Well I'm going to be controversial I am a minority but I do not like Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen!! I like Darkness on the edge of town album! I like Bruce Springsteen but I just don't like Born to run!! When I hear the title track I have to run!! Sorry for upsetting millions of people who have this album!!
When I was in high school, there was a girl who claimed she was dating Lindsay Buckingham. Many of us were sceptical until we saw a Ferrari pull up with Lindsay behind the wheel. He took off with the girl. There's a story you won't get anywhere else. Sleep tight.
If the record was rawer, it would never have sold a gazillion copies. It's the production blend combined with the emotional heft that sent it off into the stratosphere. Of course, there are better records, more emotional records, grittier records, but few records that balance it all as well as Rumours. It's not perfect, but it strikes an emotional chord for many, unlike few records have ever done. There are strong feelings in the lyrics here, and the production makes it go down easy for the masses.
Exactly this. Rumours was the album that us teenagers could play to our parents and they liked it. Usually this would be a kiss of death, of course, but Rumours got away with it.
In a just world, "Why?," "Heroes Are Hard to Find," "Remember Me," and "Show Me a Smile" would have been Top 20 songs which would pop up on radio occasionally.
There's a saying that keeps coming back to me. "Don't shit where you eat" Your comment about "don't Fuck your bandmates" is very much along the same vein, if not more direct and to the point.
An amazing song like Silver Springs cannot be put in a drawer. 'I know I could have loved you but you would not let me' is one of Stevie's greatest lines.
In 1977 I was washing dishes in a restaurant on Maui. I slept in the restaurant as rent in Hawaii is insane. My boss would host visiting rockstars and often they would take up his offer to accommodate them. I met George Harrison. Half of the songs on Rumors owned the radiowaves. Fleetwood Mac (I owned a few of their earlier Peter Green albums back in the day) came to Maui to look for houses to buy and play a local concert. I snuck into the concert and left because besides the awesome rhythm section I couldn't stand watching Stevie Nick's performance - she's fine, I just don't like her performance, singing, dancing...Stevie, for a few weeks, would waft into the restaurant with her entourage of 5 or six folk. She always looked miserable, like she could barely hold an expression of indifference. I thought, this is the number one album on Earth and she's miserable. I made 2 bucks an hour and lived on leftovers and mangoes. John McVie (who I had seen in the Bluebreakers in 1969) would come in the late afternoon when there were few people about, sit in the long center table in the main dining room and he would nurse a drink for an hour, staring straight ahead, then he would leave. The employees like my music choices, I would keep the kitchen humming with Iggy Pop and Television and blues greats, all from my cassette collection.
I love Rumours! When I discovered the album, I listened to The Chain probably 100 times 😄 But I don't see the problem with other people not liking it. We all have different tastes, which makes your channel that much more interesting!
I like this album, but I appreciate your take on it. It's always refreshing to get a different perspective. Keep being your amazing self. You do such a great job with your content. Thank you!
You're incorrect about Lindsey forbidding her from using it, it was Mick Fleetwood that wouldn't let her put it onto her "Timespace" album, because it was already planned to be released on Fleetwood Mac's "25 Years: The Chain" box set.
To a certain degree, I can understand the ridicule of the songs on this album being bludgeoned to death with airplay. But it’s really no different from hundreds of other classic, legendary albums out of the 70s. Tensions were obviously high between band members and they were having to depend on that Southern California “ Snowball “ scene in order to get by. However Abby, you’ve provided some deeper insights to this piece than what I already knew. This album may have been an overplayed soap opera, but all things considered, I can appreciate the valiant efforts put forth by FM in releasing one of the most treasured albums of all time. And yet I’m still a fan of the Peter Green era as well. Go figure 😆. As always Abby, an excellent review !!
My favorites: 1. Then Played On (the best Fleetwood Mac album) followed by 2. Future Games 3. Bare Trees and 4. Kiln House…the rest I don’t care for. What is in common? Danny Kirwan
I admire you for your honest opinion on Rumours. I bought it upon release, loved it, and still enjoy it, like many ex-teenagers from the 70s. But music is no place for groupthink and dogmatic opinions. Keep on being an individual, as long as that’s still allowed.
I love all the apologists who just "now" decided Rumours sucks. 😆. It isn't my favorite album in the discography but it's a classic album for a reason. Solid gold
@keith I believe these “apologists apologizing” are closely, incestuously-akin to those “players only love you when they’re playing” players shamefully shamelessly-courting the approval of their hostess!..
those balls are older than this LP, he is wearing them in the "rattlesnake shake" video here on you tube. that video has Peter Green on vocals. Silver springs was played here in my area, so we knew it because Stevie got the Idea for the title when she saw a town in my state on the sign, which was "Silver Spring" MD.
I got this album as a birthday present in '77 or '78. I stayed with marijuana use and never went on to harder drugs, unlike what people were saying at the time. And I attribute that to this album, hard to believe.
Despite all the problems with the production of this album ,it still wound up selling 40 million copies worldwide making it the 6th best selling album of the 1970s and 9th all time . Lindsey was a perfectionist and a damn good song writer. Their intent was stated up front to make it a pop album and they made it one of the greatest of all time. I know Fleetwood Mac was not everyone's cup of tea but they put out some classic hits that millions of people loved .That can't be denied
Oh Abby, you may have ruffled some feathers on this one girl. I was 20 when this one hit. Every girl loved it, and their boyfriends better have the 8-track or cassette for the car. The radio wore it out!! I never had it, but I thought it was very good for what it was. I see why it sold. The album before, 'Fleetwood Mac' was more for me. It's the first with Stevie and Lindsey in the band. I love it. Watch your back, I've heard "Rumors" of the Fleetwood Mac Fan Club putting out "hits" on people who've done much less. Abigail, we've all grown too fond of you to lose you now. Don't go out unescorted at night, young lady! 🤠
Having first really listened to this album via the 5.1 surrond DVD-Audio some 20 years ago, what I heard was spellbinding. I'm not the type to dig into the lyrics until later. So while I'm not disregarding their importance, this album for me is first and foremost a frankly wondrous creation of melody and harmony and expert songwriting and musicianship. Whether that or the production then turns out to be in the best service of the "breakup album" emotional/lyrical content is subjective, for sure. Stevie described "Dreams" as an "open and hopeful" response to "Go Your Own Way," personally I always heard it as a sort of darkly beguiling but resigned "just-you-wait-and-see." I think depending on how you hold that song and her delivery up to the light, the production can be considered quite lovely. But maybe the band would have agreed with you about too pretty, restrained, and reserved because at first they found it too boring to include. It sounds like you might have a crummy pressing; here's how one person described Dreams on a good pressing, "Ideally the bass is very prominent on this track. It should be way up in the mix, loud, tight and note-like, with the guitar and kick drum clearly separated. It absolutely drives the song; the copies that got the bass right on this track really came to life." A.k.a., not thin. The best pressings are considered demo-your way-too-expensive-system-for-your-friends quality. Anyway, great video as always, brave; mad respect.
BTW it's clearly not apples-to-apples, but if anyone really wants to hear more of what's going on on this album, highly recommend seeking out a band-approved (I'm not sure about this spatial audio stuff) surround mix. The songs really open up and breathe, while enveloping. It's a "you have to come hear this" moment.
