Completely coked out, and with nothing on the horizon from Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks went back to the studio in 1984 to begin work a new material. After a month, though she had some material for consideration, changes would come with Nicks and producer / romantic interest, Jimmy Iovine going separate ways.
Some great tracks were planned for the album, including the Martin Page and Bernie Taupin penned, These Dreams, and Tom Petty and David A. Stewart written, Don't Come Around Here No More. However, neither would be included. Instead, after declining the first, the two would give it to Heart, who would make it a number one hit. As for the Petty and Stewart song, after hearing Petty's vocal demo, Nicks determined she would not be able to do the song the same justice that he would, and ultimately did.
The tracks that made the cut would ultimately come with some hit singles. These included, Talk To Me (peaking at number 4), I Can't Wait (peaking at number 16), and Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You (peaking at number 60). The album would also go platinum. However, despite this, it would still be deemed to have performed worse than expected, especially when compared to her prior 2X platinum release.
Say what you will, I Can't Wait is my all time favorite solo effort from Nicks, and that's what I picked this one up for. It starts off the whole album, which gives me the good feelings as a result.
Nicks then goes into the ballad title track, and it's here that things start to sound off. She seems to be struggling for notes, and vocally just sounds really bad. Is this the cocaine impacting her performance? These flaws weren't limited to just this song, and seemed more prevalent during slower paced songs.
The second song I picked up the album for, Talk To Me, starts out side two. Though I don't know if it was intended that both side openers would be the hits, it's a smart move if they were. It's like getting a fresh reboot at the half way point.
Rock A Little has quite a few hidden gems mixed within it. However, these seem to all be confined to the first side. These included, Sister Honey, Imperial Hotel, and Some Become Strangers. The back half, with exception of Talk To Me, was relatively forgettable. Things do end with the ballad, Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You, which I have mixed feelings about. I want to like it because it's decent, but I also want to skip it because it's a ballad in every sense of the word.
Overall, I think the album fairs better than her prior solo efforts. There's definitely more here to like than previous works have provided.
Nicks released one final studio album in the 80's, and that's where I'm headed tomorrow. Albeit, it's uncharted territory for me. I can't honestly say I know anything from her 1989 released The Other Side Of The Mirror, but I suppose all secrets will be revealed in due time.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS December 9, 1989 |
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