Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours has sold over 15 million copies and spent 130 weeks on the U.S. Billboard album charts. You couldn’t escape the album back in 1978 even if you tried.
It was a commercial juggernaut built upon lovers breaking up, exhaustive recording sessions at the Record Plant, and the standard rock and roll hedonism with emotional accompaniment; an archetype of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. This was something I hated with a passion.
For a very long time Fleetwood Mac, along with the dreaded Eagles, embodied that entire decadent cocaine California music world that punk opposed and if one of their songs came on the radio I would come near to tearing the dial off as I changed it. I bought into what I thought was the nihilistic vision of truth a group like the Sex Pistols offered, while missing the same impulse in the glossy sound of Fleetwood Mac.
After Bill Clinton used “Don’t Stop” in his 1992 campaign I felt even more justified in dismissing Rumours as merely another massively popular piece of musical fluff to have come from the fantasy wonderland of L.A. with all of the individuality of a thistle weed – a pretty flower easily blown apart by the wind so more of its less-appealing characteristic prickles could be spread. There is actually a lot of truth in that statement and it’s a major reason for the albums classic appeal, hence this DVD release.
The sharp taste of heartbreak is all over the album and I could only get it after going through my own share. By the time the mid-90s rolled around I was ready to discover the greatness I had rebelled against.
I began to appreciate Lindsey Buckingham’s production style first. Then I read what Greil Marcus wrote about “Go Your Own Way” included in Ranters & Crowd Pleasers:
“Go Your Own Way” was rough, harsh, hard to follow. From its opening notes it was a maelstrom, excitement, and nothing else. It was an assault, a hammering, the singer moaning and threatening, pleading and damning; it didn’t let up for a second.
Coming two thirds of the way through the performance, the requisite instrumental break should have provided a rest; instead it raised the stakes. When Lindsey Buckingham dropped his words for a guitar solo – a shattered, severed solo almost drowning in a dozen more overdubbed guitar parts, the off-beat rhythm chasing his lead, then overtaking him, then seeming to wait for him to catch up, which he never quite did – the song began all over again. Ten years later, I flinch every time it comes on the radio, knowing what’s coming, knowing that no matter how completely I can predict what’s going to happen, I won’t be able to catch up: the instrumental passage supersedes not only the singing that precedes it, but the ability of memory to enclose it.
This led me to actually take the time to really listen to “Go Your Own Way” and when I took that step it was like getting my face punched.
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Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
very interesting Wally, thanks. And you are right about "Go Your Own Way" - there is nothing "lite rock" about it though they were lumped in with the smooth and slick crowd - I love the fuzzed fret swipes at the end of the solo, like he just wanted to strangle the fucker
2 - Mark Saleski
is this the thing were they've got lindsey sitting at a big mixing console?
man, i just love stuff like that...where the musician talks about how the music was put together.
i've got a Stevie Wonder video where he shows how he put "I Wish" together. great stuff.
3 - wally bangs
Mark, this is the one you're thinking about. I wish they could get the technology to the level where the average consumer could mix their own versions of recordings. It is fascinating to see how things get layered. As far as Rumours goes, the instances where only John McVie's bass is heard on the mixing board shows just how strong and important he was to the overall sound of the band.
4 - Eric Olsen
the strength and personality of the rhythm section of Fleetwood and McVie are what made all of the guitarist/singer changes palatable and justifed the group name
5 - Temple Stark
Wally,
I promoted this review to Advance.net. That means I put it here (and these places) where it could potentially be read by another few hundred thousand readers.
- Thank you for the post. Temple Stark
6 - SFC Ski
Whenever I considering purchasing a CD, I count the number of good tunes versus the ones I will fast-forward over. "Rumours" has only one fast-forward on it; very few CD's released to day can boast that level of consistency and quality.