I had to back into Fleetwood Mac. They were so big in the 70s that you were almost required to get their albums just because they were so big. And I didn't really start buying albums until around '80 or 81 in my high school years. I loved Stevie's first solo album, and then went back and dug into the Fleetwood Mac albums. It's only much more recently that I started digging into the earlier pre-Buckingham Nicks albums. And the Buckingham Nicks album itself, before they joined Fleetwood Mac. I really like the 70-74 period, because you can clearly see a band in in development, and going through changes. You can see, album by album, Christine coming into her own as a songwriter, and feel the pain and regret that they didn't have more success with Bob Welch in the band.
My parents used to crank this on the Pinto when we headed to Malibu to hang out with Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards. I've known a lot of interesting people.
Very interesting and thought-provoking perspective, thank you for that! It is fascinating how Rumors has consistently been widespread over so many decades and there is something about the artists' emotion and talent that will undoubtedly keep the album beloved by many. Personally, I love the album but also agree with your perspective and it has made me see the album in a new way, I need to listen to the alternate version to compare the mixing/feel of the work.
As a high-schooler in the late 70s, Rumors was inescapable. It was everywhere on the radio, so I didn't bother buying the album until much later. A local DJ, here in Austin, would play "Silver Spring" on the radio now and then and I thought it was amazing. When they came out with the boxed set, it mystified me why it wasn't included. Now I know why!
Oh thank God someone who feels the same way I do about the album. This is pop music for cokeheads still stuck in the late 70s. Makes me so thankful that punk rock came along to kick it in the ass.
This was great, Abby. Your analysis is spot on. Can’t to hear you take on Tusk with Buckingham’s further madness, the USC marching band and further alchemical stimulation. 😂
Since I was first introduced to this 26 years ago, I have thought of it as quite inferior to there previous album, and since acquainting myself with their next one after this, which has become a fond friend now, I believe it also to superior. I do agree amd always have that Christine is the unsung hero of this Band. She inspires me to keep messing around with Pianos. Refreshing to hear this balanced review, Abby I love that your reviews rarely are hagiographical.
Fun fact, You Make Loving Fun is about Dennis Wilson. He and Christine were dating at the time, and that opened up the chance for Lindsay Buckingham getting his hands on some Smile tapes that inspired the songs on Tusk
I get it - you like what you like. Certain groups just have a collective pull be it nostalgia, marketing/promotion (Dreams has long since been worn out being still over-played yet to this day ad nausium on the radio), and touring frequency. I did see them live a few years back with the full group including Christine. They were flawless. Your comments regarding Lindsay Buckingham being a d*ckhead are probably warranted, however I will say that seeing him live gave me an appreciation of his contribution to the band, his incredible talent and musical flexibility. Talent of that level can unfortunately aspire to an other-than-worldly opinion of themselves. I’ve heard this is also true of Joe Walsh, whom I’ve also seen live, who is also an amazing talent and incredibly gifted, very demanding and settles for nothing but perfection. Also Rogers Waters as you so eloquently pointed out in your review of The Wall album. Awesome channel! Cheers!
Very cerebral review, and your perspective, 46 years after it was released, is fascinating. I was a SoCal teenager when this LP hit, and the place this music lived was on FM radio. It's produced to sound good in a car or at the beach, not to be listened to too critically, and to sell gazillions. On those terms it was a total success. So it's interesting to hear how this comes off to a smart young listener in 2023.
Being a young person you’re able to be objective. I find that most of my favorite albums from the 70s fall into 2 categories. Albums that are genuinely amazing and albums that are amazing because I associate them with fond memories.
Having an absolutely infuriating day at work. Currently on my lunch break, watching this video, and 16:09 just made something in my brain crack and any mood I was previously in just vanished into thin air so I could laugh so hard 😭😭😭
I have this album on vinyl and CD. It is one of the first vinyls I listened to as a child thanks to my mother's musical taste, which also introduced me to the music of Heart, Joni Mitchell and the Fleetwood Mac Blues Rock catalogue, among others. I like it, but it is not my #1 of them. It's okay if you don't like an album that most people love and overestimate. The album is good but it sins of being very complacent with the fashions of the time. The band since a couple of previous albums lost its Blues Rock style, and they searched for a new identity, I don't see it as a bad thing, it doesn't work for everyone either, maybe that's what many fans don't like about this band, which already they never went back to being the way they were, but it's normal, sometimes people change, and they get tired of being in the same place, or doing the same musical style for so long. Lindsey Buckingham is a very talented guitarist and songwriter, and very underrated. If the formula is done well it works without problem to repeat it ad infinitum, but it didn't work for Fleetwood Mac in "Tusk", if not until "Mirage" or "Tango in the Night" almost 10 years later. But they did not have the same results as in 1977. This happens to me with Nirvana's "Nevermind", and everything that Red Hot Chili Peppers have released since 1999, I don't like Coldplay at all, or everything that Foo Fighters have done since the 2000's, and I don't like the reviews either by Anthony Fantano (haha, I prefer Robert Fithen's reviews they are just as rude but with a good sense of humor and not to play Mr. Bad and Mr. Smarty).
Love your video more than the record. This came out when I was just starting to work my way through college by doing radio airshifts at night, so I heard all the singles a million times. I thought they were okay; good pop songs, but I never had any strong feelings about them one way or the other. I was more into Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson at the time. I do recall that when "Tusk" came out, my partner George and I were doing a college morning show. The PD got the advance single, rushed in and told us to play it. George asked, "Have you listened to it?" He said no. George said, "I'm not playing a record that nobody's even heard yet. What if it stinks?" The PD insisted that we had to play it just because it was Fleetwood Mac's followup to "Rumours," but George didn't care. It was the first thing played after our show ended. It eventually stalled out at #8 on the charts so I think his refusal to let bands coast on past successes was correct. PS - In that photo of Lindsay where you said he's your type, he looks a bit like Cliff Campbell from the group Fair To Midland, who is my cousin.
Yay contrary views! I've always considered this to be a covertly semi-psychedelic album. I think that keyboard at the top of "Don't Stop" that sounds stringy is the ARP String Ensemble - found in lots of 1970s-80s recordings such as Elton's Someone Saved My Life Tonight or Zebra: Who's Behind The Door. You just showed us that you can do a great overview even for albums you don't like. Just think of that door swinging wide open! :) Great job. - G
I think live performances of the songs are actually better than the record . The chain on the dance for example is killer always brings chills for me when it does that bass break down into a unhinged Lindsey Buckingham screaming his ass off and playing the guitar like a mad man 22:29
I saw them in September (I think) of 1977, on the Rumours tour. They were at the peak of their powers, they kicked butt all evening. The last song was Songbird, with just Christine onstage all by herself. Very unusual, also very powerful. Great concert!
Interesting take... I am not a big Mac fan, but I can't deny that this album is just filled with bangers, I mean, there isn't really filler, just some songs that aren't played on the radio as much. Maybe people have just gotten tired of it due to overplaying (I have) but it's an amazing collection of songs with an actual theme and 3 great singers/5 great musicians at their peak. My least favorite classic album is probably Sgt Peppers. I know it is a classic for obvious reasons but I just don't like most of it. Even the best song (A Day In The Life) is far from the best Beatles song
I am trying to listen to more music than just the beatles, bob dlyan, and pink floyd. So from now on i will be listening to whatever album is covered weekly.
