Gift of Screws Reviews

[Betsy]

I listen to 99.5 the Mountain.

I have heard "Did You Miss Me" 3 times since August 7th.

[vivfox]

Lindsey Buckingham is that increasingly rare beast in the pop world; an ageing rocker who still counts. For a man who has made indescribably large amounts of money with Fleetwood Mac, and who is the author of some of the finest soft rock songs of all time, it is refreshing to find him nearing his sixties and still releasing solo albums that stand up against his late '70s peak.
The follow-up to 2006's largely acoustic Under The Skin, a fine album in its own right, Gift Of Screws takes its title (an Emily Dickinson reference) and several tracks from an abortive late '90s session. Other tracks from those sessions cropped up on the Fleetwood Mac reunion album Say You Will, a 2003 release that indicated that Buckingham had relocated the songwriting genie that went temporarily absent during the previous decade.

Gift Of Screws is a thrilling album from the very first track. Great Day positively bursts out of the speakers with its aggressive acoustic guitar and daring vocal lines. Time Precious Time is even better, with rippling guitar arpeggios and a heavy echo treatment on the vocal (a common Buckingham production trick). This is challenging, thought-provoking music that you would expect from a younger artist.

Then again, this is the reclusive studio genius that unleashed the decidedly odd Tusk on the world at the height of Fleetwood Mac's fame. Buckingham is a devil for injecting quirky elements into his glossy soft rock confections, but in such a subtle way that his efforts are routinely overlooked (he opened his previous album with the line "Reading the paper saw a review/Said I was a visionary, but nobody knew").

Buckingham's regular band serves him well throughout the album, although Fleetwood Mac bandmates Mick Fleetwood and John McVie also pop up on several tracks. The duo lends a healthy commercial swagger to Love Runs Deeper and The Right Place To Fade. The latter track is terrific, the stacked harmonies and killer riff sounding like they could have been lifted straight from a Rumours session.

The dependable rhythm section also guest on the title track, a crazed rocker that features Buckingham yelping like a man possessed. It sounds like a companion piece to some of the more outré moments from Tusk, notably Not That Funny and That's Enough For Me.

Although this album is marketed as a return to a more direct rock sound Buckingham is far too smart an operator to sacrifice substance for style. Did You Miss Me is a whip-smart pop single good enough to already have landed on the US charts, and boasts one of the album's most direct lyrical pleas for connection and understanding. The contemplative lyrics of Bel Air Rain and Treason, meanwhile, are given added weight by strong melodies and delicately layered arrangements.

Written and recorded over a lengthy period, Gift Of Screws could have been a mess. Instead, it is a glorious statement of intent from one of pop's most misunderstood characters.

http://www.musicomh.com/albums/linds...ngham_0808.htm

[trackaghost]

I've had the album for a couple of weeks (I'm sorry, I can't share - it's watermarked) and I think it may be his best yet. It's a cross between UTS and SYW with little nods and references to his other solo albums I think.

[Peestie]

Best of just his solo albums or best of all the albums he's been involved in?

[trackaghost]

Of his solo albums. But I've only had it for a couple of weeks so it may just because it's fresh and new. But I like the balance between the acoustic, electric, oddball and pop/melodic stuff on the album. Plus it's only 10 songs so it's not overlong either, it's all meat and no filler basically.

[Peestie]

I didn't think it would be better than Tusk but hope springs eternal! I'm really looking forward to hearing this one now. Hopefully it'll have the staying power to remain as his best even further down the line.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

I've had the album for a couple of weeks (I'm sorry, I can't share - it's watermarked) and I think it may be his best yet. It's a cross between UTS and SYW with little nods and references to his other solo albums I think.

I would hope that even if you could share, you wouldn't.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by vivfox

I would hope that even if you could share, you wouldn't.

Honestly Vivfox was that holier than thou comment really necessary? I simply put that in as a way of saying "please don't ask me".
And given you've often requested free MP3s of commercially released songs on this board don't be a hypocrite about it.

[Madness Fades]

Time precious could possibly be the worst song I have ever heard, Now ive only heard it about 4 times and its just very hard to listen to. Its only my opinion and I already know loads of you will totally disagree and thats fine. I think i dislike it as much as chiliD dislikes (if thats a strong enough word) Lindseys version of Here Comes The Sun.
I just hope it grows on me over time. Like Not too Late did.

However its on a cd next one of the best songs I've heard in ages and ages.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Honestly Vivfox was that holier than thou comment really necessary? I simply put that in as a way of saying "please don't ask me".
And given you've often requested free MP3s of commercially released songs on this board don't be a hypocrite about it.

I wasn't being holier than thou Sharon. You said because of a WATERMARK you could not share the album. So if it wasn't there are you saying you would share it? That would be a big dis-service to Lindsey. All of us should support the artist and actually buy the CD.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

I've had the album for a couple of weeks (I'm sorry, I can't share - it's watermarked) and I think it may be his best yet. It's a cross between UTS and SYW with little nods and references to his other solo albums I think.

watermarked.

[Nico]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Of his solo albums. But I've only had it for a couple of weeks so it may just because it's fresh and new. But I like the balance between the acoustic, electric, oddball and pop/melodic stuff on the album. Plus it's only 10 songs so it's not overlong either, it's all meat and no filler basically.

Um, that's so awesome seriously. Would you mind posting a review of sorts, possibly brief. I am delighted when someone has it early and is generous enough to share details.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by vivfox

I wasn't being holier than thou Sharon. You said because of a WATERMARK you could not share the album. So if it wasn't there are you saying you would share it? That would be a big dis-service to Lindsey. All of us should support the artist and actually buy the CD.

I wouldn't share it anyway. You are putting words into my mouth and I don't know why. But I was saying even if I wanted to (which I don't) I couldn't, I was just trying to be nice about it. So quote my post if you like, but even gyspysoul said the same thing and you didn't attack her. For the record, I've never shared stuff I've got for review on the internet and never will.

What irks me about it, is that you are such a huge, huge hypocrite about this mentioning it and yes, getting holier than thou about it. I've never requested songs or albums you can actually buy on this board, yet you've done so many times. You even got the whole Camper Van Beethoven Tusk album off someone on this board, even though I gave you a link to where you could buy it, and there's a great band who could do with some support. You said you liked that album, did you go buy it afterwards? I would hope so anyway.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by Nico

Um, that's so awesome seriously. Would you mind posting a review of sorts, possibly brief. I am delighted when someone has it early and is generous enough to share details.

Thanks Nico, although I wish I hadn't mentioned it now to tell the truth.

[LukeA]

Oh, whatever. The album will leak on the torrent sites before its official release. In fact, I'm hoping/counting on it, since I'm seeing Lindsey in concert on one of the first shows of the tour.