Fleetwood Mac (AKA Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) (1968) - straight up Blues album, and while yes, Peter Green is superb on this, both in performance and in songs, Jeremy Spencer is no slouch either. So, already I'm reminded that some great musicians in this band are oft overlooked by the bright shining stars of the various lineups.
Best Tracks:
Heart Beat Like a Hammer
Hellhound on my Trail
Looking for Somebody
I Loved Another Woman
The World Keep on Turning
Mr Wonderful (1968) - Seems like this was not released in the US. Much like an extension of the first album (in these days they probably would have been released together as one album) - great stuff, but it did not break any new ground
Best Tracks:
I've Lost my Baby
Evenin' Boogie
Trying So Hard to Forget
Then Play On (1969) - One of the best albums ever made, in my humble opinion - it takes the Blues into a Psychedelic/Folk realm, with touches of a Western Cowboy Movie. This album was one of my dad's favorites (and rightly so) and it inspired the character of Fleetwood MacGreen, AKA Psychedaelic Cowboy.
Best tracks: ALL OF THEM!
Kiln House (1970) - Quite an overlooked album, what with everyone's Green vs Buckingham/Nicks love. This is the one album in which it seems like Spencer/Kirwin/Christine McVie were able to share songs with each other, and while it doesn't have quite a coherent track list or progression, it seems like a compilation of just song quite lovely, relaxed tunes.
Best Tracks:
This is the Rock
Station Man
Jewel-Eyed Judy
Buddy's Song
Earl Gray
One Together
Tell Me All the Things You Do
Future Games (1971) - While this has never been one of my favorite Mac albums, it has some good numbers on it. Kirwin is in control of this album, but Bob Welch has joined on guitar and Christine McVie is now a full-time member of the group. Most say that this album starts into their romantic pop leanings, but I kind of hear it as an extension of Then Play On (perhaps the quality of the recording and the somnambulant drift)
Best Tracks
What a Shame
Lay It All Down
Show Me a Smile
Bare Trees (1972) - This one is a bit of a stronger offering than Future Games. The group seems to be gelling here, as though they are learning how to augment each other's songs instead of simply playing session musicians on them.
Best Tracks:
Sunny Side of Heaven
Sentimental Lady
Danny's Chant
Spare Me a Little of Your Love
Dust
Thoughts on a Grey Day
Penguin (1973) - This one is when you can truly tell that they have merged into a new band, and all of the Peter Green blues have been left behind - except for the two songs by David Walker, who seems to be a complete anomaly. His two songs (one of which is actually a good track) completely throw off the rest of the balance of this album that they probably should have been cut altogether.
Best Tracks:
Dissatisfied
The Derelict
Revelation
Did You Ever Love Me?
Night Watch
Caught in the Rain
Mystery to Me (1973)
Best Tracks: ALL OF THEM!
Can't really say much more than this is my favorite Mac album. Great songs start to finish, great overall album arc
Heroes are Hard to Find (1974)
Best Tracks: ALL OF THEM!
Another banger of an album here. I suppose I'm one of those weirdos who enjoys the Bob Welch-led Mac best of all ... even though I respect all incarnations. But this album follows close on the heels of Mystery to Me and is just as good.
Fleetwood Mac (1975) - While the McVie songs still sound like her previous fare, you can tell that the addition of Buckingham's guitar work truly stretches them into new territory. And while the first nine albums show a subtle change from one style to another, this album definitely lets you know that this is altogether a new band. The recording sounds fresh, bright, sunny, new and yes, this album still rocks almost fifty years later.
I understand that these days it's now "cool" to diss the Buckingham/Nicks and blithely say that the Peter Green period was their "best" but that's bollocks. While my favorite albums are the two before this, I know that's for emotional reasons as much as musical ones, but THIS album and THIS line-up is rightfully the most popular lineup. The musicianship is tight. These guys GEL. And the songs are top notch and wholly unique. You can truly tell how each musician is fully involved with making certain that everyone's song has the best treatment.
The only tracks that leave me a bit cold are the last two tracks on side two, but up until then, absolutely beautiful. And World Turning is one of Mac's best songs. World Turning rocks like very few songs can, and the fact that it reads like a completely group effort is a great accomplishment as well.
"Blue Letter" is an oft overlooked gem.
Rumours (1977) - Structurally, this album is a copy of the eponymous 1975 album. Almost down to the order of who wrote what, and the styles of the song orders. It almost seems as though they took the original as an outline and then pumped it up into stratospheric heights for this one. Every superlative you can mention about the previous must be doubled for this album. Again, this album is a known masterpiece because it is. Such much has already been said about it that there is truly nothing original than I can add.
Except that, listening to it now, I can actually see how it could be almost considered a Country album, which is strange, because I never noticed that before. That might be interesting, though, to have some Country artists do an homage to this album. (and by "Country" I hope y'all know I mean real musicians with true soul, not that bougie pallid pop-crap "Nashville Country" - YUCK!)
As for the tracks, the only one on this one that doesn't quite live up with the others is "Oh Daddy" - but that's OK, as Christine McVie has some of her greatest contributions elsewhere on this album.
And, as an aside, when I was a kid, I always sang the song as "Don't - stop - thinkin' about yo' mama!"
