Tango In The Night

[Ripley]

First Impression.

I'm a fairly young FM fan (24) and although I've loved Rumours, S/T and Bella Donna for a decade I've actually never listened to Tusk, Mirage and TITN in their entirety before. Of course I'm familiar with most of the singles from these albums and the ones performed on The Dance though. So, I've decided to rectify this glaring omission and I've begun with Tango.

I'm sort of surprised that Christine McVie's contributions are the stand out of the entire album. Mainly because her 80's solo record is mostly unremarkable. On Tango, however, she gets in the best songs with Everywhere and Little Lies. Isn't It Midnight is a great jam and a very typical McVie song. Mystified is a bit odd with it's almost "Let's Get It On" mood and You and I, Part II is fun.

Stevie's songs lack the urgency that her material from S/T & Rumours have. Seven Wonders feels very much like a solo track and Welcome to the Room Sara is largely forgettable. When I See You Again is fantastic but far from a masterwork.

And Lindsey... *sigh*, I find his tracks on this album insufferable. I've always found Big Love to be a bit pretentious and jarring to listen to and Family Man has to be one of his worst songs. Caroline and the title track are both fairly boring. I like Lindsey but his work in the 80's is indulgent to a fault.

Overall it's a good album. I almost wish it was a follow up to McVie's self titled record because she seemed to be on quite a roll during this period. Unfortunately Nicks offers very little and Buckingham is still on a mission to prove how clever he can be.

B-

I hope I haven't made any enemies with my thoughts and welcome some observations from more seasoned fans of the band.

[MikeVielhaber]

First Impression.

I'm a fairly young FM fan (24) and although I've loved Rumours, S/T and Bella Donna for a decade I've actually never listened to Tusk, Mirage and TITN in their entirety before. Of course I'm familiar with most of the singles from these albums and the ones performed on The Dance though. So, I've decided to rectify this glaring omission and I've begun with Tango.

I'm sort of surprised that Christine McVie's contributions are the stand out of the entire album. Mainly because her 80's solo record is mostly unremarkable. On Tango, however, she gets in the best songs with Everywhere and Little Lies. Isn't It Midnight is a great jam and a very typical McVie song. Mystified is a bit odd with it's almost "Let's Get It On" mood and You and I, Part II is fun.

Stevie's songs lack the urgency that her material from S/T & Rumours have. Seven Wonders feels very much like a solo track and Welcome to the Room Sara is largely forgettable. When I See You Again is fantastic but far from a masterwork.

And Lindsey... *sigh*, I find his tracks on this album insufferable. I've always found Big Love to be a bit pretentious and jarring to listen to and Family Man has to be one of his worst songs. Caroline and the title track are both fairly boring. I like Lindsey but his work in the 80's is indulgent to a fault.

Overall it's a good album. I almost wish it was a follow up to McVie's self titled record because she seemed to be on quite a roll during this period. Unfortunately Nicks offers very little and Buckingham is still on a mission to prove how clever he can be.

B-

I hope I haven't made any enemies with my thoughts and welcome some observations from more seasoned fans of the band.

You heard Christine's solo album before you heard Tusk, Mirage, and Tango??

I'm also 24 btw. I first got into FM in 1998 with an old cassette tape my Dad had of Rumours that he recorded from the vinyl. And I got The Dance after that and then went through the rest of the BN era albums. I got Christine's album when it came out in 2004 and I only recently heard her 80's album. I'm also a fan of Lindsey's solo work and have all of his albums. Tusk is definitely my favorite album. There's just so much different stuff on it and it's all good. 20 songs. So you have that to look forward to.

Tango isn't an album I listen to very often at all. It's got some good songs on it ...it also has a couple mediocre songs....Stevie being the main culprit, but the 80's production is a bit of a turn off. Everywhere is easily better on The Dance. I definitely disagree on Lindsey's song. Big Love is good, but I like The Dance version the best. I dig Caroline and Tango a lot though. I like Family Man too. Basically I like all of Christine and Lindsey's song and I don't much care for Stevie's songs.

[ButterCookie]

I love it when people write personal reviews! I don't know why, I just do :laugh:



I'm sort of surprised that Christine McVie's contributions are the stand out of the entire album. Mainly because her 80's solo record is mostly unremarkable. On Tango, however, she gets in the best songs with Everywhere and Little Lies. Isn't It Midnight is a great jam and a very typical McVie song. Mystified is a bit odd with it's almost "Let's Get It On" mood and You and I, Part II is fun.

For me, TITN is one of my favourite albums because of Christine's songs. I think her songs on Tango are out of this world.

Welcome to the Room Sara is largely forgettable.

For me, it's always been one that stands out :laugh: I love everything about it and when I was very young, somone would mention 'Sara' and I'd immediatley go on to sing WTTRS because I've always preferred it :shrug:

And Lindsey... *sigh*, I find his tracks on this album insufferable. I've always found Big Love to be a bit pretentious and jarring to listen to and Family Man has to be one of his worst songs. Caroline and the title track are both fairly boring. I like Lindsey but his work in the 80's is indulgent to a fault.

Here, I disagree, slightly. The title track was one of the first FM songs I fell in love with and to this day I can't get enough of it. I do, however, agree about Big Love, it's never been a favourite and 9/10 times I do skip it. :distress:

[Ripley]

You heard Christine's solo album before you heard Tusk, Mirage, and Tango??

Weird, eh? I found her solo record on vinyl the same time I got Bella Donna on vinyl. I also got her 2004 record when it came out because I was at the peak of my FM interest at the time. I've only listened to her 80's album a few times and for the life of me can't remember a single song on it. It is the definition of forgettable.

I love it when people write personal reviews! I don't know why, I just do :laugh:

For me, TITN is one of my favourite albums because of Christine's songs. I think her songs on Tango are out of this world.

For me, it's always been one that stands out :laugh: I love everything about it and when I was very young, somone would mention 'Sara' and I'd immediatley go on to sing WTTRS because I've always preferred it :shrug:

Here, I disagree, slightly. The title track was one of the first FM songs I fell in love with and to this day I can't get enough of it. I do, however, agree about Big Love, it's never been a favourite and 9/10 times I do skip it. :distress:


Well, there is always time for these songs to grow on me.

[Dodfather]

[QUOTE=Ripley;872341]Weird, eh? I found her solo record on vinyl the same time I got Bella Donna on vinyl. QUOTE]

Wow! To find that album on vinyl is brilliant and really quite unusual/lucky! I really, really want it on vinyl but I find it hard to track down without paying exorbitant prices. I haven;t looked on ebay for a little while though....

[Ripley]

[QUOTE=Ripley;872341]Weird, eh? I found her solo record on vinyl the same time I got Bella Donna on vinyl. QUOTE]

Wow! To find that album on vinyl is brilliant and really quite unusual/lucky! I really, really want it on vinyl but I find it hard to track down without paying exorbitant prices. I haven;t looked on ebay for a little while though....

I found a near mint version (opened but with shrinkwrap still on it) at the flea market for like a dollar. I'm talking about the 1984 one not the Christine Perfect album.

[Dodfather]

[QUOTE=Dodfather;872344]

I found a near mint version (opened but with shrinkwrap still on it) at the flea market for like a dollar. I'm talking about the 1984 one not the Christine Perfect album.

Yeah, I knew you meant that 1984 one. Again, this makes me very jealous!!

[Ripley]

[QUOTE=Ripley;872345]

Yeah, I knew you meant that 1984 one. Again, this makes me very jealous!!

There are a bunch of copies of it on Ebay right now for less than 5 dollars. :)

[ButterCookie]

This one's on eBay, £5.75 with free P&P in the UK, 6 hours left on it too.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHRISTINE-McVIE-CHRISTINE-McVIE-1984-LP-WB-925-059-1_W0QQitemZ250579199610QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Records?hash=item3a57af267a

You're lucky I'm broke or I'd have had that ;) :laugh:

[Dodfather]

This one's on eBay, £5.75 with free P&P in the UK, 6 hours left on it too.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHRISTINE-McVIE-CHRISTINE-McVIE-1984-LP-WB-925-059-1_W0QQitemZ250579199610QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Records?hash=item3a57af267a

You're lucky I'm broke or I'd have had that ;) :laugh:

Oooohh - I want it! I'm broke too but might have to just go for it. I do get paid tomorrow after all (although most of it is already budgeted for bills - boo!)

[ButterCookie]

Oooohh - I want it! I'm broke too but might have to just go for it. I do get paid tomorrow after all (although most of it is already budgeted for bills - boo!)

But it's Chris! And only a fiver :cool: I'm a good influence, I promise.

What if you never find it that cheap again D:

[Ripley]

OK, So far I LOVE Tusk. I really expected this to be a disaster but its really enjoyable. I'm really impressed with the sound of the record. It sounds incredible. Even the songs featuring synth dont sound dated.

[seekerj]

You heard Christine's solo album before you heard Tusk, Mirage, and Tango??

I'm also 24 btw. I first got into FM in 1998 with an old cassette tape my Dad had of Rumours that he recorded from the vinyl. And I got The Dance after that and then went through the rest of the BN era albums. I got Christine's album when it came out in 2004 and I only recently heard her 80's album. I'm also a fan of Lindsey's solo work and have all of his albums. Tusk is definitely my favorite album. There's just so much different stuff on it and it's all good. 20 songs. So you have that to look forward to.

Tango isn't an album I listen to very often at all. It's got some good songs on it ...it also has a couple mediocre songs....Stevie being the main culprit, but the 80's production is a bit of a turn off. Everywhere is easily better on The Dance. I definitely disagree on Lindsey's song. Big Love is good, but I like The Dance version the best. I dig Caroline and Tango a lot though. I like Family Man too. Basically I like all of Christine and Lindsey's song and I don't much care for Stevie's songs.

It's the exact opposite for me. Stevie's two songs save the album for me (I don't consider "Seven Wonders" a Stevie song, it's a Sandy song).

[ButterCookie]

OK, So far I LOVE Tusk. I really expected this to be a disaster but its really enjoyable. I'm really impressed with the sound of the record. It sounds incredible. Even the songs featuring synth dont sound dated.

The CD, I take it? Or have you had the patience to get the vinyl out of the darn inners :laugh: I keep my two disks in two clear record sleeves so I'm not fighting to get it in and out of the card sleeves and I can actually listen to it.

[Ripley]

The CD, I take it? Or have you had the patience to get the vinyl out of the darn inners :laugh: I keep my two disks in two clear record sleeves so I'm not fighting to get it in and out of the card sleeves and I can actually listen to it.

Yes, CD. :)

[Dodfather]

But it's Chris! And only a fiver :cool: I'm a good influence, I promise.

What if you never find it that cheap again D:

I know, I know... that's why I'm most likely just gonna do it!

[ButterCookie]

I've got some major love for the title track right now. I was tidying my room the other day, stomping between my bed and the wardrobe to the beat :cool:

Agh, I'm spamming up your thread, I'm sorry, I'm just so bored. I need to get out, I've been cooped up for days.

[louielouie2000]

First Impression.

I'm a fairly young FM fan (24) and although I've loved Rumours, S/T and Bella Donna for a decade I've actually never listened to Tusk, Mirage and TITN in their entirety before. Of course I'm familiar with most of the singles from these albums and the ones performed on The Dance though. So, I've decided to rectify this glaring omission and I've begun with Tango.

I'm sort of surprised that Christine McVie's contributions are the stand out of the entire album. Mainly because her 80's solo record is mostly unremarkable. On Tango, however, she gets in the best songs with Everywhere and Little Lies. Isn't It Midnight is a great jam and a very typical McVie song. Mystified is a bit odd with it's almost "Let's Get It On" mood and You and I, Part II is fun.

Stevie's songs lack the urgency that her material from S/T & Rumours have. Seven Wonders feels very much like a solo track and Welcome to the Room Sara is largely forgettable. When I See You Again is fantastic but far from a masterwork.

And Lindsey... *sigh*, I find his tracks on this album insufferable. I've always found Big Love to be a bit pretentious and jarring to listen to and Family Man has to be one of his worst songs. Caroline and the title track are both fairly boring. I like Lindsey but his work in the 80's is indulgent to a fault.

Overall it's a good album. I almost wish it was a follow up to McVie's self titled record because she seemed to be on quite a roll during this period. Unfortunately Nicks offers very little and Buckingham is still on a mission to prove how clever he can be.

B-

I hope I haven't made any enemies with my thoughts and welcome some observations from more seasoned fans of the band.

Welcome to the party! I pretty much agree with absolutely everything you have to say about this album. I think this is where Christine shined greatest in perhaps her entire career. She bridged the gap between the overindulgent Lindsey, and the underachieving Stevie. Despite (or perhaps even because) of it's flaws, I still rank this amongst the best Mac albums. It's just tight, concise, and consistently high quality. I first heard this album in about '93 or '94... and at the time, it couldn't have been LESS cool. I think we're far enough away from the '80s now that it's become kitschy and fun. Following the extremely lackluster Mirage, this album was a real tour de force. It could have opened up so many doors for a new life and direction for the Mac... it's unfortunate the band imploded shortly after this album was recorded. To me Tango is very much in the vein of Rumours as far as it being a tight, high quality pop album fueled by personal upheaval. I'd definitely rate it an A.

[Meowi]

First Impression.

I'm a fairly young FM fan (24) and although I've loved Rumours, S/T and Bella Donna for a decade I've actually never listened to Tusk, Mirage and TITN in their entirety before. Of course I'm familiar with most of the singles from these albums and the ones performed on The Dance though. So, I've decided to rectify this glaring omission and I've begun with Tango.

I'm sort of surprised that Christine McVie's contributions are the stand out of the entire album. Mainly because her 80's solo record is mostly unremarkable. On Tango, however, she gets in the best songs with Everywhere and Little Lies. Isn't It Midnight is a great jam and a very typical McVie song. Mystified is a bit odd with it's almost "Let's Get It On" mood and You and I, Part II is fun.