I prefer the earlier versions of the band. Then Play On is a psych/blues/folk/rock masterpiece, Kiln House is a nice whirl of 50s rock and early 70s songwriting, Future Games is a gorgeous relaxing drift through a summer day. Their early singles sometimes get overlooked for not being on albums, Bare Trees is awesome for melancholic classic rock, and Mystery to Me is great for more a polished sound. It's incredible how this band transformed from album to album, and I think too many people disregard the iterations of the band that aren't like Rumours.
I love the early Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, but I have heard Fleetwood Mac too many times. I can't really even listen to later Fleetwood Mac. Listen to the 1968 Fleetwood if you haven't.
Thanks Abby. Having just watched your video I think you're too easy on it. It's nowhere near as emotionally raw, truthful and real as Blue or Blood On The Tracks. Any magic it had was ironed out and mostly lost in the studio. There's a reason that Christine's 'Songbird' is the best track on the album. Subscribed and a thumbs up.
All the CDs of this album (other than the very first in 1984) have the treble jacked up. The original vinyl is indeed quite muted/dark, as you say. Consumers complained about the tonality of the first CD so Warners remastered it and made it brighter. It just doesn't sound right.
I’m fairly ambivalent about Rumours, it’s an album I have to be in the mood to listen to. I can certainly understand why it has achieved classic status. The songs are, in the main okay which paint a picture of the LA/West Coast scene at the time, and break ups always seem to get the creative juices flowing. If I recall correctly, it was a slow burner here in the UK and only in later years was its cultural relevance taken on board…but I might be mistaken about that as it was a long time ago. Congratulations, another really cool deep dive.
I've heard that Christine McVie wrote Songbird in like 15 minutes. I dont know if that's true, but i can believe it. Pianists are generally great writers, and her talent is undeniable.
Great video!! I can't wait to see more! It is important to keep the artform of Music Albums alive. I like how well you expressed your mixed feelings about this record, it is a thorny record to love. You just earned a new subscriber, and I am looking forward to seeing more of these deep dives!
All people remember is the final album They have absolutely no idea how stressful the whole process can be Particularly if you're brilliant guitar solo gets erased!🤯😭 And this happened all the time That irreplaceable moment was lost to carelessness in the studio.
I’ll never forget watching Fleetwood Mac perform Go Your Own Way on The Midnight Special in 1977 with a group of Jr High friends. Stevie Nicks looked so beautiful and mysterious singing backup in that black top hat.
Rumours was the backdrop soundtrack, of my youth. What played on the FM during long 12 hour shifts during my lackadaisical boring summer job, deep frying food and mopping up messy leftovers from the previous careless patron. A throwaway part time summer job, before my next year in high school. Pop music that seemingly was as pedestrian as the one hit wonders of the day. It turned out, to my amusement, that it was the biggest charting album of that summer. I only found out about this 30 years later, while searching on the web. In retrospect, some of the best tunes produced out of California, during that era.
You explained your point very well Abigail. I was Leary to hear someone sh*t on this 😂… but I totally get your point. Basically, it’s just not gritty enough to reflect the time the band was having outside the studio. Interesting take. Appreciate it. Also. Love your take on gold dust woman. It’s my fav track.
1978 was the year the 60s were officially dead and the success of Rumours being officially categorized as "soft rock" helped herald in that tragedy. All it needed was some guitar feedback somewhere. Rock and roll could've been saved!
Hi Abigail, We got to see Stevie in concert last year, and the version of Gold Dust Woman was amazing the way the band stretched out. What a backing band! I am looking forward to the live Rumours record. Always look forward to your videos, thanks!
by ken calliat's recollection i believe. . the cocaine wasnt really terrible until the tusk era. it was still more of a social thing here. by tusk they were all hiding with their own bags
There are a great many highly overrated albums out there, but I passionately believe that “Rumours” is not one of them. It deserves every bit of praise that it has gotten over the years, but different strokes for different folks and all. However, might I suggest trying out the 2-LP 45 RPM cut that was released a few years back? It was repressed recently and it’s an absolute revelation. It truly makes you hear and appreciate the music and all of its wondrous layers in a completely new way. It’s full of the depth and richness that I’ve never heard the album have before prior to this particular remaster… I’m rarely completely blown away by a vinyl remaster/reissue but this one had my jaw on the floor. At around $50, it’s a bit pricey yes, but worth absolutely every penny. Though I’m not sure how willing you’d be to drop that kind of cash on an album you don’t care for just to try it out in a new way, haha. Maybe a friend will have a copy that you can give a spin some day.
I have an English early pressing on white vinyl that plays so well, it develops the intricacies of the performances to a dergee that cannot be ignored. , so although the songs are overplayed into tedium, after a few moments of play, the sonics of the album catches me up and I become engrossed in the performances, every time.
that 45 rpm record was cut by kevin gray, so of course it sounds stellar! i would also recommend (and this _might_ be heresy, idk) the 2001 dvd-a remaster for it's slight rejig of the album in order to include "silver springs"
YMLF and Dreams are the only songs I listen to from this album. The contrast between the two is stark, and YMLF lifts me up after the low, low vibe from Dreams. RIP, Christine.
Some people say they like analog tape because of its "warmer" sound. Well, I guess if you play it enough, it gets to be a lot like a down comforter. Or maybe oatmeal with brown sugar.
I always think/it sounds like that line after "go your own way" is "you can call it unfair / but don't you dare"; which I kind of prefer to the actual, but just because I grew up thinking it was that certain way I think Fleetwood Mac's music is a lot more enjoyable ignoring the autobiographical elements, they really dilute and get in the way of great songs, for me.
this girl i've been dating for a few months knows i collect records andd she gifted me rumours by fleetwood mac i'm grateful of course but i didn't have the courage to tell her i've never got the rumours hype and i think it's really meh, thanks abby for making me feel seen
I find the "We're cheesy pop stars" statement of the album to be a moment of sarcasm from the Fleetwoods in view of the relationship problems. I dislike Parallel Lines for it's smoothery. Plastic Letters is my favourite Blondie.
It's a good maybe even in some way's 'great' album, but I never understood why it has the universal die hard appeal that it does? No matter how much I like it, I can't think of any other Fleetwood Mac album that I've ever even been tempted to own. I don't know if it's just me, but I really didn't notice until a few years back that Stevie Nicks really can't sing. About a year ago I repurchased "Rumours" along with the 'alternate' takes version, because I felt I needed it in my collection. After I got them I realized that I would probably never listen to them. I might want to look into the "Rumours Live" that you mentioned. However, if I was going to make a comparison, I'd say the early albums by Heart run circles around anything by Fleetwood Mac, and they put out 6-stellar albums before they fell off.
Abby, have you heard the DVDA 5.1 surround mix of this? I like the sound of it, lots of interesting differences in the mix, particularly in “Never Going Back Again.” Plus, they changed the sequencing and put “Silver Springs” after “Go Your Own Way”, while making “Songbird” the closer. I think it works.
I agree with your view of the production choices, but I'm presuming that was deliberate sweetening, intended to sell more records. I also agree with your opinion on Christine McVie. I used to play guitar and bass (and vocals) in a covers band in the late seventies. "Don't Stop" was one of my favorites. We played it after our cover of Eagles "Already Gone". I still love the album. I clearly remember the night I first heard it! Thanks for the review. I appreciate your analysis/interpretation of lyrics,
I do have to say I am fond of Rumors , maybe it’s sentimental as it was my introduction, but all the points you have I totally agree with, and I am more of a fan of Tusk. I do have to say last year I bought the 45rpm double edition of Rumors and it does sound so much better than any other edition I have heard, including the original pressing, it fixes a lot of that thin sound you speak of.
