New Article...Mick with short hair?

[seeknpeace]

Well, it looks like Mick cut his hair, Stevie is unhappy, and no one is gettng laid....

Another Mac attack


They're back. But while the sound of their new album is vintage Fleetwood Mac, and so are some of the disagreements, the coke and cognac have given way to trail mix and fruit juice

By DAVID GIAMMARCO
Special to The Globe and Mail
Saturday, March 29, 2003 - Page R1

LOS ANGELES -- It'll be, better than before yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.
Don't Stop, 1977

The Santa Ana winds are blowing in from the desert, and from Stage 9 at Culver City Studios, the mystically melodic strains of Dreams drifts onto the warm afternoon breeze. "Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions," swirls the unmistakable raspy vocals of rock's gypsy priestess, Stevie Nicks. And for a moment it sounds . . . it feels . . . like summer, 1977.

That year, Fleetwood Mac's album Rumours seized the airwaves, volleying a stream of superbly crafted hits to the top of the charts and unspooling an irresistible -- inescapable -- soundtrack for many people's lives.

But alas, this is not a dream. It's spring, 2003, and the famed members of Fleetwood Mac -- the reigning dysfunctional family of 1970s rock royalty -- are hunkered down in this cavernous sound stage, rehearsing classic tunes and rehashing classic tensions that originally tore the supergroup apart amidst epic indulgences during their hedonistic heyday. Stevie Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, bassist John McVie, and percussionist Mick Fleetwood have reunited for a much-anticipated concert tour -- only the second such occurrence in 21 years -- all in support of an equally remarkable feat: the "classic" Mac's first studio album in 16 years.

Say You Will -- due for release April 15 -- is 18 tracks of exuberant melodies and alluring lyrics, brazenly fused with an instrumental aggression recalling the sprawling innovation of the band's 1979 double-album Tusk.

But while the sound is vintage Fleetwood Mac, the substances fuelling it are not.

In the 1970s and 1980s, copious amounts of cocaine and cognac stoked their frequently stormy sessions. These days, Mick Fleetwood still carries around a plastic baggie, but it's full of trail mix.

These last crucial weeks of preparation before the tour launch finds Nicks fretting -- needlessly, it seems -- over the road-readiness of the band.

"We just literally finished this record, and now we're trying to quickly flip over from recording mode into touring mode in a very compressed period of time," sighs Nicks, explaining that even some of the most renowned Fleetwood Mac tunes need to be relearned for the tour. "Not for me, because I never stopped doing a song like Dreams over the last 2,500 years," she grins, "but Fleetwood Mac hasn't done Dreams since 1997, and that was only briefly for three months on "The Dance" tour.

"Most of these songs I've done on every single one of my tours since I started my solo career in 1982. I've never stopped touring, whereas Lindsey and everyone else haven't played in front of audiences since 1997 . . . I think they're much more nervous about the old stuff than I am."

Buckingham, however, doesn't seem to be sweating it. Rather, the consummate musician is still ruminating the "epic effort" of birthing a new Fleetwood Mac album, something no one -- least of all himself -- imagined happening after his acrimonious departure following 1987's Tango in the Night. "After leaving the band, I was really able to push the envelope on my own . . . so that this coming together really started to make sense in terms of what I could give back," reflects Buckingham, 53, who also engineered and produced Say You Will. But somehow this wouldn't be a true Fleetwood Mac reunion without some expected unease between Buckingham and ex-paramour Nicks.

"I think Stevie is seeing part of this record through some dark colours right now," hints Buckingham later in the afternoon, "only because towards the end we had some conflicts about running order and some other things, and she hasn't quite been able to come out the other end and say, 'Wow, this is really something!'

"I think it's hard for her to feel the catharsis that I'm feeling, and that Mick is feeling . . . it's been hard for her to turn and say, 'Gee, nice job, Lindsey -- thanks for working on my songs for an entire year.' But having said that, which really only speaks of maybe how difficult it got near the end, the whole thing was pretty great."

