Fleet-fingered Mac

Cheer up, love. The 70's will be over soon....

Today is the birthday of Christie McVie, born 1943. A talented keyboardist, she also provided her songbird of a voice to British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. And I actually find her voice far easier on the ears than that of her fellow singer/band-mate Stevie Nicks. Not to diss Stevie... just my preference. 

Among my earliest music purchases as a teenager was Fleetwood Mac's classic Rumours. While the album was quite a different sort of genre than I was used to at the time, it immediately impressed me with its slightly folky soft rock. The music on Rumours is genius pop songwriting. I say that because not only was it radio-friendly enough to earn the album a Grammy Award in '78 and the status of one of the best selling albums of all time, but because the music was produced through the brilliant teamwork of creativity and technical mastery. The longevity of Fleetwood Mac is due to their honest approach to their craft. Not to mention their wonderful vocal and instrumental talents. 

Several songs became hit singles, including Don't Stop and Dreams, a couple of my favourites. The average song length on Rumours is about three minutes, short and punchy, not a second wasted. As a result, the album is jam-packed with terrific songs, every one a gem in its own right. Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was one reason this music was so great.... his technical skills on the instrument led to memorable solos on pretty much every track, and I'd say Go Your Own Way is perhaps his best ever. Ever.

I never understood the curious album cover, though. Some sort of modern dance pose? Those dangling things? Should I ask? And there was the similarly-designed cover for the previous album,1975's Fleetwood Mac, too. Hmm. 

Rumours was - strangely? - the sole Mac album in my collection until 1987's Tango in the Night, which saw a resurgence in the band's popularity through its updated sound and many hit songs. While I liked Tango a lot, I favoured the earliest of the Buckingham releases, which began in '75. Buckingham's songwriting, playing, and singing were such key ingredients to what I liked about Mac. And when I discovered Buckingham's solo work, and even his much earlier collaboration with Stevie Nicks, I jumped on board. Even more amazing than Mac in many respects. 

Far out, man....