After conquering the commercial sales universe with Fleetwood Mac and the bazillion-selling album “Rumours”, Buckingham found that he wanted to extend his creativity and find a measure of artistic success. The oft-criticized follow-up record, the risk-taking “Tusk” and then the playful, gleeful solo debut “Law & Order” offered a glimpse into the artist in which Buckingham uncompromisingly laid out a vision of taking chances while living inside the record company restraints. There were just enough commercial tracks on both to forgive the forays into the fringes.
For his second solo effort Buckingham dove headfirst into the pool he had built and, for better or worse, he would live with the outcome. His pockets would be forever lined and that led to some leeway for following his muse. All tracks were written, performed, and produced by the artist with minimal assistance from colleagues. The album begins with a strident alarm clock panned across the speakers as his multi-tracked voice chants “I Want You”. 80s synths and drum machines attack in a colossal sound. A highly processed guitar rings at the high end of human hearing and the alarm clock morphs into a tick-tock beat that reinforces the chanting. The processed and out-of-sync vocals add to the jittery beat, “I’m a bundle of joy, a pocket full of tears” reflect lines at cross purposes. It’s a smile-inducing, wince-inducing opening that sets the stage on an ambitious new step for the rock dinosaur guitarist. “Go Insane” calms the waters a bit with a more melodic hook, “I lost my power in this world because I did not use it”. Followed by a dig at the past- “I lost my power in this world and the rumours are flying” and the song takes off with hooks, a big chorus, and a reminder of the commercial power of this writer. “Slow Dancing” rolls along on a bass melody with guitar and synth bell flourishes, the “female” backing vocals appear to be Buckingham’s voice processed and treated. The tempo is relentless but not frenetic, again allowing for the ability to create a memorable chorus. The song fades prettily and is joined by a quiet acoustic guitar coda. “I Must Go” sounds like a track from “Tusk”, “Hey Little Girl Leave That Little Drug Alone”. Steam engine percussion and a more traditional rock guitar frame are a perfect blend of commercial hook and edgy experimenting. The lyric “And this is why I must go” echoes the famed three-part Mac harmony and would have sat quite nicely with that “Tusk” output. Four pop rock upbeat numbers to kick off the album means it’s time to sit down and take a little breather.
“Play in the Rain” is a sound collage of water, wind, and 80’s percussion which almost comes to a standstill at times. It’s like a bad dream until the layers of ringing guitar make a downpour fade outside one of the albums. You flip the vinyl over and get “Play in the Rain” (continued) which picks up with guitars right where we left off on the first side. This second part of the song adds more layers of voices to make it more uplifting and makes “Can We Play in the Rain” less depressing and more joyful. The track finishes with vocals coming from several directions and the guitar finally wresting the song from all the synths. “Loving Cup” hearkens back to the first two Lindsey/Stevie Mac albums and would have fit on the self-titled debut right next to “Monday Morning”. The guitar is raw and simple with the riff powering a rock behemoth. The chorus has a touch of 80’s adornment but overall, it’s a stripped-down guitar triumph. The next track “Bang the Drum” with its childlike sing-song vocals is a serious shift from the preceding track. Its willful simplicity and lurching melody have little flow but it rather bends around the ears and turns unexpectedly into a descending guitar/synth pattern that lends an air of melancholy to the mid-tempo journey. Layers of handclaps end the tune. “D.W. Suite” is the equivalent of an overture quoting lines from previous songs and a mission statement, “I want to go- go forever”. It is structured like a symphony with movements and linking passages that play out the journey of the solo artist. It is meant to be the grand-reaching statement but meanders through its sections with little holding it together. The “Pray for Guidance From Above” chapter seems to come out of nowhere. It perks up a bit at the end with Celtic flourishes on the synths but it is the weak point of the record and it is a shame it concludes the album.
Very few artists were able to escape the 80’s unharmed. This record does have the cliché production and sounds but the mesmerizing artistry and the risk-taking more than make up for the production shortcomings. Looking back from today’s vantage it overcomes its weaknesses and naivete with exceptional vision and focus. Well-worth a revisit.
Charlotte County resident Stephen MacKnight works for Anglophone South & Working NB after a decade spent as a music teacher in the school system and twenty-five years in the music retail industry cycling through Sam the Record Man, Records on Wheels and CDPlus. There have been nominations from ECMA’s & Music NB as a band-member and songwriter. Passionate and opinionated about music Stephen loves when anyone wants to have a debate.