Due to extreme laziness I'm virtually retired from Ciao, although I'll still read and post the odd o...
Due to extreme laziness I'm virtually retired from Ciao, although I'll still read and post the odd op every now and then......
Member since:16.01.2001
Reviews:369
Members who trust:124
By the mid seventies Fleetwood Mac had metamorphosed from the Peter Green led blues / metal monster that spawned such great songs as “The Green Manalishi”, “Black Magic Woman” and “Need Your Love So Bad” into the perfect AOR pop band that was to produce “Rumours”, at the time the biggest selling platter of all time , I believe, though I’m willing to be corrected. The background of the album were the relational splits between John and Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Mick Fleetwood was well out of it, literally.
Buckingham and Nicks had produced at least one album together before joining Fleetwood Mac and brought perfect pop sensibilities into the band’s writing., complementing Christine McVie’s songs to produce this all devouring monster of an album. The previous album “Fleetwood Mac” had given some indications of what was to come, but this must have made the marketing men think that all their Christmases had come at once. Although the album is good, it’s success was phenomenal , way outstripping what it really deserved. The follow up album , “Tusk” was far more adventurous (a double album that got a thumbs up review in NME during punk, that does take some doing), but back to the platter being reviewed here.
The album contains four singles that I remember (it was a long time ago) “Dreams” and “You Make Loving Fun” both Stevie Nicks compositions, “Don’t Stop” an excellent stomping song by Christine McVie, and “Go Your Own Way” a storming Lindsay Buckingham pop song, all of course were massive hits. Stevie Nicks provides a sort of dreamy mysticism to the bands writing an the general overall sound is comforting and warm.
The only time where this overall ambience is in the brooding , threatening “The Chain” (also the title of their 25 year retrospective 4 CD set), which was a band composition so it was obviously Mick Fleetwood and John McVie who were the teeth in the band. The instrumental coda to this piece was used as the theme to the BBC Car program “Top Gear”.
Other stand out tracks are the introductory “Second Hand News” another Lindsay Buckingham composed excellent pop song and the acoustic simplicity of “Never Going Back Again”.
All in all a pleasant album , but nothing to get too excited about. It’s available on mid price, so it won’t break the bank if you do buy it , or offend the neighbours if you then go on to play it, but it is a defining album of the AOR (Adult-Orientated-Rock) genre.
Did you know that one of the band (I’m not sure if it’s Mick Fleetwood or John McVie) insists that there is a penguin on every album sleeve, somewhere. Now that’s something to look for when you check out the Fleetwood Mac back catalogue. Note that some of them are very well hidden.
What the Critics Say...
Vibe (12/99, p.162) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century - "Anger, jealousy, heartbreak, and spite....One of the best pop records of the '70s."
Q Magazine (3/00, p.126) - Included in Q Magazine's "Best Relationship Albums Of All Time" - "...tells the soap opera of 2 splits: John and Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks...all of whom played lyrical relationship tennis..."
It’s worth a listen , but borrow before you buy
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Excellent op. It's one of those albums I've had on vinyl for years and hardly ever play as I hear it so much on the radio still (Radio 2, usually), but it's one I'll never get rid of.
Penguins were fashionable, not only with Mac but also Status Quo (check out the sleeve of 'Whatever You Want' with a penguin in a suspender belt!) But that's a different story...
belinda9 17.07.2001 23:48
I have this album, it reminds me of my long gone youth.
Excelle 16.07.2001 08:51
Great op there Mikey!!!!!! I like a bit of Mac too...
Second Hand News @@us/uswm2/505/102505_1_01.asx?obj=v40323@@ Dreams ... more
@@us/uswm2/505/102505_1_02.asx?obj=v40323@@ Never Going Back Again @@us/uswm2/505/102505_1_03.asx?obj=v40323@@ Don't Stop @@us/uswm2/505/102505_1_04.asx?obj=v40323@@ Go Your Own Wa...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
With the pop sense of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks now leading the band, Fleetwood ... more
Mac moved completely away from blues and created this homage to love, Southern California-style. Each songwriter makes his or her presence known: Nicks for her ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: An uplifting, deep feeling mix of sensational songs. Recorded during a time of considerable stress for all concerned. It is the benchmark upon which albums should be produced. Disadvantages: It is a flawless album, especially now that the digitally enhanced CD/DVD version has been produced. There is not a song, nor a vocal nor a sound that is out of place.
Advantages: A long awaited event in the rock firmament ? a new studio album by one of the mega-names of rock. They are now on tour ? coming to the UK in November Disadvantages: Good in part. It?s a marathon ? and feels like it by the end.
Jul 15th, 2001
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