I resent the fact that this album was re-released 4 months ago, and now looks at me from the front window of every record store in the world. I do, because it was among the rarest albums in my collection. I mean, a pre-fame LP by Buckingham and Nicks, the duo behind Fleetwood Mac's transformation from white blues copyists to huge pop stars? One that fell between the cracks and hadn't been reissued for 50 years, only heard by a select few, one of which was myself? What was I thinking, not presenting it when I could gloat that I am a proud owner of such a rarity? Now, even Limb Mary has a copy - I'm told it sold 30.000 copies in the first week of its release, in US alone. I will present it now, but I'll drop a star because it's become so common. This isn't one of those albums I ever sought after; I just happened upon it, which is one of those moments that make physical record hunting so much more satisfying than online buying. I used to work in a dental practice in The Hague, and had noticed an address on googlemaps with a title like Whatsitsname Records, a few blocks away. When I was mapping the city's record shops for this blog I went by and couldn't find the place, but on a day with nice weather that I had finished work early I decided to take a walk and make another try. This time I happened to catch it open, or at least the door was open; it was just a private house with no sign on the door. Doesn't function like a record store, the guy probably only sells online or at record fairs. The front room had a couch, some audio equipment and stacks of records, mostly techno 12'. The owner told me there were more records in the back, and indeed there were more stacks: electronic music, but also a lot of funk and disco which I mostly didn't recognise, as well as a few pop-rock ones. At first glance, the nude album cover looked like a typical 70's disco LP, but when I saw the names and looked closer at the couple's faces, I realized these were Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. I knew that they used to perform together before they joined Mac, and I may have known but forgotten that they had ever released an LP as a duo. Because, if it was any good, it would be right up there with their later work, right? I nevertheless knew that I had a rarity in my hands, and being a fan of Rumours-era Mac, I was eager to hear how they started. So, I asked about the price, and it was a surprisingly modest €20 or something.
So I payed, went back home and put the record on my turntable. I had no preconception, but because of the duo format I kind of expected a collection of acoustic ballads or something similar. So it was a very pleasant surprise when the opener "Crying In The Night" sounded like an outtake of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac; a smooth soft-rock ballad with Stevie's characteristic voice and nice harmonies, it's followed by a charming acoustic guitar piece called "Stephanie". "Without A Leg To Stand On" is pleasant but unremarkable, it somewhat reminded me of 70s Kinks. The next track "Crystal" sounded familiar - the reason being, that it was revived by Fleetwood Mac after the couple joined them. This first version has a more typical Californian sound, reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles. It's followed by "Long Distance Winner" which to my ears sounds more proggish, Supertramp-like. No piano solos of course, but masterful electric guitar by Lindsey. Side 2 opens with one of their louder rockers "Don’t Let Me Down Again". To me, it sounds like a precursor to "You Can Go Your Own Way" off Rumours. "Django" is another wistful instrumental showcasing Lindsey's guitar chops, while "Races Are Won" is a typical folk-rock ballad with country-ish harmonies, and "Lola (My Love)" a Southern blues with nice slide guitar. The album closes with another winner "Frozen Love" which encapsulates everything that's great about 70's rock: the smoothness of the West Coast sound, intricate folk harmonies, and prog rock intricacy, all spread over 7+ minutes. It was Lindsey Buckingham's guitar work on this track that made Mick Fleetwood invite him to join the band as lead guitarist. He insisted on bringing Stevie along, and that was the start of Fleetwood Mac's rise to stardom. Neither Mac nor Buckingham Nicks could have done it alone, but the combination of their songwriting and musical talents created pop genious. This album may not be up there with their best moments, but it's very, very good, and contains the seeds of their later success. The nude cover, I personally find very tasteful and concordant with the confessional nature of the lyrics, but I recently read a Stevie Nicks interview where she said she felt too awkward and embarassed by it. Who knew she was such a prude? Lastly, a word about the musicianship and production: it's no surprise that it sounds as good as it does, when you look at the credits: producer Keith Olsen, who later produced so many hits for mainstream artists, and studio aces like drummer Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, solo Beatles), guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Rolling Stones, Warren Zevon, etc), and bassist Jerry Scheff (Elvis, The Doors, etc) - really the cream of the California session musicians. Highly recommended: 4* for my ® copy, 3* for yours. I don't care if yours is 180 gram colored vinyl, has booklets or other extras - I had it first. There!
**** for Crying In The Night, Crystal, Long Distance Winner, Don’t Let Me Down Again, Django, Frozen Love
*** for Stephanie, Without A Leg To Stand On, Races Are Won, Lola (My Love)
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