24 Karat Gold: Songs from the

"24 Karat Gold ~ Songs From the Vault" is a newly recorded album by Stevie Nicks, however if you didn't know better you would easily think this was a long lost album from Stevie. Going back to 2010 when Stevie was working on her "In Your Dreams" album she discovered one her lost demos, "Secret Love", on YouTube. She reworked that track for that album. Jump ahead a few years and she discovered lots more of her lost demos on YouTube and with a few weeks this past spring, she and producer Dave Stewart headed down to Nashville to rework these tracks. As a long time fan, I've had these demos in my collection for years, when I heard what her plan was, I was skeptical. This isn't the first time she's reworked old demos, but the results haven't always been great. Listen to her original demo for "Smile At You", then check out the watered down released version on Fleetwood Mac's "Say You Will". Would she be able to recapture the magic in these original demos, or would the suffer the same fate of "Smile At You" where too much time has passed and the inspiration behind the song is long forgotten. Another concern was her voice, it's aged a lot since the recording of the demos. The answer is not only do these songs come to life, but in nearly every case, outshine the demos. Among the highlights, the album kicks off with "Starshine", this is a fun rocker that is a great album opener and would also be a killer opening song on stage. If you're familiar with the demo, you'll hear how she really recaptured the feel of 1980 and the recording of the "Bella Donna" album right down to the organ solo. "Mabel Normand" is one of her more rare demos, the song tells the tale of the long forgotten actress but here Stevie compares her own life to that of Mabel. The song dates back to the "Rock A Little" era and like "Thousand Days" or "Mirror Mirror" it has an almost rambling feel to the lyric, that's not a bad thing. The album's title "24 Karat Gold" was a demo that I could never quite get into, the version here though shines. From the opening lone bass riff, which rolls into a drum beat, the song just comes to life. One of my favorites from the album, "Belle Fleur" is another of the demos that I never got into, but once again, Stevie has transformed the song into a gem. The first minute of the song here is just a chugging drum beat that hooks you just before the song has it's proper start. I also like the banjo heard throughout the song. "All The Beautiful Worlds" is a great song period. It's got a haunting tone that has a very definite late 70's/early 80's feel to it. Again here Stevie's vocals sound as strong and vibrant as they did in the 80's. With Sharon and Lori providing their background vocals, the song is classic Stevie. "Lady" was known for years among fans as "Knocking On Doors". Stevie wrote this back in the late 60's when she and Lindsey were trying to get noticed. Her voice has aged to perfection here. Just Stevie and a piano, that's all this song needs. With "I Don't Care" Stevie rocks out. The music track was written by Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell and Waddy Wachtel. It's got a swampy bluesy feel, a very different sound for Stevie. Stevie has said the end of the song lyrically was made up on the spot, honestly the whole song lyrically sounds improvised, but it works. "Watch Chain" written about Mick Fleetwood in the late 70's has retained much of the feel of the original demo. I've always liked this one and yet again, Stevie's vocals have somehow transported back to the 70's. "Hard Advice" is the sister song to 2001's "That Made Me Stronger", two songs written about the same conversation. In this case a conversation Stevie had with Tom Petty. This is a beautiful track. "Carousel" is a Vanessa Carlton song that Stevie did not write, however it's included here because it was one of Stevie's late mother's favorites. "Blue Water" is something of holy grail song among fans, written by Stevie with Sharon Celani back in the late 70's. I never cared for the demo, but once again the song has come alive here. She's helped out on this one with Lady Antebellum. "Cathouse Blues" was always something of a oddball among Stevie's demos. As with "I Don't Care" Stevie musically is trading new ground here, the song is given a jazzy treatment along with dixieland horns. Yes, it works. "The Dealer" has long been one of my favorites, one can assume it was one of Stevie's favorites as well, as she has recorded several demos of this. This version is slowed down a bit from the 1970's demo, and some of the excitement from the original demo is missing. However if you've never heard the demo, then there is much to like here. Closing out the album is "She Loves Him Still", another track she's attempted a few times. Some don't like the woodwind on this, I think it fits the song. Years have passed since she wrote this and she has moved on from whatever inspired her, but yet she sings it as if it was inspired just yesterday. Stevie said recently that she couldn't write these songs today. She's right, she's moved on and grown since these songs were written, in some ways these are really very simple songs. In every way though these are classic Stevie songs. This is very much the most pure Stevie album we've ever gotten. Many of these songs probably wouldn't have been hits during the time they were written and that's probably why they were left behind. Looking back on these songs now, the heartbreak that inspired them has healed and now the songs are allowed to shine. In some ways this doesn't feel like a new album at all, it seems almost like a greatest hits album. At the same time it IS a new album filled with classic Stevie moments.

