Say You Will [ECD] - Fleetwood Mac

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Track 7 *** Say You Will (Nicks)

The title track and a track that demonstrates the musical compatibility of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. In some ways it’s almost as if they have stepped back twenty eight years to the time before the came into Fleetwood Mac. I like the track but it really doesn’t set the world on fire. It’s more of a sing along type of track than a track that lifts and inspires me as all good music should ...
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Track 17 ** Say Goodbye (Buckingham)

“Seeing your face yesterday thinking on the days of old and the price we paid” This opens a track penned by Buckingham to say goodbye to Stevie Nicks with whom he split many years ago. It reminds of another song from the Sixty’s but for the life of me I can’t think who recorded it. This is another track that would in my opinion best omitted from the album.

Track 18 ** Goodbye ... more

About a year ago I heard that Fleetwood Mac who are my all time favourite band were to reform to make a new album. Sadly the lovely Christine McVie refused to participate in the album or the following tour and so the all time classic Fleetwood Mac line up of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsay Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie became fragmented.

So was it worth the wait? Lets see shall we.

Track 1 *** What’s the world coming to.

A worthy introduction into the album finds Buckingham in a relaxed easy mood with superb percussion backing as I have come to expect from Mick Fleetwood.

Track 2 *** Murrow turning over in his grave (Buckingham)

A dark and heavy track from Buckingham perhaps it’s best summed up by a line from the lyrics “Blood in the sky are you dead or alive” and to my mind this track is definitely dead and should never have seen the light of day.

Track 3 *** Illume (9-11) (Nicks)

This track is dedicated to the rescue services and those who did not survive the 9-11 disaster. Stevie sums up her feelings on the carnage in words and music. My feelings that as an album track it really doesn’t work, put it with film images of that traumatic day and it would be transformed.

Track 4 *** Throw Down

A typical Stevie Nicks track soft and beautiful with a perfect backing from lead and bass guitars. This is the story of a girl watching someone fall in love with her, questioning and probing motives and feelings, it is both sad and evocative.

Track 5 *** Miranda (Buckingham)

Perhaps the most difficult track to review on the album, the story as I see it is the decline of girl who is always alone. Sit back and listen to it for the music, let the vocals drift over you and enjoy the emotion.

Track 6 *** Red Rover (Buckingham)

A track that shows the undoubted ability of Buckingham on guitar and also his undoubted vocal skills but apart from that forget it. It is to my mind a make weight of the worst type.

Track 7 *** Say You Will (Nicks)

The title track and a track that demonstrates the musical compatibility of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. In some ways it’s almost as if they have stepped back twenty eight years to the time before the came into Fleetwood Mac. I like the track but it really doesn’t set the world on fire. It’s more of a sing along type of track than a track that lifts and inspires me as all good music should and must.

Track 8 *** Peacekeeper (Buckingham)

Perhaps the best known of the tracks on this album is this one Peacekeeper. Released on the Internet for download on receipt of a small fee. If memory serves me correct it was $1.49 and yes I confess I bought it, because it was the first new song from Fleetwood Mac for many years and i couldn't wait for the album. The trouble was I was disappointed, it was an unfulfilled promise, technically it’s perfect and yes it’s pleasant enough but it almost sounds as if they are singing flat especially in the first few verses.

Track 9 *** Come (Buckingham/ Heywood)

A superb track starting slow and low turning to a crescendo of sound and raw emotion. This track reinforces my belief that John McVie is perhaps the greatest bass man alive today. Bordering on heavy rock in places this track is one of the few highlights of the album and it shows Buckingham’s willingness to move away from Fleetwood Macs normal style of music.

Track 10 ** Smile At You (Nicks)

I love a track that uses the bass guitar as lead, it seems almost primeval to me full of mystery and perhaps remorse then adding the haunting lyrics of Stevie across the top and you have a superb mix of sound and emotion.

Track 11 ** Running Through The Garden (Nicks/ Nicholson/ Kennedy)

Another superb bass line from John McVie accompanies Stevie in an upbeat track that is one of the few that allows her to use her full repertoire of vocal skills.

Track 12 ** Silver Girl (Nicks)

A slow track about a girl who has everything and yet she has nothing but she hides it all behind a façade that not many are allowed to see beyond. I feel that close harmonies of the kind generated by the old Nicks / Christine McVie partnership would have transformed this track.

Track 13 ** Steal Your Heart Away (Buckingham)

Add a Dobro (Perhaps you will know it better as a slide guitar) to this and it would have been almost reminiscent of a slow country track. Penned and sung by Buckingham this is perhaps my favourite track by him and is a tale of a quest for that elusive commodity known as love.

Track 14 ** Bleed To Love Her (Buckingham)

This track is middle of the road in the extreme with Buckingham talking vocals and a slow driving beat telling a story of a disappearing love, a love that is not returned.

Track 15 ** Everybody Finds Out (Nicks/ Nowels)

Perhaps this is the most commercial track on the album. This is one where you sit back and turn up the volume until the urge to dance overcomes you. Rick Nowels with Stevie adding the lyrics wrote the music, and it is a major deviation from her normal style. I like it, it works so perhaps this style shows the way forward for the band.

Track 16 ** Destiny Rules (Nicks)

Another track from Stevie, while being good is not outstanding. I like the backing, artistically its sound and while I love Stevie there is something missing.

Track 17 ** Say Goodbye (Buckingham)

“Seeing your face yesterday thinking on the days of old and the price we paid” This opens a track penned by Buckingham to say goodbye to Stevie Nicks with whom he split many years ago. It reminds of another song from the Sixty’s but for the life of me I can’t think who recorded it. This is another track that would in my opinion best omitted from the album.

Track 18 ** Goodbye Baby (Nicks)

This track is Stevie’s goodbye to Lindsey. A slow drifting number beautifully done and a fitting finale to the album.

****

I bought the album three months ago when it first went on sale from our local Asda branch paying a little less than eleven pounds, look around and now you will find it considerably cheaper today.

Anyway I came out of the shop full of anticipation and the CD was playing within seconds of reaching my car. My first thoughts were what’s going on, is this Fleetwood Mac surely it has to get better than this! I want to like the album, for almost three months I have played and listened to the album but I cant change my mind, I want to but I can’t.

I have watched Fleetwood Mac evolve over the years; many changes have been made on the line up but since the departure of Christine McVie there is something missing. I thought that with her departure that the Nicks/ Buckingham partnership would carry them through the transition, and yes the spark between them still seems to be there but there is a gap a yawning chasm that needs to be filled. Rumour had it that Sheryl Crowe was to take Christine’s place and yes I feel that may have worked but it wasn’t to be. Christine was always a lesser light in the line for some reason that I have never understood but I do know that she would have transformed this album. As a final thought, it is rumoured that Lindsay Buckingham had been working on material for a solo album and his record company lost interest in, and it is this same music that became the basis for this album.

Buy it for completeness or buy it so as to make up your own mind but please do not expect too much.

Thanks for reading.

© Baz 2003
 

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