| “When
you’re in Fleetwood Mac, you don’t have much of a life...you don’t have
much of a personal life, anyway. You’re a member of a band, part of the
team. My solo work is a whole other thing. Everything that happens is my
decision, which makes it a lot more special. Now it’s all together in one
place. There’s stuff on this collection that, otherwise, there really wouldn’t
be a place for. If it wasn’t for this set, some of these songs might never
be heard.” “ENCHANTED” is the three-CD boxed set that stands unrivaled
in its encapsulation of Stevie Nicks’ remarkable solo career. In addition
to collecting material from her six Modern/Atlantic solo albums - 1981’s
RIAA quadruple-platinum “BELLA DONNA,” 1983’s double-platinum “THE WILD
HEART,” 1985’s platinum-selling “ROCK A LITTLE,” 1989’s platinum-certified
“THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR,” 1991’s RIAA platinum “TIMESPACE: THE BEST
OF STEVIE NICKS,” and 1994’s gold-certified “STREET ANGEL” - the 46-track
set is highlighted by a number of previously unreleased tracks, studio
demos, and live cuts, along with songs Nicks has contributed to motion
picture soundtracks. All told, “ENCHANTED” is a thoughtfully constructed
celebration of Nicks’s solo success, artistic achievement, and collaborations
with some of her most gifted peers. The digitally remastered collection
is further distinguished by the first CD release of material from Stevie’s
1973 pre-Fleetwood Mac studio collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham, “BUCKINGHAM/NICKS”
- one of today’s most-requested catalog albums that has yet to be reissued
on the format. Among the set’s seven previously unreleased tracks, “Reconsider
Me,” a Warren Zevon-composed song recorded with producer Jimmy Iovine during
the “ROCK A LITTLE” sessions, is the first single. Newly added instrumental
tracks are produced by Andrew Slater (Fiona Apple, Wallflowers) and mixed
by Chris Lord-Alge. “Jimmy brought me this song,” says Stevie, of the original
sessions. “I think Jimmy and I were fighting, and for some reason... I
wasn’t in a very ‘reconsider me’ state-of-mind. I felt like I would never
write a song to ask somebody to reconsider my love. You know, if it’s gotten
to that point, I’m so far gone... I would never utter those words. I took
it so literally. So I flipped out about that. Of course now - older, wiser
- I don’t have such a problem with it, because I look at the song’s message
as ‘can we try this one more time.’” It is incredible to consider that
between recordings with Fleetwood Mac and her solo releases, there are
nearly 100 million albums, tapes, CDs, and (lest we forget) 8-track tapes
out in the world bearing Stevie’s voice and artistry. That said, creating
a definitive solo collection bears a certain measure of responsibility.
“It is hard picking songs off albums; it is like picking your favorite
children,” writes Stevie in a liner notes letter to her fans, “but I did
my best... Sequencing all these songs was an interesting experience.
I tried to create some kind of a ‘There is no time’ vibration by going
to the beginning and to the end and back - like one intense recording session.”
“ENCHANTED” is impressively complemented by a full-color, 64-page booklet
- conceived and designed by Stevie and her brother, Christopher - featuring
many previously unpublished photos. After working with Fleetwood Mac from
April to December of 1997 on the triple-platinum “THE DANCE” album and
subsequent tour, Stevie met with Christopher at her Phoenix-area home in
December to begin work. “In the end, we got something out of almost every
photo session we ever did,” she says. “I think it’s really the perfect
little photo book. It started with me sitting on my bed with a loupe and
a big lightboard and just going through a million pictures.” Reverberating
within the tracks of “ENCHANTED” and the pages of its booklet are the relationships
that have been so important to Stevie’s life and work as a solo artist
- particularly with Christopher, who also works as her demo studio engineer.
“It’s hard for me to meet people in the business to work with, so having
my brother to depend on has always been great,” she says. “He knows me
so well, and I can’t really get away with too much around him. He records
all my demos at the house in Phoenix, and we work very well together. It’s
about as nice as it gets, y’know.” That same closeness has also extended
to Stevie and her vocal team of Sharon Celani and Lori Perry. “I wanted
to build a sound from the very first solo record,” says Stevie. “The three
of us were singing for two years before we even did ‘BELLA DONNA’ and we’ve
never stopped singing since.” In conjunction with the release of “ENCHANTED,”
Stevie and company will be embarking on a 40-date U.S. solo tour, which
marks Stevie’s first solo dates since 1994. She toured with Fleetwood Mac
throughout 1997 and, earlier this year, performed with the band on the
occasion of their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In January,
the legendary group received the “Lifetime Achievement” award at the annual
Brit Awards. The band was also nominated in three categories at the 40th
Annual Grammy Awards and performed during this year’s live Grammy telecast.
Moving at such a hectic pace has left little time for relaxation but working
on “ENCHANTED” naturally led Stevie to moments of reflection. “There’s
so much that went on with my life while these songs were being written
and recorded,” she muses, “but in a lot of ways, doing this boxed set makes
me feel new... “ But as Stevie finds the fruits of her solo work to-date
neatly packaged and sent on their way into the world, she’s ever-planning,
creating, and moving forward. “I’m inspired by life, I’m inspired by people,”
she says. “If I fix up a room with some nice candles and put some beautiful
things around, I can usually sit down at the typewriter or with a journal
and write. I think it’s all about environment. You can change your environment
and change your whole mood. If you’re not happy, then you just have to
pack a bag and go somewhere else. There’s nothing like it to bring
out the creative side of you. I just throw some stuff in a duffel bag and
take off...” |
