Tag: Stevie Nicks

Fleetwood Mac

To the Review….

Excitement of a concert experience can come from a variety of ways. You can engross yourself in the people-watching, with your pre-show critiquing of concert-going attire and wondering if someone is a rebel or an ass for wearing a “No F%^#s Given” t-shirt (with the %^# being the actual “uck”). You also might notice a younger woman, in a sea of elders, sitting by herself, in a chair on the floor section, and wonder, “Why is she here by herself?” Don’t forget the groping couple, seemingly to never separate for two-plus hours, and you also might find yourself sometimes distracted by the drunk guy who can’t seem to understand the security folks simply trying to explain to him that his seats are on the other side of the floor, eventually resulting in his flipping-off said security folks, and the subsequent ending to his night as they lead him away.

Gosh, and don’t forget the concert, itself, as Fleetwood Mac filled the United Center in Chicago with hits everyone knew, some songs that had many wondering, “Is this a Fleetwood Mac song?”, and a touching tribute to Tom Petty.

Yup, just another evening at a concert!

Continue reading Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams

MPAA Rated – Unrated
It’s 1:42 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Stevie Nicks, Dave Stewart, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Reese Witherspoon
MPAA Rated: Unrated
Released By: Virgil Films
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Kiddie Movie: Only if they are a super-serious musician and wonder how a song gets made.
Date Movie: If she’s a Stevie Nicks’ fan.
Gratuitous Sex: Um, no.
Gratuitous Violence: Um, no.
Action: Um, no.
Laughs: There’s a couple of chuckles.
Memorable Scene: I really liked the video from Italy.
Memorable Quote: Nothing stands out.
Directed By: Stevie Nicks and Dave Stewart
Produced By: Paul Boyd, Dave Stewart

Back in 2011 Stevie Nicks released an album called “In Your Dreams.” I guess I should have been paying a little more attention to Ms. Nicks because, with the online release of the documentary “Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams” available exclusively on iTunes, I was introduced to a batch of music that was awesome to listen to, and now that I know a lot more about the history of all of the songs, a lot more meaningful.

In any case, it seems that when Stevie Nicks was making “In Your Dreams” in collaboration with Dave Stewart, yes, that Dave Stewart also known by most people as “That guy in the Eurythmics,” they decided to film a documentary about the creation of the record, as Dave Stewart is also an established documentarian. It was Stevie’s first studio album in about ten years, and it’s obvious from the onset that Dave and Stevie have great chemistry in putting music together, but the addition of the movie footage adds to an insight into the creative process of both of them, and the fun that can be had in putting an album together.

The film pretty much goes through the tracks on the album with a little storytelling of how the songs came to be, mostly through Stevie’s poetry writing and the growth of those poems into music, and the inspiration of many of the songs as they came to her. Along the way there is reflective insight into her past with Fleetwood Mac, some looks at Dave Stewart looking back a bit on his history in Eurythmics, and we also get a glimpse into the personalities in Stevie’s life as various other folks fill the world of song creating, namely the likes of Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham, producer Glen Ballard, and Reese Witherspoon who offers Stevie and Dave a place to stay.

“Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams” doesn’t seem to try to do anything out of the ordinary other than tell the simple tale of how Stevie makes a record, and for that it achieves exactly what it is shooting for. If you are a Stevie Nicks fan I would say that this is a definite must watch, and for anyone curious how songs transition from a blurb on a piece of paper to finished product, the film is a case study in music creation and the various driving forces in crafting a finished song. There is a touching look at Stevie’s visit to injured Veterans, her look at the destruction in New Orleans, and just a lot of Stevie Nicks returning to classic Stevie Nicks mode that her fans know and love.

For doing exactly what this documentary is trying to accomplish, and doing it in a way that is entertaining and will keep a casual fan interested throughout, I’m giving “Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams” 4 stars out of 5. A must for the uber Stevie fan, and a nice watch for anyone who loves songwriting.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!