Great Rock Albums of 1982: Fleetwood Mac- Mirage

Back in 1982, music video was still very new to many artists. MTV had only been up and running for a year and there were many households throughout the USA who did not have the channel. There would have been no way that having it on any of the base televisions would have even remotely considered. Therefore, the only music video I got to see was if I happened to catch "America's Top Ten" and that wasn't something I went out of my way to watch, unlike "World Championship Wrestling." So, it was just luck of the draw that I managed to catch it on one Saturday. That week, REO Speedwagon and John Cougar had the only songs I thought of any worth in the top ten but then Casey Kasem showed the video for the new single from Fleetwood Mac, "Gypsy." I liked the song, thought the video was okay and was glad to hear that they had put out a new album.

"Mirage" is a pretty good album, the problem for me and I suppose many people, is that after putting out an album like "Rumours" five years earlier, it would always be an extremely difficult feat to measure up to. Back in 1979, I should have seen the "Tusk" album as a sign. The problem with "Mirage"  and "Tusk" for that fact is that it lacks the variety of the all time great. While listening to "Mirage," I patiently waited for a rocking jam like "Go Your Own Way" or a killer guitar solo from Lindsey Buckingham similar to "Don't Stop." Plus, I don't think it would have been too much to ask if they allowed John McVie to pump out a killer bass line like on "The Chain." Even an amusing little ditty like "Second Hand News" would have been cool, but none of these things are present on "Mirage."

Enough of the negative because it is still an enjoyable album. One thing that does come over from the "Rumours" album and I've always loved her dearly for it, is the eccentricity of Stevie Nicks. It's her vocals on "Gypsy" that made me check out the album in the first place. She does a similar job on "Straight Back." That is the first track where Buckingham stops being introverted with his guitar and plays a decent solo. That combination makes it the best track on the album for me.
If it was up to me, I would have left the first four tracks of this album off and started it with "Gypsy." From there on is where the album shines with tracks like "Hold Me" and a little bit of "Second Hand News" humour on "Empire State." The closer, "Wish You Were Here," is where Lindsey finally gets into full swing with the guitar making it the best song contributed by Christine McVie. That track gives an all well that ends well feel to things.

Track Listing:

1. Love in Store

2. Can't Go Back

3. That's Alright

4. Book of Love

5. Gypsy

6. Only Over You

7. Empire State

8. Straight Back

9. Hold Me

10. Oh Diane

11. Eyes of the World

12. Wish You Were Here

[caption id="attachment_1366" align="aligncenter" width="252"] Fleetwood Mac[/caption]

Lindsey Buckingham- guitar, vocals, keyboards

Christine McVie- keyboards, vocals

Stevie Nicks- vocals

John McVie- bass

Mick Fleetwood- drums, percussion

My advice to anyone who wants to listen to "Mirage" by Fleetwood Mac is to not think about "Rumours." The albums don't compare and you may feel disappointed. If you listen to it with an open mind, you will find the album very much enjoyable. It was still one of the better softer rock albums in 1982.

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Great Rock Albums of 19891: Fleetwood Mac- Live

Fleetwood Mac has always been one of those intriguing, controversial bands who put out some great albums in the 1970s and 80s. Most everyone knows of their best known "Rumours" album and a good many can say the same for the follow up "Tusk" album. Both are great albums and probably one of the reasons they put out a live album on the wake of the previous two. Much of the material from the mentioned studio albums is to be found on "Live" and for good reason. Those albums gave us so many great classic songs. For me, however, and this will be an ongoing theme for me throughout the tour of 1981, it had some personal meaning in my own life at the time. One of my comrades in arms bought this album at the PX in Rota, Spain just before we sailed back to the USA. It got played a lot on the voyage home and it was this album that made the trip home a lot easier.

Fleetwood Mac "Live" not only had great musical  memories, it also gave me one small regret and hearing again after so many years brought it back. That regret is the fact that I never saw them live. Listening to this album, I can safely say that it would have been totally awesome to see Fleetwood Mac in concert. Not just the great songs on it, but the energy they put behind each of the songs they play.  I have always said the Lindsey Buckingham does not get the respect he deserves as a guitarist, his efforts on the live album are proof of that. I mean, the man can play. Of course, the rest of the band are all very good on the album.

While, the album is heavy laden with songs from "Rumours" and "Tusk," there are some classic gems from Fleetwood Mac's past that pop up on the album too. I absolutely love the live version of "Rhiannon" and "Landslide" is nicely done as well. Then there is the live version of my all time favourite Mac song, "Go Your Own Way." If there is a heavy metal cover of this song anywhere, someone please let me know because I would love to hear it. This song would sound fantastic if it was metallised. Saying that, if I have to pick out one personal disappointment about "Live," it's the absence of "The Chain" on it. I would have loved to have heard John McVie play my all time favourite bass line live. By way, I have heard Shark Island's cover of said song and it is done well.

