Stevie Nicks Is Ready For 'Trouble'
By Larry Flick
Stevie Nicks is enjoying a rare moment of quiet.
It's a comfortably warm February afternoon in her Los Angeles home,
and she is taking a brief breather before diving
into what she describes as the "happy madness" of promoting "Trouble
In Shangri-La" (Reprise, May 1), her first solo
collection since 1994's "Street Angel."
"Even after all of these years, this is the hard part -- living
through that period of time between the day you
finish a record and the day the world gets to hear it," Nicks says,
her voice brightening as she adds, "but I'm so
content with these songs. I'm more itchy for people to finally hear
them than anything else."
And with good reason. "Trouble In Shangri-La" shows the sometime
Fleetwood Mac siren in her finest musical form since
her 1981 solo breakout, "Bella Donna."
"In many ways, this album brings me full circle," Nicks notes.
"There are a couple of songs I've been holding on to
since that era, waiting for the right context to bring them out.
Also, there was an accumulation of time and life
experiences -- and songs -- reminiscent of that period."
Despite a diverse roster of producers -- including Sheryl Crow, John
Shanks, and Pierre Marchand -- "Trouble In
Shangri-La" boasts cohesion in style and structure as it strikes a
balance between Nicks' signature rock poetry and
concise, radio-conscious pop hooks. The artist credits a renewed
confidence in her songwriting as the driving force
in the album's direction.
"I remember asking my dear friend Tom Petty to work with me on some
songs," Nicks says. "I wasn't feeling my best; I
was unsure about a lot of things. He said, 'No. You're a premier
songwriter. You don't need anyone to help you with
your songs. Do it yourself.' It was the jolt I needed."
Petty isn't the only musical figure with such high regard for Nicks.
"Trouble In Shangri-La" is brimming with
high-profile guests. Dixie Chicks belter Natalie Maines harmonizes
on the twangy midtempo rocker "Too Far From
Texas," while Macy Gray weaves her distinctive purr into the
atmospheric shuffler "Bombay Sapphire." Sarah McLachlan
lends her voice to the lilting, set-closing ballad, "Love Is." The
common denominator among such seemingly disparate
guests? Each cites Nicks as a prime musical influence -- something
that tickles her.
"OK, so now I'm 'Mama Rockstar,'" Nicks says with a giggle. "It's
cool. Actually, it's great. I take pride in knowing
that people have benefited from the road I've traveled. We've had a
wonderful time bonding."
No recent bond has been deeper or stronger than the one Nicks has
forged with Crow. The pair has been gradually
developing a friendship for several years, but Nicks says the ties
have become "unbreakable" since the two
collaborated on five "Shangri-La" songs.
"First, Sheryl's brilliant," Nicks says. "She's an amazing
songwriter, singer, and musician. But she's also someone
who gets it. She understands the life of a woman in rock'n'roll.
There's no room for playing games with her or
saying, 'You don't understand what I'm going through.' She
understands, and that's brought us closer than I can
explain."
For Crow, connecting with Nicks is something she tries not to "get
too deep into my head about," she says. "She
represents such a huge chunk of my life that it's almost unreal to
be in the same room with her."
Still, Crow notes that there was an instant ease in their
relationship -- both in and out of the studio. "Stevie's
just so real, so completely open as a person," she says. "And as an
artist, she continues to work hard. Sometimes you
meet your heroes, and you discover they've stopped growing or have
gone past caring about what they do. Stevie's
still so vital. She's still looking to try new things."
Nicks and Crow both point at the "Shangri-La" highlight "Sorcerer"
-- a song the pair co-wrote and on which Crow
lends guest vocals and guitars -- as an example of their successful
experimentation.
"Sheryl challenged me to explore different areas of my voice," Nicks
recalls, noting the soulful falsetto that she
reaches during the song's initial verses. "It was fun to do, and it
wound up working so well within the song's
arrangement."
Adds Crow, "Stevie's an incredible singer. She approaches music in a
such a unique manner. It would be easy for her
to just stick to the same old thing, but she's clearly not content
to do that."
In addition to "Sorcerer," Nicks notes the Crow composition "It's
Only Love" as a personal favorite. "It's a song
that I love to sing," she says. "I'm hoping that it will be part of
the set for the tour."
Touring is a key component of the "Shangri-La" marketing strategy.
But don't expect Nicks to drench the set with
songs from the new album. "I learned an important lesson back during
the first 'Rumours' tour with Fleetwood Mac,"
she says. "You can't shove new songs down your audience's throat.
You can do three or four at the most.
"On that 'Rumours' tour," Nicks adds, "we did most of that album,
and people didn't want any part of it. They want
familiarity. They want the comfort of songs that feel like old
friends. You can't exploit your fans by forcing them
to embrace songs they don't know yet."
Nicks may offer a blend of classics and new material on her U.S.
tour planned to run from mid-June through September.
But in a "fair trade-off," she is planning to perform much of
"Shangri-La" during a showcase in Los Angeles shortly
before the set's release.
"This record is clearly from the heart -- and it shows her as a
fresh, vital artist," Reprise executive VP Rich
Fitzgerald says. "It's the record her die-hard fans waited for, but
it has the potential to draw new admirers."
The label will begin working two singles from the project at radio
in early April. Triple-A, mainstream rock, and
classic-rock formats will be served the guitar-charged "Planets Of
The Universe," while pop and modern AC will be
offered the sweet, string-laden "Everyday." A videoclip for the
latter cut is being planned for production in March.
Nicks' Web site, nicksfix.com, will offer streaming samples of
"Everyday" in late February/early March. Guest
appearances on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Rosie
O'Donnell Show" are confirmed to air around the
album's release, while other shows -- along with several "special"
tie-ins with VH1 -- are soon to be locked in.
While label enthusiasm seems to be running high, Nicks admits that
she isn't the most competitive artist. "I'm not
willing to kick and scratch to win," she says. "That doesn't mean
that I don't want to reach the largest possible
audience. I'm one of the hardest-working people you'll meet, but I'm
just not driven by commerce. I make music and
want people to hear it. It's that simple."
Nicks is philosophical about releasing an album at a time when the
music business continues to be dominated by teens.
"If you're in it for real, then that's what counts," she says.
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Here is the track listing of Stevie Nicks' "Trouble In Shangri-la":
‧1. "Trouble In Shangri-la"
Produced by John Shanks and Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧2. "Candlebright"
Produced by Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧3. "Sorcerer"
Produced by Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧4. "Planets of the Universe"
Produced by John Shanks and Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧5. "Everyday"
Produced by John Shanks
Written by John Shanks and Damon Johnson
‧6. "Too Far From Texas"
Produced by Mike Campbell, Sheryl Crow, and Stevie Nicks
Written by Steve Booker and Sandy Stewart
‧7. "That Made Me Stronger"
Produced by Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks, Scott F. Crago, and Timothy Drury
‧8. "It's Only Love"
Produced by Sheryl Crow
Written by Sheryl Crow
‧9. "Love Changes"
Produced by David Kahne
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧10. "I Miss You"
Produced by Rick Nowels
Written by Stevie Nicks and Rick Nowels
‧11. "Bombay Sapphire"
Produced by Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧12. "Fall From Grace"
Produced by John Shanks and Stevie Nicks
Written by Stevie Nicks
‧13. "Love Is"
Produced by Pierre Marchand
Written by Stevie Nicks
--
gender is just an excuse, relationship shouldn't just be an excuse,
love is often an excuse, although sometimes these excuses are all
we have to hold onto,
death is the reason and living is the celebration
- Beth Orton
--
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