Awesome album. I haven't bought a Stevie Nicks album in a while. This is a worth having in your collection.

"24 Karat Gold" is a unique album in that most of the songs contained were written between the late 60's and 80's (two songs were written in the 90's and "Carousel," originally by Vanessa Carlton, now dedicated to Stevie's mother who recently passed away). They have been newly recorded but still hold the classic Stevie Nicks sound. This album is as close to the sound of "Bella Donna" and "The Wild Heart" that she has gotten since their releases in the 1980's. The entirety of the album has a light touch from a production standpoint. Most songs are simply produced and hold the same qualities that their demos posses (demos that have been lingering about and made their way to Youtube in recent years). The title track "24 Karat Gold" is Stevie at her best with it's moody sound and catchy melodies. It would sit next to any of Stevie or Fleetwood Mac's hits beautifully. Lady Antebellum joins in on "Blue Water," a dusky blues-infused track with sweet harmonies. "Belle Fleur" kicks it up a notch with a surprisingly danceable introduction and a sweet chorus in which Stevie invites "Will you dance with me, baby?" Quintessential 80's song, "All The Beautiful Worlds," complete with synthesizer, will have you wondering when it was recorded due to the impressive vocal performance that is reminiscent of her "Rock A Little" voice. Overall, Stevie sounds great. There are many glorious vocal moment that display her appealingly gravely voice. The songs are so sonically varied that there should be something for just about anyone, including casual fans. Gold, indeed.

24 Karat Gold is an album with deep roots, matured over time, like a fine wine aged in oak barrels to gain depth and structure. The fourteen songs on the setlist, in fact, had been sitting in Stevie Nicks's drawers (or rather, they were classified, as the CD's title suggests) and only saw the light of day when the blonde singer from Phoenix decided to pick them up again and reread them, reinterpret them, and revisit them through the eyes of a sixty-six-year-old who, over the years, had placed precious moments of her life in those songs. Songs, then, that come from a sometimes distant past, dating back to a period between 1969 and the mid-1990s, but which present themselves to our ears in modernly vintage garb, omitting the signs of time, maintaining their original clarity intact. The sound is exactly what we would all have expected, that of Stevie Nicks's Rumours or Bella Donna: a perfectly balanced blend of American rock, passionate romanticism, and chart-topping pop that has become an absolute trademark. So many beautiful songs (some of the highest caliber: the title track, "If You Were My Love," and "Mabel Normand"), an infinite class, and shards of life and glory, which come back to us, allowing us to more deeply understand the art of the woman who, in the 1970s, was an icon of sex and American rock. The difference from the past, beyond the mere compositional aspect, lies in Stevie's voice, deep and evocative like never before. A voice capable of growling, seducing, disturbing, and overshadowing the glittering glimmers of gold with a veil of twilight melancholy.

This is Stevie at her finest! I have been doubting lately Stevie's abilities as a singer (a huge long time fan from the early '70s) not being able to hit those high notes, but all that doubt disappeared when I listened to this wonderful piece of work. With a voice like hers, it haunts you for days (in a good way). These are older songs written back in the day and recently recorded. I was thinking that these were recorded back in the day, but that is not the case. This is one great sounding Stevie! Her voice is strong as ever on this recording. I love it so much that I purchased the audio CD and the digital download. I cannot get enough from this album! I am once again transported into Stevie's world as I listen to these songs. I have not felt that in years! This is not Stevie's rich voice from the Buckingham Nicks days (note the Crying from the Night reference...lol) but a more mature and nurtured voice that is stronger and wiser than her younger days. And this is one fan smiling as he gets back on the Stevie Nicks fan train. Forgive me for ever doubting you Stevie. You still have it girl! And "she's back" indeed and she will keep impressing us with this music.

