Why doesn't anybody name Christine McVie as a great singer?

I mean there's a LOT in her vocal style and song writing that puts her with the all time greats: her vocals are PITCH PERFECT, I don't think she's capable of singing off-key. And then she has that quality of hurt in her voice, that thing where people keep praising singers like Karen Carpenter for, that quality where she can make you shiver because of her singing just expresses "I-know-this-hurt-because-I've-been-through-it-myself."

And then there's the songs...

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McVie is without a doubt a great singer...or at least great at what she does.

Too many people associate a great voice with power and range. Christine's range is pretty small and so is the "size" of her voice, but you're absolutely right, everytime she opens her mouth the music that comes out is damn near perfect.

There's emotion and honesty when she sings. I get so tired of these American Idol type yodelers.

The Mac's always been one of my favorites from back in the Peter Green days. Bob Welch fit pretty well...but to me the voice of the band is Christine.

There's emotion and honesty when she sings. I get so tired of these American Idol type yodelers.


I agree.

I have always liked her voice. I know people that trash her whenever the subject of FM comes up but honestly I can't imagine why.

I really like her version of I'd Rather Go Blind, with Chicken Shack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohx9Ve7-GS0

IMO she wrote the best tunes on the "Tusk" record. "Never Forget" and "Think About Me" are two of my favorite FM songs.

If you put me in a room. put a gun to my head, and told me I HAD to listen to FM but I could choose between Chrissie or Stevie I'd pick Chrissie every time!

I loved her stuff in the pre-Buckingham-Nicks FM. She kept that band alive.

Frankly, she's NOT a great singer IMO, nor does she have a great (or even interesting) voice. It doesn't help that her vocal material is the weakest in the FM catalog (save for Jeremy's boogie-woogie schtick), but I try not to hold that against her.

I understand that she was on a lot of 'hits', and that creates a bond w/ the audience, an imprint on the singer's voice. I don't think that says anything about the quality of her performance, on-stage or in the studio. Comparisons to Karen Carpenter seem particularly inapt, as Carpenter's voice was rich and intimate, and she used it w/ great expression; by contrast, McVie's voice is thin and characterless, and she doesn't seem to actually DO much with it.

The truth is, Fleetwood Mac with her is and has always been a completely different band than the one that made the name. She, as much as anyone, made this second band a success...but she really didn't improve it at all. Chicken Shack provided a much more effective setting for her voice, as Larry has pointed out. W/ FM, I find her unlistenable.

For contrast, I'm not real impressed w/ the Buckingham-Nicks transplant, either, but that's all personal taste. All my own opinion, Contents under pressure.

If you put me in a room. put a gun to my head, and told me I HAD to listen to FM but I could choose between Chrissie or Stevie I'd pick Chrissie every time!

Agreed - but no gun required.

Before she was Mrs McVie she was Christine Perfect. Make of that what you will. I personally find her a pleasant enough singer to listen to, with certain technical and musical attributes. Good? Certainly. Great? Depends on your criteria.

Frankly, she's NOT a great singer IMO, nor does she have a great (or even interesting) voice. It doesn't help that her vocal material is the weakest in the FM catalog (save for Jeremy's boogie-woogie schtick), but I try not to hold that against her.

I understand that she was on a lot of 'hits', and that creates a bond w/ the audience, an imprint on the singer's voice. I don't think that says anything about the quality of her performance, on-stage or in the studio. Comparisons to Karen Carpenter seem particularly inapt, as Carpenter's voice was rich and intimate, and she used it w/ great expression; by contrast, McVie's voice is thin and characterless, and she doesn't seem to actually DO much with it.



:confused:

Karen Carpenter? Over Chrissie? :shock:

I am just speechless. Speechless.

Look, I prefer the Peter Green Mac, and I was not happy to see Bob Welch leave, either. But why pile on Christine? She's so much better than the Goat Girl, it isn't even funny.

