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elle 11-22-2018 07:27 AM

San Jose 11/21
 
https://twitter.com/jimthecritic/sta...28211457499141

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/...ey-buckingham/

Review: Fleetwood Mac flops without Lindsey Buckingham on board


By JIM HARRINGTON | jharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 22, 2018 at 12:45 am | UPDATED: November 22, 2018 at 1:04 am
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Fleetwood Mac showed up and played music at the SAP Center in San Jose on Nov. 21.

The band’s performance was professional, well organized and started in a timely fashion.

It wasn’t an entirely bad way to spend a Wednesday night.

Honest.

But you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not sounding too enthusiastic about the concert. It’s just that, for the entire evening, it was nearly impossible to shake the feeling that something — or, more accurately, someone — was missing.

And that someone was, of course, Lindsey Buckingham.

The group dismissed its incredibly talented singer-songwriter-guitarist back in April, sending shock waves through the classic rock world and resulting in a big lawsuit between Buckingham and the band. Of course, Fleetwood Mac has long been one of rock’s all-time great soap operas, but few, if any, outside the band saw this coming.

The split seemingly had something to do with the band’s touring schedule, with the big sticking point reportedly being when the trek was to begin. Although, Buckingham told Rolling Stone that his former band mate — and former love interest — Stevie Nicks wanted him out of the band, going so far as to have Fleetwood Mac manager Irving Azoff deliver the message that “Stevie never wants to be on a stage with you again.”

So, the band quickly enlisted not just one, but two replacement guitarists — Neil Finn of Crowded House fame and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — and announced a major tour.

t stop the public from snatching up ducats. The San Jose show was dubbed a sell out, while big crowds are expected for the band’s two upcoming shows in Northern California — Nov. 23 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and Nov. 25 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. (Tickets, priced $69.50-$299.50, are still available for those two shows at www.ticketmaster.com. Shows start at 8 p.m.)

The fans seemed pretty excited about the evening as they entered the SAP Center, forming long lines at the merchandise booths to purchase $15 Fleetwood Mac bottle openers, $20 Fleetwood Mac mugs, $15 Fleetwood Mac shot glasses and an assortment of $40 Fleetwood Mac T-shirts. There was, however, no truth to the rumor that the band might be selling “Lindsey Buckingham is a big jerk” hoodies.

The fans were still going strong as the group — featuring vocalist Nicks, drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, vocalist-keyboardist Christine McVie and new members Campbell and Finn — took the stage and kicked off
You see, it’s not always enough to simply try and replace talent with talent. If it was just pure guitar chops then the new Fleetwood Mac — with Campbell on board — wouldn’t miss Buckingham all that much. If it was just a fine singing voice then the new Fleetwood Mac — with Finn signed on — would be just fine.

But Buckingham also brought those hard-to-quantify intangibles to the band. He delivered the passion and power, brought the heart and soul, and was able to lift the entire show to a higher level. He also shared unbelievable love/hate chemistry with Nicks – a dynamic that helped make Fleetwood Mac more than just a tired nostalgia act.

Yet, the group was sounding pretty tired on this night, as it delivered clean, capable and barely compelling versions of such fan favorites as “Dreams,” “Second Hand News” and “Say You Love Me.”

The two newcomers did help out quite a bit, though.

Campbell’s leads were typically on point throughout the night and he did an admirable job on the microphone during “Oh Well,” a 1969 single from what’s commonly referred to as the Peter Green-era of Fleetwood Mac. He’d also heavily factor in during the encore, as the band covered Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” with Nicks on vocals.

Finn was part of the best moment of the night, as he sang a lovely duet with Nicks on the Crowded House nugget “Don’t Dream It’s Over.”

“It’s in the top five best-written songs in the history of songs,” Nicks commented at its conclusion.

Overall, Nicks didn’t have a great night. The former Bay Area resident, who attended nearby San Jose State University, kept saying how nervous she was to be back home — and she’d prove it by forgetting the lyrics and losing the key on “Landslide.”

“I think that has never happened before – ever,” she said.

One thing that hasn’t changed in Buckingham’s absence is that Mick Fleetwood’s lengthy, obnoxious drum solo is still a complete waste of time and space. It goes nowhere. But it still takes forever to get there.

As the band wrapped the main set up with the dependable crowd pleaser “Go Your Own Way,” I couldn’t help but linger on the feeling that the whole thing would’ve been so much better with Buckingham in the mix.

Sure, without Buckingham, the group has proven that it can still be popular, still sell out an arena, still get people to spend $15 on a bottle opener.

But, without Buckingham, the group might never be truly great again.

Steviegirl 11-22-2018 10:20 AM

Thank you for posting. I was very curious about how this show was going to go without Lindsey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liVoJ_17knU

kak125 11-22-2018 10:40 AM

Looks like All Over Again was played last night. Nice!

mitzo 11-22-2018 10:54 AM

Knew we could count on you, Elle. thanks a million for this.