I just got this cd. It’s great. This one I did have of Stevie Nick’s. She is the greatest . To my book. I have been listening to Stevie music ever since. I was young and growing up in the 70”s. Stevie music has helped me get though some tough teenage years. She is powerful and her songs go though my heart snd soul. I hope to see her in person someday. I love her songs with Fleetwood Mac. The song Sara touch my soul. It’s just beautiful. And with that said . I named my first child after that song Sara. Yes I did . The song makes Feel close to my girl. No matter how far away she may be. Thank you Stevie!🌙

My father bought 1975's "Fleetwood Mac" and 1977's "Rumours", and as a very young child (3,4,5 years old) I heard many songs over and over again from those albums (in a strange parallel, my parents divorced in 1976) so the lyrics, even at that young age, and the melodies, they all became are part of my musical DNA. Now, I hate to tell you fans, but I prefer Lindsey Buckingham's musical approach over Stevie Nicks'. That being said, during the 1980's I really enjoyed her hits, but avoided her albums. Now, of course, I have them all. At 14 tracks, "24 Karat" is over-long. In repeatedly listening to the entire thing over the past weeks, it becomes apparent that 10-12 tracks would have been just fine. In fact, I can tell which two to four tracks I would have cut to make a stronger impression: "Blue Water", "Lady", "I Don't Care", "All The Beautiful Worlds", "Belle Fleur" and "If You Were My Love" and "She Loves Him Still". Yep, that's half the album. Well, seeing as this album is more a compilation of old songs than a brand new current album, it makes sense that there's excess and quality control issues. Now, it's all good and fine if you are a fan and think this album is the greatest. I stand apart from you. I found there were too many ballads, too many references to secret loves and loves lost without any direct connection to the material. You know, if you're going to do a ballad, it has to mean something, like, say, "Leather And Lace" or "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" or even "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You?" or even one of my favorites, "Two Kinds Of Love". I like Stevie Nicks as much as the next person, but let's be straight: Aren't you looking forward to a newly reunited Fleetwood Mac album? And, wouldn't you like the same double-disc re-mastered treatment reissue of "Mirage", "Tango In The Night" and "Behind The Mask"? Aren't those well over-due? Heck, how about re-mastering and reissuing "Bella Donna", "The Wild Heart", "Rock A Little" and "The Other Side Of The Mirror"? What about Lindsey Buckingham's "Law And Order", "Go Insane" and "Out Of The Cradle"? Anyway, it's good to see Nicks working with Dave Stewart again. I think that's a good musical match. Here's how "24 Karat Gold--Songs From The Vault" compares to Nicks other works: 1981 Bella Donna: Three and a Half Stars 1983 The Wild Heart: Three and a Half Stars 1985 Rock A Little: Four Stars 1989 The Other Side Of The Mirror: Four Stars 1994 Street Angel: Two and a Half Stars 2001 Trouble In Shangri-La: Three Stars 2011 In Your Dreams: Three and a Half Stars 2014 24 Karat Gold--Songs From The Vault: Three Stars

Feels like late 80s early 90s Stevie. So good! Way better than In Your Dreams. To me IYD is Stevie's weakest record. This one however is really great! Feels old even though it was made so recently. Im so glad I got this album finally. Cost me a small fortune but was totally worth it! Sounds way better on CD than it does online. I hate that mp3 sound. Its just trash. But yeah if you love Stevie you will love this album! Buy it. You wont regret it.