Stevie's songs lack the urgency that her material from S/T & Rumours have. Seven Wonders feels very much like a solo track and Welcome to the Room Sara is largely forgettable. When I See You Again is fantastic but far from a masterwork.

And Lindsey... *sigh*, I find his tracks on this album insufferable. I've always found Big Love to be a bit pretentious and jarring to listen to and Family Man has to be one of his worst songs. Caroline and the title track are both fairly boring. I like Lindsey but his work in the 80's is indulgent to a fault.

Overall it's a good album. I almost wish it was a follow up to McVie's self titled record because she seemed to be on quite a roll during this period. Unfortunately Nicks offers very little and Buckingham is still on a mission to prove how clever he can be.

B-

I hope I haven't made any enemies with my thoughts and welcome some observations from more seasoned fans of the band.

ZOMG! Another Alien fan like myself!!! :D
:blob2:

[Ripley]

Welcome to the party! I pretty much agree with absolutely everything you have to say about this album. I think this is where Christine shined greatest in perhaps her entire career. She bridged the gap between the overindulgent Lindsey, and the underachieving Stevie. Despite (or perhaps even because) of it's flaws, I still rank this amongst the best Mac albums. It's just tight, concise, and consistently high quality. I first heard this album in about '93 or '94... and at the time, it couldn't have been LESS cool. I think we're far enough away from the '80s now that it's become kitschy and fun. Following the extremely lackluster Mirage, this album was a real tour de force. It could have opened up so many doors for a new life and direction for the Mac... it's unfortunate the band imploded shortly after this album was recorded. To me Tango is very much in the vein of Rumours as far as it being a tight, high quality pop album fueled by personal upheaval. I'd definitely rate it an A.

Im sure it will grow on me more and more as I listen to it. These were just my thoughts on my first initial feeling (lol).

ZOMG! Another Alien fan like myself!!! :D
:blob2:

haha I'll have to post some pics of my Alien tattoos soon. :eek:

[WarmSir3]

This thread inspired me to see what sort of reaction Family Man got compared to Lindsey's most oddball Tusk tunes, and I happened to stumble upon this (http://niceblogyougothere.blogspot.com/2010/02/tusk-what-album.html)..:shocked:

[ButterCookie]

I happened to stumble upon this (http://niceblogyougothere.blogspot.com/2010/02/tusk-what-album.html)..:shocked:

:shocked: Wat. is that. Bucko?!

[Villavic]

..I've loved Rumours, S/T and Bella Donna for a decade I've actually never listened to Tusk, Mirage and TITN in their entirety before.
Stevie's songs lack the urgency that her material from S/T & Rumours have. .

I'm sorry but after breaking my brain for several minutes, and since I always recognize the OOTC, TITN, GoS, BTM, etc... I ca'nt identify what album is S/T.. What is it?? :sorry:

[chiliD]

I'm sorry but after breaking my brain for several minutes, and since I always recognize the OOTC, TITN, GoS, BTM, etc... I ca'nt identify what album is S/T.. What is it?? :sorry:


Took me a while, too. I finally assumed it was the SELF-TITLED 1975 album.

[APerfectLie]

I'm sorry but after breaking my brain for several minutes, and since I always recognize the OOTC, TITN, GoS, BTM, etc... I ca'nt identify what album is S/T.. What is it?? :sorry:

Same here. I looked thru my itunes and I still haven't a clue as to what S/T is. I know it is going to be something completely obvious tho.

[Fiver]

This thread inspired me to see what sort of reaction Family Man got compared to Lindsey's most oddball Tusk tunes, and I happened to stumble upon this (http://niceblogyougothere.blogspot.com/2010/02/tusk-what-album.html)..:shocked:

:shocked: Wat. is that. Bucko?!

Heh, me and my friend call him Buck for short.. but Bucko? Wow.

thank you 'dr. groove p.h.d.' for the 23 uses of 'teehee' in that review.

I loved the paragraph on Brown Eyes:

"hmm so pretty this is a nice tune nice keyboards and that ride cymbal? mr. fleetwood keep it up ;) wow strange chords here ooooh that is some lovely vocals mcvie and the harmonies? wow so groovy and wow hmm i could listen to this on endless loop sha la la sha la la sha la la la-ah-ooooh wow i'm in a trance teehee greatest tune so far? hard to say i shall have to weigh the options to see if it indeed falls into the rightful criteria for"

:laugh:

[ButterCookie]

I call him Liddy :lol:

[bucklind17]

OK, So far I LOVE Tusk. I really expected this to be a disaster but its really enjoyable. I'm really impressed with the sound of the record. It sounds incredible. Even the songs featuring synth dont sound dated.

I'm curious why you expected it to be a disaster? Glad it's better than you expected, though!

[mylittledemon]

Buckingham is still on a mission to prove how clever he can be.


He had to be. The rest of the band... Stevie in particular... seemed to be on permanent vacation at the time the record was made. :laugh:

[Fiver]

I call him Liddy :lol:

I like that! I think I'll call him Liddy when he's bein' adorable, like this pic:


http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll74/SivenFuu/lindmirage.jpg

And Buck for shots like this:
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll74/SivenFuu/78-01.jpg

Sexay, sexay Buck!

Ok.. back on topic.

TITN sounds like such a LB/CM collaboration that I don't even get a Fleetwood Mac vibe from it. I think Chris's stuff is stellar, and Buck has some great tracks, and while I personally ain't too fond of Stevie's (my fave is the one she didn't write)they ain't terrible, but I prefer Mirage overall. Mirage is still band album to me, even if it sounds like they're not as much of a unit after Tusk, but I can still hear each member's contributions. I don't hear a whole lot of John or Mick signature sounds in TITN.

Er.. if that makes sense. Maybe I should start a blog and sprinkle some teehee's throughout. :laugh:

I could just say my main beef with TITN is that it's.. overproduced. Yeah, that sounds better.

[jaycee]

I call him Liddy :lol:

I love that! :laugh: No doubt I'll start calling him that too!
TITN is my favourite right after Tusk. I must say that I love all the tracks (including the non-album B-sides), although WISYA I can sometimes find unlikable (it tends to hop up and down my FM song preferences rather a lot... :shrug:). I guess I'm a fan of the 80s more than the 70s...

[WarmSir3]

Heh, me and my friend call him Buck for short.. but Bucko? Wow.

He actually calls him (Sir) Buck at the end of the paragraph on That's All For Everyone

"hey, way to go bucko finally a song I can enjoy by him teehee listen to those lovely vocal timbres i sure do love you bucko wait did he just say sexy :@ oh wait "just exactly" way to enunciate sir buck teehee listen to those marimbas so great way to go bucko nice job indeed"

[Ripley]

I'm curious why you expected it to be a disaster? Glad it's better than you expected, though!

Tusk has a pretty notorious reputation don't you think? Perhaps it's different inside the FM fan collective but it's always been described quite dubiously whenever I've heard about it.

He had to be. The rest of the band... Stevie in particular... seemed to be on permanent vacation at the time the record was made. :laugh:

Ha. Christine wasn't.