Tusk (1979) - As you already know, this album was roundly dismissed upon release, comparatively speaking to the two previous, but then, truly, how could any band really follow up to Rumours? I remember thinking upon first few listens that it seemed like cast-offs or outtakes from sessions for the previous albums; I only really liked the title track. Over the decades, however, I've grown to respect the album a bit more, but still feel that they could have whittled it down by half and pushed out one great album.
Best Tracks
Over and Over (frankly, though, this should not be the opening track. This is definitely an ending track, either for side 2 or side 4. Whoever thought of this order was high at the time)
Sara
What Makes You Think You're the One
Storms (This has actually become one of my favorite FM tunes. I covered this one once, a great song to play)
That's All For Everyone (OK, THIS should be the final track, just after Over and Over)
Not That Funny
Angel
That's Enough for Me
Brown Eyes
Never Make Me Cry
I Know I'm Not Wrong
Honey Hi
Tusk (Yeah, they definitely should have opened with this bad boy!)
Never Forget
Mirage (1982) - Like most young men of the tween/teen age, that video for Gypsy was one that kept me glued to MTV, waiting for the next showing. That song was great, and frankly, "Hold Me" is one of the most perfectly crafted pop songs in all of Rock. But my goodness, the Buckingham contributions to this album are annoying as hell. It's like he was reliving his own youth and wanting to recreate late 50s bebop. But even with that, his guitar work on the Nicks and McVie contributions are truly magnificent. It's almost like he's a different guitarist. But how he can bring forth everything that a song could be on their tracks, if only that could have happened on his songs. From what I've read, Buckingham was kind of difficult in the studio. If so, this feels like he may have a difficult time allowing others to help with his songs. But then that shows that even great musicians can have blind spots. And while "staying true to your vision" is always en vogue, that only works when "your vision" is clear-sighted and not myopic.
Personally, I find it interesting to compare "Empire State" with "The City" from Mystery to Me, recorded a mere nine years apart; gives you a sense of the different bands
Best Tracks
Love in Store
That's Alright
Gypsy
Only Over You
Eyes of the World (and I give this only to the music. Man ... this should have been an instrumental)
Wish You Were Here
Tango in the Night (1987) - I remember completely eschewing this album when it came out. Don't remember why. I was probably in my punk phase and thought that it was too syrupy and poppy. I remember thinking Little Lies sucked but secretly liking "Everywhere"
However, upon subsequent listens over the decades, this album has grown in my estimation, and now, listening to it in order of the discography, it is evident that this album is more even, solid, and balanced than Mirage or Tusk. I understand that Nicks was barely involved with this, and that Buckingham shouldered most of the responsibility and that the band slogged through 18 months of sessions and no one wanted to be there, but dang! they actually made some of their best crafted songs on this one. The tracks I mentioned before are great and "Big Love"
Indeed, really the only dull tracks are "Welcome to the Room ... Sara" and "Isn't it Midnight"
Yeah ... this is definitely a very pleasant album. Sad that this is the one that "broke" Buckingham from the band.
Behind the Mask (1990) - I find this album uninspired and dull. It might be the production. Perhaps it was 1990, when 80s synth and adult pop was bland and grunge and alt/Country hadn't pushed bands back to their roots yet. Maybe if this album had been recorded a few years later, some of this songs could have "shone" a bit more.
Best Tracks
Love is Dangerous
Affairs of the Heart
When the Sun Goes Down (seriously, how come no one ever caught on that this is a Country band?)
Behind the Mask
Hard Feelings (this song has such great potential. Definitely needs re-working, but I included it here because it could be great, instead of just decent)
Freedom
The Second Time
Time (1995) - Is this even a Fleetwood Mac album? I suppose that since Fleetwood and John McVie played on it, then it is, but dang, this certainly sounds like that type of album that everyone would like to imagine never happened.
But then, this is the closest to Country Rock they came to admitting. They should have just gone "all-in" in my opinion. But I suppose after a certain amount of success, bands tend to play it safe.
Best Tracks
Talkin' to my Heart isn't all that bad.
Hollywood (Some Other Kind of Town)
I Do
Sooner or Later <= basically, it's looking like only the C McVie tunes on here are decent.
I Got It in for You
These Strange Times <= now THIS is at least something completely different, and for that, it is the best track on the album, because it shows at least some bravery to step a small step beyond
Say You Will (2003) - I was blown away when I heard this album. Those opening tracks are like wildfire, and the whole album sounds clear, tight, taut, and full of energy. So much of a difference from their languid previous offerings. This is a Buckingham/Nicks album with the FM as a rhythm section, but that's perfectly fine. Others may disagree, but this album has the same energy as Mystery to Me and Heroes are Hard to Find.
That said, the songs that could have been cut are "Come" "Running Through the Garden" "Silver Girl"
All the rest of the tracks are killer, with the standouts being
What's the World Coming To
Murrow Turning Over in His Grave
Say You Will
Steal Your Heart Away
Bleed to Love Her
Say Goodbye
Goodbye Baby
That last track ... knowing that it's the last song on their last studio album, that truly was a tearjerker, I must say.
Final Thoughts:
Whatever anybody's opinion on which was the best incarnation of the 'Mac, truly it must be said that their contribution to Rock and Roll history has been a long and winding road, wholly unique, and they have given the world a plethora of beautiful songs to delight all people in all moods.
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