You Make Polling Fun: FLEETWOOD MAC POLL RESULTS, ILM Artist Poll #22

A few years ago, I bought four of the early-'70s albums as budget CDs: Future Games, Bare Trees, Mystery to Me, and Heroes Are Hard to Find. I did play them all in the car, but only once and put them away. Took them out again last week and was really struck by two instrumentals (well, one's a near-instrumental): "Sunny Side of Heaven" and "Safe Harbour."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxUtZSdXy6A

They only got one vote between them in this poll--would have added them to my ballot for sure, also "Forever."

I'd never heard Behind the Mask, but the other day my shuffle gave me something that I assumed was Christine solo, but no. Behind the Mask. It was ok.

I want to buy the one CD I'm missing in that sequence above, Penguin, but it's not part of the same budget series and very over-priced on Amazon for some reason ($35 used plus shipping).

Bare Trees sounds like its sleeve: spare, wintry, fragile.

I wasn’t familiar with Prove Your Love until it was in that HBO show about the Lakers a couple years back. That was a nice surprise

A compilation focused on those post-Green, pre-N&B years would've been very welcome, but it doesn't look like we ever got one. Bare Trees is the best of them though thanks to Kirwan. Based on that album, especially for his solos on songs like "Spare Me a Little of Your Love," I think he could've flourished as the lead guitarist with the later group if they could've made that work, but based on his conversations at the time, he clearly had enough of the band and later his mental illness would make it impossible.

(by "making that work," that probably means filling in for Buckingham when he quit/was fired, but by then Kirwan was in no shape to do anything)

kirwan replacing buckingham in 1987 would have been so dope

just read Fleetwood's latest autobio, he'll have to write another one, what a life to have to keep updating your autobio, but per Mick he wasn't sure what to do about Danny's nervous breakdown so he consulted Jon Lord after the gig and was convinced to fire him that night, and then he cried afterwards

where were the adults, anyways it's kind of a sad read, reads sadder than the 94 autobio, feel like maybe rock star is not a good job

Play On, from 2014? Or is there something newer?

yeah that's the latest, covers everything up to Christine tentatively joining back up and working out new material, which I guess turned into the Buckingham/McVie record, on account of Stevie not being at all interested in writing/recording

Mick talks very wistfully about his dalliance with Stevie, was pretty intense apparently before he traded her for her best friend lol, what a shitshow

his greatest regret seems to be the wild ass drama he subjected his kids to, which was a lot but at least he understands how shitty that was and is repentant

wow how interesting. am now curious to learn more. i recently discovered Mystery to Me - was amazed. what a beautiful start to finish conceit.

I want to buy the one CD I'm missing in that sequence above, Penguin

It's completely forgettable. McVie and Welch are on autopilot, and the new "lead singer" performs on two songs that have nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac. Christine plays some nice piano on "Road Runner", that's the highlight.

I really like “Remember Me” and “Dissatisfied.”

Actually “Did You Ever Love Me” too. I guess I just like Christine’s stuff.

I swear Penguin was listed as a new release on the Cherry Red website a few weeks ago, but it's nowhere to be seen now.

It's not that bad considering the state they were in at the time, pretty impressive turnaround though I'm sure it was stressful

and yeah it totally gave Christine a chance to stretch out a little more which totally saved the band several times, Christine McMVP

also Penguin is a really good album cover, maybe the best Fleetwood Mac album cover

i recently discovered Mystery to Me - was amazed. what a beautiful start to finish conceit.

yeah what a rebound, fire the singer, keep the guitar player and move the entire band into an old farmhouse in the english countryside, because of course

guitar player and drummer's wife hit it off, drummer is not happy, bass player and keys player are on the rocks, bob welch is over it and eyeing a solo career, make a record you have ~4 weeks

cannot imagine a world where this ragtag crew is subsidized by the upper crust to make Mystery to Me but they sure did

bass player and keys player are on the rocks

...and she is supposedly "hitting it off" with the engineer.

also Penguin is a really good album cover, maybe the best Fleetwood Mac album cover

This is Bare Trees or Mystery to Me depending on whether I'm up or down, I've actually displayed the latter around the house.

Controversial opinion: Christine's songs on Heroes are Hard to Find are better than what she came up with on the '75 album.