A perplexed smile then spreads across Buckingham's face. "I must admit," he says, shaking his head, "there did seem to be a weird sense of destiny to all of this."

To fully understand rock n' roll's sudsiest, longest-running soap opera, you must rewind through Fleetwood Mac's private -- but mostly musically documented -- record of inner-group marriages, divorces, affairs, animosities, band defections, drug abuse and alcoholism, back to 1967. That's when Fleetwood and McVie first formed -- alongside guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer -- what was originally a British blues band that gained fame for their hits such as Albatross and Black Magic Woman (which would be re-recorded in 1971 by Carlos Santana to greater success in the U.S.).

By then, however, the first of many odd occurrences began afflicting Fleetwood Mac: In 1970, Green descended into madness after a bad acid trip and left to become a roving religious zealot, while shortly thereafter, Spencer mysteriously disappeared into the Children of God cult. Keyboardist Christine Perfect then joined the band, becoming McVie's wife and infusing their sound with a more pop sensibility. A string of temporary musicians would come and go (including one fired after an affair with Mick Fleetwood's wife) until Fleetwood, having transplanted the band to Los Angeles in 1974, stumbled upon a record by little-known California folk-rock duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. He soon invited the romantically linked pair to join the band, andthen everything coalesced for Fleetwood Mac.

The new lineup's eponymous 1975 album featured a rejuvenated direction into a winsome rock, pop and blues blend that yielded Top 20 singles Over My Head, Say You Love Me, Landslide and, what would become Nicks's signature song, the bewitching Rhiannon. The album soared to No. 1 and sold over five million copies, but that unexpected triumph would be dwarfed by the monster lurking just around the corner.

In 1976, Mick Fleetwood marshalled the troops up the California coast to Sausalito, where over the course of a year-long stint at the Record Plant, the blood and guts of their romantic meltdowns spilled into the recording studio. John and Christine McVie divorced, Buckingham and Nicks split and Fleetwood separated from his wife.

"Usually when you have a bad breakup, you aren't still locked up together all day," says Nicks, dressed in her trademark Dickensian attire of wispy lace and flowing chiffon. "It was so intense every day, so heavy . . . it was like being in the army. I was never as exhausted in my whole life as when we were doing that album." That album was, of course, Rumours, named by McVie as a nod to the scandals surrounding the band, which arrived like a hurricane in February, 1977, to spend 31 weeks at No. 1.

To date, Rumours has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it the second biggest-selling album of all time. Ironically, that made the path between then and now an even rockier road for Fleetwood Mac, faced with having to match that mammoth success. The band was next spurred on largely by Buckingham in 1979 to record a complete about face: the wildly experimental double album Tusk. But despite selling millions of copies, Tusk was deemed a commercial failure.

Virtually imprisoned by near-mythic expectations and vastly deteriorating relations, the band still soldiered on throughout the decade to record two more albums: 1982's Mirage and 1987's Tango in the Night. By then, however, both Nicks and Buckingham had branched out into successful solo careers, and the band slowly eroded despite Fleetwood's best efforts to keep everyone together. "Sometimes I wish I played another instrument, but I'm a drummer, so I inherently need to have a band to play with and I'm relatively useless without that," explains Fleetwood with a shrug. " I was always playing the mediator and trying to make things work and keep everyone happy -- at a great cost to my private life, my marriage, my time with my children."

Neatly attired in a crisp white shirt, jeans and with now short gray hair, Fleetwood looks far more distinguished than in his "eccentric Keith Moon days" and he partially blames himself for the disintegration of his beloved band. "During the 'crazy' times towards the end of the eighties, my life was so involved in alcohol and drugs and just having a good time, that my managerial skills were completely blunted out," he admits.

"Stevie and Lindsey both know that I'm not a maniac any more," adds Fleetwood with a laugh. "That feels good."

