This Is Not Fleetwood Mac

I have to admit, I went into this record expecting it to sound like a Fleetwood Mac album and for these two artists to rehash the musical flames of of the past. Oh boy was I wrong! Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie is a brilliant representation of classic pop songwriting brought to the modern age masses.

Right off the bat, the opening song “Sleeping Around the Corner” (originally a bonus track from Buckingham‘s album Seeds We Sow) shatters all illusions that the album would sound like Fleetwood Mac. The entirety of the the record follows the same trend showcasing master songwriters producing solid and sonically perfect tracks.

One of the first things I was taken back by was that my ears did not tire out from the production. Groundbreaking artists (especially the older ones) seem to have this habit of making their instruments louder and louder throughout the album so that everything is at the same volume from the first song to the last. It’s daunting and does not lend the ability for the listener to really listen to the songs. Buckingham/McVie thankfully took a detour and stayed clear of this disastrous cliche.

It’s a bit surprising though that these two artists had never really joined forces before to create an album considering that they have been flaunting their songwriting talents since joining Fleetwood Mac. Christine McVie is in top songwriting form with songs like “Feel About You“, “Red Sun“, and “Carnival Begin” with an almost return to the Fleetwood sound with “Game of Pretend“. Buckingham presents an almost opposing force to McVie more uplifting numbers with songs like “In My World” and “Love Is Here To Stay“. There’s great examples of collaborating as well with tunes like “Too Far Gone“.

My only complaint with the entirety of the album was within the track lineup. The track listing basically went in a pattern of Buckingham, McVie, Buckingham, McVie. The sense of predictability brought down the surprise factor a little bit. However, that one complaint does not tarnish the record one bit. Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie is a great pop/rock album giving listeners a glimpse into what Fleetwood Mac would sound like without Stevie Nicks (John McVie and Mick Fleetwood make up the backing band of the album) and the focused direction of the album really creates a fun, creative, and relaxing atmosphere. Hopefully there will be more collaborations or albums in the future from these two superstars.

Here’s a bit of background for a great album: