracks Poll, ILM Artist Poll #22 [Deadline: Friday, July 20th]

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120608024220-fleetwood-mac-01-horizontal-gallery.jpg

It's a big one! Because of the multitude of songwriters, diversity of eras, sheer volume of singles, and depth/extent of previous coverage on ILX, this poll will be fairly straightforward and streamlined:

Ballot part one (mandatory): Rank your top 20 Fleetwood Mac tracks. Neither solo work nor tracks from the Buckingham/Nicks LP are eligible; only tracks by the entity called "Fleetwood Mac" may be included. Live and studio versions will be treated as one, but feel free to specify if you're so inclined.

Ballot part two (optional): Rank your top 5 Fleetwood Mac studio albums.

Deadline: Friday, July 20th

Send ballots to: clarkeboehling at gmail dot com

Fleetwood Mac Discography

Appetizers from the archives (several of many):

Fleetwood Mac: Classic or Dud
Favourite Member Of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac - best album (a poll)
50 great things about Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk"

That best album poll tells serious lies re Future Games.

oh man

Haha, seriously. I don't know if I'll even make the deadline myself.

Trying to decide whether/how much to dive into pre-Buckingham/Nicks period, given that I can easily make a 20-song ballot just with the later stuff.

Sent!

Trying to decide whether/how much to dive into pre-Buckingham/Nicks period

Dive!!!

xp I think I could make 20 tracks just from Fleetwood Mac to Tusk.

I'm telling you: Future Games is as good as anything they've ever done.

(x-post)

Ismael, my hat is tipped... Let's see if we can get >100 ballots!

So many questions looming, and nothing feels predictable... How will the pre-Buckingham/Nicks-era material fare? How will the amazing singles from the two '80s records place in comparison to their more canonized predecessors? I'm planning to do a pretty long rollout as well so we can really dig in and (hopefully) encounter some surprises and some deeper cuts...

That best album poll tells serious lies re Future Games.

Also, WTF both self-titled albums combined receiving only one vote?!?

Yeah, destroy that poll.

Can't do Youtube at work but hopefully you can find "Show Me a Smile" and "Woman of 1000 Years" on there.

That best album poll bodes poorly for this one. Almost all of their albums are as good as anything they've ever done, is what I've finally come around to.

s/t '75 ---> Tusk best albums IMO due to being consistantly excellent, but great tracks are spread out all over the place

That best album poll bodes poorly for this one. Almost all of their albums are as good as anything they've ever done, is what I've finally come around to.

― dlp9001, Monday, July 9, 2012 10:14 AM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I feel you on that, Dan... Although that poll *was* conducted five years ago. For those considering whether or not to dive into the pre-Buckingham/Nicks era, I don't want to attempt to sway too strongly, but I will say this: you could spend an entire day on each of the pre-B/N-era records and still have a day left to contemplate and rank. One of the striking things about their discography is how much ground it covers without itself being too unwieldy or undigestible with regard to quantity...

Post-Peter Green, pre-Buckingham/Nicks era remains underrated

I decided that trying to be comprehensive here would lead me to madness, and so just voted for my very favourites 'cos they deserve it and I'd probably have ended up there anyway.

Totally adore Future Games, such a hazy mysterious folk-rock classic IMO.

Things I was saddest to cut - Oh Well and I Know I'm Not Wrong

I am def voting for Oh Well

I will also be spending some serious qt with Kiln House/Future Games/Bare Trees

I should have mentioned this in the opening post, but scoring will be in standard ILM Artist Poll format: #1:40pts, 2:36, 3:33, 4:30, 5:28, 6:26, 7:25, 8:24, 9:23, 10:22, 11:21, 12:20, 13:19, 14:18, 15:17, 16:16, 17:15, 18:14, 19:13, 20:12.

Also, if I receive ballots of fewer than 20 tracks, they will be weighted at the bottom end of the scale rather than at the top (e.g., a five-track ballot will tally as follows: #1:16pts, 2:15, 3:14, 4:13, 5:12). I encourage you to submit full ballots and thus earn that 40-point broadsword!

you people should vote for the single mix of "Think About Me."

xpost Hey! Change the rules why don't you?

So, when a particular song gets:

Barbarpapa 16 pts, 1 vote, 1 number 1

Hmm......

I posted a short ballot, should I take some random songs and fill up to the requirement?

I didn't envision getting short ballots, so I had to think on the fly. ;-) I guess I feel that the Mac are well known enough on this board (not to mention fairly culturally ubiquitous enough) for anyone dedicated enough to post a ballot to be able to come up with 20 songs fairly easily. So yeah, full ballots are strongly encouraged; and as a participant it's up to you whether your other choices are selected randomly, sweated and anguished over, or derived according to the kabbalah...

Man. I could probably come up with 20 Peter Green era tracks alone.

cwkiii's championing of Future Games is understandable... I've spent a decent amount of time with it over the past year or so, and the production is straight-up luscious, and suits the music perfectly.

man og "Black Magic Woman" is kind of amazing. First time I heard it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eANGHVQS9Q

I think this is the only kind of obscure track that might make my top 20. I still think Jack White would have done well to cover it at some point...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Yw1SZTtAs

here's hoping say you will is well represented. this, for example, is mesmerising:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwKGE5fPe5M

Some of the stuff that made it to Say You Will was floating around for years on an unfinished Lindsey album bootleg. "Red Rover" is, in particular, a favorite of mine.

It really is xp

Nicks' "Goodbye Baby" might be her best envoi, which is saying something.

Anyone have a good source with all their songs?

