Take BACK THURSDAY- RUMORS BY FLEETWOOD MAC
Rumors is Fleetwood Mac’s eleventh studio album, released in 1977 under Warner Bros. Records. The impact this album had on the world and music industry is unmatched. It is marked as the 25th best album of all time by The Rolling Stone, and is the 10th best-selling album ever, featuring four top-ten singles including “Dreams.” Rumors spent 31 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, and won two Grammys, including Album of the Year.
Rumors opens with “Second Hand News”, a catchy, up-tempo tune that taps into a folky realm. It sets the tone for the album, which ranges from ballads to rock anthems. This song is one of many that stems from a romance within the band between Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, with the opening lyrics “I know there’s nothing to say/ someone has taken my place.” The second track is one that everyone is familiar with. “Dreams” was the band’s one and only number one hit, and sold over a million copies in the U.S.. “Dreams” encompasses everything that Fleetwood Mac was as a band; it’s catchy, it’s mystical, while containing elements of soft rock and rock blues. This song is undoubtedly timeless, and created a new sound that created inspiration for decades to follow.
“Never Going Back Again” was written and sung by Lindsay Buckingham, the band’s lead guitarist. This song is unique in its sound because of the plucking technique Buckingham used to accompany his vocals. The lyrics are quite simple and repetitive, but the eclectic melodies add so much to the song that it blends to create a truly solid track three. Up next we have two classics. “Don’t Stop”, and “Go Your Own Way” fall into a category that I like to call “barbecue music.” They create the perfect atmosphere, being rock songs that are undeniably catchy and known by just about everyone. They remind me of family, summer, and provide a sort of nostalgia that can only be tapped into by a select amount of songs.
Track five and six are two of my favorite songs of all time. “Songbird” was written and performed by the late Christine McVie, who sadly passed earlier this year. It’s the perfect ballad; raw and emotional, with a beautiful isolated vocal performed by McVie. The song was written in the middle of the night in just thirty minutes, but there was nobody around to record. McVie stayed awake to make sure the melody did not slip out of her mind until she could perform it for someone. It was recorded in an auditorium with fifteen microphones to create a concert-esque sound and ambience. Up next is “The Chain”, which is a complete turnaround from the preceding song. It’s a rock anthem through and through, with heavy drums, electric guitar, and accompanying vocals by Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The bridge of this song is what makes it one of my all time favorites; the isolated bass moment that flows into the drums, and then into the guitar and vocals has created a masterpiece in and of itself, and this song is constantly being covered by other bands and artists, commemorating it’s true impact.
The back end of Rumors also holds some classics, including “You Make Loving Fun”, performed by Christine McVie, and “Gold Dust Woman” performed by Stevie Nicks, the latter of which is the album closer. I find it clever that the band chose to end the album with this song, which has lyrics that say “And is it over now, do you know how/ to pick up the pieces and go home.” Later on, Fleetwood Mac would release one more additional song that was left off of Rumors. “Silver Springs” went on to become a massive song, famously written by Stevie Nicks about her and Lindsay Buckingham’s breakup. The band recorded a live version of the album, in which the tension between Nicks and Buckingham is so tangible that the performance has become a phenomenon itself.
For me, Rumors was the first album that truly made me appreciate music on a different level. It opened my eyes to an entire world that I had yet to discover, and am continuing to discover today. Fleetwood Mac may have gone their separate ways, but they have managed to pioneer the music industry and rock scene, with a legacy that will live on forever.
