Reviewed by DragonHawk

I'm a huge, HUGE Stevie Nicks fan, but I admit that I was disappointed with her work in the last 5 years or so. Hence, I was a bit skeptical that this CD was going to live up to all the hype that surrounded its pre-release, despite the talents of Sheryl Crow and Sarah MacLachlan being involved with it.

It is with much relief and pleasure that I can honestly say that Trouble in Shangri-La is Stevie at her best! The CD flows with Stevie's unmistakable energy, her haunting voice, and by the gods, she seems to be laughing and dancing with AND for us with this collection! The CD opens with Trouble in Shangri-La, which is a tune that reminds me of watching a summer storm gather in the sky and gradually make its way towards you, finally erupting in beautiful lightning and booming thunder. Candlebright is next and the harmonies of Stevie and Sheryl are beautiful! Nice, acoustic Stevie with raspy, sexy harmony...very nice!

My absolute favorite song is next, Sorcerer. WOW! Not surprisingly, this was written back in 1977 and was rejected by Fleetwood Mac from the Rumours album, but OH MY we get it now! Stevie's voice is high and low, thick and wispy, accompanied at first by acoustic guitar and then erupting once again into wailing guitars and those beautiful complimentary background vocals of her longtime singing gals, Lori Nicks (once Lori Perry and now Stevie's sister-in-law), and Sharon Celani...and again, Sheryl sits in on this one. Sorcerer simply blows me away!

Sorcerer

Who is the master
A man and woman on a star stream
In the middle of a snow dream
Sorcerer
Show me the high life
Come over
Let me put you on ice

Planets of the Universe is next and here we have yet another Stevie classic:

The bright light is lying down
The earth and the sea and the sky
Is at rest with the ocean
And the days go by

They go into the seas that have no shores
Haunted by that same closed door
Looking up at skies on fire
Leaving nothing left of us
To discover

Everyday is the single that's been first released, and it's not my favorite, but it's mainstream and Stevie sounds great. Other highlights of the CD are Bombay Sapphire, an almost caribbean styled acoustic number, and the last track, Love Is...well, Sarah MacLachlan sings and plays piano, and you FEEL her presence, Lori and Sharon sing gorgeous background, and Stevie again pours her heart and soul into the words.

In fact, Stevie pours her heart and soul into this entire CD. It's truly her BEST work yet, even beyond Bella Donna and Wild Heart.