Gift of Screws Reviews

[michelej1]

[Lindsey's album was reviewed with Brian Wilson and Randy Newman's, on a side note, with Nick Reynolds' death, Revenge of the Budgie is getting a lot of attention in the obituaries]

Houston Chronicle, October 3, 2008

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...c/6038751.html

More than Wilson and certainly more than Newman, Buckingham had his time as an arena-rock guy. But inside Fleetwood Mac's chain he was always an unusual link. Buckingham, like Wilson -- and, for that matter, Newman -- was a con-trol-freak artiste rather than a singer-songwriter in a band. Further complicating his role as band guy were his avant-garde leanings.

Gift of Screws is Buckingham's most enjoyable mess since the Mac released Tusk. Just as Tusk should've been a Buckingham album, Gift of Screws, as presented, is different than how he imagined it years ago when he started the project. In between he kicked some songs over to Fleetwood Mac's middling Say You Will and some to 2006's largely acoustic Under the Skin.

In short, his original vision for Gift got screwed. But the salvaged project plays well.

The opener Great Day has nice moodiness and some superb guitar parts (including a prickly closing solo) before Buckingham gets really strange on Time Precious Time, with its rolling acoustic guitar and repetitive anti-chorus.

Elsewhere, Buckingham lets his freak flag fly, namely on the finger-picking workout Bel Air Rain. But several songs also sound a little Mac-ready. Did You Miss Me is the least interesting of them, with a predicable chorus and a beat that runs in place.

Love Runs Deeper, on the other hand, is a hammer of a pop single. The production is effective if a bit frustrating, throwing pre-chorus drums into your face with such thrust as to make your eyes water. Regardless, it's a chorus that sticks around long after the album has played out.

The Right Place to Fade is also Mac-ready, sounding a little like some unfinished business from Second Hand News. These two songs are interesting because both would've likely found radio time in the late '80s, when Fleetwood Mac could still be heard on modern rock radio. Those days are done, so you're going to need a satellite to intervene if you want to hear either on a car radio.

Maybe these three musicians have more differences than similarities. One has an Oscar. One's not yet 60. One's big on vocal arrangements, one's an impeccable lyricist, one plays a guitar like his shirt's on fire.

So what do the three have in common? Southern California, sure. None will have a radio hit from their latest record. All are interested in more than three chords and the truth.

And all three -- at their best, certainly -- suggest that you can leave physical vigor to those who prefer the treadmill. As for the creative stuff, good pop songs don't involve expiration dates.

[michelej1]

Newark Star Ledger, October 3, 2008

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/musi..._recent_p.html

ON A ROCKIN' ROLL
"Gift of Screws"
Lindsey Buckingham
(Warner Bros.)


There are rumors that Fleetwood Mac is starting up again, but Lindsey Buckingham is on a solo roll, with two live DVDs and the mostly acoustic studio album, "Under the Skin," under his belt since 2005. The singer-guitarist -- who turned 59 yesterday -- now presents his best solo disc yet, rocking more than the last and brimming with links to the Mac's heyday.

Full of joyous hooks and ringing, piled-high guitars, the should-be-a-smash "Love Runs Deeper" is like "Go Your Own Way" without the angst. A handful of songs even feature the Mick Fleetwood/John McVie rhythm section, including the title track -- a wacky stomp that channels the unhinged side of Buckingham familiar from "Tusk." Another in a vintage vein is the "Wait for You," a bit of the old Buckingham darkness woven into the keening guitar licks and headlong groove. The album also finds room for the chiming pop of "Did You Miss Me?"

[michelej1]

The Onion, AV Club, September 30, 2008

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/87535

eviewed by Keith Phipps
September 30th, 2008
Apparently no one showed Lindsey Buckingham the script, the one that almost all rock stars from past eras seem to follow: 1) Get tired and bitter. 2) Try to keep up with current trends, then ape the sounds that first brought fame, then turn out indistinguishable albums as excuses for tours where fans wait for the oldies. Instead, after a long break between solo projects punctuated by Fleetwood Mac reunions, Buckingham has spent the back half of this decade releasing albums charged with young-buck energy and steered by veteran assurance.

