Stevie Nicks - Trouble in Shangri-La
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Free Music Notes for Trouble in Shangri-La
Free Music Review: Stevie Nicks, Witchy Songstress
Hit: 5 Stars
The Witchy Woman who first twirled her way, scarf-ensconced, to center stage as the smoky vocals behind Fleetwood Mac, has once again proven why she is an American Rock Icon with her latest album, Trouble In Shangri-La. In her first solo attempt since 1994's Street Angel, Nicks has been busy brewing this album for some time now. She has been constantly writing songs and lyrics into her journal, and waiting to go into the studio when the time was right. It was well worth the wait. After recently completing a Fleetwood Mac reunion tour, she took to the studio armed with a diary of songs and a musical entourage with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Macy Gray, and Sarah McLachlan. The product is the unquestionably hypnotizing and varied new project from Ms. Nicks, which is sure to please old-time Stevie fans, as well as new listeners hearing her on the radio for the first time.
The best songs on the album are, unsurprisingly, those penned by Nicks herself. No one has been able to pinpoint Nicks' vocal strengths as well as she has. She is a true writer-singer, and sounds most at ease with her own pieces. The title track, and opener of the album, gives us an immediate healthy dose of this straight away. Written and produced by Nicks, and with the vocal backing of longtime Stevie-chanteuses Sharon Celani and Lori Nicks, "Trouble in Shangri-La" is a song with ethereal vocal layering and precise instrumentation.
Likewise, the mesmerizing track "Planets of the Universe" is as otherworldly as its title suggests. This track will please the die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans, who still hear echoes of Stevie's heart-wrenching vocals on hits like the insatiable "Rhiannon" and "Silver Springs." In the latter, Nicks proclaimed in the song's ending, "I follow you down 'till the sound / Of my voice will haunt you / You'll never get away from the sound / Of the woman who loves you." In "Planets," Nicks promises that same endless torture, acting again as an uncompromising predictor, "You will never love again / The way you love me / You will never rule again / The way you ruled me / You will never change again / The way you're changing."
While the true-blue Nicks songs are brilliant, this album is undeniably a joint effort. Stevie's collaboration shines through in this album, and helps to give each track a unique vibe.
Her duet with larger-than-life Macy Gray is particularly noteworthy. How is it possible for Stevie to find a duettist with as much sassy scratch as she has? Well, she did, with Miss Gray. The two croon together in a surprisingly soothing blend on the exotic track, "Bombay Sapphires." Stevie said of Gray in a press release, "She's like a walking tornado. She's a total blast. We had a great time working on the song."
A surprise-hit on the album is Nicks' work with Dixie Chick Natalie Maines. While their joint effort could have produced a lackluster country song, they instead created a country-injected rock tune, "Too Far From Texas," featuring a potent harmony of the two songstresses.
Most remarkable of the collaborations, however, is Stevie's partnership with Sheryl Crow. While Crow's two songs written for Stevie remain some of the album's weakest, it is her work on production and concept that helped make the album a cohesive and expressive effort. Nicks has said of Crow, "Our connection is deep... deeper than I can even put into mere words," and Crow has returned the sentiment, stating, "To even be in the same room with Stevie was a dream come true for me. To work with her was beyond description. It was extraordinary." Their mutual admiration helped to form the album's overall structure and consistency.
While Crow did her share of production, a large amount was in the hands of John Shanks, who also wrote one of the album's catchiest hits, the radio-happy "Every Day."
Appropriately, Nicks ends her album with the contemplative and wistful song, "Love Is." Detailed with a potpourri of instrumentation and vocal backing from Sarah McLachlan, it serves not only as the album's most expressive piece, but also as a reminder that you've been reading pages torn from the diary of a quiet artist.
In a time where very few artists write the music they perform, it is a gem when someone does it and does it well. With Shangri-La, Stevie Nicks has taken a comfortable seat in a throne of legendry. Since the early 1970's, Stevie has compelled us with her evocative vocal prowess and songwriting, and we can only be a captive audience, and hope that she continues to share with her talents with us.