[michelej1]

Tusk has a pretty notorious reputation don't you think? Perhaps it's different inside the FM fan collective but it's always been described quite dubiously whenever I've heard about it.



95% of the things I read about it outside of FM groups is favorable. Critically, everyone seems to recognize it as the album that didn't get the due it deserved when it debuted. That's the way I think it's viewed in music circles. As for casual listeners, I'm not sure they even know about Tusk enough to comment on it favorably or negatively.

Michele

[Ripley]

95% of the things I read about it outside of FM groups is favorable. Critically, everyone seems to recognize it as the album that didn't get the due it deserved when it debuted. That's the way I think it's viewed in music circles. As for casual listeners, I'm not sure they even know about Tusk enough to comment on it favorably or negatively.

Michele

Don't use arbitrary percentages. Just say "most."

I guess I'm referring to the due it didn't get when it debuted. It's always been known as a massive let down from Rumours and I suppose that's why I never sought it out.

It doesn't really matter though because I really enjoyed it.

[michelej1]

Don't use arbitrary percentages. Just say "most."



Most wouldn't suffice because I don't mean approximately 51% of the things I read. "Most" could mean a little more than half and that's not been my experience. I mean 95% of what I read and that's why I said it.

Michele

[Ripley]

Most wouldn't suffice because I don't mean approximately 51% of the things I read. "Most" could mean a little more than half and that's not been my experience. I mean 95% of what I read and that's why I said it.

Michele

:rolleyes:

I'd like to see your mathematical calculations that brought you to 95%?

Do you have a pie chart somewhere of every conversation and review that you've ever read of Tusk? Is there room for error based on reviews you haven't read or have you done an extensive research undertaking to find every opinion of Tusk possible? Are the reviews judge qualitatively or quantitatively?

Just kidding, I just don't like when people use arbitrary percentages to gauge opinions. And "most" does not equal 51% (which would be best described as "half"). Most would cover everything from 75%-99%. Anything after that would be be "all."

;)

[David]

I guess I'm referring to the due it didn't get when it debuted. It's always been known as a massive let down from Rumours and I suppose that's why I never sought it out.In 1979, TUSK had detractors -- general listeners & DJs -- but it also had avid supporters -- much of the rock press, for example.

Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times called it one of the best pop-rock albums of the year, & it was lauded by other major critics, like Ken Tucker, David Gans, & Stephen Holden. Reading through this site's Blue Letter Archives is an eye-opening corrective to the common myth that TUSK was widely pissed on in 1979. It really wasn't, not even in relation to RUMOURS (which itself was frequently pissed on critically in 1977).

I think what gave TUSK its negative stature was the story, played over & over, that it wasn't selling anywhere near what RUMOURS sold. That had it conceptualized as a failure.

[aleuzzi]

The band that made TITN might as well have been a different band that made Tusk. Both albums are excellent in their own way, but Tusk has urgency, has genuine artistic vision. TITN sounds like a well-orchestrated albeit calculated bid for the charts.

I remember first hearing TITN and being impressed with Buckingham's work on it and horrified by Stevie's contributions. I was most eager to hear Christine's material, which was well-written and well arranged. It took me a while to get used to the way her vocals were produced, particularly on Isn't it Midnight, where her voice seems like its filtered through an echo chamber or something. I always preferred her live vocals of that song.

Little Lies was always a great tune, IMO.

[mylittledemon]

Ha. Christine wasn't.

:sorry:

Yeah Christine was spot on as well.

[jbrownsjr]

:sorry:

Yeah Christine was spot on as well.

Yeah it seemed like Buckingham and McVie spent a lot of time together writing and putting the record together...

I'm almost sure in my head that he said.. "Christine, this is my last record. I can't take it anymore."

Of course officially that was never said...

[michelej1]

I'm almost sure in my head that he said.. "Christine, this is my last record. I can't take it anymore."

Of course officially that was never said...

But she must have sensed he felt that way, even if it wasn't ever verbalized and Little Lies was her response. Michele

[HomerMcvie]

but I prefer Mirage overall. Mirage is still band album to me, even if it sounds like they're not as much of a unit after Tusk, but I can still hear each member's contributions. I don't hear a whole lot of John or Mick signature sounds in TITN.



I could just say my main beef with TITN is that it's.. overproduced. Yeah, that sounds better.
What you said.

Mirage at least sounds like a BAND playing. Tango is too perfect, and it's perfect to a fault. Every note sounds computer generated, or at least computer perfected(which I'm sure it is).

Too bad that computer couldn't write some decent songs for Stevie to sing! :p

[MikeVielhaber]

:rolleyes:

I'd like to see your mathematical calculations that brought you to 95%?

Do you have a pie chart somewhere of every conversation and review that you've ever read of Tusk? Is there room for error based on reviews you haven't read or have you done an extensive research undertaking to find every opinion of Tusk possible? Are the reviews judge qualitatively or quantitatively?

Just kidding, I just don't like when people use arbitrary percentages to gauge opinions. And "most" does not equal 51% (which would be best described as "half"). Most would cover everything from 75%-99%. Anything after that would be be "all."

;)

No most technically means 51% or higher. If you have two or more options....in this case favorable or unfavorable....whichever option has more than the others has the most. So saying, of the reviews that Michele has read, most of them were favorable simply means that more were favorable than unfavorable. Isn't your 75% mark arbitrary itself??

[Dodfather]

Just picked up a copy of Tango on vinyl for £3 - gotta love ebay! Now I just need Fleetwood Mac and Mirage to have all the Rumours era line-up on vinyl.

Someone did tell me once that Say You Will got a vinyl release but I highly doubt this, the cost of producing one would have been too expensive to justify the returns - especially if they werworried about who was going to buy it on cd in the first place, as per Stevie's comments in Destiny Rules. I could be wrong though, does anyone know anything about a vinyl SYW?

Sorry for clogging up a Tango thread with that by the way.

[michelej1]

Someone did tell me once that Say You Will got a vinyl release but I highly doubt this, the cost of producing one would have been too expensive to justify the returns - especially if they werworried about who was going to buy it on cd in the first place, as per Stevie's comments in Destiny Rules. I could be wrong though, does anyone know anything about a vinyl SYW?


I don't know about a vinyl SYW, but the cost vs. return justification for a CV and GOS release was even less and those 2 still came out on vinyl. So, that probably wouldn't have stopped them from doing it, but we would have heard about it, I imagine.

Michele

[Dodfather]

Crystal Visions came out on vinyl?! How did I not know this??? I want one - now!

[SteveMacD]

I don't know about a vinyl SYW, but the cost vs. return justification for a CV and GOS release was even less and those 2 still came out on vinyl. So, that probably wouldn't have stopped them from doing it, but we would have heard about it, I imagine.
Yeah, but SYW would've been a double album.

[holidayroad]

Crystal Visions came out on vinyl?! How did I not know this??? I want one - now!

It's at Amazon for $28.48 (and it's a double album)

[Dodfather]

It's at Amazon for $28.48 (and it's a double album)

Yup - I found it immediately after reading this yesterday. Now I know it's there I can get it when I have some cash. I'm so excited about it!! I'm going to get one of those clip frames for record covers and put it on my wall because I think it's such a great picture of Stevie.

