I have all the Buckingham Nicks era stuff, what now?

[diamondsnake]

I have been an obsessive fan for about a year and have collected pretty much all the stuff from the buckingham nicks era of the band. The only FM cds I don't have are Time and everything prior to the White Album. Where should I start, now that I want to branch out?

Keep in mind that I really love Christine Mcvie, so what albums is she really good on and has a lot of songs on?

Also, I really loved Behind the Mask. Is that album similar to Time at all?

Also, I am a little confused about some of the albums, like Mystery to Me. On that album, is it just Christine who is singing on it? Or were there other people doing lead vocals?

Also, has FM always had vocals on their albums or have they ever done instrumentals? I think that would be somewhat boring...

And I am also confused about what kind of sound FM had when it first started? Rock? Blues?

Any help on where to start would be great. My tastes revolve more around female singer, if that is any indication of what I might like.

[louielouie2000]

Mystery to Me is fabulous... every song is worth it's weight in gold. It's an excellent diving off point. The album is just total pop perfection... you'll LOVE "Why"... one of Christine's all time best songs... heck, one of the Mac's greatest too! Bob Welch also contributes some neat material to that one.

Heroes Are Hard To Find is a really neat album, but doesn't seem to be well liked by the masses. It's got a very ethereal vibe throughout. "Prove Your Love" is another all time great Chris song. This album also features Bob Welch with some nifty, albeit "out there" tunes.

Future Games is neat as well. Very mellow and mystical as well. Chris, Bob, and Danny are on board as singer/songwriters for this one. "Woman of 1000 Years" is worth the price of admission alone .

Penguin is a very hit and miss album. Some of the greatest perky, bouncy Chris songs ever recorded are on this album (Did You Ever Love Me, Remember Me, Dissatisfied), but they are peppered by complete garbage like "The Derelict" and "Roadrunner." Bob, Christine, Dave Walker take over singer/songwriter duties on this one.

Many think Bare Trees is one of the best Mac albums, but I just don't care for it. It's too bluesy, and copycat-ish. Half of it sounds like recycled Cream material. This album also features Danny, Chris, and Bob.
I recommend these albums in this order . But that's just my 2 cents.

[macfan 57]

I agree with the last post. If you love Christine McVie, then you'll like the 5 Bob Welch era albums. Some of these albums are just as good as Buckingham/Nicks, in some cases even better and ALL of Christine's songs are terrific on these albums.

Mystery To Me is just about my favorite Fleetwood Mac album ever. It's just Chris & Bob on vocals. It's a nearly perfect album and "Why" is a perfect song. My other favoites are "Hypnotized", "The Way I Feel" & Emerald Eyes". There's not a bad song on this album. I would get this one first.

Heroes Are Hard To Find is almost as good. Again, just Chris & Bob on vocals. "Come A Little Bit Closer" & "Prove Your Love" are terrific. Bob's "She's Changing Me" is terrific, too.

I like Bare Trees ALOT, although not quite as much as MTM & HAHTF. My favorites are "Spare Me A Little Of Your Love", "Sentimental Lady" & "Dust". Danny Kirwan really dominates this album-he's got 5 songs.

Future Games is also very good. My favorites are "Show Me A Smile" & the title track, "Future Games".

I agree with the last post about Penguin. Christine's songs are fantastic and there is a great instrumental from Bob Weston. But, I just don't care for the rest of the album. I would get this album last.

As for Time, if you like Christine then you should get this album. She has 5 songs on the CD. They range from very good to terrific. "All Over Again", which is her goodbye to Fleetwood Mac, is her best, in my opinion. I also love Bekka's 3 songs on the album almost as much as Christine's songs. Dave Mason's songs are OK, but I really don't care for Billy's songs. The ladies really make this album, in my opinion. I think Time is ALOT better than it's given credit for and is definitely worth getting.

[blinker12]

I like everything Christine wrote for the band pre-BN. If you're a big fan of hers, I'd suck it up and buy all five albums from 1971-1975, because she's on all of them.

But if you're on a budget and can only afford to get one at a time, this would be the order in which I'd get them:

1. Bare Trees
2. Future Games
3. Heroes Are Hard to Find
4. Mystery to Me
5. Penguin

I happen to be a big Danny Kirwan fan, so that's why I put BT and FG first. With Chrstine AND Danny, you can't go wrong.