I've been a Fleetwood Mac fan throughout all the evolutions. For a rare glimpse into what eventually became Rumours I recommend a live album from 1975, a radio broadcast recorded in Passaic, NJ shortly after the Fleetwood Mac (with Buckingham/Nicks) album was released but before anyone knew if it would take off called Life Becomes A Landslide. They included Station Man 'n Hypnotized in the playlist as well as tracks from the recent album. Here's the "new" Fleetwood Mac givin' an excellent performance but unsure what the future would hold. Great stuff!
Good review, a lot of interesting points you make, and I do understand where you're coming from about the slick production. So in my younger years, I was a blues purist and maintained that Fleetwood Mac was only good when Peter Green was leading the band and the Stevie Nicks period was just manufactured disco crap, with the exception of Lindsey's "Go Your Own Way" which I always loved thanks to its inclusion in Forrest Gump. Also my mom, who sang on the road for years and years, has a bias against Stevie since she was always compared to her. I guess a bit of that bias rubbed off on me. As the years went on, I softened my opinion on Stevie Nicks, especially after seeing that fantastic clip of her performing "Rhiannon" on The Midnight Special. I was on the road when I decided to just learn Rumours verbatim, since you have a lot of downtime on the road, and when I came to "Never Going Back Again" I realized the complexity of Lindsey's guitar playing and it opened up a whole new style of performance to explore, so much so that I actually started a Fleetwood Mac tribute just to force myself to learn it. And then... I don't know something happened, Rumours just clicked for me. Lindsey's contributions are guitar gold mines for me, but even his licks on some of Christine's gems like "You Make Lovin' Fun" are so wonderfully executed. And yes, Christine (RIP) absolutely dominates. "Oh Daddy" is a very underrated bluesy number that really hit me hard in my darker moments, though I do agree that "Don't Stop" is kind of cheesy and overplayed. Of course "The Chain" is a masterpiece in the way it all came together. Funny enough, Stevie is the weak-link for me. Yeah "Dreams" is overplayed, though I give Lindsey a lot of credit for arranging this into something unique. "I Don't Want To Know" is my least favorite song on the album and was a piss-poor replacement for "Silver Springs" though I do understand why they replaced it. "Gold Dust Woman" is her standout, but by that point, I'm starting to feel the lethargy of the record. I think the politics of the band and especially the Lindsey - Stevie rivalry was forced fans to pick a side, and I'm ultimately going to be on a Lindsey's side being a guitarist but also realizing he was the driving musical force on this record. Your criticisms remain valid but maybe it will click at some point. Regardless, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac remains my preferred era and I hope more fans can come to appreciate it.
Tusk has been by far my favourite song of theirs... So with that said I agree with you and how you've done this review; nothing comfortable to cozy up to for long on this album.
Wow, I finally feel like I’m not alone in the Universe! I’ve always thought that Rumors just sounded like overproduced, soulless Corporate Rock, the perfect example of why Punk needed to happen. Whenever I look at any of those lists of the Top 100 (or whatever) Albums of All Time, Rumors is invariably the highest-ranking I actively don’t like (with Joni Mitchell’s Blue always being the highest rated album I’m unfamiliar with. I know, I will definitely get around to delving into Joni Mitchell’s catalog one of these days). …Of course I still own a copy of Rumors anyway, you kind of have to, I think it’s the law that every alum collection of more than, like, twenty records must have a copy of Rumors in it. Just like a generation before Rumors came out, every record collection had to have a copy of Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass for some reason.
I too prefer the live versions of the songs. It took me a while to fully embrace Rulers. The "tuxedo and limousine" production certainly functioned as a barrier for me. But I kept coming back to the album, mainly because of Christine McVie's out-of-this-world voice and her affirmative and almost peerless songwriting. (With the years, I've learned to put her right up with the best pop songwriters of that era, right on the same tier as Paul McCartney and the Bernie Taupin / Elton John combo, which were in actuality her neighbors on the charts.) And after a while I git used to the production and even get feelings of nostalgia from it since it is so typical of the late seventies / early eighties, which were the years of my early childhood. As always, it was a pleasure to get through your delicatefully distilled and carfully expressed feelings about the album. Thanks.
You’re out of your mind, Abby! This album is amazing! The only track that sucks on Rumours is Don’t Stop, but other than that it’s one of my favorites ever! :3
As a formula 1 fan this was the formula 1 music, they used the chain part 2 for about 20 years. The more i found out about this album the more interesting it got. Its elevator music, but even though its boomer trash i sure do listen to it a lot and have a lot of different copies
I don't love everything on Rumours but I think Second Hand News and I Don't Want To Know are exceptional tracks on it. If I heard the other songs from it on the radio I'd probably change the channel out of indifference.
what classic album do you just not like? comment below!
The Wall by Pink Floyd
Any of Bruce spreengsten álbum
The Eagles hotel California no matter what I've tried just can't get into it
Floyd's Animals! Everyone loves it & I just don't get it.
Well I'm going to be controversial I am a minority but I do not like Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen!! I like Darkness on the edge of town album! I like Bruce Springsteen but I just don't like Born to run!! When I hear the title track I have to run!! Sorry for upsetting millions of people who have this album!!
When I was in high school, there was a girl who claimed she was dating Lindsay Buckingham. Many of us were sceptical until we saw a Ferrari pull up with Lindsay behind the wheel. He took off with the girl.
There's a story you won't get anywhere else. Sleep tight.
Someone at my school claimed the same about Glenn Tillbrook from Squeeze, but he never pulled up in a Ferrari.
Lindsay Buckingham is many things. A groomer is not one of them.
@@BrendanJSmithHigh School contains eighteen year olds. Bit of a leap
If the record was rawer, it would never have sold a gazillion copies. It's the production blend combined with the emotional heft that sent it off into the stratosphere. Of course, there are better records, more emotional records, grittier records, but few records that balance it all as well as Rumours. It's not perfect, but it strikes an emotional chord for many, unlike few records have ever done. There are strong feelings in the lyrics here, and the production makes it go down easy for the masses.
Exactly this. Rumours was the album that us teenagers could play to our parents and they liked it. Usually this would be a kiss of death, of course, but Rumours got away with it.
Christine is truly the unsung heroine of all... loved her from the first hearing, singing in the Morning Rain.
In a just world, "Why?," "Heroes Are Hard to Find," "Remember Me," and "Show Me a Smile" would have been Top 20 songs which would pop up on radio occasionally.
Yes!@@archieleechjb
Her voice is angelic.. "As Long As you Follow"
You said it! Spot on. She was the MVP.
@@archieleechjbLoved her pre Buck/Nick's stuff. Spare me a little was a grateful tune.
There's a saying that keeps coming back to me. "Don't shit where you eat" Your comment about "don't Fuck your bandmates" is very much along the same vein, if not more direct and to the point.
An amazing song like Silver Springs cannot be put in a drawer. 'I know I could have loved you but you would not let me' is one of Stevie's greatest lines.
I think Rumours is perfect in every way, it is what it is, couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Same here. Perfect album
Perfect album. I totally enjoyed this episode. You are such a great hostess. Thanks!
