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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Reprise / Wea
Salesrank: 48948
Released: April 15, 2003 |
| Our Price: $19.45 |
| Used Price: $4.49 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
2003 album featuring both Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham, the first since 1987's triple-platinum Top 10 'Tango In The Night' & first release since 1997s 'The Dance'. The band also features John McVie & Mick Fleetwood plus guests artists, Sheryl Crow, Christine McVie, & Dave Palmer. This limited edition includes an exclusive bonus enhanced CD with four tracks, 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit', ' Not Make Believe', 'Peacekeeper' (live from AOL sessions), & 'Say You Will' (live from AOL sessions), along with behind the scenes footage, packaged in a digibook. Reprise.
Say You Will (Limited Edition) Reviews:
I love this album, but... 
2009-11-11 - I remember watching the video documentary "Destiny Rules," which details the conflicts Fleetwood Mac still experience in the studio. As an avid fan, I think this is one of their most creative albums despite Christine McVie's voice and musical contributions missing. When this album first came out six years ago I didn't like it very much; admittedly it's grown on me. Sadly I don't think this album did as well as it should because it wasn't as accessible to non-Fleetwood Mac fans as it should have been. Radio has clearly changed and artists like the Mac are typically relegated to adult contemporary station. "Say You Will" is definitely an album geared to true fans, not an album that would ilicit a bunch of new fans.
Stevie Nicks has said in interviews in recent years she did not enjoy the "Say You Will" sessions or tour very much and I can see why. Without Christine McVie (who is clearly a creative buffer between STevie and Lindsey Buckingham) "Say You Will" sounds like two solo albums smashed together. Stevie has nine songs on the first disc and Lindsey has nine songs. You can also see the overproduction on Stevie's material. This studio version of "Smile At You" is not good. I have heard an unreleased studio track of this from the 80s and it was much better than this cut. I also think "Destiny Rules" and "Everybody Finds Out," both songs I do like, did not turn out the way Stevie would have preferred. "Running Through The Garden" is all-out rocker of a song and I love it. "Thrown Down" is also a great track - this song should have been a single. Lindsey's best contributions are "Miranda," "Peacekeeper," and "Bleed To Love Her." I do enjoy "Come," but it almost seems like he threw it on the album to piss Stevie off.
21st Century Mac 
2009-05-27 - In 1997 when Fleetwood Mac, stepped back onto the concert stages of the world, they brought back a handful of new songs and dipped into their past catalog scoring big with a B-Side from a single, twenty years past: "Silver Springs." Fans, went on a Mac Attack for the return of FM, but wondered just where, the new album was. It took six years for Fleetwood Mac to release the new album. In 2003: "Say You Will" was brought forth.
The first blow against the record was the loss of Christine McVie. Chris, had retired from FM, and moved back to England. Without Christine, there would be a huge hole to fix. Who would be brought in to replace her? How could she be replaced at all?
This version of Fleetwood Mac is: Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. This record is slick, electronic, processed pop music. With 18 tracks included, it is a big record in it's scope and size. The songs range from the severe weirdness of Lindsey to Stevie's personal reflections of 9/11. This isn't the same FM that ruled the 1970's & 1980's, these artists are older and wiser. On a whole: "Say You Will" is darker than past FM records. Sweet sounding songs, such as: "Goodbye Baby" carry heavy messages in their lyrics as: "Don't take me to the tower - And take my child away."
There is standout pop/rock music here such as: "Thrown Down" "What's The World Coming To" & "Steal Your Heart Away" invoke Mac's of the past. Lindsey, gets out there about as far as he can at every chance on this record. On: "Red Rover" acoustic guitars are processed into weird violins, and if you understand what the lyrics are about, your medications are working for you. "Peacekeeper" is a direct poke at then President Bush {not a popular thing to do in 2003!} "Come" is a Lindsy Freak-Out, this one will attract life from other galaxies, to visit Earth.
This album, represents a different Fleetwood Mac, this isn't: "Rumors" as much as it isn't: "Buckingham/Nicks II." At first this record, is not attractive to your ears, but give it a few more plays, it will draw you in. This music is powerful and very different from past glories, Fleetwood Mac, has grown up.