Gift Of Screws doesn't pack the shock of Buckingham's 2006 album Under The Skin, if only because it lacks that album's sustained commitment to spare, hushed sounds. Instead, much of Gift features fleshed-out songs—John McVie and Mick Fleetwood join Buckingham on a few tracks—but the studio wizardry Buckingham has developed since Tusk has been honed to a fine point. The cascading of guitars and multi-tracked vocals are here not because they can be, but because they need to be to serve Buckingham's reflective, sometimes blazing autumnal rock. It's a delicately crafted album that alternately rages against the dying of the light and sounds resigned to it, even if Buckingham's particular light sounds in no danger of burning out soon.

A.V. Club Rating: B+

[shackin'up]

The cascading of guitars and multi-tracked vocals are here not because they can be, but because they need to be to serve Buckingham's reflective, sometimes blazing autumnal rock. It's a delicately crafted album that alternately rages against the dying of the light and sounds resigned to it, even if Buckingham's particular light sounds in no danger of burning out soon.

Wow. I say Wow. what a great lines here, I could have said it myself .

This review sounds to me at least as an A-. So what's that B+?

[David]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Wow. I say Wow. what a great lines here, I could have said it myself .

http://www.bigeye.com/donotgo.htm

[michelej1]

Kelowna Capital News (Canada), October 7, 2008

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_.../30599049.html

Lindsey Buckingham: Gift Of Screws (Reprise)

Lindsey Buckingham was one of the driving forces behind Fleetwood Mac in the mid to late ’70s when their eponymous album and Rumours album sold mega platinum.

He releases solo albums only sporadically but Gift Of Screws (named after poet Emily Dickinson) is Buckingham’s unprecedented second solo album in just three years.

If Buckingham’s recording sales were equal to his critical acclaim he would be more of a household name but the 50-year-old rocker hasn’t enjoyed a top 10 hit since 1984’s Go Insane.

Maybe this explains in part his dour looking, out of focus, post arrest-like cover photo on this new CD liner.

But Gift Of Screws is a pretty solid album of adult alternative pop where Buckingham often records as a one man band.

Old Fleetwood Mac vets Mick Fleetwood and John McVie help out on a couple of tunes including the bluesy stand out Waiting For You.

The current single is the straight up and accessible pop tune Did You Miss Me that features Buckingham’s obvious sharp hooks—just like his minor hit Holiday Road from National Lampoon’s Vacation soundtrack.

My fave tune here is the title track which is a one-off garage/glam rocker that sorta reminded me of Tommy James & The Shondells.

No doubt old Fleetwood Mac and Buckingham fans will scoop this up while critics claim another fine album gets criminally overlooked by radio.

B

[michelej1]

Telegraph Journal (Canada East), 10-8-2008

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/article/440870

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM - GIFT OF SCREWS (Warner)

Buckingham finally comes up with the solo album fans have always wanted. He's long been torn between chart expectations with Fleetwood Mac and flights of fancy when he gets on his own. Here, he finds the happy medium between experimentation and merry melodies. While there are no great statements, there is lots of great playing and singing, led by some scorching guitar by the underrated axeman. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie show up for cameos, and with Christine McVie retired, one wonders if it wouldn't just be better for the three to form a power trio, rather than forcing Stevie Nicks on the road again, which is no doubt in the works for next summer's reunion season.

[michelej1]

Pitt News (University of Pittsburgh)

http://www.pittnews.com/arts_enterta...am_s_newest_cd

Fleetwood Mac lives on in Buckingham's newest CD
Larissa Gula

Staff Writer

Print this article
Share this article Published: Thursday, October 9, 2008

Updated: Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The newest relief from schoolwork comes in the form of an album that features a smooth mix of drum and guitar from a classic rock staple.

Lindsey Buckingham, best known for being one of the creative forces behind Fleetwood Mac, released his sixth solo album Gift of Screws last month.

Buckingham maintains his well-known, old-school style on his new album, sounding similar to Fleetwood Mac.

In fact, seven songs originally meant for Gift of Screws were removed because of requests to record them with the newest Fleetwood Mac group in 2001, which leaves 10 songs for solo-fans to dig into.

It’s a comfort to hear the softer and older sounds in the days of blaring metal and rap, a reminder that there is a capacity to express emotion through music.

Buckingham fills his album with emotional lyrics that he sings with his sometimes raspy but smooth voice. The music consists mainly of prettily plucked guitar parts and light drums.

The first track, “Great Day,” is entirely about Buckingham spotting a broken-hearted woman caught in riverbed currents. The song ends with Buckingham going from “today was a great day” to “it wasn’t such a great day” — perhaps admitting in the end that his life is just downright terrible at the time.