20 tracks is too few. I can easily think of that number before the Nicks/Buckingham era and another 50 later.

guess I should use the chance to get acquainted with the 1970-1975 era

Even if I wanted to choose one track per album 20 isn't enough.

Tusk=20 songs=instant ballot.

I find this one hypnotic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdik8L_Wxx4&feature=related

Also, for anyone who has never heard OG Mac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CT7mzrJunc&feature=related

Or, gosh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc2Ds0A0T_g&feature=related

Honestly, the Neil Young poll exhausted me. I think I'll just watch this one.

I couldn't find a good comprehensive source of all their songs, unfortunately. 20 is very few songs, yes, but I wanted it to be tough! I want people to feel like they need to make hard decisions and not be able to include *all* their favorite canonized stuff plus *all* their favorite obscurities... As I mentioned upthread, I'm going to do a nice long rollout deep into the stats. I'm blasting Future Games while warming up the grill right now, and... THIS IS GOING TO BE FRACKING IMPOSSIBLE!

I thought you said "Future Days" there and wondered why you were blasting Can album..

Sent!

― Ismael Klata, Monday, July 9, 2012 9:09 AM (9 hours ago)

Dude, you are an inspiration. Was it Zeppelin or Bowie where you had a ballot done before the ink was dry on the thread title?

generally agree that solo records don't belong in band polls but really wanted to vote for a couple of lindsey tracks

Been listening to post-Tusk records this evening and not finding anything that might make my ballot. Any recommendations?

Will definitely check out the 70-75 records before voting. Bummer I have to do it via Youtube and not Spotify.

The two records from the '80s, Mirage and Tango In the Night, are chock full of good songs... Do you know "Everywhere"? "Little Lies"? "Hold Me"? "Big Love"?

"Hold Me" might sneak in.

haven't sat down but can't imagine i don't have 'hold me' top 3 at minimum

Tango in the Night will be well-represented on my ballot. Mirage may not be at all. We'll see.

Pretty sure my ballot's going to look like "songs by Christine McVie and others associated with her in general"

"Hold Me" is a huge one for me

voted, want to do a little lobbying for this stone cold groove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHdM1Nh3mDA

sent. my ranking was near pointless, it's weird to rate 20 of one's favourite songs of all time as anything but #1

Always loved this one from the Bob Welch era:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yA2i60AVIw

xpost: 'Keep on Going' and 'Hypnotized' off of MTM are definitely making my ballot.

I love Peter Green. The guitar tone on 'I loved another woman' is superb. That one is making it as well.

Anybody want to rep for the post Tango studio material? Apart from 'The Dance', can't honestly recall any of it.

say you will is great, the other two albums aren't particularly good

Say You Will is really, really good. It suffers from being too long, from the absence of Christine, and I can't get with the production - but the songs are mostly excellent and it's up there imo.

Hoping Mirage gets a few tracks in - 'Book of Love' and 'Love in Store' are two of my favourites alongside the big singles and 'Empire State' is as weird as anything on Tusk.

Not sure if I'll vote for anything outside the Buckingham/Nicks era although I do like 'Sentimental Lady' a lot.

echoing the love for Mirage, specifically "Can't Go Back" and "Love in Store."

Say You Will will also produce a couple songs on my ballot.

A bunch - most? all? - of "Mirage" is strong ("Book of Love," "Hold Me," "Love In Store," "Gypsy," etc.), and much of "Tango" is well worthwhile, too ("Seven Wonders," "Big Love," "Everywhere," "Little Lies," "Caroline"). "Say You Will" is great, particularly Lindsey's stuff, which is very much in line with the rest of his frenetic solo material "(What's the World Coming To," "Steal Your Heart Away," "Red Rover," "Bleed to Love Her". ANd don't forget "As Long As You Follow" from the hits set.

Truly a difficult poll. I'd perhaps even make room for the solo live version of "Big Love."

My faves from Mirage are "Book of Love", "Gypsy", "Eyes of the World" and "Hold Me", all of which have a shot of my ballot.

Will def. vote for "Bleed to Love Her" off Say You Will. Love that record so much.

"Thrown Down" and "Running Down the Garden" are my SYW jams. A few of those Nicks songs are at least fifteen years old.

I remember "Bleed to Love Her" was first heard on The Dance, which I guess explains McVie's fantastic harmonies.

Those Lindsey tracks on "SYW" are older than the Nicks. Several date back to his original "Gift of Screws" album.

Looks like Lindsey's "Gift of Screws" was originally slated for 2001 release, which songs recorded between 1995 and 2000. Many of the Lindsey tracks on "SYW" are virtually identical to his solo tracks, which sometimes featured McVie and Fleetwood, too.

I bought a Best Buy "sampler" in the late nineties that had the new Buckingham-Nicks tune "Twister" (worth downloading if you can find it), "Steal Your Heart Away," and McVie's "The Smile I Live For."

*Twisted

Everybody Finds Out is where SYW nails it for me

Love both "Everybody Finds Out" and "Running Through The Garden", great aggro stevie tunes.

"Sentimental Lady" killing me right now.

the other two albums aren't particularly good

Behind the Mask isn't a complete waste, though for every good Stevie or Christine song on that one there's a better one on another album.

