STEVIE NICKS THE SOUNDSTAGE SESSIONS

If you are looking for new Stevie Nicks on this new Stevie Nicks CD, you won’t exactly find it. And if you are looking for live music on this live Stevie Nicks CD, you won’t exactly find that either. But then again, you’ll find both. What????

“The Soundstage Sessions” CD is comprised of ten songs that were lifted from the LIVE IN CHICAGO DVD (released simultaneously). However, on the CD, the songs were worked over in Nashville and all semblance of live performance has vanished…no applause, no audience noise, no “THANK YOU CHICAGO”s, no flaws. It’s disconcerting at first if you don’t know this. I kept thinking why would Stevie go into the studio to re-record these songs. Now we all know. Stevie said that she wanted everything on this to sound perfect and it pretty much does.

Stevie co-mingles songs from her Fleetwood Mac repertoire as well as her solo ventures. “Stand Back” is here as is “If Anyone Falls” representing her work outside of the band. , And I was delighted to be reminded about “Sorcerer”, a song co-produced by Sheryl Crow from the 2001 LP TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA. It’s a great folky haunting taunt that should’ve had more lasting power. The lovely “Sara” is included (and is also in the set list on the current Fleetwood Mac tour). An orchestral version of “Landslide” is also found on this “live” set. Speaking of “live”, she performed the Dave Matthews song “Crash” on her last solo tour and it shows up here too. She’s been wanting to record this song for the last ten years and now she finally has.

She still looks fairy tale princess beautiful….all gossamer and lace and shawls and plumage. The hair still cascades in a blinding blonding.She still commands the big girl boots. The pictures included in the package all reflect her ethereal timelessness. And in her liner notes, she gives thanks to her long time best friend Waddy Wachtel who is her musical director and guitarist for many years now.

For the Stevie Nicks collector and fan who MUST HAVE EVERYTHING, you will need to get this as it’s just different enough from her studio efforts and just different enough from her live efforts too.