I try not to worry about anybody... anybody seems to think and not think all kinds of things that I don't agree with... while sometimes I can like anybody, I won't just hang out with anybody, and I'm not just friends with anybody... anybody is not even necessarily somebody...

so, I can like Chrissie McVie and not worry about what anybody thinks... I can enjoy her without worrying about anybody and everybody can do what they like.

Well, I dig the hit-ridden version of Fleetwood Mac. I like it all. No favorites. Great stuff. I'm too young to remember the Peter Green version of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. I don't really care. I'm only 50.

i loved her voice. she took the money and got out so she's smart too!

She's very good. I liked her singing better than the other girl's. But not great, just a solid role player. The songs made Fleetwood Mac a great group. Solid professional performance from everybody, excellent blend on the vocals.

i enjoy listening to her ... she is no Linda Rondstadt ... but then again, who is ???

This song is as close as I get to a guilty pleasure:

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And this was the highest charting single off Tango in the Night, FM's "comeback record."

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In the 70's to many people I suspect that Stevie Nicks was the face of the band and Christine McVie was almost seen as a sidekick who happened to play keyboards and sing a bit. But in reality she was so much more. Songbird almost always brings a tear to my eye - it's just got so much pain in there that I think it would take a very hard man not to be moved by that song.

And since the 80's Ms McVie has been way more attractive than Ms Nicks (as far as I'm concerned) She's got one of those classic beauties that never seem to age whereas Stevie has now succumbed to the ravages of time and too many substances and is way past her best.

Since McVie left the Mac I don't think I'd ever go to see them live cos it just isn't the same band without her notwithstanding the core male members are still there.

I loved both Kiln House and Bare Trees albums, and along with the first two Fleetwood Mac albums with Peter Green were my favorites. Later work I enjoyed, but not as much. I like musicians that have something unique about them either stylistically or vocal quality, and I think her voice is unique.

I couldn't agree more!

She is a typical English person.

Understated, a song writer, singer & keyboard player, has nothing to prove as a member of one of the most successful bands of the last century.

I'm too young to remember the Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac.

I'm not. Different thing altogether. Neither better nor worse, just different and very much of their time. For what very little it's worth, the original band were neighbours of mine for a while when they shared a flat in the block where I lived and grew up in central London. Our paths seldom crossed.

: her vocals are PITCH PERFECT,

Well i believe her maiden name is Perfect :wink:

Yup.

Before she was Mrs McVie she was Christine Perfect.

I've enjoyed Fleetwood Mac throughout their career; BIG fan actually - :shock:

I've enjoyed Christine with them, before them and on her own...

guess I'm just easy... :lol:

Karen Carpenter? Over Chrissie?

I am just speechless. Speechless.

Look, I prefer the Peter Green Mac, and I was not happy to see Bob Welch leave, either. But why pile on Christine? She's so much better than the Goat Girl, it isn't even funny.


CMcV is great vocalist/songwriter and added a ton to that band.

That being said - Karen Carpenter (as a vocalist) is on another level entirely - and I am not at all a Carpenter fan.

That being said - Karen Carpenter (as a vocalist) is on another level entirely - and I am not at all a Carpenter fan.

Carpenter gives me the creeps, always has. I will do anything I can to avoid listening to her.

I guess that makes me the REAL Carpenter non fan! :wink:

I've liked every single thing I've ever heard Christine sing, and she's a fine pianist, too.

Tim

I gotta say that I have always been partial to Karen Carpenter but; moreover, I really feel a great sense of appreciation to both her and her Brother for making those records which so dependably put all those girls I grew up with in a breathlessly, hurried up bothered mood to turn those lights out and smootch in the dark!

Good times! :mrgreen:

I've liked every single thing I've ever heard Christine sing, and she's a fine pianist, too.

Tim

I agree wholeheartedly.

Even those "lost" years of the band in the early 70's as they were meandering toward the inclusion of Buckingham/Nicks. I really enjoyed that sound pre rumors. I have "Mystery to Me" - there are some real gems on that.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j269/chubbo_2006/mysterytome.jpg

I'm extremely partial to the "Bare Trees" album, myself. Chris, Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch were mighty good together at that point...