(Interesting Mac digression: "Daydream Believer" writer John Stewart's 1979 album "Bombs Away Dream Babies," which was produced by Buckingham and features Lindsey and Stevie)

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120608024220-fleetwood-mac-01-horizontal-gallery.jpg

people who know how to live, etc...

lol @ this: "Rolling Stone rated it as 4/5 stars, claiming that 'the addition of Rick Vito and Billy Burnette is the best thing to ever happen to Fleetwood Mac'"

the McVie singles "Save Me" and "Skies The Limit" are fine reproductions of the Buckingham sound -- millions of dollars of craftsmanship lessons didn't go to waste -- but she's treading water as a lyricist.

Nicks adds typically Nicksian interjectinos on "Skies the Limit": "and when you DO I'lll think ABOUT you"

Was it Christgau who made the observation that the pretty one writes the weird lonely songs, and the average looking one writes the love songs?

Oh yeah: "Why is this easy-listening rock different from all other easy-listening rock, give or take an ancient harmony or two? ... Because the cute-voiced woman writes and sings the tough lyrics and the husky-voiced woman the vulnerable ones?"

typically Nicksian interjectinos

very correct description

The album version is of course incredible, but I cannot get over this live solo version. I could listen to Lindsey pluck and scratch and howl this one every day. It sets my blood on fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXCYxkPYVQ0&feature=related

Ha! I knew it'd be that before I clicked on it. He's the most amazing guitarist.

Took me forever to recognize how much Lindsey is helped by various open tunings, but the guy's precision, ingenuity and sense of rhythm is still awe-inspiring.

I'm more infatuated with his solo version of "Go Insane," thanks to that almost Baroque-era melody he teases out of the original

Yeah, he slows it down, too.

I've seen Lindsey solo a bunch the past few years, but he's playing some wine bar here this summer. Tempted to see him again, maybe shell out for the wine pairing meet and greet!

yeah seeing him do big love live is something my gf still talks about

does he still drink? I hope Nicks and John McVie are the only teetotalers (Mick grows grapes for wine now).

Thanks to this poll I am listening to Tango In The Night on Spotify, first time I've listened to the whole thing probably since it was new, and it's like a million times better than I recall. Since I know the music hasn't changed, I clearly have.

Has anyone ever done a mashup of the album version of "Big Love" with "Running Up That Hill?" Seems like it should be simple.

if it's allowed I'm gonna vote for the 12" version of "Seven Wonders – a sublimity – and I'm sure Tim F is too.

Just Youtubing some Peter Green era stuff, "Albatross" sure is a pretty thing isn't it?

Here's an excellent B-side from the Tango era:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtTh_MGXIZg

"Albatross" is one of the highlights of the Peter Green era for me.

Down Endless Street is pretty good. xp

It's never a bad time to repost this Gypsy demo with just Stevie and a Rhodes piano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKIC_Kza4Ek

I don't really have a favorite between Stevie and Christine, but these comments in the "Seven Wonders" youtube cracked me up

Man, Stevie is fucking SMOKIN!!!!! :)
vidgameman73 2 weeks ago 2

Agreed. Some people are fucked in the head and think christine is better. Just goes to show why music is mostly shit nowadays.
crackparty in reply to vidgameman73 1 week ago

What? How? People prefer Christine McVie and music everywhere turns to shit?

Thanks to this poll I am listening to Tango In The Night on Spotify, first time I've listened to the whole thing probably since it was new, and it's like a million times better than I recall. Since I know the music hasn't changed, I clearly have.

On certain days, it's my favorite Fleetwood Mac record of all.

Tango is really high on my list, but when we're talking about the band who recorded Rumours every other album is battling for second place.

"Isn't It Midnight" is a really slept-on Tango song. Lindsey's guitar toward the end is just scorching... And as much as I respect Rumours, I barely ever listen to it. I also hate "Don't Stop"!

Yeah, I always skip Don't Stop too, but I listen to Rumours quite a bit (especially the remastered version which sounds AMAZING and also slid Silver Springs back into the running order).

I still get a huge kick out of this, which I believe was the VERY FIRST response post to a Fleetwood Mac thread in ILM history:

I like OLD Fleetwood Mac - when they made R&B (rhythm & blues, not Rap & Bullshit!). Prior to THAT WOMAN's arrival.
― Kodanshi, Sunday, July 1, 2001 8:00 PM (11 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wonder whatever happened to Kodanshi.

"Isn't It Midnight" is basically a Christine song to which Lindsey stapled that scorched-earth solo.

I wonder whatever happened to Kodanshi.

turned out to be Don Henley.

Yeah, I always skip Don't Stop too, but I listen to Rumours quite a bit (especially the remastered version which sounds AMAZING and also slid Silver Springs back into the running order).

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 11:54 AM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark

I'm so glad they did this - "Silver Springs" is crucial to this album and would have been there in the first place had vinyl-era sound quality constraints not led to its last-minute removal

That said, "Go Your Own Way" b/w "Silver Springs" is a wonderfully symbiotic single - Lindsey's kiss-off to Stevie b/w Stevie's kiss-off to Lindsey, with each singing backups on the other's song. Ouch!

I need to do some listening for this poll at high volume. Sometimes I forget how quiet we keep it around the house in deference to each other, but listening to the 1975 s/t cranked up a bit while the ladies are at the gym is a treat. McVie rules.

I meant John there, not Christine, though she rules too.

I've always wanted Lindsey's jubilant guitar at the fade-out of "Second Hand News" to go on a whole lot longer.

I meant John there, not Christine, though she rules too.

― Neil Jung (WmC), Wednesday, July 11, 2012 12:36 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Funny, I'm listening to Rumours right now and marveling at the bass playing on "Dreams"... His and Mick's interplay on that song completely makes it. Well, that and Lindsey's perfect guitar shading and the incredible soft bed of backing vocals and...