Free Music Review: Stevie Nicks, Pure and Simple
Hit: 5 Stars
After a stunning career with Fleetwood Mac in the 1970s, Stevie Nicks emerged as one of the hottest solo acts of the music industry in the 1980s with BELLA DONNA and THE WILD HEART. But although she scored a memorable success with Fleetwood Mac on 1987's TANGO IN THE NIGHT, after 1985 the quality of her solo work began to decline. 1989's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR offered the memorable "Rooms on Fire" but was disappointing as a whole, and of 1994's STREET ANGEL the less said the better. Her occasional performances with Fleetwood Mac aside, it seemed that her glory days as a solo act were far behind.Then in 2001 Nicks quietly released TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA. Working with what seemed a different producer on almost every cut and drawing in supporting talent from the likes of Cheryl Crowe, Nicks stripped herself of her past personas. Gone was Rhiannon, gone was the Welsh Witch, the Gypsy. Gone were the third person lyrics, the ethereal notes, the hard rock flourishes. TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA was Stevie Nicks, pure and simple and unadorned. Quite a lot of her long-time fans, who would have preferred Nicks to remain in her Bella Donna persona forever, balked. But quite a few people who had never been fans suddenly reappraised her. And when all was said and done, Nicks garnered some of the finest critical praise of her long career and picked up a Grammy nomination in the process.
Opening with a solid rocker on the title cut, TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA finds Nicks remarkably unpretentious and completely devoid of the self-indulgence that made THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR such a disappointment and STREET ANGEL such a disaster. Her voice, always a delicate instrument, has changed, and the high notes are gone and the lower notes have become deeper still--but at both extremes it now possesses an unexpectedly dark richness of tone. Both it, and the emotional tones of her performance, are those of a mature woman in full command of her talents.
Some have complained that there is not really a "hit single" track on this album, and in a sense that is true--nothing here jumps ahead of the pack. But that is not because the music is weak; rather, it is because it is all so consistently good. And throughout the entire collection the overall sound creates a somewhat hypnotic quality that gradually draws you deeper and deeper into the artist's skills. Because of this, it would be extremely difficult to pinpoint any one single selection for singular praise; I will say, however, that I find "It's Only Love" particularly fine.
When I first sat down to listen to this recording I found myself completely surprised by Nicks' overall approach, which is considerably more disciplined than anything she has previously offered. I was not immediately enthusiastic and I set the recording aside--only to find myself drawn to it again and again, and with each listening discovering more and more in it. And I now think of this as quite possibly Stevie Nicks best overall solo release. Whatever the case, it is certainly her most subtle and most complex effort to date.
I had the pleasure of seeing Fleetwood Mac on the SAY YOU WILL tour, and while Nicks did not perform any of the selections from this album (the only selection of her solo work she offered was a knock-out "Stand Back"), I found her live performance with the band very similar in tone to TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA: completely unaffected with the focus on the music itself. After some three decades of stardom and one of the most jolting personal roads imaginable, at the end of the day Stevie Nicks has become a musician in her own right. And in an industry that spawns so few of them, that is the highest compliment any one can offer a rock star. The bell has a deeper tone, and it tolls with a more measured note, but it still "rings through the night." Rock on, my lady, rock on.
--GFT, Amazon Reviewer--
Free Music Review: You People Need To Think Before You Speak!