Something of a surprise this. Most of this album you would rank as 'country rock' in the vein of say Sheryl Crow but there are a few surprises here and there. Starting with the 'kick booty' rocker 'Starshine' which is sure to become a live favourite, other highlights include 'Mabel Normand' with great guitar from Waddy Watchel, a reworking of 'Twisted' (which was heard in more folksy form on the soundtrack to 'Twister'), the understated title track 24 Karat Gold and the wistful 'All the Beautiful Worlds' in which Stevie laments 'All the beautiful worlds I've seen so far have all fallen down'. Elsewhere Stevie goes into 'angry madam' mode for heavy rocker 'I don't care' spitting out the words '"Love is blind, but not this time!". But it's really the last six tracks where this album really hits home. Starting with another album highlight 'Hard Advice' (which is reputedly about Tom Petty) the song has Stevie at her impassioned best with a sublime last few bars to finish. After that yet another highlight is 'Carousel' which with its folksy world view recalls Joni Mitchell's 'The Circle Game' and deserves to be as well liked as that great song. On side 4 there's the soulful 'Blue Water' leading into another surprise 'Cathouse Blues' which sees Stevie singing playfully with a jazz/blues ensemble. The penultimate track is another highlight and probably the most instantly 'accessible' track on the album 'The Dealer'. A fine country rocker this which should be a big hit single if there was any justice in the world. Finishing the album is the folksy 'She Loves Him Still' with acoustic guitars and Irish tin whistles for accompaniment. The only 'bum' note on the album is 'Lady' which is basically an attempt at a light opera style aria in the vein of 'Beauty and The Beast' from 'The Wild Heart' album of 1983. Maybe 30 years ago she could have pulled this off but at the age of 66 with multiple drug issues in the past she just doesn't any longer have the vocal range for this type of song. Overall though it doesn't detract from a triumphant album which ranks alongside her best. My score: 90%.

E' DA SEMPRE LA MIA MUSA MUSICALE!!!, VOCE E MUSICA UNICA, INNARRIVABILE, NON DELUDE MAI!!!, ANCHE QUI' ALCUNE VERE GEMME!!! GRAZIE DIVINA STEVIE!!!

Ich tue mich mit dem Rezensieren von Musik immer ein bisschen schwer, weil ich mit Gattungen und Musikarten nicht viel anfangen kann und das Klassifizieren von Musik auch ein wenig blödsinnig finde. Deshalb an dieser Stelle keine Gedanken à la, dieses Album klingt viel rockiger etc als das vorangegangene (zumal "In Your Dreams" das einzige Album ist, das ich nicht besitze). Was mich bei Stevie am meisten beeindruckt, ist, wie sie klangvolle Worte ganz poetisch in Lieder verpacken und dem Hörer als Chartmusik verkaufen kann - vielen ihren Songs rechne ich einen Subtext an, aus dem ich selber viel für mich mitnehme, der aber sicher bei jedem andere Assoziationen und Gedanken hervorruft - ihre Lieder sind oftmals wirkliche Interpretationstexte und manchmal sogar lyrische Perlen. Nun klingen diese Songs schon allein gesanglich nicht mehr nach dem, was mit Buckingham Nicks seinen Anfang nahm, aber Stevie zeigt seit Jahren eine gleichbleibende stimmliche Stärke, die auch hier zum Tragen kommt. Gesanglich sind besonders "Belle Fleur" und "I don't care" ein Reinhören wert, in letzterem gibt Stevie wirklich alles (und explodiert meiner Meinung nach gerade zu). Textlich hat sich das wunderschöne Pianostück "Lady" für mich hervorgetan, was wie viele Songs eine Art Selbstreflexion ist, aber eben besonders inbrünstig gesungen, und für Pianobegleitungen habe ich einfach ein Faible. Überhaupt geht es auch in diesem Album um Beziehungen - zu sich selbst, zu anderen, wie sie sich ändern, wenn sich etwas ändert, wie man mit ihnen abschließt und neue beginnen kann. Bestimmte Motive werden wie in vielen ihrer Songs aufgenommen: die Farbe Blau, die Nacht, mystische Figuren, man taucht also hier auch in Vertrautes ein. Auffällig, interessant (und musikalisch zudem ungewöhnlich), der "Cathouse Blues". Gesamtmusikalisch zeigt gerade das titelgebende "24 Karat Gold" deutliche Fleetwood Mac-Anleihen, vielleicht ist es auch deshalb gleich direkt in mein Ohr gegangen und hängen geblieben. Auch "Belle Fleur" hat etwas wunderbar treibendes, unruhiges, vibrierendes. "All The Beautiful Worlds" aktualisiert noch einmal den 80er Jahre Beat im Intro. "Carousel" klingt genauso wie man sich ein Lied gleichen Namens vorstellt. Schnelle Stücke überwiegen und Balladen sind eher in der Unterzahl - wobei bei Stevie die Grenzen da seit jeher eher fließend sind. Ich muss offen zugeben, dass die Platte keine neue Stevie präsentiert, aber zum einen würde mir kein Grund einfallen, warum sie sich in ihrem Alter nocheinmal neu erfinden sollte, zum anderen - und das ist vielleicht wichtig zu wissen - sagte sie jüngst in einem Interview, aus dem der Rolling Stone zitiert, dass diese Songs alle in den Jahren 1969-1987 geschrieben wurden. Klanglich ist das nicht zu leugnen, man hört Stevie in neuen Songs so, wie man sie kennt. Lobenswert finde ich, dass das Album am 03.10. herauskam und ob des Feiertags nicht ausgeliefert werden konnte, Amazon es aber pünktlich ab 00:00 Uhr zum Download parat hatte. Service, toll!