It should be noted that one of Christine's very best songs EVER is on BT: "Spare Me a Little of Your Love."

I also think her tunes from HAHTF are all of the highest quality, especially "Come a Little Bit Closer." That tune is just heartbreaking. This album, more than any of the others, proves she "had it" well before Lindsey joined the band.

I can't get into most of the Bob Welch material on these albums, but some of his tunes are good too.

[EricBliss12345]

DEFINATELY pick up Heroes Are Hard To Find as soon as you can if you like Christine, who's also my favorite.

To me, this album contains her best ever work, and I like her songs on this one better than any from the B/N era and better than any album from the earlier ones.

This album contains 3 of her very best songs and one other that is solid. "Prove Your Love" is probably her most gorgeous song and has the catchiest vocal, yet wordless, line she's ever sung. It's got this awesome "Ahhhh ahhh ah ah ah ahhhhh la da da da da da ahh ahhhhh" thing that will get stuck in your head in the worst way ever. It's tied for favorite Chris song with "Morning Rain." Plus it has a really great, subtle string arrangement that enhances the beauty of the music nicely.

"Come A Little Bit Closer" also contains a devastatingly touching vocal line and a stately, joyous feel throughout the track.

"Heroes Are Hard To Find" is Christine's ultimate anthem as far as I'm concerned. To me, this should be the ultimate breakup jam for women and gay dudes. It's got a really fun, upbeat feel to it and a cool horn arrangement, and I like the contrast to Christine's unusually venomous lyrics. If you need a good man-hating jam I couldn't think of a better one than this. Her other track "Bad Loser" is also unusually venomous for Christine and has a menacing, dark vibe to it along with the Bo Diddly beat. It's a very good song, but is definately the least best of the three.

Not only do you get these songs, but Bob Welch also turned in a few gems himself that are just as good. "She's Changing Me" is about as good a pop song as any band could hope for and has some really pretty vocal harmonies. I'll take this over the best B/N era pop tune any day. Silver Heels is also a great rockin' take on 70's culture, and Angel a solid rocker. Bermuda Triangle is really mysterious and dark and has to grow on you a little, but it's more than worth listening to, and is definately his answer to "Hypnotised" for this album. Another track of his, Coming Home, catches Fleetwood Mac in highly unusual prog-psychedelia freak out mode and has some great menacing basslines from John and a really great main melody that I wish they had expanded on more.

It's hard NOT to reccomend this one, as it is my favorite FM album and all. Seriously though, I don't see how any Mac fan couldn't like this one. It's definately the most "all over the place" of any Mac release, and sounds like a different band song to song. As far as "all over the place" mac this album is much better than Tusk. Pick it up immediately.

Mystery To Me is a step below but still an excellent album, and probably my 2nd favorite from the Mac. Christine has a few really good ones, the very catchy "Prove Your Love" and a favorite pre-Buckingham Nicks tune among fans "Why."

Albums like Penguin and Future Games are a little spotty but once again contain some of Chris's very best work despite the uneven quality and are more than worth having. I found my copies for 11.99 a piece and it's worth it at that price. Penguin is worth having for "Dissatisfied" alone, not to mention "Night Watch" and "Caught In The Rain." Future Games has Christines best song ever, which is "Morning Rain."

Bare Trees is dominated by Danny Kirwin so it rocks pretty hard throughout, and Chris contributes to the rockin' with "Homeward Bound" and her smooth R&B flavored "Spare Me A Little." This album contains the original version of "Sentimental Lady" which was much better in it's original form compared to Bob Welch's dippy remake of it years later, which curiously was a smash hit.

Start with Heroes and Mystery first.

[dontlookdown]

if you're really serious about getting to know the band - i suggest getting them all. take your time and digest them.
start with Bare Trees then move on to Penguin, Mystery To Me, Heroes Are Hard To Find. And be sure to at least sample some of the really early blues albums. They rock and you'll still get that same John and Mick vibe that you hear on Rumours, Tusk and Say You Will. It's pretty interesting when you realize how much the bass and drums makes up what we all love about the Fleetwood Mac sound.