In 1977 I was washing dishes in a restaurant on Maui. I slept in the restaurant as rent in Hawaii is insane. My boss would host visiting rockstars and often they would take up his offer to accommodate them. I met George Harrison. Half of the songs on Rumors owned the radiowaves. Fleetwood Mac (I owned a few of their earlier Peter Green albums back in the day) came to Maui to look for houses to buy and play a local concert. I snuck into the concert and left because besides the awesome rhythm section I couldn't stand watching Stevie Nick's performance - she's fine, I just don't like her performance, singing, dancing...Stevie, for a few weeks, would waft into the restaurant with her entourage of 5 or six folk. She always looked miserable, like she could barely hold an expression of indifference. I thought, this is the number one album on Earth and she's miserable. I made 2 bucks an hour and lived on leftovers and mangoes. John McVie (who I had seen in the Bluebreakers in 1969) would come in the late afternoon when there were few people about, sit in the long center table in the main dining room and he would nurse a drink for an hour, staring straight ahead, then he would leave. The employees like my music choices, I would keep the kitchen humming with Iggy Pop and Television and blues greats, all from my cassette collection.
Art courts misery, not to mention staying up all night all the time on cocaine.
Here's a strange thing....even though I agree with everything you said, I actually like this album even more after hearing your review.
I love every era of Fleetwood Mac. If i hadn't heard rumours, i never would have listened to their early stuff.
I love Rumours! When I discovered the album, I listened to The Chain probably 100 times 😄 But I don't see the problem with other people not liking it. We all have different tastes, which makes your channel that much more interesting!
And actually Silver Spring is one of my favourite Macsongs. I had a lovely time in that city in 1977, and I'm a constantly heartbroken witch.
I like this album, but I appreciate your take on it. It's always refreshing to get a different perspective. Keep being your amazing self. You do such a great job with your content. Thank you!
You're incorrect about Lindsey forbidding her from using it, it was Mick Fleetwood that wouldn't let her put it onto her "Timespace" album, because it was already planned to be released on Fleetwood Mac's "25 Years: The Chain" box set.
To a certain degree, I can understand the ridicule of the songs on this album being bludgeoned to death with airplay. But it’s really no different from hundreds of other classic, legendary albums out of the 70s.
Tensions were obviously high between band members and they were having to depend on that Southern California “ Snowball “ scene in order to get by. However Abby, you’ve provided some deeper insights to this piece than what I already knew. This album may have been an overplayed soap opera, but all things considered, I can appreciate the valiant efforts put forth by FM in releasing one of the most treasured albums of all time. And yet I’m still a fan of the Peter Green era as well. Go figure 😆. As always Abby, an excellent review !!
the video of Silver Spring is so awesome the way she sings --you'll never get away----the look in her eyes speaks voluminously
yes 1997 silver springs was incredible
Favorite Mac albums are definitely Bare Trees & Future Games. Danny Kirwan was incredible! Rip Danny
You said it !
My two favorites as well!
Both very beautiful,"Cerebral" albums.
exaclty mine too. agree on Danny.
freely 100.degess here today so delving into records repkaced the sleeve on bare trees
My favorites: 1. Then Played On (the best Fleetwood Mac album) followed by 2. Future Games 3. Bare Trees and 4. Kiln House…the rest I don’t care for. What is in common? Danny Kirwan
the danny kirwan era is my favorite too!
I admire you for your honest opinion on Rumours. I bought it upon release, loved it, and still enjoy it, like many ex-teenagers from the 70s. But music is no place for groupthink and dogmatic opinions. Keep on being an individual, as long as that’s still allowed.
I love all the apologists who just "now" decided Rumours sucks. 😆. It isn't my favorite album in the discography but it's a classic album for a reason. Solid gold
@keith I believe these “apologists apologizing” are closely, incestuously-akin to those “players only love you when they’re playing” players shamefully shamelessly-courting the approval of their hostess!..
"she's not like most girls" ...... This is why Im an Abby Lifer... thank you for being honest and thorough... keep on being you ...
I'm obsessed with your kaleidoscope/austin powers transitions. You really nailed a great aesthetic with these
those balls are older than this LP, he is wearing them in the "rattlesnake shake" video here on you tube. that video has Peter Green on vocals. Silver springs was played here in my area, so we knew it because Stevie got the Idea for the title when she saw a town in my state on the sign, which was "Silver Spring" MD.
A Ghirlandaio reference???
Abby, I hope you have a long life with your channel.
You are must-watch viewing every week, and you get better and better.
thanks! the ghirlandaio nod was bound to happen eventually haha
I got this album as a birthday present in '77 or '78. I stayed with marijuana use and never went on to harder drugs, unlike what people were saying at the time. And I attribute that to this album, hard to believe.
I like how you can talk in all caps but you’re not really screaming.
Despite all the problems with the production of this album ,it still wound up selling 40 million copies worldwide making it the 6th best selling album of the 1970s and 9th all time .
Lindsey was a perfectionist and a damn good song writer. Their intent was stated up front to make it a pop album and they made it one of the greatest of all time.
I know Fleetwood Mac was not everyone's cup of tea but they put out some classic hits that millions of people loved .That can't be denied
Oh Abby, you may have ruffled some feathers on this one girl. I was 20 when this one hit. Every girl loved it, and their boyfriends better have the 8-track or cassette for the car. The radio wore it out!! I never had it, but I thought it was very good for what it was. I see why it sold. The album before, 'Fleetwood Mac' was more for me. It's the first with Stevie and Lindsey in the band. I love it. Watch your back, I've heard "Rumors" of the Fleetwood Mac Fan Club putting out "hits" on people who've done much less. Abigail, we've all grown too fond of you to lose you now. Don't go out unescorted at night, young lady! 🤠
Having first really listened to this album via the 5.1 surrond DVD-Audio some 20 years ago, what I heard was spellbinding. I'm not the type to dig into the lyrics until later. So while I'm not disregarding their importance, this album for me is first and foremost a frankly wondrous creation of melody and harmony and expert songwriting and musicianship. Whether that or the production then turns out to be in the best service of the "breakup album" emotional/lyrical content is subjective, for sure. Stevie described "Dreams" as an "open and hopeful" response to "Go Your Own Way," personally I always heard it as a sort of darkly beguiling but resigned "just-you-wait-and-see." I think depending on how you hold that song and her delivery up to the light, the production can be considered quite lovely. But maybe the band would have agreed with you about too pretty, restrained, and reserved because at first they found it too boring to include. It sounds like you might have a crummy pressing; here's how one person described Dreams on a good pressing, "Ideally the bass is very prominent on this track. It should be way up in the mix, loud, tight and note-like, with the guitar and kick drum clearly separated. It absolutely drives the song; the copies that got the bass right on this track really came to life." A.k.a., not thin. The best pressings are considered demo-your way-too-expensive-system-for-your-friends quality. Anyway, great video as always, brave; mad respect.
BTW it's clearly not apples-to-apples, but if anyone really wants to hear more of what's going on on this album, highly recommend seeking out a band-approved (I'm not sure about this spatial audio stuff) surround mix. The songs really open up and breathe, while enveloping. It's a "you have to come hear this" moment.
yeah that disc is amazing, if perhaps a touch bright for some (not nearly as bright as some of the 80s vinyl cuts though!)
