By Simone Goldstone | NB Indy Soundcheck Columnist
Remember playing a record all the way through, or having a CD in your car where you didn’t skip a favorite song?
Classic Albums Live remembers, and delivers a rock symphony complete with world-class musicians that play those perfect albums live all the way through. This is not a cover band; it’s a concert experience that focuses solely on the music.
Classic Albums Live performs full albums front to back, it’s not a tribute band in costume, but rather an ode to outstanding musicianship by capturing the complexities and intricacies that make these classic albums reign supreme in artistry, emotion, and musical ability.
Classic Albums Live will be performing the Fleetwood Mac album “Rumours” for their show at Segerstrom Center on Sept. 15.
“Rumours” was an enormous commercial success for the band. It garnered widespread acclaim from critics and won Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammy Awards. Considered one of the greatest albums of all time, “Rumours” has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.
Julie Mahendran is performing in the Classic Albums Live “Rumours” concert, and said that unlike a typical tribute band, they want people to focus on the music.
“We consider ourselves a rock symphony. We aim to recreate the music as best we can. We use all live musicians to recreate that album from start to finish. We don’t talk between songs, we want it to be like listening to the album,” explained Mahendran.
I asked Mahendran what her favorite Fleetwood Mac deep cuts are, and what songs she’s looking forward to playing live.
“’Hold Me,’ it’s a duet between Christie and Lindsey. And ‘Everywhere,’ which was a B-side. And of course, ‘Silver Springs’ is a staple on this tour. ‘Silver Springs’ is big right now,” she said.
We talk about the famed 1997 live performance of “Silver Springs,” now infamous for the emotion captured between Nicks and Buckingham. It was the first time they played the song live for over 20 years after the heartbreak and drama between the two bandmates and ex-lovers. It was a song Nicks wrote for and about Buckingham, and she stares him down as she sings “You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman who loves you.”
“Silver Springs” was left off the “Rumours” album but released as a single in 1997. The performance has recently gone viral.
If Classic Albums Live is playing these historic songs and capturing these moments in music history, Buckingham may never get away from the haunting songs Nicks wrote for him.
“I also love that there are three lead singers in the band, so we all get to support each other and the amazing harmonies! This show has plenty of them,” stated Mahendran.”
If she could tour and cover any band, which band would it be?
“The Eurythmics. Or Peter Gabriel. He’s still touring though. There has to be a market for it. We did ‘Dreamboat Annie’ (by Heart) on a few shows.”
There must be a market for a Peter Gabriel album show. Maybe everyone just needs to take a listen to Solsbury Hill, so that Mahendran can play that on her next tour.
Mahendran is excited that this “Rumours” tour will be the longest yet. “I have some relatives in Orange County that I’m looking forward to seeing, and we’re playing some other new venues in the area that I’m looking forward to as well,” she said. “And of course, playing in Costa Mesa for the first time.”
Come to the show, close your eyes, and listen for all the small grooves and complexities of “Rumours” that lay just below the surface: hidden riffs, motifs, underappreciated lyrics, and all the small things that flow through the entire album that makes the record an artistic and timeless masterpiece.
For tickets to “Rumours,” visit www.SCFTA.org.
