Fleetwood Mac (Deluxe Edition) Box set

[SisterNightroad]

Album Reviews: Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac (Deluxe Edition), Plus Andrew Sheppard, Sue Foley, Sam Lewis

I can’t listen to Fleetwood Mac’s eponymous 1975 album without thinking of a lunch meeting I had in New York City early in the year before its release. I had arranged an interview with a folk duo called Carlson and Gailmor, whose debut LP was about to come out, and a publicist at their record company had asked for a favor: Would I mind if another fledgling duo joined us for lunch? This couple, explained the publicist, were still working on their own first album for the label and would not be expecting an interview; they wanted to come along merely to get a sense of what it was like to deal with the media and what kinds of questions they might face from journalists if their careers ultimately did take off.
I said “sure,” and the couple met us for lunch. The details of our conversation have been lost to time, but I do remember that they seemed ambitious. At any rate, we shook hands after our meal and said goodbye. In the months that followed, Carlson and Gailmor’s album flopped. Meanwhile, the tag-along couple’s LP came out in September and arrived in my mailbox. It didn’t make much of an impression on me, and it didn’t sell any better than the Carlson and Gailmor album.

But early the next year, I read some news about this southern California duo, whose names were Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks: on New Year’s Eve, they’d joined a long-lived but struggling British blues/rock band called Fleetwood Mac. It seems that the group’s Mick Fleetwood had listened to Buckingham Nicks, the pair’s album, and heard what I and many other listeners had missed. Mick was floored by Buckingham’s work, and soon he and his bandmates John and Christine McVie and were just as blown away by Nicks—and by the magic that resulted when the duo collaborated with them.

The quintet’s first album together—recorded in January and February of 1975 and released that July—is called simply Fleetwood Mac. Self-titled albums are typically debuts (and, in fact, the group’s 1968 first LP also bore that title), but the moniker was appropriate. Fleetwood Mac had been around for the better part of a decade and had issued nine previous albums, but the addition of Buckingham and Nicks had resulted in what was essentially a new band.

And what a band they were. Their “debut” album—the group’s first chart-topper, though it took 15 months to crawl to No. 1—produced three hit singles, Christine McVie’s infectious “Say You Love Me” and sublime “Over My Head”; and Stevie Nicks’s “Rhiannon,” which instantly established her as a world-class vocalist. And every one of the other eight tracks is just about as good.

Buckingham and Nicks contribute mightily, but so do the other three members, who seem to garner fresh inspiration from the new lineup. Christine McVie particularly shines, both as songwriter and vocalist. Alternating between rhythmic power pop and sweet ballads, the album overflows with rhythm, shimmering harmonies, passion, and energy. The lyrics, virtually all about romantic relationships, are fine too. (Has there ever been a more cogent couplet about the conflicted feelings that a troubled new love affair can generate than Christine McVie’s “You can take me to paradise, and then again you can be cold as ice / I’m over my head, oh, but it sure feels nice”?)

The album was remastered and rereleased in 2004 with five bonus tracks, but that was nothing compared with the reissue at hand, which includes three CDs, an LP containing the remastered original album on 180g vinyl; and an audio DVD with a 5.1 surround mix and 24/96 stereo audio of the original album and 24/96 stereo audio of its singles. There’s also an LP-sized booklet that includes lyrics, credits, photos, and an extensive essay by journalist David Wild.

In addition to remastered versions of Fleetwood Mac’s 11 tracks, the first CD includes remasters of the album’s four singles, three of which feature alternate mixes. (The fourth, “Over My Head,” is a completely different take.) The 17 tracks on disc two offer early versions of all of the album’s songs, presented in the same sequence as the released LP, plus live readings of “Rhiannon,” “World Turning,” “I’m So Afraid,” an instrumental jam, and a fine Christine McVie vehicle called “Why” (a number that first surfaced on 1973’s Mystery to Me). The 14-track third CD delivers performances from the tour that followed the album’s release. It includes six songs that appear on Fleetwood Mac as well as such earlier high points as Christine’s “Spare Me a Little” (from 1972’s Bare Trees).

If you don’t have the original record, the decision to get this reissue should be a no-brainer; and even if you have it, you shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade: the remastering and live tracks are excellent; and while the early versions are generally not quite as good as the released ones, they’re nevertheless invariably excellent and interesting. Best of all is the DVD’s surround-sound version of Fleetwood Mac, which adds immeasurably to the listening experience.

If you’re on a tight budget, be advised that you can buy an edition of this reissue that includes only the first two CDs—no concert disc, no LP, and no DVD. You might save more than 50 bucks, but you might also wind up regretting your decision, especially if you later get to hear a friend’s copy of the DVD.


http://www.themortonreport.com/enter...ley-sam-lewis/

[secondhandchain]

Is it me or is "get like you used to be" VERY similar to Don't Stop? Especially live. And Station man live has a very similar feel to "Say You love me".

[AnthonyMI]

Originally Posted by secondhandchain

Is it me or is "get like you used to be" VERY similar to Don't Stop? Especially live. And Station man live has a very similar feel to "Say You love me".

