Stevie Nicks: Live at Red Rocks

The former lead singer with "Fleetwood Mac," gives a concert at Denver's "Red Rocks" outdoor amphitheater in 1987, and it was a disappointment, at least to me.

Being a fan of her smoky voice, pretty looks and song interpretations, maybe I expected too much. A lot of times you can find out just how good a singer is when you hear them in person, instead of the studio making them sound perfect.

I found out Nicks isn't that good a singer as she sounds on disc. What's more, I was totally turned off and disgusted she resorted to profanity in a couple of her songs, even saying "G- damn" in one of them. From what I have read, she's into witchcraft, too, which is pretty weird. Anyway, her raspy voice sounded poor and this was not an impressive concert.

I thought it might be fun to see and hear Mick Fleetwood and Peter Frampton, who are billed as guest stars, but they just played backup and didn't have much of a role in here. There are 14 songs in all, the best one being the finale although part of it is just her shaking hands with people in the audience.

For a beautiful setting like Red Rocks, I thought the lighting was just so-so, not as dynamic as it good have been, sort of like Nick's performance.

Interesting, but somewhat disjointed rockumentary showing Stevie and band doing several of her hit songs. This film does what a lot of these concert footage shows do and that is throw in the overdubbed "screensaver" crap instead of leaving the camera where it belongs....on the performer. The high point of the whole thing was when, as Stevie is taking her bows and doing the feely/touchie thing with the stage side crowd, Waddy Wachtel is soaring off in the ozone with some sensational peals of pure R&R guitar riffing. I always liked his style and, for me at least, he stole the show. It was fun seeing Mick again, what little he was on camera [which was very little].

I could not figure out how they picked all my favorites. Then I realized all her songs are my favorite. "Dreams", "Talk to Me", "Stand Back" and "Edge of Seventeen" are touted on the cover.

The visuals added to the experience in Colorado can be considered part of the team. The white-winged dove seems a little hesitant but was a nice touch.

I am sure this is a pale reflection of the real thing and many people buy it to remember that they were there. I was not but this is the closest the rest of us will get.

I will not compare this presentation to others that I think are better because everyone will have a favorite and there is room for them all.

As a past lowly roady for Fleetwood Mac's production company, I've spent weeks working with and watching Ms Nicks on stage. Over a long carrer I've seen hundreds of performers, and Nicks is by far the most consistently unprofessional sloppy drunk to ever befoul a stage. We've all have had a bad night on stage. There are a ton of examples of this. From Don Henley throwing a maraca at an audience member, and really connecting, to Steven Stills walking off stage angry as hell after just three songs. I've seen Stevie Nicks, night after night so drunk she can't remember lyrics, let alone stand, until the show has to stop, and then she would s**t-talk the others on stage into a hot mic, while slurring her words and accusations to the audience. Most unprofessional performer I've seen ever! So her present attempts at rewriting her history as a musician just sticks in my craw. Me and everyone else that has spent substantial time around her. Her main well worn ploy, like alot of alcoholics, is to speak for other people like she knows how they really feel. This makes for easy fodder for the media sources she's talking to as she attempts to continually do her positive rewrite of her life. I don't blame the media for jumping on what appears to be this inside scoop from the ultimate insider. My appraisal is absolutely not because she is a female in a male dominated industry, though she beats that drum non-stop to deflect the reality of who she really is. The truth is she doesn't see anything except her own egocentric, alcohol fueled existence and shouldn't be allowed to spread her fantasies of what she represents as others peoples innermost feelings. Minor back checking into her stories would confirm all of this and more. I also understand that doing this might be perceived as not selling as many news stories and books. Who knows - maybe the truth might have an even better audience responce. Who is to say?

I have this video and LOVE it. We now know that this was Stevies last live performance before entering the Betty Ford Center for Cocaine addicition. She commented that she had known for months that she could have a brain hemorage as a result from so much cocaine use and "tried" to use as little as possible during the Red Rocks concert. Mick wrote in his book that he had never been so worried about Stevie as he was during this concert. She was messed up beyond belief and yet, to me, put on a GREAT show, even if she doesn't remember it, according to Mick Fleetwood. I'm glad she has found peace now though all the turmoil she went through with drugs. "Trouble In Shangri La" was one of the best CDs she's had since "Bella Donna" or "Wild Heart". I still think that the video of Red Rocks is EXCELLENT !!!! STEVIE RULES AND I HOPE WILL BE THE QUEEN OF ROCK FOREVER !!!!!

Ronn K.