The Chain has a really good shot at being my #1.

Gotta confess, "The Chain" is an irritant to me. Subtle as a kick in the nuts.

For me it's really all about the song's third act...I could ride along with that outro groove for hours.

Yeah, the playing on Dreams is gorgeous

For me it's really all about the song's third act

Nah, I take that back. It's really about every part of the song. Fantastic.

For me it's really all about the song's third act...I could ride along with that outro groove for hours.

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 1:01 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The beginning of the outro groove up until Lindsey expands beyond the one-note thing always makes me think of Joy Division.

I really wish these early 70s albums were on Spotify. I have them all at home, but work is when I do the lion's share of my listening for poll purposes.

It's been used as the Formula One theme music for decades here, and still hard for me to separate it from that.

"Songbird" is treacly.

One thing I'm finding very difficult is making a value judgement between, say, "Worried Dream" and "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow." Love 'em both, absolutely no idea how to even begin ranking them... Bee Gees poll was way easier, by comparison.

My single favorite moment in "The Chain" is when Mick closes off the intro to the second verse with that perfectly abrupt open-then-shut hi-hat.

One thing I'm finding very difficult is making a value judgement between, say, "Worried Dream" and "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow." Love 'em both, absolutely no idea how to even begin ranking them... Bee Gees poll was way easier, by comparison.

― dlp9001, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 1:15 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Agree totally.

I already know what my #1 is, without question, so this is just going to be a battle for #2-20.

My no.1 is totally untypical of the rest of my ballot. I love the rest like they were my children, but there's one track (that I'm not even sure how much I like) that so nails a particular *thing* that I had to give it the honour.

yeah my number 1 is nailed on too. 2 to 20, pretty sure what they are, the order not so much.

Was my ballot received?

Indeed, thanks Moka... I'll send everyone a confirmation now.

I still get a huge kick out of this, which I believe was the VERY FIRST response post to a Fleetwood Mac thread in ILM history:

I like OLD Fleetwood Mac - when they made R&B (rhythm & blues, not Rap & Bullshit!). Prior to THAT WOMAN's arrival.
― Kodanshi, Sunday, July 1, 2001 8:00 PM (11 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wonder whatever happened to Kodanshi.

― Clarke B., Wednesday, July 11, 2012 10:55 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i wonder if he meant christine, lyndsey, or (maybe) that stevie fellow

Ha... Man, "World Turning" is such a beast!

I love Christine's collaborations with Lindsey.

My #1 is also the first Fleetwood Mac song I heard: Oh Well.

I was 10 and it was mindblowing. Also for a brief moment there I felt like the coolest kid in class when singing the lyrics: 'I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin. But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me tooooo'

Oh Well came with a part II blew me away. I may have grossly erred by omitting it.

You had a pretty good handle on lyrics at 10. The first time I remember lyrics challenging me to understand them was in the case of Prince's "Pop Life" at about the same age, but I really had no idea what the "Whatcha puttin in your nose?" line meant.

This was new to me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbDHmm3ExY4

stale boogers, silly

xpost

clarke i voted in this but i forgot to include my username so i guess this post is telling you that the ballot you just got was mine uh ok?

does anyone love when Nicks yells, as "Sara" fades, ALL I EEEEVEER WAANNNTEED

^^^^ I've always considered this the liminal threshold for frank kogan's "free lunch" / "context of abundance" binary.

voted!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Yg-mxtXa0

Hey you guys

Stevie Nicks: Fleetwood Mac reunion in 2013
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505270_162-57470124/stevie-nicks-fleetwood-mac-reunion-in-2013/

Thanks, Nick. I'm assuming no Christine, though, right?

Probably not? They've done at least a couple other tours without her.

Come on, it's no reunion if they never broke up. It's only been a couple of years since they last toured.

I do like how Lindsey considers his own career the "little machine" and Fleetwood Mac the "big machine," referring really to the amount of effort and energy it takes to get the latter going and up to speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-NfVY51YdE&feature=related

listened to the studio version of Silver Springs...wow!

I'll hopefully be able to put a ballot together this weekend. All I gotta say is ALBATROSS

Btw, has anyone here heard Lykke Li's cover of 'Silver Springs'? It's quite good. I can't remember if I had that one on my ballot.

Shit, I shouldn't have gone back and started listening to these post-Green/pre-Buckingham Nicks albums...too much good stuff all over them. My ballot just became more work.

Man, don't say that!

I've been going forward chronologically from Then Play On over the last few days...definitely a few gems in there, but Welch just puts me in a coma.

Hot Chip covered "Everywhere" tonight.

quite well too!

Ack! I didn't know until just now that Blue Letter was a cover. It's not like them, and I should've voted for it.

Xpost. I'd be surprised if this put anyone into a coma, but life is endlessly surprising...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O8ejbrJPk4

some kinda kismet, michael shelley did an interview w/ ken caillat yesterday: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/46475

Will anyone here rep for Time, the only Mac album I know nothing from?

This poll is gonna rock

Bump to remind everybody to vote, and also I came across a song from the Welch era that kicks all kinds of ass and will go high on my ballot. Not telling though!