This "Deluxe" edition of: "Say You Will" contains a second CD with four tracks on it. "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" is a reworking of the Bob Dylan classic, Lindsey, turns this Dylan tune inside/out and creates sparkling pop music, it is wonderful to hear just what Lindsey does here. "Not Make Believe" is a Stevie Nicks song, left off the original record due to space limitations. Live versions of: "Say You Will" & "Peacekeeper" are presented. "Say You Will" is better suited to the live show, because the 'kiddie' vocals are gone, and now without that gimmick the song is allowed more room to breathe. "Peacekeeper" is a bit less intense than it's studio cousin, but still it carries it's message well.
It is hard to believe, that without Christine McVie, there still is Fleetwood Mac. But with this 2003 recording: "Say You Will" they band continues in doing what no other can....making great pop/rock music into the 21st Century.
Four Stars !!!
Say You Will review
2009-05-21 - Fleetwood Mac has been touring recently; their first tour in a few years. So, naturally, seeing the "Unleashed" tour was number one on my to-do list. So, I did. I saw the legendary Fleetwood Mac in concert, where they played all their hits and not a single new song. It was a chance for them to really connect with the audience and play what everyone wanted to hear... and that connection was made. Had I not been in love with this band already, I would have fallen for them that night.
The first thing that I ever realized about Fleetwood Mac many years ago was that many songs I already heard and liked were all by this same band. When I made the connection is when I first started to like Fleetwood Mac. I was hypnotized by songs like "Dreams," "Go Your Own Way," "Landslide," "Golddust Woman," and "The Chain." But wasn't until about a year ago that I really started to listen to Fleetwood Mac. The biggest thing about them that I came to love right off was the chemistry between two out of three of the singers: Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The two had been in a relationship for a while by the time they joined the Mac in `75. By the time their second (and most popular) album was released, Buckingham and Nicks were already broken up and their tumultuous relationship was becoming strong with anger and hate. The said album, Rumours, truly reflected this, often called the "musical soap opera". Since then, the two have been a legend and their chemistry on stage remained a back-and-forth love/hate relationship. But one things was always true: they are musical soul mates.
This is what prompted me to want to write a Fleetwood Mac review. Originally, I wanted to do one of Rumours, but today I bought their most recent album, Say You Will, and I want to do a review of it instead. If someone would like a review of Rumours, please let me know and I will be happy to oblige.
On with the review:
1. What's The World Coming To: A Lindsey Buckingham song. Back to his normal Fleetwood Mac-style song, he has a great opener here. It really reminds me of the kind of song he would have written in the seventies or eighties. "Everyone's gone to the moon/ What's the world coming to?" 5/5
2. Murrow Turning Over In His Grave: Written by Lindsey. A very fun song. I absolutely love it. It's purportedly about some media person from the fifties named Murrow, who would "turn over in his grave" if he could see how corrupt the media is today, built on lies and deceit. "Murrow turning over in his grave/ Ed Murrow had a child, the damn thing went wild." 5/5
3. Illume (9/11): A song written by Stevie. One of her darkest songs, Stevie wrote it about the 9-11 tragedy. She was in NY the day that it happened and she could see the smoke from her hotel room. She wrote this song in a very dark moment and it really is a beautiful song from a very sad time. "I'm alone now with my thoughts/ Of how we could make it/ How we could get out/ What we've been through/ All of the trauma." 4/5
4. Thrown Down: Written by Stevie. This may be my favorite song on the album. It's so beautiful and the guitar is so simple yet hypnotizing. One of Stevie's greater songs since the seventies. "Thrown down/ Like a barricade/ Maybe now he could prove to her/ That he could be good to her/ And they should be together." 5/5
5. Miranda: Lindsey. Miranda is a yucky name. So is Diane, Lola, and Caroline. Why is Lindsey always writing songs about women with boring names? But these songs are always good! "Miranda is taking the stars down/ A little something to call her own/ But the lion still rules Miranda/ And Miranda is always alone." 4/5