I heard a rumor you don’t like rumors 🤓
I had to back into Fleetwood Mac. They were so big in the 70s that you were almost required to get their albums just because they were so big. And I didn't really start buying albums until around '80 or 81 in my high school years. I loved Stevie's first solo album, and then went back and dug into the Fleetwood Mac albums. It's only much more recently that I started digging into the earlier pre-Buckingham Nicks albums. And the Buckingham Nicks album itself, before they joined Fleetwood Mac. I really like the 70-74 period, because you can clearly see a band in in development, and going through changes. You can see, album by album, Christine coming into her own as a songwriter, and feel the pain and regret that they didn't have more success with Bob Welch in the band.
My parents used to crank this on the Pinto when we headed to Malibu to hang out with Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards. I've known a lot of interesting people.
Very interesting and thought-provoking perspective, thank you for that! It is fascinating how Rumors has consistently been widespread over so many decades and there is something about the artists' emotion and talent that will undoubtedly keep the album beloved by many. Personally, I love the album but also agree with your perspective and it has made me see the album in a new way, I need to listen to the alternate version to compare the mixing/feel of the work.
As a high-schooler in the late 70s, Rumors was inescapable. It was everywhere on the radio, so I didn't bother buying the album until much later. A local DJ, here in Austin, would play "Silver Spring" on the radio now and then and I thought it was amazing. When they came out with the boxed set, it mystified me why it wasn't included. Now I know why!
Oh thank God someone who feels the same way I do about the album. This is pop music for cokeheads still stuck in the late 70s. Makes me so thankful that punk rock came along to kick it in the ass.
At least it ain't disco!
This was great, Abby. Your analysis is spot on. Can’t to hear you take on Tusk with Buckingham’s further madness, the USC marching band and further alchemical stimulation. 😂
They were an example of why the Ramones were needed.
The Peter Green Mac is earthy blues and pure stripped down blues not unlike the bowery boys' ultimatum 53&3rd.
No, they really weren't. The late '70s punk movement was more an antithesis to indulgent prog rock, arena rock, and disco.
Since I was first introduced to this 26 years ago, I have thought of it as quite inferior to there previous album, and since acquainting myself with their next one after this, which has become a fond friend now, I believe it also to superior. I do agree amd always have that Christine is the unsung hero of this Band. She inspires me to keep messing around with Pianos.
Refreshing to hear this balanced review, Abby I love that your reviews rarely are hagiographical.
I love the format of including albums you don’t love! Good stuff
Also, I enjoy how much of a clever person you are with these lyrical insights. I think you’re usually very much dead on.
Fun fact, You Make Loving Fun is about Dennis Wilson. He and Christine were dating at the time, and that opened up the chance for Lindsay Buckingham getting his hands on some Smile tapes that inspired the songs on Tusk
Actually, it was inspired by an affair Christine McVie had with the band's lighting director, Curry Grant.
@randyoleson I think so but she also dated dennis around this time and that relationship was also hard on her.
I wonder if the silver spoon reference was about the subject being born into wealth? It just hit me after all these years.
I get it - you like what you like. Certain groups just have a collective pull be it nostalgia, marketing/promotion (Dreams has long since been worn out being still over-played yet to this day ad nausium on the radio), and touring frequency. I did see them live a few years back with the full group including Christine. They were flawless. Your comments regarding Lindsay Buckingham being a d*ckhead are probably warranted, however I will say that seeing him live gave me an appreciation of his contribution to the band, his incredible talent and musical flexibility. Talent of that level can unfortunately aspire to an other-than-worldly opinion of themselves. I’ve heard this is also true of Joe Walsh, whom I’ve also seen live, who is also an amazing talent and incredibly gifted, very demanding and settles for nothing but perfection. Also Rogers Waters as you so eloquently pointed out in your review of The Wall album. Awesome channel! Cheers!
Whether it's Peter Green era Mac or Buckingham Nicks era I like my Mac in small doses. The greatest hits albums for both eras are my go tos.
Very cerebral review, and your perspective, 46 years after it was released, is fascinating. I was a SoCal teenager when this LP hit, and the place this music lived was on FM radio. It's produced to sound good in a car or at the beach, not to be listened to too critically, and to sell gazillions. On those terms it was a total success. So it's interesting to hear how this comes off to a smart young listener in 2023.
Being a young person you’re able to be objective. I find that most of my favorite albums from the 70s fall into 2 categories. Albums that are genuinely amazing and albums that are amazing because I associate them with fond memories.
Having an absolutely infuriating day at work. Currently on my lunch break, watching this video, and 16:09 just made something in my brain crack and any mood I was previously in just vanished into thin air so I could laugh so hard 😭😭😭
I have this album on vinyl and CD. It is one of the first vinyls I listened to as a child thanks to my mother's musical taste, which also introduced me to the music of Heart, Joni Mitchell and the Fleetwood Mac Blues Rock catalogue, among others. I like it, but it is not my #1 of them.
It's okay if you don't like an album that most people love and overestimate. The album is good but it sins of being very complacent with the fashions of the time.
The band since a couple of previous albums lost its Blues Rock style, and they searched for a new identity, I don't see it as a bad thing, it doesn't work for everyone either, maybe that's what many fans don't like about this band, which already they never went back to being the way they were, but it's normal, sometimes people change, and they get tired of being in the same place, or doing the same musical style for so long.
Lindsey Buckingham is a very talented guitarist and songwriter, and very underrated.
If the formula is done well it works without problem to repeat it ad infinitum, but it didn't work for Fleetwood Mac in "Tusk", if not until "Mirage" or "Tango in the Night" almost 10 years later. But they did not have the same results as in 1977.
This happens to me with Nirvana's "Nevermind", and everything that Red Hot Chili Peppers have released since 1999, I don't like Coldplay at all, or everything that Foo Fighters have done since the 2000's, and I don't like the reviews either by Anthony Fantano (haha, I prefer Robert Fithen's reviews they are just as rude but with a good sense of humor and not to play Mr. Bad and Mr. Smarty).
Lindsey’s prolific ability to grow hair is criminally underrated.
Love your video more than the record. This came out when I was just starting to work my way through college by doing radio airshifts at night, so I heard all the singles a million times. I thought they were okay; good pop songs, but I never had any strong feelings about them one way or the other. I was more into Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson at the time.
I do recall that when "Tusk" came out, my partner George and I were doing a college morning show. The PD got the advance single, rushed in and told us to play it. George asked, "Have you listened to it?" He said no. George said, "I'm not playing a record that nobody's even heard yet. What if it stinks?" The PD insisted that we had to play it just because it was Fleetwood Mac's followup to "Rumours," but George didn't care. It was the first thing played after our show ended. It eventually stalled out at #8 on the charts so I think his refusal to let bands coast on past successes was correct.
PS - In that photo of Lindsay where you said he's your type, he looks a bit like Cliff Campbell from the group Fair To Midland, who is my cousin.
Yay contrary views! I've always considered this to be a covertly semi-psychedelic album. I think that keyboard at the top of "Don't Stop" that sounds stringy is the ARP String Ensemble - found in lots of 1970s-80s recordings such as Elton's Someone Saved My Life Tonight or Zebra: Who's Behind The Door.
You just showed us that you can do a great overview even for albums you don't like. Just think of that door swinging wide open! :) Great job. - G
I think live performances of the songs are actually better than the record . The chain on the dance for example is killer always brings chills for me when it does that bass break down into a unhinged Lindsey Buckingham screaming his ass off and playing the guitar like a mad man 22:29
maybe my problem with rumours centers around lindsey being a little too "hinged" - i prefer tusk in part because it's total coked-out madness from him
@@abigaildevoe He looks like a mad scientist in the tusk recording sessions.