Spent a little while listening to Mac things I didn't know. Some good stuff, seems like fertile ground for more exploration. But when it came down to picking 20, I still ended up with 14 from the first three Nicks-Buckingham era albums.

voted. definitely heavy on B&N era, but I made room for other things.

voted one post welch-era song
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6y9lrHsKe1qcaugio1_500.jpg

That's a lovely photo, but Stevie's looking rough

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5zni3RAXZ1qbvg22o1_500.jpg

oh i missed this thread until now. i was hoping to listen to the early stuff but it looks like 100% of my ballot is going to be 75-83. i don't really have a problem with this.

also i will never understand how silver springs was cut from rumours bc of time? the album is only 39 minutes! and 36 minutes without i don't want to know, which i thought replaced it? not that i would ever want a rumours w/o i don't want to know. idgi tho. listening to silver springs right now and tearing up bc it might be the saddest song ever.

Sixteen ballots received so far... Let's quadruple that!

also i will never understand how silver springs was cut from rumours bc of time? the album is only 39 minutes! and 36 minutes without i don't want to know, which i thought replaced it? not that i would ever want a rumours w/o i don't want to know. idgi tho. listening to silver springs right now and tearing up bc it might be the saddest song ever.

usually i am like 'no don't fuck with an album's tracklisting' when it comes to reissues, but the remastered rumours with "silver springs" situated nicely in the middle... the record's better for it.

also oh man if i did a ballot i'd probably have a few songs from say you will on there

anyone c&p'd the Tusk tracklisting on their ballot yet?

anyone know where I can dig up copies of the Welch-era albums? itunes and amazon don't have them.

(amazon mp3, that is)

For the purposes of the poll, I've been Youtubing.

Yeah, I may do that, but it's not convenient. I mostly listen to music on my ipod on the bus.

I bought Bare Trees on Saturday and while I've played it just once I have a feeling it might be a factor.

xp if you're reading this on a mac, learn to cook really well, befriend some crack session musicians and entice them to your house by promising them gourmet food, track down the sheet music, say dinner'll be a couple of hours and suggest using the time to record the songs on garageband, then select 'export as mp3'; you should be able to get them onto your iPod that way

I don't know if it's possible on a pc

lol

Pretty much every FM album is very much available on filestube et. al.

I don't foresee having enough room for it in my ballot but I just wanted to tell everybody that "Never Make Me Cry" reminds me of a more tuneful A.R. Kane or something along those lines

Voted. Getting down to 25 wasn't too bad, but the last five cuts were brutal. Half of Tusk made the 20 in the end.

I'll be disappointed if 'Angel' isn't the lowest Tusk cut

I only had two tracks from Tusk on my ballot. Neither was Sara, and neither was Angel.

I'll stan for some agit Buckingham stuff, but when limited to 20 spots it all falls behind the more fleshed out immaculate material that Fleetwood Mac is capable of.

"Angel" from 1974 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Angel" from 1979

http://youtu.be/mQlA1_4x2ts

Everybody vote for the Welch track!

Yes, that's excellent. ffs what a horrible sleeve though. Bare Trees is a rare beauty on that front

Mystery to Me sleeve also quite WTF-y.

anyone c&p'd the Tusk tracklisting on their ballot yet?

I don't think I could cut down to 25 - Neil Young down to 35 was in some ways easier - but certainly a "Tusk" cut and paste would be easier.

dunno if i can whittle down enough to do this @20. have ~17 w/out even getting to tusk/rumours which are my faves.....

I would just like to say that this version of "Rhiannon" is amazing. Wish I could've seen them then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c3MsSdt9JQ

That version, which a friend posted on Facebook last year, is single-handedly why I put "Rhiannon" on my ballot. It's like a '70s Heart of Darkness, or Rosebud, or something that explains everything.

For your consideration, Kiln House. It's got some real good songs.

who's gonna put "hypnotized" on their ballot? that's the only pre-75 song i know, and i haven't voted yet because i keep thinking i'll get to the early stuff...not gonna happen tho

"Hyptonized" is definitely on my ballot, and high.

("Hypnotized", even)

what about "Mystified"?

That's a really pretty song, but not even in the top half of Tango for me personally...

who's gonna put "hypnotized" on their ballot? that's the only pre-75 song i know, and i haven't voted yet because i keep thinking i'll get to the early stuff...not gonna happen tho

You should easily be able to find three or four Green era songs to love. "Man of the World," "Albatross," "Oh Well..."

OK thanks Josh, I'll try those

No one's mentioned this yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLz3lG6DQvA

Two out of two YouTube commenters call it perfect. That's a perfect ratio.

Not sure why that didn't embed--it's not disabled.

it got four dislikes you ASS

Can we maybe get some of the "no pre-75" people to watch an old video if it's 1. in color 2. at the Playboy club and 3.all about what made Hefner's fortune?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCBx4Exb3fk

(this one has better video than the other I found, but is missing the funny/awful intro bit from Hugh and friends...)

Dig Buddy's Song from Kiln House. So good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDdv4RbQvZg

I'm listening through the Kiln House album right now; while I think "Station Man" and "Jewel Eyed Judy" (and "One Together" for that matter) are cool, my favorite is the instrumental "Earl Grey". The whole album has kind of a rockabilly/Buddy Holly/50s RnB revival vibe

actually I might like this better than "Albatross" tbh:

http://youtu.be/TEnem_wgFBw

^Earl Grey

Earl Grey is a really cool and pretty, but Albatross just has so much gravity to it.

you're probably right actually, Albatross seems like a surf instrumental for Future Days fans

This poll has been interesting as far as finding cover versions I didn't know...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=735dXdC7i9A&feature=related

"Buddy's Song" credited to Buddy Holly's mom!