Track Listing:

1. Monday Morning

2. Say You Love Me

3. Dreams

4. Oh Well

5. Over and Over

6. Not That Funny

7. Sarah

8. Never Going Back Again

9. Landslide

10. Fireflies

11. Over My Head

12. Rhiannon

13. Don't Let Me Down Again

14. One More Night

15. Go Your Own Way

16. Don't Stop

17. I'm So Afraid

18. The Farmer's Daughter

Fleetwood Mac

Lindsey Buckingham- guitars, vocals

Stevie Nicks- vocals

Christine McVie- keyboards, vocals

John McVie- bass

Mick Fleetwood- drums, percussion

My fellow music blogger Every Record Tells a Story recently posted his view of the top ten double live albums. This album wasn't mentioned. I'm not saying that it should be in the top ten of any double live album list, especially against the albums ERTaS lists. However, this album is worth a definite mention as a great double live album. For me, it will forever be the closest I ever get to seeing Fleetwood Mac live.

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Great Rock Albums of 1979: Fleetwood Mac- Tusk

After more than two years since Fleetwood Mac had made what many called the album of the 70s' "Rumours," the follow up album "Tusk" was released. Because "Rumours" was such a big album, many listeners were expecting another blockbuster album. Being one of those people, I was at first rather disappointed when I first heard "Tusk." The album lacked the  great rock outs such as "Go Your Own Way" and "The Chain," which is still my favourite bass line of all time, that were on the "Rumours" album. "Tusk" presented itself as a more mellower easy listening album.

It took me a couple of listens, but eventually "Tusk" began to grow on me. There are quite a few good songs on it like "Not That Funny" and "Think About Me" and while it might not be an album I would listen to on the way to a metal concert, it is one that I would listen to coming home late at night from one. The softer rock on this album is still of a good quality.

Track Listing:

1. Over and Over

2. The Ledge

3. Think About Me

4. Save Me a Place

5. Sarah

6. What Makes You Think You're the One

7. Storms

8. That's All For Everyone

9. Not That Funny

10. Sisters of the Moon

11. Angel

12. That's Enough For Me

13. Brown Eyes

14. Never Make Me Cry

15. I Know I'm Not Wrong

16. Honey Hi

17. Beautiful Child

18. Walk a Thin Line

19. Tusk

20. Never Forget

Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks- vocals, keyboards

Lindsey Buckingham- guitars, vocals, piano, harmonica

Christine McVie- piano, keyboards, accordion, vocals

John McVie- bass

Mick Fleetwood- drums, percussion

While its not as magnificent as the highly recognised "Rumours" album, "Tusk" is still a good album nonetheless. You may not bang your head away to any of the songs, but it's a good listen when you need to wind down or other related activities. This album was one of the most expensive albums to make at the time and it is believed that because Fleetwood Mac were at the height of their popularity, the ego factor got involved in making this album. I don't know about all that, although I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.

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Great Rock Albums of the 70s: Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

Considered by many to be the best rock album of the 1970s, if not all time, Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album has all the things needed that make an album great. Good musicianship, good vocals and a wide range of songs that appeal to everyone. For the top 40 oriented, there are the tracks, "Dreams" and "Don't Stop" and for rockers like me, we went crazy upon hearing "Go Your Own Way." There are ballads like "Songbird" and "Oh Daddy" and there is a song with risque lyrics in "Second Hand News." Most teenage boys (and a few girls) had many a good smile when they heard the lyrics, "Won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff." That is why practically every one I knew had a copy of this great, classic album.
Apart from the individual tracks, there are many great highlights, which make this such a great album. My personal favourite bass line of all time is present in the song, "The Chain." I feel that John McVie's talent on the bass has not been recognised enough. Furthermore, guitarist Lindsay Buckingham produces some great licks, especially on the track, "You Make Lovin Fun" as well as on some of the other songs. He is another underrated guitarist and I still get totally blown away by Stevie Nicks' vocal efforts on "Gold Dust Woman." Who care is she sounds like a sheep, the woman is a great vocalist.

Track Listing:

1. Second Hand News

2. Dreams

3. Never Going Back Again

4. Don't Stop

5. Go Your Own Way

6. Songbird

7. The Chain

8. You Make Lovin Fun

9. I Don't Want To Know

10. Oh Daddy

11. Gold Dust Woman

Fleetwood Mac

Lindsey Buckingham- vocals, guitars

John McVie- bass, vocals

Christine McVie- vocals, keyboards

Stevie Nicks- vocals

Mick Fleetwood- drums

Drummer Mick Fleetwood once said that "Rumours" was the most important album of all time. I don't know about that, but I do know that it is a great album.

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