Photo courtesy Unsplash.
Fleetwood Mac has been regaining media attention in the last month after their most popular song, “Dreams” re-entered the Billboard charts due to a viral TikTok from late September. In the video, Nathan Apodaca (@Doggface208 on TikTok) is skateboarding and drinking cranberry juice straight from the bottle, while “Dreams” plays in the background. The video became so popular that drummer Mick Fleetwood and vocalist Stevie Nicks both joined TikTok just to recreate the video. Even more so, the video has left people feeling nostalgic and revisiting the track. However, “Dreams” is just one of the many songs on Fleetwood Mac’s legendary 43-year old album, Rumours that is still making waves to this day and being discovered by younger generations. Moreover, vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie famously described the making of Rumours as pure drama, which is an understatement; Bassist John McVie and McVie were in the middle of a divorce, Nicks and guitarist Lindsay Buckingham had a recent messy breakup, and Fleetwood recently found out that his wife had cheated on him, which ultimately led to his love affair with fellow member, Nicks. For me, the album title Rumours insinuates how the gossip that spreads in the media is infiltrated into the workings of the band, especially with Fleetwood Mac reaching new levels of fame. With all of these messy relationships within the band, the members used their pain and anger with each other to make one of the best records of all time. Whether you like the songs or not, there is no doubt that Rumours had a huge influence on future music and changed the way emotions are channeled into the musical creative process.
Within the 40 minute tracklist, there are a total of 11 songs on the album. The opening track, “Second Hand News,” is a fun, foot-stomping opener with Scottish Irish folk influences juxtaposed with darker lyrics while Mick Fleetwood does his best work with percussion. The track ends with a smooth transition into the SoCal-influenced “Dreams” which was written by Nicks in just 10 minutes and has become one of Fleetwood Mac’s most popular songs. The album then slows down for the mellow, acoustic-sounding “Never Going Back Again” with emotionally raw lyrics that perfectly accompany Buckingham’s guitar playing. During the recording process, co-producer Ken Caillat made Buckingham restring his guitar every 20 minutes in order to get the best sound––it was definitely worth it. Next is the anthemic, piano-driven “Don’t Stop” which sounds like a song that would be played at the end of a teen movie in the ‘80s with McVie’s optimistic lyrics. The record then transitions into the bitter confessional song “Go Your Own Way” written by Buckingham about his breakup with Nicks; you can hear the anger and resentment in his voice whenever Buckingham sings the chorus. The track has classic rock influences, especially during the electric guitar solo just before Buckingham sings the outro. Finally, the A-side of the album ends with a beautiful slowed-down song, “Songbird.” The recording process of this song is just as beautiful as the song itself. Recorded at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach auditorium, McVie is accompanied only by a piano, making this song even more simple and elegant.
Going into the B-side of the album, “The Chain” begins with an iconic build up of a single beat and stringed instruments which matches the tension between the members before Buckingham and Nicks start singing. “The Chain” was a team effort to put different pieces of members’ individual works into one powerful song, hence why it’s titled “The Chain.” What makes this song stand out from the rest is how it encompasses the idea of making the record: despite the personal hardships the group was going through, all of the members understood their musical compatibility. Next, “You Make Loving Fun” plays, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of new relationships, specifically McVie’s romance with Fleetwood Mac’s lighting director, Curry Grant. The wind chimes that accompany McVie in the chorus is a great touch that makes her dreamy romance even more captivating to the listener. Next, is the catchy “I Don’t Wanna Know” which blends Nicks and Buckingham’s voices together beautifully. There is also a country-influenced sound which makes this track even more fun. Following “I Don’t Wanna Know” is one of the saddest songs on the album: the emotional ballad “Oh Daddy” written by McVie. The song contains melancholic lyrics that match the vibe of the song. Last but certainly not least, “Gold Dust Woman” closes the album with a song about the intertwining relationship of drugs and love within the band. The song has a desert-type sound between Fleetwood’s playing of the cowbells, Buckingham’s guitar playing, and Nick’s eerie-toned voice.
Overall, I would say that the standout songs on the album are “Never Going Back Again,” “You Make Loving Fun,” and “The Chain.” Each of these songs perfectly encapsulates the essence of what was going on behind the scenes of making the album and contains emotionally-charged lyrics with a diverse array of musical influences. The lyrics become so personal that it almost feels like you are entering their personal lives. While none of the tracks are bad, I would say that the album closer, “Gold Dust Woman” is the weakest song on the album. Although the lyrics of the song is one of Nick’s best works, it seems that the placement of the song at the end doesn’t wrap up the album well enough, leaving me feeling disappointed and wanting more to the story. Another weak point of the album is the track “I Don’t Wanna Know.” Although the tune is a fun listen, it seems like a filler track that is on the album just for the sake of it. It also seems out of place with the rest of the songs, especially since it was the only song that was written prior to the making of the album.
Moreover, what makes this album special is how different each song is from one another, meaning that there is something for everyone. “Dreams” is the perfect late night track to listen to when everyone is asleep except for you, there is also “Go Your Own Way” for the classic rock sound about getting over your ex, but then you could also listen to “Don’t Stop” which is the perfect optimistic pop song. So, if you haven’t listened to Rumours yet, stop whatever you are doing, sit down, and go listen immediately.