Pre-Buckingham/Nicks songs I didn't know well that may bump something I was sure would be in my top 20: "I Loved Another Woman", "Something Inside of Me", "Without You", "Showbiz Blues", "My Dream", "Underway", "One Together", "Jewel Eyed Judy", "Future Games", "Show Me a Smile", "Keep on Going", "The Way I Feel", "Come a little Bit Closer", "Brown Eyes", "Save Me a Place", "Emerald Eyes", "Child of Mine" (actually, whole first side of Bare Trees), "Angel" ('74).

Kirwin and Welch were better songwriters than I realized. This is gonna be tough....

There's another Brown Eyes too?

oops, that should't have been there

"Emerald Eyes" is really pretty tho. Bob Welch later had a hit with "Ebony Eyes". Lots of 'eyes' songs to confuse....

Before you think about voting for "One Together," be aware that four people disliked it on YouTube.

but eleven liked it

Lots of Youtubers didn't like "Albatross" or "Landslide" or "Silver Springs" either. What do they know?

Just kidding--referring to a post from last night.

yeah I saw that - actually more astonished it got only eleven "likes". More ppl need to hear this....

nowadays it's all rap crap only one click away, kids today have never heard REAL music

Submitted. How many of you trusted your first initial feeling?

I did not venture outside of the big three albums by the way. I listened to some Welch-era material, but it was hard enough with just twenty spots. If it had been 25, I would have been able to include all of side 4 of tusk.

I'm surprised how many of my initial picks have survived even after (re-)listening to deep cuts all week. I really like alot of them, but most would rank 21-40 for me

I wish my old stereo wasn't out of commission right now - I have every Mac album up through Tusk on vinyl

Future Games is really a cool album so far, I can see at least one if not two songs from it making my ballot

Yeah I expect "Woman of 1000 Years", "Future Games" and "Show Me A Smile" all to have a shot at my ballot.

I came ~really~ close to voting for Woman of 1000 years, but swapped it out for something else. Hope it places anyway.

voted for 2 of those 3

I really love "Morning Rain" as well, which for the first thirty seconds sounds like it could be a cover of a peak-era Bowie song or something, and then not long afterwards starts sounding almost exactly like "O My Soul", three years before the fact

the last song off of Kiln House, "Mission Bell", with the absolutely haunting call-and-response vocals, really sets the tone nicely for this album

well maybe not "sounds exactly" like O My Soul, but it def reminds me strongly of it

What exactly does the cover photo on Future Games portray?

how many ballots so far, clarke?

Didn't think I knew enough beyond Rumours/Tusk/Tango/Albatross to vote in this but I've had time to check out the Bob Welch years and there's some great stuff - Keep On Going!

My ballot breaks down to:

Fleetwood Mac - 5
Rumours - 6
Tusk - 9

and

Lindsey - 5
Stevie - 6
Christine - 9

22 ballots so far...

Just voted

ballot sent.

breakdown:

Green - 4
Kirwan - 1
C. McVie - 5
Welch - 4
Buckingham - 1
Nicks - 4
multiple writers - 1

Will have mine in by end of day today.

yeah same here

Just sent.

Primary vox breakdown:
Nicks: 6
C. McVie: 6
Buckingham: 6
All (cover song, 3-part harmony): 1
Instrumental: 1

Release breakdown:
A-side: 1
B-side: 2
Fleetwood Mac: 2
Rumours: 5
Tusk: 8
Mirage: 2

pre-Christine: 1
post-Christine: 1
with Christine: 18

voted, with a correction soon following after. Tell me if you got it, Clarke B.

Hypnotized is killing it for me tonight

Clarke, can you confirm you got my ballot and didn't get the email address wrong?

i'm in. fuck, that was tough.

For all the ballot polls I knew I was going to vote in, I've had a rough idea what my ballot was going to look like going in. Mostly they didn't change...this one is totally getting blown up and reassembled from scratch. Also, I'm a big Danny Kirwan fan now.

Listening to "Welcome to the Room...Sara" now, I'm struck by its feeble structure; it's a bunch of incoherent words barely strung together. You can tell Buckingham invented its melody wholesale and Fleetwood's fills and bongos gave it structure.

ballot sent. had to do a fair amount of whittling.

it sounds like it was pasted together from bits edited out of other, better songs xpost

this poll made me realize i actually listened to the "tango in the night" album a bunch of times back in the 80s

Ballot sent. And immediately I saw a change I wanted to make on the albums part, so revised albums ballot sent also.

Pre-Lindsey/Stevie: 9 tracks
75/77/79: 11 tracks

kirwan's solo records can be a bit spotty because he starts losing the plot mentally but there's some good stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBi8wVvBnyo

solo album cover connections

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nC82pNg1u4k/SsnfzChNNKI/AAAAAAAAACE/ialV86mgsXo/s1600-h/Danny+Kirwan+-+Hello+There+Big+Boy%21+-+1979.jpghttp://www.rocknationradio.com/samHTMweb/pictures/Welch,-Bob-French-Kiss.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nC82pNg1u4k/SsnfzChNNKI/AAAAAAAAACE/ialV86mgsXo/s400/Danny+Kirwan+-+Hello+There+Big+Boy!+-+1979.jpg

i really liked the last jeremy spencer album (especially the cochranesque-"earthquake"). worth seeking out if you're into his "retro-rock" and/or elmore james stylings. it's got a nice raw sound.

bend in the road is the album's name.

damn, by "the last jeremy spencer" album i guess i mean the NEW one because it only came out on CD two days ago (vinyl release came out on record store day)

sent!

'75: 3
rumours: 8(!)
tusk: 7
mirage: 1
b-side: 1

vox:
stevie: 7
lindsay: 8
christine: 3
multi: 2

Nice work, everyone! I just sent out a bunch of confirmations for ballots received over the past 12-ish hours... We're up to 34 ballots with still the entirety of today left.