[greendaze5]

In terms of FM’s two 80’s albums, I prefer ‘Mirage’ over ‘Tango’, but ‘Tango’ definitely put FM on the map again after a 5 year absence. It was a big hit internationally and sold really well.

I don’t care for Lindsey’s songs (still scratching my head over ‘Family Man’ which was oddly released as a single), but ‘Big Love’ as the first single did grab a lot of attention with the so-called ‘love grunts’. I agree with others here that Christine was the one who really shined on ‘Tango’. I love ‘Mystified’ and ‘Everywhere’, and ‘Little Lies’ was deservedly a hit.

Stevie, sad to say, was lacklustre to say the least. ‘When I See You Again’ sounds like it was written in a klonopin haze (though she wasn’t actually on the stuff yet), and ‘Welcome to the Room… Sara’ was a miss for me. Instrumentally, it’s well produced, but it’s saddled with weak lyrics - a mishmash of pointless ‘Gone With The Wind’ references and recycled words from ‘Blue Lamp’. Stevie could’ve made a profound statement about going through drug abuse and coming out a survivor but you’ll never get that from the way the song was written.

Oh, and about ‘When I See You Again’, Stevie did an interview (in ‘Creem’) where she said the ending originally had her and Lindsey singing the ending together, but she ‘snuck in’ and took out her part so it’s only Lindsey’s voice we hear at the end. It was to make it more ‘intimate’, she said with him singing alone. Anyways, with all due respect, I really have to question Stevie’s side of the story. She was apparently barely there for the recording of ‘Tango’, and I doubt control-freak Lindsey would have let her near the mixing board – :lol:

I love ‘Seven Wonders’, but kudos to Sandy Stewart - not Stevie. Sandy saved her butt with that one. We might’ve gotten the awful ‘What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done For You?’ instead. A thought - if ‘Seven Wonders’ wasn’t used, perhaps that b-side track ‘Book of Miracles’ could have been substituted (with words by Stevie that is) instead.

By the way, does any kind, generous, lovable Ledgie have a mp3 of ‘Book of Miracles’ that he/she can post to share? I only have it on vinyl, and on an audiocassette that I can’t find. Thanks! :)

[holidayroad]

By the way, does any kind, generous, lovable Ledgie have a mp3 of ‘Book of Miracles’ that he/she can post to share? I only have it on vinyl, and on an audiocassette that I can’t find. Thanks! :)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/yfheni

[StreetAngel95]

i must say, i loveee TITN! one of my first Mac albums ever. And it's definetly my favorite 80's album of the Mac. It's so very 80's with all the electric drums and beats! HAHA besides, without TITN you wouldn't have classics like "Big Love" and gorgeous masterpieces like, "Little Lies"! Some standouts for me are, "Caroline", "Seven Wonders" and "Isn't It Midnight"....and sometimes i listen to "When I See You Again" as a lullaby to help me fall asleep...

[seekerj]

In terms of FM’s two 80’s albums, I prefer ‘Mirage’ over ‘Tango’, but ‘Tango’ definitely put FM on the map again after a 5 year absence. It was a big hit internationally and sold really well.

I don’t care for Lindsey’s songs (still scratching my head over ‘Family Man’ which was oddly released as a single), but ‘Big Love’, as the first single, did grab a lot of attention with the so-called ‘love grunts’. I agree with others here that Christine was the one who really shined on ‘Tango’. I love ‘Mystified’ and ‘Everywhere’, and ‘Little Lies’ was a deservedly a hit.

Stevie, sad to say, was lacklustre to say the least. ‘When I See You Again’ sounds like it was written in a klonopin haze (though she wasn’t actually on the stuff yet), and ‘Welcome to the Room… Sara’ was a miss for me. Instrumentally, it’s well produced, but it’s saddled with weak lyrics - a mishmash of pointless ‘Gone With The Wind’ references and recycled words from ‘Blue Lamp’. Stevie could’ve made a profound statement about going through drug abuse and coming out a survivor but you’ll never get that from the way the song was written.
Oh, and about ‘When I See You Again’, Stevie did an interview (in ‘Creem’) where she said the ending originally had her and Lindsey singing the ending together, but she ‘snuck in’ and took out her part so it’s only Lindsey’s voice we hear at the end. It was to make it more ‘intimate’, she said with him singing alone. Anyways, with all due respect, I really have to question Stevie’s side of the story. She was apparently barely there for the recording of ‘Tango’, and I doubt control-freak Lindsey would have let her near the mixing board – :lol:

I love ‘Seven Wonders’, but kudos to Sandy Stewart - not Stevie. Sandy saved her butt with that one. We might’ve gotten the awful ‘What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done For You?’ instead. A thought - if ‘Seven Wonders’ wasn’t used, perhaps that b-side track ‘Book of Miracles’ could have been substituted (with words by Stevie that is) instead.

By the way, does any kind, generous, lovable Ledgie have a mp3 of ‘Book of Miracles’ that he/she can post to share? I only have it on vinyl, and on an audiocassette that I can’t find. Thanks! :)

Wow, I couldn't possibly disagree more!

BTW, Stevie already had lyrics to "Book Of Miracles"; check out the outtake of "Juliet" from the Tango sessions.

[greendaze5]

holidayroad - thanks for sharing Book of Miracles!

[bucklind17]

Tusk has a pretty notorious reputation don't you think? Perhaps it's different inside the FM fan collective but it's always been described quite dubiously whenever I've heard about it.



I guess I'm just remembering my own experience as a new fan, which was to get my hands on everything I could, regardless of what people were saying. The title song from The Dance was already one of my favorite tracks and I had already gotten quite an appreciation of Lindsey, so most of what was said about that album that I had access to just made me more curious to hear it, not stay away from it.

Tango is and always has been my least favorite Rumours era album. I've grown to appreciation it more but there aren't many big winners on it for me. I'm the weirdo who likes the Stevie songs best and I do love a lot of what Lindsey decided to do on this album as well but it's not one I fall back on very often.

[seekerj]

I guess I'm just remembering my own experience as a new fan, which was to get my hands on everything I could, regardless of what people were saying. The title song from The Dance was already one of my favorite tracks and I had already gotten quite an appreciation of Lindsey, so most of what was said about that album that I had access to just made me more curious to hear it, not stay away from it.

Tango is and always has been my least favorite Rumours era album. I've grown to appreciation it more but there aren't many big winners on it for me. I'm the weirdo who likes the Stevie songs best and I do love a lot of what Lindsey decided to do on this album as well but it's not one I fall back on very often.

Me, too!!!!

[The Chain]

Is there an actual outtake track of Juliet from the Tango sessions? or is there just the demo?

[holidayroad]

holidayroad - thanks for sharing Book of Miracles!

Glad to help :)

[TrueFaith77]

Crystal Visions came out on vinyl?! How did I not know this??? I want one - now!

It was my first 'new' vinyl purchase! And it sounds GREEAAAAT.