Looking for a song to remember past relationships? Buckingham’s third track, “Did you Miss Me,” is a tribute to high school relationships come and gone but remembered dearly.

“Love Runs Deeper” has a screaming guitar and proclaims, “Love runs deeper from a broken home / Black angel can’t be alone / Love runs deeper from the underground.” If your hopes are easily crushed, avoid the sixth track, “Bel Air Rain.”

Sadly, the song holds the theme that the insanity of life eventually causes people to give up. People who were once “fighting for a cause” find that they “can’t remember anymore.” Maybe it’s time to give up the lost cause and conform with society.

A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Buckingham came a long way from the days of playing on his toy Mickey Mouse guitar. He has been active in soundtracking for movies, such as “Back to the Future,” performing for politicians and taking part in various Fleetwood Mac reinventions, as well as promoting his solo career.

Take the time to absorb Buckingham. His music does not just have to represent good and fun entertainment. One lyric may be all it takes to rethink the principles one lives by, so choose your lyrics wisely.

[michelej1]

Lexington Herald Leader,
http://www.kentucky.com/696/story/548941.html

Critic's Pick: Lindsey Buckingham
By Walter Tunis Contributing Music Critic

Gift of Screws


The origins of Gift of Screws supposedly go back a decade or more. Return, if you will, to 1998 as pop maestro Lindsey Buckingham was basking in the aftermath of a high profile (and highly profitable) Fleetwood Mac reunion. The next move was a solo record, which Buckingham traditionally takes his ever-loving time to fashion. The album was near completion when Fleetwood Mac surfaced again with the desire to make a new recording of its own. Buckingham then gutted the original Gift of Screws project and offered prime selections to the band that made him a celebrity. He then veered off for a quieter, predominantly acoustic record in 2006 called Under the Skin.


Now we have a reconstituted Gift of Screws. The title tune might reference the poetry of Emily Dickinson in verse, but the song's low-fi pop crunch, jittery guitar patterns and howling chorus are very much the devices of Buckingham. These are elements of a lean and slightly twisted pop vocabulary that, once freed from Fleetwood Mac's more commercial demands, take full flight on Buckingham's solo ventures.


You could say the Dickinson parallel doesn't stop with Gift of Screws' namesake song. While Buckingham's artistic life might not approximate the great poet's largely solitary existence, he does tend to turn his albums into essentially one-man band affairs. Gift of Screws is no different. Aside from a few appearances by Fleetwood Mac's venerable rhythm section (drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie) and two cameos by Cuban drummer Walfredo Reyes (from Santana, Traffic and others), Buckingham drew up these pop sketches largely on his own.


Indulgent as this might seem, there is a familiarity within this methodology. Time Precious Time and Bel Air Rain, for instance, sound like flip sides of the same song. Both employ the sorts of descending guitar arpeggios that Buckingham has favored since late '80s Fleetwood Mac's Big Love — and maybe even earlier. On Time, the strings have a light, almost harplike sound that suits Buckingham's breathy, meditative singing. Rain, though, is all tension. The song is essentially an elongated nervous tic with guitars beating against its melody and Buckingham's harried singing advancing the tune's restlessness.


The spirit of Brian Wilson, which never seems to be too far from Buckingham's music, revisits on Underground. The song creates a cool ambience out of multitracked backing vocals, a warmer acoustic stride and lyrics that bear a modestly bittersweet sense of resignation. It's a sad song at heart. But the lightness of the arrangement makes the tune positively glow. Underground's evil twin is the album-opening Great Day, on which the acoustic runs are more brittle and the layers of Buckingham's vocal makeup bear a darker, more desperate cast.


Finally, there are moments when Buckingham tightens the reins, plugs in and takes merry old stabs at rock 'n' roll. Case in point on Gift of Screws is Love Runs Deeper. It serves up the sort of killer melodic hooks that Buckingham dispensed with ease during the height of his Fleetwood Mac tenure. But the tune also retains its homemade, demolike demeanor. It sounds like the second coming of Tusk.