Hit: 5 Stars
Today, I read some of the reviews and was apalled by some of the comments. A few reviewers said that all the tracks sounded the same. Either they have taken a few too many luxuries from the Sorcerer or they need Beltone. EVERY TRACK HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE SOUND! And, since some of you are making me do this, I'll break down each song for y'all" 1. Trouble in Shangri-La- This song has a very powerful feeling to it. It's in your face and brings on its message front and center. Its about reaching someone's Shangri-La and realizing, once your there, that it isn't all its cracked up to be. This is a rock and roll song with a hint of pop with an amazing ending. This opening proves Stevie still has it. 2. Candlebright- This song has a mandolin and various Japanese instruments in it which gives it a very unique feeling. Since when has a song in recent memory features those kind of instruments? How can a song without those instruments sound like this?! 3. Sorcerer- Sorcerer is about a drug dealer. It starts off softly with good guitar work, starts to rock, goes back to soft guitar, and then finishes out with rock. 4. Planets of the Universe- This is one of the best tracks and is surely spacy. The original version was almost 7 minutes long and included the verse: "You will remember/but I will die a slow death/It's only an overture/to something that was best/And DON"T CONDESCEND ME!/Take your leave..." and it should have been left the way it was but Stevie felt that it was too bitter and tough. It is a unique little rock song and I loved it! 5. Everyday- Its good but Stevie didn't write it and you can tell. Its a gentle pop song and suits her voice extremely well. Its a good song to sing to yourself throughout the day! 6. Too Far From Texas- This is the last of the two songs Stevie didn't write. It is country twinged like Rose Garden and After the Glitter Fades and works surprisingly well. Stevie sounds great with Natalie Maines. 7. That Made Me Stronger- This is a great song and is about Stevies dinner with Tom Petty asking him to write some of her songs for a new album. This songs instruments give off a weird vibration and is what gives it a unique feel. 8. Its Only Love- Written by Sheryl Crow, this is a ballad and the only instrument is a guitar, like Landslide. Stevie vocals on this are superb. There is close to no background vocals and there is one instrument, therefor, Stevie's voice alone carries this. She hits the high notes and everything. 9. Love Changes- Very 80's but VERY GOOD. One of my favorites. 10. I Miss You- Great song. Its another ballad but with a very new feel to it. Another track with awesome vocals. 11. Bombay Sapphires- WHAT AN AWESOME SONG! I adore it! Good lyrics, cool beats and the Carribean rhythms suit Stevie well. For the people who complain and moan that you can't hear Macy Gray heres the reason: Their voices sound so alike that they blend into each other! 12. Fall From Grace- A true rock and roll song if I have ever heard one, especially in todays music. Everything in this song is perfect and is a great companion to Edge of Seventeen! 13. Love Is- Cool ballad, just a voice and a piano complimenting each other. I HATE TO BREAK IT TO 'YA, but the fact of the matter is, in the music of today, there are not many artists that we can turn to that produce quality music. Stevie Nicks is one of those artists that we can turn to ALWAYS make good music.Stevie produces her own music, writes her own music, writes the lyrics, and, on top of that, we get to have the pleasure of hearing her BEAUTIFUL voice. This is the best CD to come out in ages! Truly worth paying $... bucks for and I would pay $... if I had to! PS: To the person that said Stevie was never a great songwriter, I don't even think you listened to the songs! Stevie is a legend, a powerhouse, and an artist :)
Free Music Review: Stevie Nicks: A MAJOR Comeback, a HIT!
Hit: 5 Stars
With "Trouble In Shangri-La" Stevie Nicks proves that she not only is a legend of past rock and roll, but that she still holds her title as its queen.
Released in 2001, Nicks' idea for the album came from a 1995 dinner conversation with friend Tom Petty at the Ritz Carlton-Phoenix. Nicks asked Petty over dinner to help her write a few new songs to gain her courage back and he refused, telling her that she could write her own songs as she was one of the greatest songwriters he'd ever known. She went home that night and wrote "That made me stronger", an ode to Tom's praise.
Shortly thereafter, Nicks was inspired by the events surrounding the O.J. Simpson trial. The fact that he was "so beloved and had everything and just threw paradise out the window as so many other celebrities have" amazed Nicks, so she wrote "Trouble In Shangri La", the title track to what was to become a very strong album in songwriting and instrumentation, not to mention vocally - it features Nicks in her truly finest form since 1981's #1 hit album "Bella Donna".
Pulling from her library of songs are those written during her early Fleetwood Mac and Buckingham/Nicks days: "Sorcerer" (written about arriving in early 1970's LA with Lindsey seeking stardom) and "Planets Of The Universe" (written about her break-up with Buckingham - a hit that never made it to FM's "Rumours" as intended and closely resembles "Rhiannon").