6. Red Rover: Lindsey. The guitar in this song is so cool! There are some sort of effects on it, but they are still so complicated and elegant, yet so fun and upbeat. Lindsey's vocals also make this song really awesome! "Red rover, red rover, red rover/ We've come, we've come, we've come to take you over." 4/5
7. Say You Will: Stevie. Though it's the title song, this one doesn't do a whole lot for me. I like it a lot, don't get me wrong, but it may be my least favorite on the album. I really like the verses, but the chorus repeats too many times at the end... and what's with the boy's choir? "Say you will, say you will/ Give me one more chance/ At least give me time to change your mind/ That always seems to heal the wounds if I can get you to dance." 3.5/5
8. Peacekeeper: Lindsey. Another one of the greater songs on the album. Its guitar is so reminiscent of earlier Fleetwood Mac stuff. And I love Lindsey and Stevie singing it together in perfect harmony. It's so gorgeous. I absolutely can't get enough of this song! "When the night is cold and still/ When you though you'd had your fill/ Take all the time you will/ This is not a test, it's not a drill/ Take no prisoners, only kill." 5/5
9. Come: Lindsey. This one starts out with some beautifully enchanting guitar work. It really sounds like something out of this world. The vocals are somewhat mumbled and they go between speakers, which is confusing, but I'm taking it as that's how it was meant to be. Then the chorus comes and blasts you out of your seat. The vocals in the chorus are so hard to understand and it's all layered and jumbled. But I love Lindsey for it. This song is very fun. "Think of me, sweet darling/ Every time you do not come/ Can you feel the fever?" 4/5
10. Smile At You: Stevie. This song was written some time before this period, but was never recorded officially until now. The only other versions of this song are demos that Stevie made. Somewhere I read a fan's comment about this song and they said that this album's version of the song was so much more watered down from the original demo. After hearing it, I have to agree. The demos were so much more angry and simple and beautiful. Just piano and electric guitar for the most part. The only thing I like better about this one is Lindsey's guitar work toward the end and his backing vocals. I always love to hear Lindsey and Stevie singing together, so this song at least packs that punch for me. "What you did not need was a woman who was stronger/ You needed someone to depend on you/ I could not be her/ I did not want to/ My first mistake was to smile at you." 3/5
11. Running Through the Garden: Stevie. This song is absolutely enchanting. Stevie wrote the lyrics, but not the music. It's classic Stevie, though, and I love her vocals on this song (not to mention Lindsey's back-up). "And so you run towards/ What you know is wrong/ There are too many flowers to cut down/ For the love I have for your life/ Turn around." 5/5
12. Silver Girl: Stevie. This is another one of my favorites from this album. It was written by Stevie about Sheryl Crow, who also played guitar and sang back-up on this song. The song is so metallic sounding and very mystical. It's one of those songs where the music truly fit's the words. I feel like I can relate to the song a lot, and I think even though it was written for Sheryl, that it's also very much about Stevie's own life. "She was a silver girl/ Lost in a high tech world/ She was a golden girl/ Immersed in a hard-core world." 5/5
13. Steal Your Heart Away: Lindsey. This song was originally going to be recorded for a solo album by Lindsey. That's why something absolutely amazing happens in this song and the next song, which was also to be for that album. Christine McVie, who used to be the third writer in Fleetwood Mac before she left to live her life away from the lime-light, sings background vocals in this song! This may not seem to important to you, but I hate to say that this will probably be the last we hear of Christine in any Mac album. It's refreshing to hear her voice. "So come on/ Let's go, let's run away/ If that's all there is/ Oh to steal your heart away." 5/5
14. Bleed To Love Her: Lindsey. This song was also meant to be on the solo album, but ended up being performed by the Mac during their `97 "The Dance" reunion tour, which was the last time Christine was ever in Fleetwood Mac. Thank goodness they recorded her vocals for this song so that they could be included in this album. "Once again she steals away/ Then she reaches out to kiss me/ How she takes my breath away/ Pretending that she don't miss me." 4/5