[bluefox4000]

Hi all I'm new here big Fleetwood Mac fan:wavey:

Anyway Tango. I think it's one of the great 80's albums. not just by the Mac, But by anyone. Also I think this is a Lindsey/Christine showcase. I mean it had to be, look at poor Stevie.

i love all of Chris' numbers. From Everywhere to Isn't It Midnight. This woman could make Pop songs like nobody's business. I feel she never is recognized enough as the brilliant songwriter she is. Also is it just me or does anybody else think her voice has a different tone to it on this album? higher, a tad raspier maybe?

Lindsey....oh my Lindsey. How do I love thee let me count the ways!

He is my favorite member. He may have ADD but it works in his favor. Big love. Immediate classic. It amazes that when he manipulates his voice he
sounds like Stevie:laugh: The highlight here is the title track. When I first heard this I played it.....All day. Everything about it screams genius. Underrated classic. Though maybe not by you guys. It ends to soon though. Just as that guitar is revving up.

Which brings Me to ms. Nicks. Seven wonders is good. When I see You Again would have been better had she sang it earlier in her career. Lindsey saves it for me. Welcome to the Room....DUD. She obviously was in deep trouble and needed.

The only Other Minor complaint I have is. The album has no Bottom end. John is buried in the mix. Other then that classic album.

Mick

[holidayroad]

Hi all I'm new here big Fleetwood Mac fan:wavey:

Anyway Tango. I think it's one of the great 80's albums. not just by the Mac, But by anyone. Also I think this is a Lindsey/Christine showcase. I mean it had to be, look at poor Stevie.

i love all of Chris' numbers. From Everywhere to Isn't It Midnight. This woman could make Pop songs like nobody's business. I feel she never is recognized enough as the brilliant songwriter she is. Also is it just me or does anybody else think her voice has a different tone to it on this album? higher, a tad raspier maybe?

Lindsey....oh my Lindsey. How do I love thee let me count the ways!

He is my favorite member. He may have ADD but it works in his favor. Big love. Immediate classic. It amazes that when he manipulates his voice he
sounds like Stevie:laugh: The highlight here is the title track. When I first heard this I played it.....All day. Everything about it screams genius. Underrated classic. Though maybe not by you guys. It ends to soon though. Just as that guitar is revving up.

Which brings Me to ms. Nicks. Seven wonders is good. When I see You Again would have been better had she sang it earlier in her career. Lindsey saves it for me. Welcome to the Room....DUD. She obviously was in deep trouble and needed.

The only Other Minor complaint I have is. The album has no Bottom end. John is buried in the mix. Other then that classic album.

Mick

Welcome to the Ledge, Mick!! Lindsey is my favorite, as well!

[David]

i love all of Chris' numbers. From Everywhere to Isn't It Midnight. This woman could make Pop songs like nobody's business. I feel she never is recognized enough as the brilliant songwriter she is. I don't think she's a brilliant songwriter. I think she's a good songwriter; she writes a good hook, etc. Her verses & choruses all snap into place with a satisfying click, so they all make for decent singalong, which is what all pop songs need.

I think her special quality is in her singing. She's a real original in style. She's what I would call a petit-maitre. She's my favorite gal in pop.

[seekerj]

Is there an actual outtake track of Juliet from the Tango sessions? or is there just the demo?

I think there's only one track. I was just saying that there were lyrics written for that song.

[Dr. Groove]

This thread inspired me to see what sort of reaction Family Man got compared to Lindsey's most oddball Tusk tunes, and I happened to stumble upon this (http://niceblogyougothere.blogspot.com/2010/02/tusk-what-album.html)..:shocked:


Hey, this is Dr. Groove from that review of Tusk you found. Based on the discussions I've seen here, I thought I should thank you for sounding pretty positive about it teehee. But seriously, this thread made me smile so much, and just for that I'm thinking of reviewing Tango in the Night when I next update the blog. Anyway, groove on my fellow Fmac fans.

[ButterCookie]

Hey, this is Dr. Groove from that review of Tusk you found. Based on the discussions I've seen here, I thought I should thank you for sounding pretty positive about it teehee. But seriously, this thread made me smile so much, and just for that I'm thinking of reviewing Tango in the Night when I next update the blog. Anyway, groove on my fellow Fmac fans.

You're my new best friend :distress:

[michelej1]

This is an exceprt from a review of Shy Child's Liquid Love album, from In the News:

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/reviews/music/shy-child-liquid-love-$1362571.htm



I suppose the big bonus is that Fleetwood Mac has blatantly been used in the opening track Liquid Love, which has elements of Little Lies and Everywhere. Shy Child used another band who we love to hate to love to emphasise the same elements found in their own offering.

[Dr. Groove]

I'm thinking of reviewing Tango in the Night when I next update the blog. Anyway, groove on my fellow Fmac fans.


For anyone who has been following this, or other people alike, check out the new review of tango to the max teehee

Here it is. (http://niceblogyougothere.blogspot.com/2010/03/taaaaaaaaaangoooooooooooooooooooooooooo.html)

[ButterCookie]

Oh god.....

wow some nice keyboard riffin' go mcvie go callin' out my name? oh teehee i don't feel the same way but i do love you anyway teehee hmm oh ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow how solemn and groovy nice tune mcvie shame that bass is so lame do something groovy Mr. McVie!! shame he can't RIP groovy man

Dude. John's not dead :shocked:

wow way to ruin the groovy mood miss mcvie :mad:

Back off Chris, beeotch. She shone the most on TITN, we've established this.

but srsly murder me

I'm on my way. Ugh

[Dr. Groove]

She shone the most on TITN, we've established this.

oh um

I personally enjoy Bucko's tunes the best. Big Love, Tango, Family Man, they're great.

[Phil]

I don't think she's a brilliant songwriter. I think she's a good songwriter; she writes a good hook, etc. Her verses & choruses all snap into place with a satisfying click, so they all make for decent singalong, which is what all pop songs need.

I think her special quality is in her singing. She's a real original in style. She's what I would call a petit-maitre. She's my favorite gal in pop.

Couldn't agree more David. My only point of difference is that I would have addressed these comments in the past tense. I realise I'm in the minority here, but I don't believe Chris has demonstrated her skills with consistency since the Tusk album. There have been glimpses of her talents since, but much of the intervening work has bordered on being prosaic and lacklustre. That said, I do remain fond of the lass.

[michelej1]

April 15, 1987 Wednesday,
HEADLINE: Fleetwood Mac regroups for a good album

BYLINE: Divina Infusino

BODY:


Fleetwood Mac's superstar bickering five years ago was enough to turn off fans forever. Remember those miserable shows during the Los Angeles quintet's last tour? John McVie moped over his guitar, Christine McVie cringed behind her keyboards, Mick Fleetwood drowned himself in beer, Lindsey Buckingham flaked out in a corner while Stevie Nicks acted out her ballerina fantasies like a 14-year-old who dropped out of toe class too early. What fun. But surprise, surprise.