Also: if you've sent a ballot and haven't received a confirmation email, please send it to me again. I've replied to everybody individually whose ballots I've received... Thanks!

That's one ballot for every week Rumours was at no.1 - now onto Tusk

sent!

Listening to "Welcome to the Room...Sara" now, I'm struck by its feeble structure; it's a bunch of incoherent words barely strung together. You can tell Buckingham invented its melody wholesale and Fleetwood's fills and bongos gave it structure.

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, July 19, 2012 9:54 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Definitely the steaming turd on an otherwise awesome record.

you kidding me? Alfred's description makes me want to check it out. There were probably at least two songs from TITN that I shouldve voted for, but I was so hard up for ballot real estate I only voted for one post-Tusk track

welcome to the room sara is terrible, and did strangely well on the tango in the night poll

Just want to thank this thread for introducing me to 'Silver Springs'. Jesus.

just voted. 18/20 of mine were post 1975.

Are there any other polls where an act's first decade could get (largely) ignored? Mostly anything that late gets bumped out entirely.

There aren't many other acts that took a decade to find their best songwriters.

I guess that's not totally fair, since Christine joined at, what, the five-year mark? Still. It's an unusual trajectory.

xp Yeah, Silver Springs, Hypnotized, Keep On Going and Future Games were all new to me and all made my ballot, so thanks thread. It's rare that I get time to check out unheard material before I vote.

Listening to "Welcome to the Room...Sara" now, I'm struck by its feeble structure; it's a bunch of incoherent words barely strung together. You can tell Buckingham invented its melody wholesale and Fleetwood's fills and bongos gave it structure.

The story goes that Stevie was so incapacitated that much of that album was indeed Lindsey making the most of the few takes he could get out of her.

Most of the album, actually. Lots of programmed percussion, chimes, toy boxes, and so on. I can't think of another album from this period that uses up to the minute recording technology but doesn't sound like 1987.

pretty sure a lot of those synths aren't played by McVie either. TITN sounds more homemade than Tusk -- Buckingham even gets engineering credit!

Seriously, I found it so illuminating when I heard the "Gift of Screws" bootleg and noticed that several of the tracks ended up on "Say You Will" virtually unchanged.

Ballot in. Three songs post-1973.

Nice. I'm really anticipating the results for this one.

all from Heroes Are Hard to Find?

I shouldve voted for Green Manalishi :(

I did.

I expect it to do quite well. It's kind of a horrible track, yet utterly brilliant.

Are there any other polls where an act's first decade could get (largely) ignored? Mostly anything that late gets bumped out entirely.

I expected the Pulp poll to be like that, but it wasn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py3w5fttedA

bump

If we're doing last minute campaigning, let me suggest the title track from Heroes Are Hard to Find. Great horns!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIARC-2ji6I

hmm, what's with the https?

I only recently learned that before there was Fleetwood Mac, the band, there was "Fleetwood Mac", the song - a Mick Fleetwood/John McVie instrumental jam that was a B side of an unsuccessful John Mayall single. I can't seem to find this track online though (it's hard to search for); can anyone point me to it?

Do you know what the a-side was?

I thought this was a band without deep cuts. I can even find Dragonfly easily these days.

I only recently learned that before there was Fleetwood Mac, the band, there was "Fleetwood Mac", the song - a Mick Fleetwood/John McVie instrumental jam that was a B side of an unsuccessful John Mayall single. I can't seem to find this track online though (it's hard to search for); can anyone point me to it?

― Lee626, Friday, July 20, 2012 2:08 PM (25 minutes ago)

Track #7:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-original-fleetwood-mac-mw0000067579

Damn it, I voted too soon (thanks btw)

aah just found the same clip.

Written by Peter Green, and credited to Fleetwood Mac on that comp album, but everywhere else i've read it was recorded before the namesake band was formed and all three were still with the Bluesbreakers.

Would someone (WmC?) be so kind as to email me the spreadsheet template discussed on the general polling thread?

FYI, I won't be able to get a good clean start on this until tomorrow afternoon NYC time, so if anyone is thinking of submitting a ballot but wishing they had more time, go ahead and take through tonight.

.xls sent

I don't know if it qualifies as a deep cut, and the Rezillos' version kind of kills the original, but Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight probably deserves a shout out. Is this available on album anywhere?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0U-eef6OyQ

Also, any other bands as big as Fleetwood Mac to have *three* (at least) covers that almost nobody knows are by the original band? Black Magic Woman, Green Manalishi, and this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8hDw6mS2pI&feature=related

Maybe four if you count Sentimental Lady...

Is this available on album anywhere?

it's on a couple of immediate records comps..

What's the third cover, dlp9001--I can't see youtube embeds on my phone

^^The Rezillos doing "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite"

The original can be found on most Immediate Records v/a singles comps.

psyched for this - i listen to the first three "rumors" line-up albums plenty but haven't really dug into the following two and never heard a note of the band pre-buckinghamnicks so this should hopefully be a lil educational

Voted!

The Christine McVie Show: 13
feat. special guests: 7

srsly I <33 Christine McVie.

how much do you love Christine McVie?

http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/5971025527/christine-mcvie-the-perfect-mix-live-mix

: )

got a non-megaupload (rip) link for that boot?

To honor this poll, Hot Chip covered "Everywhere" at its Pitchfork show last week.

Eep, I called "Welcome to the Room Sara" the steaming turd on Tango when I meant "When I See You Again"! Stevie just sounds awful, AWFUL on that one; I can't even make it through the entire thing. I think it's the worst Fleetwood Mac song ever recorded.

On a happier note, is there a version of "Brown Eyes" out there that doesn't fade out? Because that solo Lindsey launches into just when things are starting to churn up during the slow fade-out sounds like it's gonna be a monster... I always get so frustrated that they didn't leave in more of it.

I know! But I think it's actually Peter Green playing...

Oh wow, amazing! I didn't know that... Thanks for pointing it out!

Also, any other bands as big as Fleetwood Mac to have *three* (at least) covers that almost nobody knows are by the original band?

Hmm, Tommy James? Joan Jett, Billy Idol and Tiffany all had hits covering Tommy James in the '80s.

Any love for "Second Hand News" out there? It's sort of minor, but it's awesome.

I'd add R.E.M.'s cover of "Draggin' the Line," where I bet lots of people who bought the Austin Powers soundtrack for "Beautiful Stranger" are oblivious to T.J.'s original.

LOVE "Second Hand News"! I love the way the track skips into life... It's on my ballot--not high, but on there.

I'm trying to decide whether to start rolling out the results Monday late-afternoon NYC time (the earliest I can start it due to work), or Tuesday AM NYC time... Thoughts, anyone?

As the comment says, "with Christine on drums!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlzZlWQKlNY

Late Mon for albums and start tracks on early Tues...?

monday afternoon. re: major artist (if ppl know who tommy james is they definitely know he recorded 'crimson and clover', 'mony mony', and 'i think we're alone now') w/ 3 famous covers by other artists that ppl are unaware are covers i'm thinking maybe prince w/ 'i feel for you', 'nothing compares 2 u' (borderline a prince original) and maaaybe tlc's 'if i was yr girlfriend' or d'angelo's 'she's always in my hair' or mitch ryder's 'when you were mine' (at the time at least). also thinking maybe neil young - definitely know ppl who know st etienne's 'only love will break yr heart' w/ no knowledge of the neil and totally willing to bet there are ppl who know nicolette larson's 'lotta love' but have no inkling of the originator, not sure about the 3rd. guessing dylan and leonard cohen could qualify easily here also.

Monday Morning, surely?!

maybe van morrison also - shadows of knight version of 'gloria' was the bigger hit in the us right? brian mcknight had that huge hit w/ 'crazy love', and it seems like all the them samples and rips on odelay should count somehow.

Rod's cover of "Have I Told You Lately?" re:Van

Tempted to throw in Tom Waits: "Ol' 55" (Eagles), "Downtown Train" & "Tom Traubert's Blues" (Rod Stewart), 'Jersey Girl" (Bruce Springsteen).

Mellencamp/ndegeocello cover of "Wild Night" = v possible ppl aren't familiar with the og Morrison

I didn't know about "Lotta Love" being Neil until two weeks ago

Okay guys, POLLS ARE CLOSED! Number crunching will commence shortly, and the rollout will begin Monday afternoon...

LET'S DO THIS THING

Any love for "Second Hand News" out there? It's sort of minor, but it's awesome.

made my top fifteen

It only seems minor 'cos it's relatively short, has a less lush arrangement, and because it's on Rumours. No way that'd cross your mind for any other band.

Second Hand News isn't minor at all imo. I ranked it highly.

Minor in that as a song it couldn't be simpler, melodically. Buddy Holly chords, wordless doot-doot chorus, etc. But the lyrics are great.

made my top fifteen

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, July 21, 2012 6:06 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ditto. funny way of putting it though : )

Also thumbs up to Josh in Chicago for the Buddy Holly reference. I haven't really compared them musicologically or anything, and I haven't read any histories or interviews with FM to confirm an influence or anything, but my impression has always been that they are often mining the same rock 'n' roll vein as Holly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4xp8bOzfm0

Well done, folks: I received a total of 42 ballots, comprising 119 total songs! Given point totals and such, I'm leaning heavily toward a three-day 60-song rollout. Would everyone be happy with that, or would we have patience for and interest in an 80-song rollout?

didn't get a ballot together (started late and am still processing the early stuff, which i knew almost nothing about), but i'm looking forward to the results.

down with either 60 or 80; whichever is easier for you Clarke

I favour shorter rollouts personally, to keep us guessing a bit as we reach the top five, but it's your call Clarke and I certainly wouldn't want to deny any Mac track its moment in the sun. (I usually reckon that starting where the ties peter out is a good rule-of-thumb but actually, longer might be better here because all the Green & Welch stuff will likely be in the lower numbers)

"second hand news" made my top 14. (Even tho it's my, um, 7th-highest ranking Rumors cut...)

i'm pleased i was too late for this, i'd have exploded trying to narrow it down between s/t and tusk alone.

bummed i didn't get to vote in this one, but i did listen to Fleetwood Mac all the way down to Big Sur and I'm looking forward to the results. based on that i would have gone heavy for buckingham/nicks mac. all's fair in love and war.

also i know i've said it before on this board but mick fleetwood is deeply underrated afaict.

Only after submitting my ballot did I discover Why from Mystery to Me. What a song. Would have made my ballot even more Christine-heavy than it already is. She's so good. I'm a big fan of And That's Saying a Lot from her Christine Perfect album as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mcN-9nKkyo

also i know i've said it before on this board but mick fleetwood is deeply underrated afaict.

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Monday, July 23, 2012 12:46 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

So damn true.

ARE Y'ALL READY TO DO THIS THING?!

Songbird!