Say You Love me is Similar to Think About Me is similar to Red Sun.

i think they are all the same key. Written by the same songwriter. They are all very similar in progression and even arrangement. Piano/keyboard driven, and the same people playing.

[jbrownsjr]

Big Love = Everybody Finds Out = Doing What I Can

Dreams = Sable On Blonde...

I'm So Afraid = Carnival Begin

Say You Love Me = Sugar Daddy

And the lists go on and on..

[secondhandchain]

If you listen to these two in particular live from the deluxe editionm the whole sound of the song is amazingly similar. Get like you used to be even has the drum shuffle, and the guitar lead (and tone) could have been lifted from Don't Stop.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by secondhandchain

If you listen to these two in particular live from the deluxe editionm the whole sound of the song is amazingly similar. Get like you used to be even has the drum shuffle, and the guitar lead (and tone) could have been lifted from Don't Stop.

You mean Don''t Stop was lifted from Get Like You Used to Be.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Big Love = Everybody Finds Out = Doing What I Can

Dreams = Sable On Blonde...

I'm So Afraid = Carnival Begin

Say You Love Me = Sugar Daddy

And the lists go on and on..

Friend and You Make Loving Fun

It was interesting to learn in the Wild Heart deluxe release that Stevie purposely wanted Sable on Blonde to sound like Dreams. Originally Mick did not play drums but it was purposely arranged to sound like Dreams. Sometimes things are by accident or by muscle memory on the keyboard but Sable on Blonde was done on purpose.

[iamnotafraid]

American Express Rewards at Amazon.

$30.00

Don't know how long it will last but if you use
an American Express Card that has reward points
you can save up to $30.00 on a purchase of $60.00
or more.

You have to "clip" the coupon and buy something
that is sold from Amazon (no third-party) and use
your existing AmEx points to purchase. Read the
details at Amazon.

That makes the Deluxe Version of FM available for
approximately $50.00 ($80.01 - $30.00).

The coupon can be found near the top of the page
while viewing your cart.

Make sure you see the discount applied before you
purchase. Rusty, Alec or even myself not responsible.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Friend and You Make Loving Fun

It was interesting to learn in the Wild Heart deluxe release that Stevie purposely wanted Sable on Blonde to sound like Dreams. Originally Mick did not play drums but it was purposely arranged to sound like Dreams. Sometimes things are by accident or by muscle memory on the keyboard but Sable on Blonde was done on purpose.

You And I/ On With The Show
World Turning/Too Far Gone

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

You And I/ On With The Show
World Turning/Too Far Gone

Book of Miracles / Juliet


(keep it going)

[secondhandchain]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

You mean Don''t Stop was lifted from Get Like You Used to Be.

I guess you guys don't know what I mean. I meant the sound of the instruments mostly. Get like it used to be has the drum shuffle, the exact same guitar sound, and piano banging sound Don't Stop. I don't see how Friend and You make loving fun are a like at all in that regard. I get the Carnival Begin/I"m so afraid reference.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by secondhandchain

I guess you guys don't know what I mean. I meant the sound of the instruments mostly. Get like it used to be has the drum shuffle, the exact same guitar sound, and piano banging sound Don't Stop. I don't see how Friend and You make loving fun are a like at all in that regard. I get the Carnival Begin/I"m so afraid reference.

YMLF and Friend have almost the exact same keyboard groove. How can you not hear it?
The first time I heard Friend, I was like ....Its just like YMLF. It was nothing I had to try to hear.
We were just referencing songs that are similar or have stolen parts. For example Juliet was taken from Book of Miracles. I think our songs are just as strong as yours.
But I guess you don't know what we mean

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by secondhandchain

I guess you guys don't know what I mean. I meant the sound of the instruments mostly. Get like it used to be has the drum shuffle, the exact same guitar sound, and piano banging sound Don't Stop. I don't see how Friend and You make loving fun are a like at all in that regard. I get the Carnival Begin/I"m so afraid reference.

I know exactly what you mean. It's just that Get was written long before Don't Stop. So GLYUTB isn't like Don't Stop. It's the other way around.

Having said that. I think Christine's playing on GLYUTB is incredible.
I listen to what she does after her solo during LB's solo. Wow, her blues feel is the shi*T!!! I've blasted it in my car several times.

PS I think Friend and YMLF are very similar.

[secondhandchain]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

YMLF and Friend have almost the exact same keyboard groove. How can you not hear it?
The first time I heard Friend, I was like ....Its just like YMLF. It was nothing I had to try to hear.
We were just referencing songs that are similar or have stolen parts. For example Juliet was taken from Book of Miracles. I think our songs are just as strong as yours.
But I guess you don't know what we mean

I do hear now upon another listen. I guess I always thought it had a cheesier sound so I never noticed. I wasn't referencing stolen parts as much as a feel of the song. But I do see what you are saying.

[sodascouts]

I hear elements of "I'm So Afraid" in "Come."

"Eyes of the World" starts with a chord progression straight out of "Stephanie" (something I always thought was pretty harsh if deliberate).