[shackin'up]

I'd say:

1.Heroes are hard to find
2.Mystery to me
3.Then play on (a MUST. would be my personal nr 1 in this list, but chose another order cause you're a chris-fan)
4.Future games
5.Bare trees
6.Penguin

Soooooo much yet to discover. Wish I was in the same stage.......

Have fun! but I'm sure you will....


gerald

[ShamHy89]

I was in the exact position as you a couple months ago. I have basically all of the albums listed here now, and each one is special in its own unique way. I personally LOVE Mystery To Me, Bare Trees, and Future Games, in that order. For me, this is Christine's golden age of writing and once you pick up a few of these albums, you'll understand why many of us think so. I, (like you most likely) am only a high school student so I know it's hard to scrape up the cash sometimes...so just take your time and enjoy each one. I personally would recommend "Mystery To Me" as your start, and I think soon you'll be exploring all pre-BN era Mac music from there. Good luck and enjoy!

Shamus

[diamondsnake]

Originally posted by ShamHy89
I was in the exact position as you a couple months ago. I have basically all of the albums listed here now, and each one is special in its own unique way. I personally LOVE Mystery To Me, Bare Trees, and Future Games, in that order. For me, this is Christine's golden age of writing and once you pick up a few of these albums, you'll understand why many of us think so. I, (like you most likely) am only a high school student so I know it's hard to scrape up the cash sometimes...so just take your time and enjoy each one. I personally would recommend "Mystery To Me" as your start, and I think soon you'll be exploring all pre-BN era Mac music from there. Good luck and enjoy!

Shamus

Yes, I'm in highschool, so it is hard to get a bunch of money... Fortunately, I've got Christmas coming up!

I like the idea of digesting them one at a time because I made a big mistake when I purchased all 6 of Stevie's solo albums at the same time. That was about 75 songs to take in all at once and it really took away from the music, I think.

Not only that, but I still find myself finding songs on the different records that I hardly recognize because all the songs were just blaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh by the time I listened to so many of them.

[wondergirl9847]

Good to know you are interested in the pre-Rumours eras!!

My faves in order are:

Bare Trees
Future Games
Mystery to Me
Then Play On

I don't own Penguin or HAHTF on CD..only LP so I've only listened to them once or twice. Can't really give an opinion on them.

I'm a huge Danny fan so my fave CD's are the ones with him up front. Mystery to Me would be a great start for fans of Miss Christine, IMO. Then, Future Games and Bare Trees.

Happy listening!

[mylittledemon]

Ok first off, TIME sucks donkey balls.

Secondly, I'm one of those fans who for whatever reason, cannot enjoy the pre-Buckingham/Nicks era. If you do like the Buckingham Nicks era, then check out all 3 of Lindsey's solo albums AND of course all of Stevie's solo material.

[chiliD]

Originally posted by mylittledemon
Ok first off, TIME sucks donkey balls.

To quote Lindsey Buckingham: Wrong.

Another case in point at someone having no concept of "Fleetwood Mac".

Originally posted by mylittledemon
Secondly, I'm one of those fans who for whatever reason, cannot enjoy the pre-Buckingham/Nicks era.

Your loss.

Originally posted by mylittledemon
If you do like the Buckingham Nicks era, then check out all 3 of Lindsey's solo albums AND of course all of Stevie's solo material.

Yawn.

[EricBliss12345]

MyLittleDemon is not only a fool but also a buffoon.

Go ahead and pick up the pre B/N albums. Theyre good!

[mylittledemon]

Hey ChiliD, that's jut my opinion. If we were all alike, we'd be completely boring wouldn't we? At any rate...Time is a terrible album. Aside from Mick and John's constant as musicians and Christine's voice/writing the album is terrible. Bekka Bramlett is a joke. Out of the Cradle by Lindsey is fantastic and underrated, and Stevie's first solo album is solid.

[Merf]

Originally posted by EricBliss12345
MyLittleDemon is not only a fool but also a buffoon.

Go ahead and pick up the pre B/N albums. Theyre good!

I see no reason to put down MyLittleDemon. He was simply stating his opinion about "Time," and a well thought out one, at that, after reading his 2nd post about it.