After a hiatus and solo recording ventures of varying successes, Fleetwood Mac has returned with a good new album "Tango in the Night." True, it's not 1977's "Rumours," the group's best and best-selling album in which the band merged concrete lyrical themes with its savvy pop sense. Nor is it the 1982 LP "Mirage," which screamed "Let's-go-through-the-motions-of-recording-even-though-we-can't-stand-the-s ight-of-each-other.` Instead, the new album casts an inviting, but eerie spell, elevating what could be pop fluff (in the case of Christine McVie's song "Everywhere," or narcissistic spiritualism (in Nicks' "Seven Wonders"), into mysterious musical snapshots. The album's best moments belong to Fleetwood, who brought the African percussion influence of his solo effort, titled Fleetwood Mac's Zoo, to arrangements and to Buckingham.

As co-producer, arranger and creator of the album's dream-like state, Buckingham has written material perfectly suited to the LP, from the disturbing first single "Big Love" to "Family Man."

The latter, with lines like "I don't know what's wrong but I do know what's right, a family man," is sure to hit Fleetwood Mac fans right at home. Although Christine McVie's and Nicks' songs are not as alluring, the album would suffer without the warmth and immediacy of their cuts.

However, even the wonders of modern studio technology can't hide the fact that Nicks' voice has deteriorated, permanently needing throat lozenges.

And when did she forget how to enunciate? "Tango in the Night" shows that old bands can regroup for a reason other than big bucks and contract obligations and in the process put out an enjoyable listening experience. Who knows?

Maybe the next time Fleetwood Mac tours, the group might actually smile at each other on stage. A Reunion With A Twist: Little Feat, one of the most beloved '70s California bands, will regroup for a new album and tour.

Except for Roy Estrada who left the Little Feat early in its career, all the band's surviving members will reunite -- Richard Hayward, Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, Ken Gradney and Bill Payne. But who will replace Little Feat's deceased and much mourned main vocalist, Lowell George? Possibly, Robert Palmer.

Yes, the "Addicted to Love," Robert Palmer.

If Palmer's GQ image doesn't seem to mesh with Little Feat's country-influenced rock, keep in mind that Palmer has covered two Little Feat songs, "Trouble" and "Sailin' Shoes." Also Little Feat's music was more eclectic than memory might serve. Industry rumor says that Palmer is seriously considering the position. Progressive rock fans rejoice: Not only has the original line-up of Emerson, Lake and Palmer settled their differences, but '70s progressive rock keyboard king, Rick Wakeman, is returning with a new double English import album, "The Gospels," on the Stylus label.

In the meantime, Wakeman's former band, Yes, is preparing its new album, "The Big Generator," for June release and plans a U.S. tour starting in late July. Album News: Whitney Houston's second LP has been pushed back to the end of May, with a July-September tour to follow.

[michelej1]

HEADLINE: Fleetwood Mac soloists reunite on 'Tango';
POP ALBUMS

BYLINE: The Orange County Register, April 17, 1987

BODY:

Fleetwood Mac. "Tango in the Night." Warner Bros.

Since its beginning as a British blues band in 1967, Fleetwood Mac
has been any number of things, from Limey Elmore James clones to the
ultimate laid-back California band (for a short while the band even
existed as a fake, when former managers toured a group of phonies under
the band's name). Now with "Tango in the Night" Fleetwood Mac seems to
exist more as contractual obligation than as a band.

One can't help thinking that if the members liked each other they'd
get together a bit more often (the group's last album, "Mirage," came
out five years ago). And "Tango" just sounds like five people forced to
work on each other's solo outings. Granted, a similar division worked
just fine for the Beatles from the "White Album" to "Abbey Road," but
Fleetwood Mac isn't the Beatles.

But what the Mac's members are on "Tango" isn't that bad either. It
wasn't merely a bland inoffensiveness that put the band's pop albums in
everyone's homes in the '70s. The group has two solid songwriters in
Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham (they do collaborate here on a
couple of the cuts), and the latter is also a hot guitarist and a near
genius at production and quirky arrangements. Years of living by a warm
Malibu breeze evidently haven't undercut the effective rhythmic chops
of bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. And if you have a
programmable CD player, you can avoid Stevie Nicks' implacable
queen-of-fairyland contributions altogether.

Nicks has three songs on the album, all cut from the same lacy cloth.

With "Welcome to the Room. . . Sara" being the most bothersome of the
lot, she doles out the same aren't-I-profound-and-pretty-dang-mystical
lyric s with a throat that sounds like it's been used as a tool shed for
the last five years.

McVie's songs once took a pretty good tug on the heartstrings. Now
she seems content to forgo the emotion for well-crafted, polished pop.

As such, "Everywhere" impresses as little more than an exercise, and
"Isn't it Midnight" works chiefly due to Buckingham's production and
raging guitar, which rides roughshod over everything. "Little Lies,"
the best of McVie's lot, offers a persuasive melody and honey-toned
vocal.

The Fleetwood Mac imprimatur seems to help Buckingham better focus
his songs. Where his solo projects sometimes seem more caught up in his
wild sonic experiments than in their results, his arrangements and
production (shared with Richard Dashut) here serve the songs while
still grabbing the ears with fresh textures.

Buckingham's solo "Go Insane" sounded convincingly off-kilter, and
there's a slightly lunatic edge to a couple of his songs here. On
"Family Man," in only a few words, he conveys a sense of a man cracking
under the responsibilities of family. "You and I, Part II" has a
bouncy, early morning feel to it, but its lyrics are of a relationship
terrified by tomorrow. "Big Love" on the other hand, is simply a great
sounding pop single, set apart by a charged vocal and aspirated
rhythms.

-- Jim Washburn

[michelej1]

Los Angeles Times
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-12/entertainment/ca-835_1_fleetwood-mac

Fleetwood Mac Restored
RECORD RACK April 12, 1987|STEVE HOCHMAN

"TANGO IN THE NIGHT." Fleetwood Mac. Warner Bros.

How does the definitive group of the late '70s make out a decade later?

Very well, thank you. Combining the experimentalism of 1979's "Tusk" and the crisp pop sense of 1977's multi-multi-million selling "Rumours," "Tango" is as arresting and unique a work in its time as those albums were in theirs.

And though Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks each still function pretty much autonomously as songwriters, the group's first album since 1982's uninspired "Mirage" carries the most unified feel of any Fleetwood Mac LP since the ones predating Buckingham and Nicks arrival in 1975.

One reason is the usual solid foundation of Mick Fleetwood's tribal drumming and John McVie's easy-to-overlook bass playing. The main one, though, is Buckingham. As the album's co-producer (with Richard Dashut), arranger and dominant writer/singer, he employs the same distinctively adventurous approach he explored first on "Tusk" and later on his two excellent solo albums.

Buckingham's pop pointillism favors mosaics of small, staccato sounds. But since the elements never quite fit together, the album is characterized by a pervasive, unsettling sense of weirdness.

In Buckingham's hands, a simple, pretty little tune like Christine McVie's "Mystified" becomes an intricately detailed miniature, while on his own songs he combines dozens of whispers into sometimes harrowing screams. Typical is his "Big Love," a sketchy warning to be "looking out for love"--as opposed to looking for love--that builds to a boil over an insistent beat and grunted background vocals. It's as infectious as it is disturbing.

