Stevie Nicks: Superb New Box Set, ‘Complete Studio Recordings & Rarities’ – But Is It Worth It?

We’re on record as huge Stevie Nicks fans here at B&V. A while back, when Ms. Nicks was inducted to the Rock Hall of Fame, we even did a post on what we consider her “essential” solo albums. Last Friday she released a career spanning box set of her Complete Studio Recordings & Rarities. I would urge caution when reading that title. While the box is indeed complete in terms of her studio albums, it’s not close to complete in terms of rarities. This isn’t like the Police set, Message In A Box: The Complete Recordings, which literally contained everything those guys ever put to tape (in a studio, anyway). I read somewhere that this box is a little like the recent Paul McCartney The 7” Singles box in that only a limited number of the physical media (LPs or CDs) are being sold. I don’t know if that’s true or not. I saw the CD box out there for $80, a hefty price tag. And as always with box sets, be it the Beatles Revolver, or Neil Young’s Archive Vol. 2, or Dylan’s Bootleg Vol 17: Fragments we always ask, is it worth this sizable price? (For the record: Revolver and Archives Volume 2 were yes, Dylan was a no).

I have to admit, Stevie was my first and perhaps my only rock n roll crush. Early on I traded my brother my copy of Supertramp’s Breakfast In America for his copy of Rumours. I can only speculate about how many hours I sat staring at Stevie’s photo on the lyric insert. Although admittedly, her distinctive voice and wonderful songs grabbed me even harder. I was blown away by that classic LP. It wasn’t long before I owned Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album, the first with Nicks and guitarist/singer Lindsey Buckingham. And as I’ve said, that album was a real rebirth for the Mac, as most late career eponymous titled LPs are… I can’t tell you how many of my friends record collections at the time consisted of all metal/heavy rock: Kiss, Van Halen, Zeppelin, Ozzy… and Fleetwood Mac. After Fleetwood Mac and Rumours the Mac released the more experimental, different sounding double-LP Tusk. I loved that record and it made my list of favorite double-LPs. However, Tusk only sold around 4 million copies where Rumours sold 20 million so it was widely viewed as a failure. It was that “failure,” not the end of her relationship with Buckingham, that drove Nicks to a solo career.

I think it was likely inevitable Nicks went solo since there were three songwriters in the Mac – herself, Buckingham and the late, great Christine McVie. When you have that many songwriters in a band, much like Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young, each songwriter is bound to have a plethora of leftover songs that aren’t making the group album. Often times those extra songs are high caliber but band politics being what band politics are – especially in Fleetwood Mac – a Lindsey song might make the cut where a Stevie song like “Silver Springs” might not make the cut… which still blows my mind.

After the tour in support of Tusk, while Stevie was secretly dating Jimmy Iovine, she decided to go solo. That first record, Bella Donna, was the first record I bought by a female artist. When you’re a teenage boy you’re defined by what you listen to, and you didn’t wanna be considered “soft.” Her songs, to my ear, had been the best ones on Tusk (“Sara,” “Sisters Of The Moon,” “Storms,” and “Angel” to name a few) and then she delivers that classic first solo LP. Those songs – the title track, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (with Tom Petty), and “Edge Of Seventeen” amongst so many more are stunning. It’s a must have album. After reuniting with the Mac for Mirage, which again, to my ears Stevie’s songs dominated, she dropped her second solo LP, The Wild Heart which could almost be considered a sequel. It was another classic. Prince showed up un-credited to play on “Stand Back.” She established herself with a very, dare I say, rootsy sound with electric/acoustic guitars, pianos and rock sold rhythm sessions. It was pure late 70s/early 80s rock n roll. I saw her on that tour, with Joe Walsh opening, and was blown away… it did nothing to slow down that rock n roll crush I had.

We all owned those two first solo records and they’re a great way to kick off this box set. Her third LP, without Iovine in the producer’s seat for the first time (he left midway through due to their break up) moved her more toward a pop-centric sound. More synths and drum machines. A girlfriend I had at the time bought the record for me, entitled Rock A Little, as a message for me… the song “You Can Talk To Me” had something to do with it. I was troubled even then. I remember we joked about the title and how it should have been Rocks Very Little. I remember selling it at the used record store, but I wish I’d kept it. It’s a solid if not spectacular album.

