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

[Jack S]

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.

[gptco]

I couldn't agree more!

[spook69]

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.

[Tony474]

Originally Posted by e-merlin

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.

[rolling56]

Originally Posted by Blazer

: her vocals are PITCH PERFECT,

Well i believe her maiden name is Perfect

[Tony474]

Yup.

Originally Posted by Tony474

Before she was Mrs McVie she was Christine Perfect.

[Westerly Sunn]

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

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

guess I'm just easy...

[Mike Eskimo]

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.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Mike Eskimo

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!

[Tim Armstrong]

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

Tim

[Westerly Sunn]

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!

[eddie knuckles]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

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.

[Tim Armstrong]

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

Tim

[Jimmyspaz]

Originally Posted by Larry F

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!

[zatoichi]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

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!

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

[zatoichi]

Originally Posted by Mike Eskimo

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

[Ash Telecaster]

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.

[rokdog49]

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)

[Sandia Man]

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

[Mike Eskimo]

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.