The undeniable propellant of Fleetwood Mac has always been the potent chemistry between Buckingham and Nicks -- often taking the form of vicious lyrical battles -- as when Buckingham jabs in Go Your Own Way: "Packing up, shacking up is all you want to do." Though they each have indeed gone their own way personally (Buckingham is recently married with two young children), it's apparent there still exists some unresolved heartache for the pair, who have known each other since high school. "It's a curse," Nicks admits quite candidly. "And if I really was a witch, you know that's the first thing that I would make stop. But there's been nothing I could ever do to fix that."

"Yeah, I'm sure Stevie and I still have a few conversations to have," concedes Buckingham, who also figures those old demons probably helped spark the vitality heard on Say You Will. "There was certainly a period of time during the making of this album where it felt like we were really going at it through the music. You can really feel the energy between us . . . I don't think that's ever going to go away."

How such tensions could produce such exquisite harmonies remains one of the most enduring -- and endearing -- enigmas surrounding Fleetwood Mac. "People say that to me all the time," admits Nicks with a smile. "They'll say stuff like, 'I'm sorry that you guys had to be so miserable and suffer so much, but we're really glad that you did because otherwise, we wouldn't have these songs.' So it's all been a real Catch-22 situation."

Though Buckingham feels Say You Will represents the "healing" of Fleetwood Mac, there is one valuable link missing: Christine McVie. The elegant songbird opted out of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle after briefly tasting it again on "The Dance" tour in 1997, and the band decided that she couldn't do the record if not prepared to tour. In hindsight, Buckingham feels it was maybe for the best.

"One of the things that made this album as strong as it is, oddly enough, is the fact that Christine was absent," he says. "Because on a musical level, you have more room for Mick, John and myself to manoeuvre. And on an emotional level, the absence of Christine gave John an opportunity to be a little more down in himself, a little grittier, and not so on his guard. Because the occasional button might have gotten pushed being around Christine."

What originally started off as Buckingham's fourth solo album, Say You Will evolved into a Mac reunion when a regime change at Warner Brothers forced Buckingham to reconsider releasing his project amidst the corporate uncertainties. While waiting for the dust to settle, Buckingham invited Fleetwood and McVie to help lay down some tracks, and from there, "the gravity of Fleetwood Mac just sucked me in," he smiles. "It was just like old times."

Once Nicks became involved, Buckingham had already rented a house in Bel Air to record, which he says further helped to provide a revived communal spirit for the band. And according to Fleetwood, the experience helped erase some of their painful past. "It was very different," he laughs. "I mean, there was no drug abuse, no alcohol abuse, no romances falling apart, no midnight creeping from door-to-door and sleeping with each other . . . we're all very different people now."

[BlueGrass]

Great article. I think I've read those Lindsey lines a few times brefore though, lol.

[jmn3]

Lindsey, repeat lines? No, never!!

[seeknpeace]

Lindsey, repeat lines? No, never!!

Lindsey stuck in a cycle? hahaha..never...

[wondergirl9847]

I'd rather he repeat himself ad nauseum then to change his stories constantly.

[tuigirl]

Yes indeedy..very good article...I just hope that Stevie gets her act together, and becomes a team player in the upcoming tour as much as Mick and Linds appear to want to do!

[BlueGrass]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
I'd rather he repeat himself ad nauseum then to change his stories constantly.

Easy, I just this it is comical how he repeated several o fhis quotes word for word from the 2 guitar magazines. LOL

[seteca]

Originally posted by seeknpeace
Neatly attired in a crisp white shirt, jeans and with now short gray hair, Fleetwood looks far more distinguished than in his "eccentric Keith Moon days"......

He's gonna look really weird!! It's surely the first time he's cut his hair since Fleetwood Mac first formed...? If anyone has a picture please post it!

[seeknpeace]

Let me know when LB head explodes...

This could be imminent...hahaha..

[Janet]

I know whats wrong with Stevie, but Im not saying it.

But its a shame and I wish ...I wish so much. I feel the same sadness she does I guess.



Im sure Mick didn't cut his hair...too weird.

[DownOnRodeo]

Do you mean about how Lindsey and Mick have little kids? If that's what you mean I could imagine.