This is a must for any Stevie Nicks fan who wants to acquire more songs from Stevie's earlier days as a songwriter. Only one of the songs has appeared on previous CDs so these are new songs from the past brought up to date by the collaboration with Waddy Wachtel and Dave Stewart, the former a mainstay of her earlier solo albums and the latter an inspiration in her last album. Although many of the songs are reminiscent of past hits, the two co-producers breathe new life into them and make them relevant.

まず、ここ(LP&Deluxe Version)に収められた16曲が無事正式に世に出たことに心から感謝したいと思います。 PCの普及とYouTubeの浸透によりStevieの原曲(デモ)が出回ったことで、過去に何度かお蔵入りになってしまったこれらの楽曲達が今回めでたくも再び息を吹きかえすことになった訳なのですから・・・ 16曲の内、4・9・11・12を除く14曲が 「Bella Donnna」の収録候補だったり、実際に当時レコーディングされた曲もあったでしょうが、最終的にOuttakeとなってしまったこと。 （2は「Mirage」でも没に。15は「Rumours」「Walter Egan」デビュー作「Tusk」と４回も録ったが没に。） Waddy Wachtel - Guitar , Michael Campbell - Guitar , Davey Johnstone - Guitar , Dan Dugmore - Banjo , Benmont Tench - Keyboards ら「Bella Donnna」で参加していた豪華メンバーの大半が33年後の今作でも再び参加していること。 （Roy Bittan（Key）の不参加はかなり残念ではあるが。） 以上２点とアレンジや楽曲の雰囲気、StevieのVocalの若々しさ、などから正に「Bella Donnna」第２章と言うに相応しい作品だと思います。 ただ所謂シングル向け曲がなく、シングルB面曲集「Enchanted」Disc4のような感じなのですが、もちろん統一感がありますし、聴けば聴くほど心地良くなります。 欲を言えば、あの曲もこの曲も入れて欲しかったと思う曲はまだまだあるのですが、それらは来年発売されるはずのFleetwood MacのNew Albumまでおあずけなのでしょうね・・・（笑）。 10 前作の1stシングル「Secret Love」と同時に録られたデモに忠実なアレンジが嬉しい。どうしてBonusTrackなのか？完成度はかなり高いです。「Tusk」に入っていてもおかしくない出来栄え。 12 Vanessa Carlton 4th Albumからの今作唯一のカバー曲。当然彼女とデュエットしてます。フィドルが気持ちいい！ 13 長い付き合いのバックシンガーSharon Celani と詞を共作、そして昨年、彼らのシングル「Golden」で共演したLady Antebellum の２人がコーラスで参加。 14 ブルースの小品、ディキシーランド・ジャズ・アレンジになっていて楽しさいっぱい！Buckingham Nicks時代の作品。 16 おそらく一番古い（1969年）作品。作曲がMark Knopflerで、そんな大昔に1つ年下だった20歳の彼と交流があったとは驚き！可愛らしい曲です。 Best Trackはデモも出回ってなく、私は今まで未聴だった9と11。 9は今回１番ロックしていて、作曲もしているMichael Campbellのギターが超カッコイイ！Stevieの歌唱も若々しい！ 11は情感豊かなバラードで心をとても癒してくれます・・・ Deluxe Versionがおすすめです。 （通常版CDとは曲数だけでなく、曲順も全然違うのでレビューの曲番号なども注意してください。） さあ皆様、Stevie ワールドをぜひ心ゆくまでお楽しみください