Nicks welcomes several guest artists to the project: Sheryl Crowe (who wrote "It's Only Love" for Nicks & co-produced the album), Macy Gray (on "Bombay Sapphires", Nicks' favorite song from the album), The Dixie Chicks (on the Country inspired "Too Far from Texas") and Sarah McLaughlin (who provides vocals and piano on "Love Is"). The album's only duet is with The Dixie Chicks, the other artists contribute as background vocalists/musicians.
The album produced the hits "Everyday" (not written by Nicks) and "Sorcerer", although every song is so incredibly strong - Nicks even allows us to hear her falsetto voice (not heard since the 70's at least) and her abilities as a musician on keyboards and percussion.
Although Nicks deserves tremendous credit for her work, it is fueled by an incredible group of engineers, producers and musicians who bring her into the millenium while still providing a Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac sound. The music is truly incredible, driven by new studio musicians and a few familar faces: her longtime background vocalists Sharon Celani & Lori Perry Nicks, as well as rock's reknowned guitarist Waddy Wachtel (who played on Nicks' first 5 solo albums).
The 2001 Tour was a great success for Nicks and because of the albums profound success, it recieved much praise in the national media on VH1, MTV, Entertainment Tonight, The Today Show, Rosie O'Donnell and The Late Show, as well as newspapers and popular magazines.
Stevie proved in 1981 that a member of a legendary band could strike out on their own as a successful solo artist. In 2001, Stevie proved that a legend could still make hit records that live up today's music business' standards with "Trouble In Shangri-La". Its a must for any Stevie/Fleetwood Mac fan, one that will be listened to over and over again...
Free Music Review: An Exotic Masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
This is Stevie's first work since 1994's disappointing Street Angel, but it was well worth the wait. With this album she finally shut the critics up by producing an amazing piece of work. The theme for this album was "Trouble In Shangri-La" or "Trouble In Paradise", and the songs seem to reflect that.The lyrics for this album are a mix of old and new songs. Some date back to the 70's, while others were penned in 1999. From the moment you first hear the title track zoom in, you know you're in for a breathtaking experience. Simple songs such as Sorcerer have such an impact, the song is obviously about drugs. The rocker of this album is Fall From Grace, which is one of the best songs on the album. Lines like "Maybe I made the whole thing up, maybe it isn't a lie. Maybe the reason I say these things is to bring you back alive. Maybe I fought this long and this hard just to make sure you survive" are so painfully true, and if you've been there, you can relate. Planets of the Universe is one of her best songs ever, in my opinion. With the words "You will never love again the way you loved me. You will never rule again the way you ruled me. We will never change again the way we're changing", she becomes very introspective. The whole song is brilliant.
My personal favorite off the album is Love Is, which puts you in the song, in the story. "There she stood in the hallway frozen, in the dark. And her heart broke down. She cried, she fell to the floor. One tear slid cross her lips..to the corner of her mouth..and dropped to the floor" are the lines that always get me. Love Is has to be one of her most beautiful compositions.
As for the music, Stevie really branched out for this work. With producers such as Sheryl Crow, John Shanks, and Pierre Marchand, the album is practically perfect. There are a lot of producers, but all the songs have a singular sound. The sound of the tracks is very earthy to me. Acoustic guitar plays a big part in tracks such as It's Only Love (which is stunning) and Sorcerer. It's not as mixed up as Street Angel and definitely not as dreamy as The Other Side of the Mirror.
The vocals on this album are different than her others, mainly because Stevie has lost some of her higher range. She's not too raspy on this album. I believe she provides the best performances on It's Only Love and Love is. She collaborated with talents such as Natalie Maines, Macy Gray, and of course, Sheryl Crow. But I believe her best collaboration is with Sarah McLachlan on Love Is. Sarah's gorgeously haunting voice provides perfect support for Stevie's.
Overall, this album has to be my favorite of Stevie's. The only other one that comes close is The Other Side of the Mirror. But this album is much more tangible to me, and therefore, it's my top pick. If you're just starting out as a Stevie fan, this is the album you should by. This album takes you through Shangri-La, and teaches you that even paradise isn't always perfect.