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Album reviews: Lindsey Buckingham and Duke Ellington
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September 08, 2011 12:00 AM
Jon Dawson
Staff Writer
New album: Seeds We Sow
Artist: Lindsey Buckingham
Label: Mind Kit Records
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
There was a time when it took Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham three or four years to make an album. Was this due to laziness?
No, it was due to the fact that Buckingham was a perfectionist; every note would be considered, doubled and overdubbed into infinity to achieve a razor-sharp sound that enthralled some and had others wondering what the man had against spontaneity.
Since the reboot of his solo career in 2006, Buckingham has been doing much to undo his reputation as the Stanley Kubrick of rock and roll. His most recent work (“Under the Skin” – 2006, “Gift of Screws” – 2008) showcases Buckingham’s newfound appreciation for the stripped-down approach. While the man who masterminded all those Fleetwood Mac hits of the 1970s/80s still knows how to craft a great piece of pop music, the new approach allows the performances to breathe, thus creating an intimacy that couldn’t respirate within the confines of a song with massive, claustrophobic production.
Buckingham — who played all of the instruments on 10 of the 11 tracks — also recorded and mixed the album himself, along with releasing it through his own record label. The ability to do everything himself without the interference of a major label seems to have invigorated Buckingham, as “Seeds We Sow” sounds more like the energetic work of a young independent artist than that of a mainstream veteran well into his fifth decade on the planet.
The new songs are propelled mainly by Buckingham’s fiery-picked acoustic guitar, hugely reminiscent of his stunning solo performance of “Big Love” from Fleetwood Mac’s “The Dance.” “Illumination” rumbles along with drum accompaniment that wouldn’t be out of place on a Red Hot Chili Peppers record, but when the chorus kicks in with those harmonies that made him a rich man, Buckingham successfully merges the elements that made him a star with those that have allowed him to grow as an artist.
“When She Comes Down” begins as a mid-tempo ballad of the later-day Fleetwood Mac variety, but this eventually gives way to a tsunami of reverb-drenched vocals that recall the psychedelia of Tommy James and The Shondells “Crimson and Clover.” “Rock Away Blind” propels itself towards the listener with rapid-fire musical flourishes and arching vocals that are so cleverly arranged you’ll hardly notice it’s just a man and his guitar.
For “That’s the Way that Love Goes,” Buckingham brings in a band and injects a good dose of revved-up rock to the proceedings. The most Fleetwood Mac-ish track on the album, “End of Time,” is almost begging for Mac-mates Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks to jump in on the chorus, but Buckingham’s own multi-layered vocal does it justice.
Buckingham has apparently unfurled his third digit to the record industry, which means you’ll probably never hear his new music on the radio again, but those who take the time to check out what he’s doing will be rewarded for their effort.