Tim

I really like her version of I'd Rather Go Blind, with Chicken Shack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohx9Ve7-GS0

The legendary Christine Perfect!

Carpenter gives me the creeps, always has. I will do anything I can to avoid listening to her.

I guess that makes me the REAL Carpenter non fan! :wink:

Believe me, I do understand: Phoebe Snow's voice raises welts on me...(and no, I'm not a fan of the Carpenters).

CMcV is great vocalist/songwriter....

Really? We're going to bring in her songwriting, too? Why not just go the whole hog: Starcastle! Starland Vocal Band! Air Supply! Sheena Easton!

All lowest-common-denominator stuff - and every bit as creative and original as CP's efforts (and except for individual quirks, indistinguishable therefrom)...and in a world with so much really great, undiscovered music, I have no idea why music lovers would spend time listening to anything so (to me) UNmoving and ordinary. Then again, some folks like AC/DC....

Lotta great folks in this thread, guys I respect, people who deserve to hold their opinions; not out to insult y'all in any way, or say I'm right & y'all aren't. As I see it, FM went from astonishing and unparalleled to just another below-average white band. I don't blame her for that, she was helping her hubby save his band, fer Pete's sake...but it doesn't make he what she's not, and she did not bring anything with her to make up for what the band lost.

If I've learned ANYTHING from a lifetime spent in music, it's that what I like (a lot!, even) and what's actually GOOD, are very often two different things. I like a lot of crap - but that don't mean I think it's good (much less great).

It's just the crap I like. A lot of really amazing stuff, I don't like so well...and some stuff I like for no reason I can see at all. Guess we ARE all human.

Peace out, y'all

I don't think it ever dawned on me to compare Christine to Karen Carpenter and now I am thinking of it I still don't think I would.

While we are off topic I will say that I am not a Carpenters fan. Not that I know their catalog real well but their stuff is a little...um, reserved, for my tastes. That being said I did think she did an outstanding job on Superstar. BTW Jim Wilsey did a killer instrumental version of that song.

If supreme vocal skills were what determined success in the music industry, that would eliminate about two-thirds...no, make that three-fourths of the artists we've all listened to. She's good enough and I like her songs. I would rather listen to her mellow pleasant voice than Lindsey Buckingham's nasal shrieking any day. (he is a great guitar player though)

Really? We're going to bring in her songwriting, too? Why not just go the whole hog: Starcastle! Starland Vocal Band! Air Supply! Sheena Easton!

Fine acts, all

Really? We're going to bring in her songwriting, too? Why not just go the whole hog: Starcastle! Starland Vocal Band! Air Supply! Sheena Easton!

All lowest-common-denominator stuff - and every bit as creative and original as CP's efforts (and except for individual quirks, indistinguishable therefrom)...and in a world with so much really great, undiscovered music, I have no idea why music lovers would spend time listening to anything so (to me) UNmoving and ordinary. Then again, some folks like AC/DC....

Lotta great folks in this thread, guys I respect, people who deserve to hold their opinions; not out to insult y'all in any way, or say I'm right & y'all aren't. As I see it, FM went from astonishing and unparalleled to just another below-average white band. I don't blame her for that, she was helping her hubby save his band, fer Pete's sake...but it doesn't make he what she's not, and she did not bring anything with her to make up for what the band lost.

If I've learned ANYTHING from a lifetime spent in music, it's that what I like (a lot!, even) and what's actually GOOD, are very often two different things. I like a lot of crap - but that don't mean I think it's good (much less great).

It's just the crap I like. A lot of really amazing stuff, I don't like so well...and some stuff I like for no reason I can see at all. Guess we ARE all human.

Peace out, y'all


If I've learned anything about music it's this :

Miles Davis/Louis Armstrong were wrong (depending on who actually said it).

It is (and I quote) : "There are two kinds of music in this world - good music and bad music".

Wrong, wrong, wrong...


The "12 yr old girl/ Berklee Instructor Theorem" addresses this very succinctly but I don't feel like typing tonight - maybe tomorrow.

She is not as cute as the Goat (Stevie).