Fleetwood Mac: Classic or Dud

"The Essential Fleetwood Mac" pretends that Buckingham Nicks never happened.

Here's a post from seven years ago that is so bad, misguided and just plain wrong that it's funny.

"They were a bit like Blue Oyster Cult in that the music was so soft and gentle, but there was still a hint of menace about the band."

Maybe FM was soft and gentle, but BOC??

The BOC pop years are pretty gentle. "Burning For You" is what I'm thinking of. But that comparison is still off-base.

For me the BOC pop years don't count. If "Hot Rails to Hell" doesn't shake your house's foundations, nothing will.

Presumably the OP had only heard Agents of Fortune and Spectres.

Or hey, maybe somebody gave him a BÖC comp consisting of nothing but ballads, like the Sabbath one M@tt did a coupla weeks ago! I wouldn't mind hearing that myself. (For me, pop AND metal years count.)

Agents and Spectres both have some shit that rocks too. After that, it falls off the radar for me, but up through that time (esp. the first three albums) BOC was pretty kick ass.

The best early soft BOC song: Then Came the Last Days of May. The subject matter's pretty heavy though, three kids going out west to make a fortune in drug dealing have their brains splattered all over the desert by the narrator.

WTF? CLASSIC

(From Wikipedia)

The influence of the Rumours album in popular culture is evident:

- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony sample The Chain for their song Wind Blow on the CD, Strength & Loyalty;

- The Chain was used by the BBC for their Grand Prix Programme title sequence since the programme's inception in 1978 until ITV won the F1 rights for 1997;

- The song "Don't Stop" was used as a campaign theme-song by U.S. President Bill Clinton.

- The song "Don't Stop" was used in the movie Accepted during the graduation party, playing softly in the background.

- In the pilot of HBO's Flight of the Conchords, while in the electronics shop, they describe a developing love triangle. Murray, the band manager, then states its not good for the band for such a thing to happen, comparing it to the "Fleetwood Mac Situation", though he describes it as a love square. He goes on to say they made some of their best music during this time, Bret simply says "Rumours," referring to the famous album. Murray then responds "No, it's all true," mistaking Bret's remark.

- Kid Rock sampled the chorus to "Second Hand News" for his song "Wasting Time" on his 1998 release Devil Without A Cause.

Looks like they've pretty much sewn that one up!

what's the best book out there about fleetwood mac? (preferably written by one of the members)

I don't know, but damn I love Fleetwood Mac full stop. I have "Then Play On," "The Pious Bird of Good Omen," "Kiln House," "Bare Trees," and "Tusk" and the "Greatest Hits" comp on my iPod, which I think covers all of the awesome versions of the band pretty well. I can't stop listening to them! And the Buckingham/Nicks record is awesome for "Long Distance Winner" alone!

Ah, no, you need one of the Bob Welch albums. Mystery To Me!

There are some interesting concerts from right after Buckingham/Nicks joined where they're still doing older tracks like Station Man. It's kind of weird to hear that right next to Rhiannon.

Also, the BBC Sessions and/or the live at Boston has a track that I don't think appears elsewhere called Sandy Mary which is just amazing. Kind of a cross between T Rex, bluesy Mac, and Cream. I've said this elsewhere, but stand by it, that White Stripes should be forced to cover it for their own good.

Lastly, Say You Will is pretty wonderful as well, though my favorite parts are mostly Buckingham's solo tracks that got absorbed.

i think say you will is one of the great forgotten albums. 'murrow turning over in his grave', 'thrown down', 'peacekeeper', 'silver girl', 'bleed to love her', 'say goodbye', 'goodbye baby' and the rest too. so god.

xxxp i've heard mick fleetwood's book is really good but i've never seen a copy; pretty sure it's oop

i got the fleetwood book pretty easily from the 'bay - it's a very entertaining and often very enlightening read. i'd like to see a buckingham bio one day to get a different part of the story..

I don't know, but damn I love Fleetwood Mac full stop. I have "Then Play On," "The Pious Bird of Good Omen," "Kiln House," "Bare Trees," and "Tusk" and the "Greatest Hits" comp on my iPod, which I think covers all of the awesome versions of the band pretty well. I can't stop listening to them! And the Buckingham/Nicks record is awesome for "Long Distance Winner" alone!