15. Everybody Finds Out: Stevie. This is another song in which Stevie wrote the lyrics but not the music. I like the music, but I think she could have done a better job herself. The vocals are extremely well done, however. The song seems to be about how Stevie felt when she was having an affair with a married man. We still love you, though, Stevie! "When love starts out in the darkness/ It doesn't do well in the light/ Affairs of the heart that start out in the dark/ Usually stay with the night." 3.5/5
16. Destiny Rules: Stevie. The guitar in this song is so beautiful I can hardly stand it! Stevie's voice comes at you like a bus going 100 mph. This is another favorite, it's pure Stevie, plain and simple. "When I see you again/ As I always do/ It appears to me that destiny rules." 5/5
17. Say Goodbye: Lindsey. The first time I heard this song was on the Mac's Live in Boston DVD. This is a sweet lullaby of a guitar song, with Stevie and Lindsey singing together. It's one great example of Lindsey's talents and mastery of his music. It's about letting go of Stevie, I believe. "Once you said goodbye to me/ Now I say goodbye to you." 4/5
18. Goodbye Baby: Stevie. One of the most sad and beautiful songs I've ever heard. This song makes my heart heart cry every time I hear it. It's also one of Stevie's older songs that never got properly recorded until this album. This version is much better than the piano demo, and it has more lyrics. I think this song is about Stevie's first abortion. But in the context of this album, it's probably about saying goodbye to Lindsey. "And I who went to sleep as two/ Woke up as one/ Now only you remain." 5/5
In conclusion, I love this album dearly. The only gripe I have about it is that it doesn't have any songs written by Christine McVie, who was a pivotal member of Fleetwood Mac and whom I'll dearly miss hearing from. But even that's okay, because it gives more room to focus on Lindsey and Stevie, who hold my heart together when I'm sad or when I'm lonely. Even though they are not romantically involved anymore, I'm glad to know that they are friends now and will forever remain soul mates.
Other albums I'd like to review: Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, Buckingham Nicks, Bella Donna, The Wild Heart. I'm also up for suggestions. Please comment!
Some great tracks on this one
2008-07-29 - Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1N3526JDKRH6R
Simply fantastic
2008-02-09 - I love this album - just love it. Five years after its release, I find myself motivated to write this review.
As detailed in the excellent Destiny Rules dvd, this was originally intended to be a double album, but to keep prices down, Lindsey Buckingham agreed to pare it down (just a little - as the final product is 18 songs and over 70 minutes long) to a single disc. The deluxe edition has a couple other excellent studio songs and two well-done live versions of songs from the album.
Though there was a long gap between the last time Buckingham recorded with Nicks, Fleetwood, and Mac, the musicians were hardly idle, working on other projects. Nicks was the most prolific in her solo career, but Buckingham's Out of the Cradle made up for in quality what his solo career lacked in quantity.
Say You Will is often criticized for being a Buckingham solo album mixed together with a Stevie Nicks solo album, and it's a valid point. Much of the cd was, in fact, recorded before Nicks was brought into the fold, making it a Fleetwood Mac affair rather than a Buckingham solo album, but (despite Christine McVie not wanting to participate) the Fleetwood Mac-ness really comes through on Stevie's contributions. No matter how good her solo work has been, from the brilliant early stuff on Bella Donna to the excellent Trouble in Shangri-La, the fact remains: No one can play with her like Buckingham, Fleetwood, and Mac. They know how to add muscle to her tunes when it's needed, or to gently back her on her quieter numbers. Just listen to that guitar part on Destiny Rules. Or the beautiful music of Goodbye Baby. Really amazing stuff. And, for her part, simply adding her backing vocals to songs like Miranda and Bleed to Love Her elevate them in a way that no other singer could.
What's great about this cd is that it's Fleetwood Mac, but it's modern. It's not a rehashing of any of their albums. The only thing this album has in common with Tusk is length. It doesn't sound like their inspired 70s work, or have the gloss of their 80s albums. The members of the band weren't some oldies act trying to recapture a little of that old feeling. Instead, they made a vital, endlessly interesting album that hasn't been out of my regular rotation in the five years I've had it.