Then it got difficult for Stevie. And admittedly, this is where it gets tough listening through the box set as I did these last few days. Her next two LPs started a creative slide. The Other Side of the Mirror was another step down – although admittedly I did like “Rooms On Fire.” Then Stevie’s addictions to coke and klonopin really took their toll. Street Angel her 1994 LP was her creative nadir. Although, again, there were a few tracks I heard that I liked. “Blue Denim” was great and I enjoyed her cover of Dylan’s  “Just Like A Woman,” but then I’m always a sucker for a Dylan cover. Sadly it was during this era, really the entire 90s that Stevie lost a lot of people. And that’s a shame because with the new millennium she began a late career resurgence that I can only hope people were paying attention to.

2001’s Trouble In Shangri La, produced in part by Sheryl Crow, was a great comeback record. Granted she unearthed some songs she’d written in the 70s, but hey, they were new to me. “Sorcerer” and “Planets Of the Universe” were both great tracks from that record. The Rock Chick bought the album and suddenly I found myself crawling back on Stevie’s bandwagon. She enlisted ex-Eurythmic Dave Stewart to produce her next two albums, the superb In Your Dreams, her best album since The Wild Heart, and the follow up, a collection of tracks she’d written in her heyday, 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault. Those last two LPs really took her back to that late 70s/early 80s sound she’d established. Straight up rock n roll played on real instruments.

At this point, we have to ask, however, is this Complete Studio Recordings portion of the box really necessary? I have to admit, I own all of her albums either on vinyl, CD or MP3. Sure, the packaging is nice, but I have all of these. If you’re not a fanatic like me, you probably own the first two, at least. I would say, if that’s all you own – the first two solo records – then yes, this box may be worth your investment. For me, the obsessive collector, the secret sauce in this box is the two discs of “Rarities.”

As I mentioned earlier, the “& Rarities” part of the title may be misleading. With only 23 tracks over two discs, I felt it was a little light. There are some great outtakes from her first two records, namely “Gold And Braid,” and “All The Beautiful Worlds” whose omission here is glaring. Don’t tease me with “complete” and leave those two great tracks off. That said, there are some great songs here. Stevie dropped a lot of tunes on to soundtracks and you’ll find some of the best of those here like “Blue Lamp” (Heavy Metal), “Sleeping Angel” (Fast Times At Ridgemont High) and “Violet And Blue” (Against All Odds, a soundtrack my brother gifted me). “Battle Of The Dragon” was a great tune from a movie I’d never heard of. I’ve always liked “One More Big Time Rock N Roll Star” and it’s here. “Real Tears” was a track I’d never heard. “If You Ever Did Believe” is another highlight. I’m delighted her Buffalo Springfield cover of “For What It’s Worth” is included. These “leftovers” are better than some artists’ main tracks.

However, all of that said, many of these 23 tracks have been released on other greatest hits (Timepieces or Stand Back) and especially in the 3-CD box Enchanted. This is a nice way to pull a lot of these stray tracks together in one place but many are already out there. I could have used a box set just full of her rarities to be honest…she’s got a ton of piano/vocals demo’s I’d pay for. And if I’m really being that honest, if they’d split off the Rarities as it’s own 2-disc release, it’d be a no-brainer for me. However, tucked into this massive 10 CD box, I have to admit, even I hesitate.

To answer my original question – is it worth it? It’s a bunch of qualified “if’s.” If you don’t already own these albums, then my God, yes buy this, perhaps only the MP3s which are cheaper. If you only own a few of the albums, yes buy it. When it comes to the rarities, which is the bait here, I think if we wait a few months we may be able to buy that separately and for those of us who have most of these albums, that’s probably the best strategy.

Overall, having spent the last week or so listening to Stevie Nicks’ music, she is absolutely one of the greatest rock n roll artists out there. Great voice, superb songwriting and for the most part rootsy, real rock n roll… what’s not to love? This is, as her life’s work, a great box set. I would urge everyone to give this one a serious listen. You’re going to find some hidden gems in this woman’s catalog that are absolutely worth spending time with. At the very least you may find a new favorite Stevie song!

Cheers!