-- J, Saturday, 8 March 2008 18:25 (Yesterday) Link

Ah, no, you need one of the Bob Welch albums. Mystery To Me!

Welch was in the band for Bare Trees. It contains his signature tune: "Sentimental Lady."

True that, but it didn't really turn into "his" band until later. Bare Trees is kind of the Kirwan album.

I hate to use the word perfect in any context but damn, 'sara'. PERFECT.

That's all, carry on.

Single edit or album version?

Also: Cheryl Crow This doesn't seem like the worst idea in the world, a world where dinosaurs collide.

Album version. It's a travesty that such a glorious song was even edited.

Thunder only happens when it's raining.

I saw an ad in the paper that they are playing here, but Christine wasn't pictured in the ad. Is she really not participating? I guess I could google this but the whole task seems really daunting right now. I've been on an insane Stevie Nicks trip, but Fleetwood Mac without Christine??

she officially retired a couple of years ago i think

;_;

Is 'Rumours' the 'OK Computer' for the 'Whisperin' Bob Harris generation or would you rather 'jack'... than Fleetwood Mac?
― D*A*V*I*D*M, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (7 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Wonder why I compared Rumours to OK Computer all those years ago? I mean, Tusk would've been the more obvious comparison, but even then... ¯\(°_o)/¯

Classic, btw.

I like OLD Fleetwood Mac - when they made R&B (rhythm & blues, not Rap & Bullshit!). Prior to THAT WOMAN's arrival.
― Kodanshi, Monday, 2 July 2001 00:00 (7 years ago)

This is archetypal.

Can irony bite its own ass?

The qualifying phrases used so many years ago are endearing and embarrassing ("I will confess to enjoying the Nicks ballads on it as well").

oh life

FMac w/o Christine = no Steve Shasta, sorry dudes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxbHM_Eb78

big 'Station Man' fan right here

clip is fucking unreal

Lindsey just fucking *owns* it ... who was it anyway, Danny? Jeremy? who cares

http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/2930694239/stevie-nicks-solo-gypsy-demo-intense

URGH

Some of FM's music is just ... painfully beautiful.

Landslide kills me, every time.

this looks pretty bad

http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/06/fleetwood-mac-tribute-album-features-mgmt-the-kills-anthony-hegarty-and-more/

Fleedwood Mac Tribute Album Tracklist:
01. Entrance Band – Green Manalishi
02. Crystal Ark – Tusk
03. Best Coast – Rhiannon
04. The New Pornographes – Think About Me
05. MGMT – Future Games
06. Marianne Faithful – Angel
07. Antony Hegarty – Landslide
08. Ranaldo and Mascis – Albatross
09. Trixie Whitley – Before the Beginning
10. Washed Out – Straight Back
11. Super Wolf – Storms
12. The Kills – Dreams
13. Gardens and Villa – Gypsy
14. Billy Gibbons – Oh Well
15. Lykke Li – Silver Springs

Interested to hear the Crystal Ark's version of Tusk though.

can imagine entrance's green manalishi being quite badass too tbh

who is Ranaldo of Ranaldo and Mascis?
Future Games is a cool jam, that could be good too.

must be Lee, can't imagine who else it would be

o for some reason i thought that wasn't how he spelled his name. weird.

04. The New Pornographes – Think About Me

this could work

Mostly would like to hear Billy Gibbons and Marianne Faithful's tracks.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13773-think-about-me-fleetwood-mac-cover/

Mentioned it on my "Tusk" thread, but I'm not sure the New Pornographers cover works, as much as I appreciate the stab at making it different.

That's disappointing. "Think About Me" has with great stealth become my favorite Mac single.

^feeling this

don't like that track at all (I am an NPs fan in general). hate all the squiggly farty keyboard junk on there.

Zactly. When I want the Cars I'll take the Cars, not NP doing the Cars doing the Mac.

hate all the squiggly farty keyboard junk

^^^ yeah, this. But without it, the NP's version could pretty much be any bar band with competent harmonies. I want to hear Billy Gibbons too.