I saw them in September (I think) of 1977, on the Rumours tour. They were at the peak of their powers, they kicked butt all evening. The last song was Songbird, with just Christine onstage all by herself. Very unusual, also very powerful. Great concert!
I saw them live during this time and they were a great live band!
Interesting take... I am not a big Mac fan, but I can't deny that this album is just filled with bangers, I mean, there isn't really filler, just some songs that aren't played on the radio as much. Maybe people have just gotten tired of it due to overplaying (I have) but it's an amazing collection of songs with an actual theme and 3 great singers/5 great musicians at their peak.
My least favorite classic album is probably Sgt Peppers. I know it is a classic for obvious reasons but I just don't like most of it. Even the best song (A Day In The Life) is far from the best Beatles song
I am trying to listen to more music than just the beatles, bob dlyan, and pink floyd. So from now on i will be listening to whatever album is covered weekly.
I prefer the earlier versions of the band. Then Play On is a psych/blues/folk/rock masterpiece, Kiln House is a nice whirl of 50s rock and early 70s songwriting, Future Games is a gorgeous relaxing drift through a summer day. Their early singles sometimes get overlooked for not being on albums, Bare Trees is awesome for melancholic classic rock, and Mystery to Me is great for more a polished sound.
It's incredible how this band transformed from album to album, and I think too many people disregard the iterations of the band that aren't like Rumours.
I love the early Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, but I have heard Fleetwood Mac too many times. I can't really even listen to later Fleetwood Mac. Listen to the 1968 Fleetwood if you haven't.
Thanks Abby. Having just watched your video I think you're too easy on it. It's nowhere near as emotionally raw, truthful and real as Blue or Blood On The Tracks. Any magic it had was ironed out and mostly lost in the studio. There's a reason that Christine's 'Songbird' is the best track on the album. Subscribed and a thumbs up.
All the CDs of this album (other than the very first in 1984) have the treble jacked up. The original vinyl is indeed quite muted/dark, as you say. Consumers complained about the tonality of the first CD so Warners remastered it and made it brighter. It just doesn't sound right.
I’m fairly ambivalent about Rumours, it’s an album I have to be in the mood to listen to. I can certainly understand why it has achieved classic status. The songs are, in the main okay which paint a picture of the LA/West Coast scene at the time, and break ups always seem to get the creative juices flowing.
If I recall correctly, it was a slow burner here in the UK and only in later years was its cultural relevance taken on board…but I might be mistaken about that as it was a long time ago.
Congratulations, another really cool deep dive.
I've heard that Christine McVie wrote Songbird in like 15 minutes. I dont know if that's true, but i can believe it. Pianists are generally great writers, and her talent is undeniable.
Great video!! I can't wait to see more! It is important to keep the artform of Music Albums alive. I like how well you expressed your mixed feelings about this record, it is a thorny record to love. You just earned a new subscriber, and I am looking forward to seeing more of these deep dives!
All people remember is the final album
They have absolutely no idea how stressful the whole process can be
Particularly if you're brilliant guitar solo gets erased!🤯😭
And this happened all the time
That irreplaceable moment was lost to carelessness in the studio.
I’ll never forget watching Fleetwood Mac perform Go Your Own Way on The Midnight Special in 1977 with a group of Jr High friends. Stevie Nicks looked so beautiful and mysterious singing backup in that black top hat.
Rumours was the backdrop soundtrack, of my youth. What played on the FM during long 12 hour shifts during my lackadaisical boring summer job, deep frying food and mopping up messy leftovers from the previous careless patron. A throwaway part time summer job, before my next year in high school. Pop music that seemingly was as pedestrian as the one hit wonders of the day. It turned out, to my amusement, that it was the biggest charting album of that summer. I only found out about this 30 years later, while searching on the web. In retrospect, some of the best tunes produced out of California, during that era.
Thanks for all you do; great job on this one!
You explained your point very well Abigail. I was Leary to hear someone sh*t on this 😂… but I totally get your point. Basically, it’s just not gritty enough to reflect the time the band was having outside the studio. Interesting take. Appreciate it.
Also. Love your take on gold dust woman. It’s my fav track.
1978 was the year the 60s were officially dead and the success of Rumours being officially categorized as "soft rock" helped herald in that tragedy. All it needed was some guitar feedback somewhere. Rock and roll could've been saved!
Hi Abigail, We got to see Stevie in concert last year, and the version of Gold Dust Woman was amazing the way the band stretched out. What a backing band! I am looking forward to the live Rumours record. Always look forward to your videos, thanks!
by ken calliat's recollection i believe. . the cocaine wasnt really terrible until the tusk era. it was still more of a social thing here. by tusk they were all hiding with their own bags
There are a great many highly overrated albums out there, but I passionately believe that “Rumours” is not one of them. It deserves every bit of praise that it has gotten over the years, but different strokes for different folks and all.
However, might I suggest trying out the 2-LP 45 RPM cut that was released a few years back? It was repressed recently and it’s an absolute revelation. It truly makes you hear and appreciate the music and all of its wondrous layers in a completely new way. It’s full of the depth and richness that I’ve never heard the album have before prior to this particular remaster… I’m rarely completely blown away by a vinyl remaster/reissue but this one had my jaw on the floor. At around $50, it’s a bit pricey yes, but worth absolutely every penny. Though I’m not sure how willing you’d be to drop that kind of cash on an album you don’t care for just to try it out in a new way, haha. Maybe a friend will have a copy that you can give a spin some day.
I have an English early pressing on white vinyl that plays so well, it develops the intricacies of the performances to a dergee that cannot be ignored. , so although the songs are overplayed into tedium, after a few moments of play, the sonics of the album catches me up and I become engrossed in the performances, every time.
that 45 rpm record was cut by kevin gray, so of course it sounds stellar! i would also recommend (and this _might_ be heresy, idk) the 2001 dvd-a remaster for it's slight rejig of the album in order to include "silver springs"
I was prepared for the worst...
and it turns out you like it more than I do!
YMLF and Dreams are the only songs I listen to from this album. The contrast between the two is stark, and YMLF lifts me up after the low, low vibe from Dreams. RIP, Christine.
Some people say they like analog tape because of its "warmer" sound. Well, I guess if you play it enough, it gets to be a lot like a down comforter. Or maybe oatmeal with brown sugar.
I always think/it sounds like that line after "go your own way" is "you can call it unfair / but don't you dare"; which I kind of prefer to the actual, but just because I grew up thinking it was that certain way
I think Fleetwood Mac's music is a lot more enjoyable ignoring the autobiographical elements, they really dilute and get in the way of great songs, for me.
this girl i've been dating for a few months knows i collect records andd she gifted me rumours by fleetwood mac
i'm grateful of course but i didn't have the courage to tell her i've never got the rumours hype and i think it's really meh, thanks abby for making me feel seen
I find the "We're cheesy pop stars" statement of the album to be a moment of sarcasm from the Fleetwoods in view of the relationship problems. I dislike Parallel Lines for it's smoothery. Plastic Letters is my favourite Blondie.