[FiercestCalmSea]

Do you mean about how Lindsey and Mick have little kids? If that's what you mean I could imagine.

If this is what you are talking about..I can just imagine how much it must get to her.I mean,until the last few years,it wasn't as much of an issue..but now..she has four little kids who she probably has to see quite often..and their dads are her former love interests...but they aren't her babies..eesh..that would throw me for a loop...

[wetcamelfood]

I don't mean to pour gas on a fire here as this is JMHO and I'm not trying to get anyone to think like me and I personally couldn't care less "what's upsetting SN" as I still think this is just media hype etc. anyways BUT IF IT IS "kids" that is her "problem", I really don't think she has a case. There seems to be this big assumption on her part that if she had kids FM "would've broken up" and that is ridiculous as it's been proven that others, even women she apparently likes such as Grace Slick have had kids (and yes, back in those days, so it can't be said that it was due to "the times" as to why she thought that way) while in a band and the bands in question still continued and she can't use the excuse of being a solo artist either as she would have had all the more time to do it (or have done it) then as Madonna among others have proven. Besides, going from what I've read and seen her say (and I admit that I'm not big on interviews myself so there may very well be a good reason for this that I'm not aware of and if so, then please do let me know), she always goes on about he she apparently used to sit down the hall from the studio doing her crocheting (sp?) (or whatever) until they needed her to come in and do the vocals for albums (and we all know how long it takes them (even back in those days) to put together an album) so all she had to do was ASK/TELL the other members of FM (rather than assuming "what would happen") that she wanted to have kids and WHILE they were doing there stuff without her (in essence, based on what she's said she used to do while the others were putting the records together), she could've done it and then after having the kid the album would then be ready for her to put her vocals on (and the same would apply to any other kids she could've had) so it really wouldn't have changed anything much anyways. The only difference being that she'd be knitting in the hospital room rather than the room down the hall from the studio. She's got no one to blame but herself on this one if this is the problem, IMO. However, do let me/us know here if there is a reason for this as I admit, I'm not aware of one not reading up on all the interviews etc. and it just seemed too much of a no brainer really as I couldn't figure out why it ever was a "problem" in the first place but I'm sure there's a good reason so do post about it here if anyone knows what that reason is OK?

John

[seeknpeace]

and their dads are her former love interests...but they aren't her babies..eesh..that would throw me for a loop...

Well, If indeed the children are her problem, we all know that she made a decision to not have them long ago. And, yes, Grace Slick and the like had them and continued, but, not the way that Stevie has, being part of a band and having a successful solo career, and FMac were the worst for being on the road during a tour non stop. I think the thing for Stevie, from what I have read, is that she knew that she would want to be a full time mom and could not see herself dragging a child on the road. She knew that she preferred what she felt born to do.

Now, that doesn't mean that she may not have questions about her choices. Decisions you make at one point in your life may feel different at another. I have known many women who said without hesitation that they did not want kids only to change their minds. Stevie has to wonder what if she had kids, she will see the comfort and joy brought to her band mates from their families. She made a lot of decisions that, while she may not actually regret them, she has to wonder and be sad. I would be. I have no greater pleasure and joy in my life than my five daughters, and 7 grandchildren. As Stevie ages and goes into the next phase, I think that some things will feel differently and maybe already do.

[Janet]

Its not kids thats her problem I THINK....I think it's the fact that she's lonely.

Lindsey was always the lone ranger for years. She hadn't found true love but deep inside she probably felt a tiny bit better because her soul mate hadn't either. She said maybe when they are 60 and still single , they will get married.

I don't think she wanted marriage with him, but maybe she had wished he had taken her path with her...the single loner who's music means more than anything.

Lindsey broke that and got married, had kids and probably has changed ALOT. Maybe Stevie has been uneasy with that...and the fact she's the only woman, and the fact that this record was mostly done without her around...and the fact she didn't have more control or songs...and the fact that she just isn't 100% satisfied. They probably were being pushed hard and she even harder since she had to come from a solo tour to do this.

I just hope it all works itsself out before the tour!