1982 FM Concert Reviews

[michelej1]

Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright Globe Newspaper Company 1982


September 17, 1982


Section: ARTS/ FILMS


REVIEW MUSIC FLEETWOOD MAC HITS OVERDRIVE FOR 13,500 FANS AT CENTRUM FLEETWOOD MAC - AT WORCESTER CENTRUM, WEDNESDAY.


Steve Morse Globe Staff

WORCESTER Fleetwood Mac was on the spot. Even loyal partisans wondered if they could put aside their famed ego conflicts and pull together in concert . All year there have been rumors of a breakup, piled on top of rumors the band was losing steam and purpose.

But to all worry-warts and doubters came this emphatic news Wednesday: The Mac is Back.

Pledging a new stance of unity, the Mac roared through an exhilarating 160-minute show, leaving a full house of 13,500 fans in a blissful stupor.

"A lot of people thought Fleetwood Mac was no more, but we're here to show you we're still doing it!" singer Lindsey Buckingham shouted in a moment of bravado, setting the all-out, committed tone of the night.

Where the band's new album, "Mirages," was short on energy - helping fuel some of the negative rumors - their concert was a high-powered coup. Four songs from "Mirages" were played (Buckingham's cascading "Eyes of the World," Stevie' Nick's gracefully haunting "Gypsy," Christine McVie's breezy "Love in Store" and the band's whimsical hit "Hold On"), but each had an intensity, exemplified by Buckingham's rejuvenated guitar, that far outshone the studio versions.

A big factor was drummer Mick Fleetwood, who drove the band as in the days of old. Raising his sticks in the air with his aircraft-carrier arms, he constantly pushed the band to smoking crescendos. Add to this John McVie's reaffirmed bass work (a complete change from his languid jamming on John Mayall's recent Bluesbreakers Reunion tour), and it was clear the Mac still had the rhythm section of rhythm sections.

After a nifty warmup set from Men at Work, who literally worked hard with an active stage show on top of creative, sophisticated rock, Fleetwood romped through their hits (heavy doses from their "Rumours" LP), sliced with judicious cuts from their experimental "Tusk" LP (Buckingham's "Not That Funny" included a spectacular, African-tinged drum solo by tireless drummer Fleetwood) and a remembrance of Mac founder Peter Green in a cover of his blues-rock anthem "Oh Well."

Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie were equally keyed up. Nicks staggered at first (she was off-key on "Rhiannon"), but shed her nervousness and joined the festive spirit, kissing the other members in a very intimate, unplanned gesture. McVie, the Mac's earthy anchor, sang beautifully all evening, pouring out tete-a-tete romantic dialogues.

No songs were done from any members' solo albums. This was a strictly Fleetwood Mac night, suffused by a camaraderie and unselfishness that laid all worries to rest.

[michelej1]

New York Times (NY), September 16, 1982

Section: C


ROCK CONCERT : FLEETWOOD MAC ON 'MIRAGE' TOUR


JOHN ROCKWELL

FLEETWOOD MAC'S records have always been better than its live shows. On records, the band has achieved a lovable blend of lyrical effervescence and studio polish. In concert , subtleties have been coarsened and Stevie Nicks in particular has undercut her impact with raw singing and loopy stage behavior.

But the band's only New York area show on its current "Mirage" tour, Tuesday night at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., was the best Fleetwood Mac show in this writer's experience. Miss Nicks has found a persuasive way of capitalizing on her assets, and the band as a whole performed with tightness and intensity.

"Pleasing" is the operative word, however. Even with as tight and powerful a rhythm section as rock can offer, in Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, Fleetwood Mac is not a band to build to overwhelming concert climaxes. Quirky, buoyant pop, soulful lyricism and mysterious witcheries are more its game. The set meandered over its two-hour length, bursting out at the beginning with some of the group's most impassioned songs but then settling down to more commonplace ups and downs.

Miss Nicks provided several of the ups. She has lost the reedy fragility of her mid-1970's voice. But she compensates with a hoarser, rougher rock contralto, and her stage demeanor blends glamour and a kind of dangerous charm. Lindsey Buckingham still has an underlying streak of bizarreness that seems more unsettling than stimulating, and his rave-up guitar solo - as well as Mr. Fleetwood's drum solo - lacked the communicative artistry that such solos can entail; it was mostly note-ridden bedazzlement, and as such elicited the predictable ovation. But Mr. Buckingham is also responsible for some of the group's best songs, and his clear, effortlessly produced tenor is now the highest voice in the band.

Christine McVie, the keyboard player and third singer - there was also an anonymous guitarist on stage for some songs - was disappointing. Or, more properly, the uses to which she was put were disappointing. Her songs have always served as calm, cool contrast to the rest, but Tuesday they were slighted or arranged in an overly forceful manner.

The set as a whole proved valuable beyond its function as tightly crafted entertainment. Never before has the band's post-Buckingham Nicks material seemed so much of a piece. The "Fleetwood Mac" album established this configuration, with "Rumours" as a venturesome yet commercially potent follow-up. "Tusk" is generally considered a deviation, however, and "Mirage" a calculated return to form.

But Tuesday's performance stressed the disquieting oddities of the supposedly "safe" material and the accessibility of much of "Tusk." It's all one band, a perilous but potent mixture of unstable ingredients. And while it may not aspire to the heights of rock passion, it still makes honorable, even moving music lower down on the slopes.

[michelej1]

[This is an excerpt from an article in the New York Times about poor Ticket Sales]
August 14, 1982

Dropoff in Sales

"It's the 1980's, and the cream is definitely off the top of the business," said Irving Azoff, manager of some of the biggest rock stars. Back in the 70's, five of Mr. Azoff's clients, the Eagles, sold 15 million copies of their "Hotel California" album and broke attendance records across the country. He also manages members of Fleetwood Mac, whose "Rumours" album almost matched the Eagles' sales.

Now the Eagles have disbanded, and the band's members are pursuing solo careers, with varying degrees of success. Fleetwood Mac has another No. 1 album, "Mirage," but sales are in such a slump that it is unlikely to achieve more than a fraction of the sales of "Rumours." While the group is going on the road this month, it will not be raking in the money at stadium concerts and outdoor festivals.

"Fleetwood Mac only had offers to do two outdoor shows in the whole country," according to Mr. Azoff. "One was in a town that doesn't have a large indoor arena; the other was the Us Festival, which is scheduled to take place Labor Day weekend in San Bernardino County in California and is going to be the summer's only really big festival. There's a very good reason why groups like Fleetwood Mac aren't doing more stadium shows - the kids aren't buying tickets."

[David]

Originally Posted by michelej1

New York Times (NY), September 16, 1982

FLEETWOOD MAC'S records have always been better than its live shows. On records, the band has achieved a lovable blend of lyrical effervescence and studio polish. In concert , subtleties have been coarsened and Stevie Nicks in particular has undercut her impact with raw singing and loopy stage behavior.

But the band's only New York area show on its current "Mirage" tour, Tuesday night at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., was the best Fleetwood Mac show in this writer's experience. Miss Nicks has found a persuasive way of capitalizing on her assets, and the band as a whole performed with tightness and intensity.

Thanks for posting these reviews, M. I love the old reviews by the old stalwarts like Rockwell. I thought it would be interesting to hear a song from this Meadowlands gig, so here's SARA from a soundboard cassette:

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[strandinthewind]

They were on that night in that song.

Interestingly, La Nicks' voice is shot here, but she is still so emotive and sings with such passion that you almost get lost in it. Finally, no one plays Sara as well as CM. I also think LB's guitar around the 5:20 mark is stellar. Alas, the end of an era.

Thanks for posting.