Stevie Nicks

(A publicity photo of Stevie Nicks from 1977, via Wikipedia.)

I feel like I’ve listened to Stevie Nicks my entire life, but I think I really fell in love with her voice and lyrics in college. I spent a lot of time driving back and forth between San Antonio and Austin as I visited Ryan and prepared to find a teaching job, and her music always kept me company on those dark drives along I-35.  And as I drove to work each morning, and then down to San Marcos for grad school a few years later. There’s no denying that Stevie Nicks makes excellent driving music.

There’s something about her voice and her image that is melancholy and nostalgic, making me long for those golden-edged days of the late 1970s and 80s. I was a small child then, but that era seems mystical when I listen to Stevie Nicks.

I recently read this article about her greatest songs, and I agree with most of the choices. “Landslide” and “Silver Springs” are two of my favorite songs, but I also love “Rhiannon” and “Leather and Lace.”  Nicks has a new album out featuring current versions of old songs, and it’s had mixed reviews. But I think Nicks is amazing and she’s going strong after over forty years in the music business. Her voice is raw and mournful, but still full of feathers, swirling skirts, and feminine touches.  Here’s a lovely version of “Carousel” with Vanessa Carlton.

I never get tired of listening to her songs, and I think that’s the real beauty in her work. Do you have a favorite Stevie Nicks song?