It's a good maybe even in some way's 'great' album, but I never understood why it has the universal die hard appeal that it does? No matter how much I like it, I can't think of any other Fleetwood Mac album that I've ever even been tempted to own. I don't know if it's just me, but I really didn't notice until a few years back that Stevie Nicks really can't sing. About a year ago I repurchased "Rumours" along with the 'alternate' takes version, because I felt I needed it in my collection. After I got them I realized that I would probably never listen to them. I might want to look into the "Rumours Live" that you mentioned. However, if I was going to make a comparison, I'd say the early albums by Heart run circles around anything by Fleetwood Mac, and they put out 6-stellar albums before they fell off.
Abby, have you heard the DVDA 5.1 surround mix of this? I like the sound of it, lots of interesting differences in the mix, particularly in “Never Going Back Again.” Plus, they changed the sequencing and put “Silver Springs” after “Go Your Own Way”, while making “Songbird” the closer. I think it works.
I agree with your view of the production choices, but I'm presuming that was deliberate sweetening, intended to sell more records. I also agree with your opinion on Christine McVie. I used to play guitar and bass (and vocals) in a covers band in the late seventies. "Don't Stop" was one of my favorites. We played it after our cover of Eagles "Already Gone". I still love the album. I clearly remember the night I first heard it! Thanks for the review. I appreciate your analysis/interpretation of lyrics,
Early Fleet was groovy.
"Tusk" is kinda cool.
Peace on earth.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinions and bad reviews of albums can be really fun to write and read.
this is the first time i've listened to an album specifically for vinyl monday
Now I've got Silver Springs in my mind. Thanks for excellent thoughts on Rumours.
Bro fr put a broken toilet chain on his jacket for flare. Now that’s what I call drip 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💸💸💸💸💸💸💸
I never knew that about it being a toilet part. I thought they were castanets or Benoît balls.
I do have to say I am fond of Rumors , maybe it’s sentimental as it was my introduction, but all the points you have I totally agree with, and I am more of a fan of Tusk. I do have to say last year I bought the 45rpm double edition of Rumors and it does sound so much better than any other edition I have heard, including the original pressing, it fixes a lot of that thin sound you speak of.
I've been a Fleetwood Mac fan throughout all the evolutions. For a rare glimpse into what eventually became Rumours I recommend a live album from 1975, a radio broadcast recorded in Passaic, NJ shortly after the Fleetwood Mac (with Buckingham/Nicks) album was released but before anyone knew if it would take off called Life Becomes A Landslide. They included Station Man 'n Hypnotized in the playlist as well as tracks from the recent album. Here's the "new" Fleetwood Mac givin' an excellent performance but unsure what the future would hold. Great stuff!
Good review, a lot of interesting points you make, and I do understand where you're coming from about the slick production.
So in my younger years, I was a blues purist and maintained that Fleetwood Mac was only good when Peter Green was leading the band and the Stevie Nicks period was just manufactured disco crap, with the exception of Lindsey's "Go Your Own Way" which I always loved thanks to its inclusion in Forrest Gump. Also my mom, who sang on the road for years and years, has a bias against Stevie since she was always compared to her. I guess a bit of that bias rubbed off on me.
As the years went on, I softened my opinion on Stevie Nicks, especially after seeing that fantastic clip of her performing "Rhiannon" on The Midnight Special. I was on the road when I decided to just learn Rumours verbatim, since you have a lot of downtime on the road, and when I came to "Never Going Back Again" I realized the complexity of Lindsey's guitar playing and it opened up a whole new style of performance to explore, so much so that I actually started a Fleetwood Mac tribute just to force myself to learn it.
And then... I don't know something happened, Rumours just clicked for me. Lindsey's contributions are guitar gold mines for me, but even his licks on some of Christine's gems like "You Make Lovin' Fun" are so wonderfully executed. And yes, Christine (RIP) absolutely dominates. "Oh Daddy" is a very underrated bluesy number that really hit me hard in my darker moments, though I do agree that "Don't Stop" is kind of cheesy and overplayed. Of course "The Chain" is a masterpiece in the way it all came together.
Funny enough, Stevie is the weak-link for me. Yeah "Dreams" is overplayed, though I give Lindsey a lot of credit for arranging this into something unique. "I Don't Want To Know" is my least favorite song on the album and was a piss-poor replacement for "Silver Springs" though I do understand why they replaced it. "Gold Dust Woman" is her standout, but by that point, I'm starting to feel the lethargy of the record.
I think the politics of the band and especially the Lindsey - Stevie rivalry was forced fans to pick a side, and I'm ultimately going to be on a Lindsey's side being a guitarist but also realizing he was the driving musical force on this record.
Your criticisms remain valid but maybe it will click at some point. Regardless, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac remains my preferred era and I hope more fans can come to appreciate it.
Rumours does future the awesome track ..The Chain ⛓️ ..Love The Bass 🔊
Tusk has been by far my favourite song of theirs... So with that said I agree with you and how you've done this review; nothing comfortable to cozy up to for long on this album.
Wow, I finally feel like I’m not alone in the Universe! I’ve always thought that Rumors just sounded like overproduced, soulless Corporate Rock, the perfect example of why Punk needed to happen. Whenever I look at any of those lists of the Top 100 (or whatever) Albums of All Time, Rumors is invariably the highest-ranking I actively don’t like (with Joni Mitchell’s Blue always being the highest rated album I’m unfamiliar with. I know, I will definitely get around to delving into Joni Mitchell’s catalog one of these days).
…Of course I still own a copy of Rumors anyway, you kind of have to, I think it’s the law that every alum collection of more than, like, twenty records must have a copy of Rumors in it. Just like a generation before Rumors came out, every record collection had to have a copy of Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass for some reason.
The reason is the cover photo.
Something about Dreams. Maybe the ache of the guitar work. Kind of funny how Silver Springs gets on a classic record! Thanks for the review.
I too prefer the live versions of the songs. It took me a while to fully embrace Rulers. The "tuxedo and limousine" production certainly functioned as a barrier for me. But I kept coming back to the album, mainly because of Christine McVie's out-of-this-world voice and her affirmative and almost peerless songwriting. (With the years, I've learned to put her right up with the best pop songwriters of that era, right on the same tier as Paul McCartney and the Bernie Taupin / Elton John combo, which were in actuality her neighbors on the charts.) And after a while I git used to the production and even get feelings of nostalgia from it since it is so typical of the late seventies / early eighties, which were the years of my early childhood. As always, it was a pleasure to get through your delicatefully distilled and carfully expressed feelings about the album. Thanks.
You’re out of your mind, Abby! This album is amazing! The only track that sucks on Rumours is Don’t Stop, but other than that it’s one of my favorites ever! :3
Abby... I recently bought Fleetwood Mac Rumours 'Live'...And it's pretty damn good...
I love Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" album 😁💖🎶 Magik from beginning to end
As a formula 1 fan this was the formula 1 music, they used the chain part 2 for about 20 years. The more i found out about this album the more interesting it got. Its elevator music, but even though its boomer trash i sure do listen to it a lot and have a lot of different copies
as a nascar girlie i feel an odd kinship to you F1 folk
@@abigaildevoepretty, has good musical taste, and likes NASCAR!?
I don't love everything on Rumours but I think Second Hand News and I Don't Want To Know are exceptional tracks on it. If I heard the other songs from it on the radio I'd probably change the channel out of indifference.
I just wanna say that I am a big fan of Fantano moments.