Stevie Nicks, who joined Fleetwood Mac at the tender age of 26, celebrates her 71st birthday today. Throughout her career spanning five decades and counting, Nicks wrote some of Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits, including “Dreams” and “Landslide,” lived a notoriously wild rock star lifestyle, tackled tempestuous relationships head on and weaved it all into a gorgeous tapestry of transcendent, timeless music.
The sheer power of her voice, one of the eminent, powerful and instantly recognisable in all of rock is possibly the only thing that could overshadow the 2x Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s omnipotent presence and poetic song-writing prowess.
In 1981, six years after joining Fleetwood Mac, Nicks made her solo debut with Bella Donna. The massively successful album produced four hit singles, including the timeless anthem, “Edge Of Seventeen”. As Nicks hit her stride, the platinum albums started piling up: The Wild Heart (1983), Rock A Little (1985) and The Other Side Of The Mirror (1989), all followed.
The Stand Back collection is a retrospective extravaganza that features a staggering number of hits from Stevie Nicks' acclaimed solo career along with several of her most-celebrated and memorable collaborations with fellow artists, including Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Don Henley, Lana Del Rey, and Sheryl Crow. Here are some of the highlights, turn ‘em up loud and celebrate the phenomenal talents of wild heart herself ... with a little help from her friends.
1. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Smooth, slinky, dripping in lust before Stevie’s heartbreakingly husky voice enters the scene and cuts you to the core. Tom Petty matches her in emotion, power and passion for a captivating duet delivered by two artists who lived every word.
2. “Leather And Lace” with Don Henley
Timeless purity, poetry and storytelling with perfect harmonies that take your breath away with the disarming power of confident simplicity from two masters of their craft.
3. “Cheaper Than Free” with Dave Stewart
In this heartrending, country-edged duet with Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame), we are offered an invaluable reminder of all that’s truly important in this life.
4. “Beautiful People Beautiful Problems” with Lana Del Rey.
A more modern pairing that may seem out of step in the collection, but Lana Del Ray’s genuine and natural ‘70s aesthetic actually makes for a heavenly pairing, bridging a generational gap that proves as much as the world around us changes, what makes us human does not.
5. “Sorcerer” with Sheryl Crow
This is a track Stevie penned back in the '70s at the peak of the Buckingham-Nicks success and excess era. Stevie delivers this updated version with the conviction of someone who undoubtedly learnt something from the series of self-realisation-laden life experiences that followed.
With Sheryl Crow by her side, the power is palpable. Two amazing divas and one rockin’ good song. Enough said.
Stand Back also features outstanding live recordings, and her 2009 live album The Soundstage Sessions (“Sara” and a cover of Dave Matthews Band’s “Crash Into Me.”) and much more. Celebrate the wild and romantic enchantress' birthday with the Stand Back collection on Spotify:
Listen to Stand Back on Apple Music:
