What can I say about this era of Fleetwood Mac that has not been said before. Absolutely nothing so I will be brief. There is a reason why this era of the band is so well known. They sold an absolute ton of records and put out Rumours, the only classic album to have been produced whilst the band members were partaking in liberal amounts of cocaine. The classic era dates from 1975 when Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined. This line up was also the most stable in the bands history, which is surprising considering the collapse of two of the relationships that band members were in, and then two having an affair and the aforementioned drugs. How they produced anything at all, let along five albums of at worse, pretty good to at best, absolutely classic music is beyond me.
Like the first compilation of Mac material, this era had so much quality music that I put together a CD set. I didn’t finish in 1987 when Lindsey Buckingham left, but with the album that signalled the end of the band as regular recording act in ‘Behind The Mask’. This is not classic Mac, but still competent enough for inclusion here. I gave the next album after this a listen, but the ‘Time’ record is just awful. It doesn’t help that drummer Mick Fleetwood felt it was time to include a seven minute spoken word piece to see it off. Buckingham would return, and go again (or fired depending on your point of view). Nicks and Christine McVie would go and come back, but behind the ever rotating members up front are the bedrock of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. The rhythm section has pretty much been the same since day one (apart from stop gap bass player Bob Brunning from the very early days). Fleetwood Mac is now just a touring band with attempts to record a new record coming to nothing since 2003s ‘Say You Will’. I’d moved on by this point but I will always have a soft spot for the Mac as they were the first band I really got into as it were. I love the music and how they managed to survive after Peter Green left, and then come back even stronger is a testament to great song writing and great playing. For that, I say thank you. Enjoy.
Disc 1
- Second Hand News
- Say You Love Me
- Go Your Won Way
- Dreams
- Sugar Daddy
- Landslide
- Crystal
- Songbird
- Rhiannon
- Sara
- I’m So Afraid
- Silver Springs
- The Chain
- Never Going Back Again
- Don’t Stop
- You Make Loving Fun
- I Don’t Want To Know
- Oh Daddy
- Gold Dust Woman
- Doesn’t Anything Last
Disc 2
- Love In Store
- Gypsy
- Can’t Go Back
- What Makes You Think You’re The One
- Think About Me
- Save Me A Place
- Only Over You
- Hold Me
- Oh Diane
- Tusk
- Storms
- Over & Over
- That’s All For Everyone
- Brown Eyes
- Angel
- Honey Hi
- Never Make Me Cry
- Sisters Of The Moon
- Book Of Love
- Beautiful Child
- Never Forget
Disc 3
- Big Love
- Seven Wonders
- Everywhere
- Caroline
- Tango In The Night
- Mystified
- Little Lies
- Family Man
- Welcome To The Room…Sara
- Isn’t It Midnight
- When I See You Again
- As Long As You Follow
- No Questions Asked
- When It Comes To Love
- When The Sun Goes Down
- Love Is Dangerous
- Skies The Limit
- Behind The Mask
- Do You Know
- The Second Time