So, the rock reinvention of Dickinson this isn't. But Gift of Screws does possess a potent solitary streak. You hear tradition. You hear groove. But the pop vision behind this arresting music sounds distinctive because Buckingham caters to no one's muse but his own

[michelej1]

Midwest Record, 10-11-2008

http://www.midwestrecord.com/2008/10/11/101108/

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM/Gift of Screws: The forward thinking Mr. Buckingham has made an album with mp3 players in mind. After listening to this in the car, on the computer and on mp3, those crappy little earbuds turn this into a headphone symphony of old school proportions. Focusing on what he can do with an ax, the songs follow the pyrotechnics making this into that kind of after hours jam you would get if Fleetwood Mac was auditioning Joe Satriani. Buckingham doesn’t adhere to anything and makes the kind of set that charges up the guitar fan’s blood. Easy to follow if you’re a long time fan, don’t dive in if your expecting the long overdue pop follow up to “Trouble” but do check it out if you have no problem with Liddy Buck’s flights of fancy.

[michelej1]

Time Out New York, October 19, 2008

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/event...sey-buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham
Nokia Theatre Times Square

1515 Broadway (at 44th St)
Midtown West | Map

212-307-7171

Subway: N, Q, R, W, 42nd St S, 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd St–Times Sq | Directions

Prices

Tickets: $46.50, $56.50, $71.50

Description
As the guitarist, singer and arguable braintrust of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham sold more than 100 million records. The strangest part about this is that the records are kind of arty—and his recent solo work sounds a helluva lot more like Devendra Banhart than, say, Billy Joel. He’s in town behind Gift of Screws—not as witchy as its predecessor (Under the Skin) but still bent and groovy.

[michelej1]

Antimusic.com

http://www.antimusic.com/reviews/08/...ofScrews.shtml

Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws Review

by Kevin Wierzbicki. * * * * *


Buckingham has put out half a dozen solo albums now but none of those efforts, however successful, reached the heights attained by Fleetwood Mac during his tenure with that group. It's been widely accepted at this point that Buckingham was/is the mastermind behind the Mac and he's come right out and stated that he considers the band's Tusk album to in reality be his first solo effort. That sentiment is flipped around on Gift of Screws, where as a solo artist Buckingham has made his most Fleetwood Mac-like album. Buckingham tunes into the Mac vibe right from the get-go, leading off the album with a mash-up of "Tusk" and "World Turning" called "Great Day." "Time Precious Time" features a haunting, breathy vocal as Buckingham contemplates the inevitability of aging while rapidly finger-picking his acoustic guitar, creating a sparkling waterfall of notes that slip by as quickly as the days of our lives. Unlike most of the album, "Time Precious Time" is not a radio-ready sing-along but it is a reminder that Buckingham's musicianship goes far beyond his penchant for crafting hit singles. "Did You Miss Me," on the other hand, has the classic Fleetwood Mac sound and the listener can't help but think that either Stevie Nicks or Christine McVie is going to chime in on vocals at any moment. "Wait for You," "The Right Place to Fade" and "Love Runs Deeper" all could have fit nicely on Rumours or Fleetwood Mac. So could have the introspective "Bel Air Rain," another acoustic guitar and spectral vocal showcase where Buckingham refers to having "gone insane," perhaps a reference to the personal problems suffered by the members of Fleetwood Mac or to the same lifestyle that inspired his Go Insane album. A couple of cuts later Buckingham sounds like he actually has gone mad, faux laughing hysterically on the lyrically vague rave-up "Gift of Screws." The cackle though, really is appropriate. As mad scientists of pop music go, Buckingham is working in a lab all his own.

[macpai]

Originally Posted by michelej1

A couple of cuts later Buckingham sounds like he actually has gone mad, faux laughing hysterically on the lyrically vague rave-up "Gift of Screws." The cackle though, really is appropriate. As mad scientists of pop music go, Buckingham is working in a lab all his own.

I found the cackle strangely soothing. Like "there's my buddy Lindsey." Warped or what??

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by macpai

I found the cackle strangely soothing. Like "there's my buddy Lindsey." Warped or what??

It's signature. I remember when I first heard Time Bomb Town, with all the breathy eeeks and hiccups, the crazy sounds and I eagerly embraced it as being the essence of Lindsey and I think of Gift of Screws the same way. Michele

[macpai]

Originally Posted by michelej1

It's signature. I remember when I first heard Time Bomb Town, with all the breathy eeeks and hiccups, the crazy sounds and I eagerly embraced it as being the essence of Lindsey and I think of Gift of Screws the same way. Michele

Oh good. Thanks, Michele. I feel better.