MikeInNV 11-22-2018 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitzo (Post 1244368)
Knew we could count on you, Elle. thanks a million for this.

Eh, it just highlights how positive most of other reviews have been of this tour. Besides, the actual review doesn't even support the sensationalistic headline.

gldstwmn 11-22-2018 12:33 PM

Oh look! Elle just couldnt wait (help herself) to post the only negative review of the tour. Thanks Elle! Happy Thanksgiving!
Here's 37 minutes from Periscope:
https://www.pscp.tv/JShawsTidbits/1MnxnNAnaLExO?t=

gldstwmn 11-22-2018 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitzo (Post 1244368)
Knew we could count on you, Elle. thanks a million for this.

An old friend of mine used to say "What do you expect from a hog but a grunt?"

gldstwmn 11-22-2018 12:40 PM

Gypsy:
https://youtu.be/dJ22ieXmCow

Everywhere:
https://youtu.be/I_Yi0pNmHgg

Don't Dream It's Over
https://youtu.be/VPq9hkLm-x4

gldstwmn 11-22-2018 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kak125 (Post 1244367)
Looks like All Over Again was played last night. Nice!

Hooray! :woohoo:

golden braid 11-22-2018 12:52 PM

Well I was at the concert and agree 100% with the reviewer. The band sounded fine but generic. Neil's voice is bland and lacks the fire and passion that we're used to, especially on Lindsey's songs. Mike is an accomplished guitar player but his tone and style are very different from Lindsey's. Mike sounds good and shines on the Peter Green, bluesy songs but otherwise his guitar playing does not seem to elevate the songs like Lindsey's playing does.

I enjoyed hearing the Peter Green era songs since I think Mike is a better fit for these songs. I was also happy to finally hear Isn't It Midnight live. I was disappointed not to hear Storms especially since it has been replaced with Gypsy which Stevie sings so monotonously and now doesn't even have Lindsey's solo at the end as a saving grace. I also enjoyed hearing Free Falling because at least Stevie is passionate about singing this song.

button-lip 11-22-2018 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golden braid (Post 1244377)
Well I was at the concert and agree 100% with the reviewer. The band sounded fine but generic. Neil's voice is bland and lacks the fire and passion that we're used to, especially on Lindsey's songs. Mike is an accomplished guitar player but his tone and style are very different from Lindsey's. Mike sounds good and shines on the Peter Green, bluesy songs but otherwise his guitar playing does not seem to elevate the songs like Lindsey's playing does.

I enjoyed hearing the Peter Green era songs since I think Mike is a better fit for these songs. I was also happy to finally hear Isn't It Midnight live. I was disappointed not to hear Storms especially since it has been replaced with Gypsy which Stevie sings so monotonously and now doesn't even have Lindsey's solo at the end as a saving grace. I also enjoyed hearing Free Falling because at least Stevie is passionate about singing this song.

Are you sure you're not Elle under a false indentity? Because apparently she's the worst person on the planet because she posted a review of no other place that Lindsey's hometown (not Nicks') where he's of course missed because guess what?, he was born there, so naturally he's gonna be missed (not Nicks').

Thanks for using the word 'monotonous' and 'generic'. They're ok and they don't mean the band sucked, but I guess not all of us can take a neutral review the same way. :thumbsup:

mitzo 11-22-2018 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn (Post 1244373)
An old friend of mine used to say "What do you expect from a hog but a grunt?"

Thanks for this, I now have to clean the coffee off my keyboard and screen...

mitzo 11-22-2018 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by button-lip (Post 1244385)
Are you sure you're not Elle under a false indentity? Because apparently she's the worst person on the planet because she posted a review of no other place that Lindsey's hometown (not Nicks') where he's of course missed because guess what?, he was born there, so naturally he's gonna be missed (not Nicks').

Thanks for using the word 'monotonous' and 'generic'. They're ok and they don't mean the band sucked, but I guess not all of us can take a neutral review the same way. :thumbsup:

We are reacting to the fact that it is one of the only negative reviews so far and it was posted here by Elle, whose attitudes to the band and the ousted one are well known here. It is more comical than anything.

button-lip 11-22-2018 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitzo (Post 1244387)
We are reacting to the fact that it is one of the only negative reviews so far and it was posted here by Elle, whose attitudes to the band and the ousted one are well known here. It is more comical than anything.

Many fans’ attitudes here are predictable and well-known, so I guess we can all laugh together.

ali101 11-22-2018 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn (Post 1244374)

Say You Love me
https://youtu.be/unormOXevgE

Gold Dust Woman
https://youtu.be/FialkfDjr1s


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