But even such relatively conventional material as McVie's straight rocker, "Isn't It Midnight," and Nicks' dreamy "When I See You Again" benefit from the subtly bizarre undercurrents Buckingham creates.

Predictably, the album's lesser moments come courtesy of Nicks, who on the obtuse "Welcome to the Room . . . Sara" furthers her reputation as the Shirley MacLaine of rock, even calling on the spirit of Scarlett O'Hara. Worse yet, her voice sounds shot.

But that's not enough to drag down this showcase of Buckingham's remarkable talents. The only complaint is that with just three Fleetwood Mac studio albums and Buckingham's two solo efforts since "Rumours," we don't get to hear enough of them.

[MissLadyLoki]

I didn't mean to post on this dug-up old thread.

I call him Liddy :lol:

I just call him Bucky most of the time, it has a bit of a nice ring to it and in sme of those pics it fits quite well.

Anyways, onto the album itself. My dad has it on CD (one of my parents' first ones) and it was my first encounter with the Mac. I had seen it may times when going into my CD cabinet, thought the title and the pics were cool, but never bothered to listen to it. Later on, when I had actually discovered the Mac, I decied to give it a listen, but really wasn't too fond of it, but that's since changed as I became a bigger fan over time.

As for the album itself, I absolutey love Chrisine's tunes, and I consider it the best of her Mac material (sorry, dunno her solo work and i don't really know know her pre-BN stuff that wel). Lindsey's songs, as good as he looked that era (along with the rest of the band), I could more or less take or leave, and I do have a strong preference for his acoustic version of Big Love over the original, but I must admit that title song does have some sweet guitar-playing. Stevie, however, please excuse what I'm gonna say, sucked on this album. Even thought she did sing Seven Wonders (and the music vid for it was really good), I really don't consider it to be one of her songs cause she didn't write it, but as for the songs she wrote on it are just painful for me to listen to. When I heard Tusk in it's entirety recently, i couldn't help but think "The woman responsible for such fantastic songs on here made those TITN atrocities?"

Overall, it is still a very good, though very 80's, album.

[michelej1]

TITN review by Harry Keogh, Helium.com

http://www.helium.com/items/1867090-fleetwood-mac-tango-in-the-night-album-review

Fleetwood Mac underwent many different band line-ups during their career, but out of them all this is pretty much their classic band line-up and the one that most of us would be familiar with. At the time of release back in 1987 the band consisted of;


• Lindsey Buckingham: - Vocals, Guitar
• Stevie Nicks: -Vocals
• Christine McVie: - Keyboards, Vocals
• John McVie: - Bass
• Mike Fleetwood: -Drums


By having three vocalists within the group the range and diversity of their song styles was pretty great, and was coupled incredibly well with the unique playing style of Lindsey Buckingham, who played all of his guitar parts by picking the strings with his fingers as opposed to using a plectrum. Along with the masterful playing ability of Mike Fleetwood who had an amazing talent for making his drum kit literally sing out the beat.



• Track listings

1. Big Love

Immediately we are greeted with a very clean and crisp sounding start to the album with Lindsey's velvety tones running rampant over this quick paced beauty that is Big Love. Probably one of the most memorable sections from this song though is “oh” “ah” sounds that we hear through the song, which in fact where produced by only Lindsey using various pitch levels to his voice to give them a male and female sounding vocal to it. All in all this song makes for a great start to the album.



2. Seven Wonders

So with this track we see Stevie absolutely belt out this song which is certainly one of my favourites, and brings back memories of driving to Devon on holiday with my father as he seemed to have this song on constantly the whole way there. Despite having listened to it so many times though the track still sounds just as fresh and captivating each and every time. The chorus line of all three vocalists blend together wonderful and make for a spine tingling hook to the song.



3. Everywhere

The track starts off with the lovely keyboard work of Christine, who then proceeds to enchant us with her fantastic voice. Like most of the bands works this song has a very light and airy feel to it, especially with the lofty sounding backing vocals through the chorus. The musical content of the song is kept to a very simple and plain style to allow for the vocals of all three singers to really reign supreme throughout the track.



4. Caroline

Without a doubt this is the best Fleetwood Mac song in my opinion and one that seems to mysteriously be missing from their greatest hits album for some reason. A great drum backing beat from the great man himself Mike Fleetwood overlaid with a tremendous bass guitar and keyboard line, which gives Lindsey and Stevie something to really work over as they lay down some thick and smooth harmonies.

5. Tango in The Night

The title track to the album starts off very calmly and gentle, but despite this subtle sound to the tracks beginning you can feel the more powerful chorus section building up through most of each verse. The song also boasts a tremendous guitar solo from Lindsey towards the end of the track. In comparison to their previous tracks on the album this song has a much darker and heavier edge to it, and makes for a wonderful break in the album.



6. Mystified

The feel of the album instantly lifts straight back up into the clouds with this track and brings with it an uncomplicated sound along with it. The only problem though is I just feel that this song suffers from where it is on the album as following on from the title track of the album leaves this song feeling flat in comparison.



7. Little Lies

The lofty harmonies are laid on nice and thick with this song sees both Stevie and Christine teaming up to absolutely rip into this killer track. Fleetwood Mac never seem to have an overall complex song structure to any of their tracks, but this just stops the ear from being distracted from the main vocal lines. This being said though there is still enough in the music side of this song to enhance the overall sound of it.



8. Family Man

After the girls have had the reign of the vocals over the last few, it is time for Lindsey to once more take the lead, and he truly does just that as his voice leads the way with his sprightly Spanish sounding guitar work rattles along with it. The song has quite a funky and almost poppy beat to it and keeps the song moving along at a good pace.



9. Welcome To the Room... Sara

The tempo of the album remains at a nice and smooth pace with Stevie returning to the lead vocals for this track. This again is another great sounding track, but just doesn't seem to match up to the rest of the album. Lindsey and Christine provide some great sounding backing harmonies throughout the song as well.



10. Isn't it Midnight

The album jumps back into a much rockier feel and sound as Lindsey's guitar playing gains a real edge to it during the intro and verse sections of the tune. During the chorus lines though the song lifts into a much higher and lighter plain. This track manages to also showcase some more of Lindsey's majestic soloing abilities.

11. When I See You Again

Unlike a majority of the rest of the album this track has a much more stripped back and bare feel to it which just gives Stevie the opportunity to demonstrate just how good a vocalist she is. Lindsey and Christine join in during the chorus parts to make for a wonderfully haunting sound to the track. The music to the song is literally made up of just Lindsey's guitar and the odd occasional piece of percussion from Mike.

12. You and I (Part 2)

After the last tracks almost absence of musical instruments this track makes back up for it and brings a really upbeat and bouncy feel to the ending of the album. The vocal for the track is given a massive range by at times alternating the vocal line over both your left and right speaker making the song sound absolutely massive and all encompassing.


• Overall

One of the great things about this era of Fleetwood Mac was the great ease at which the band slipped between male and female main vocalists without it sounding out of place at all. This really gives this album something for everyone, and it doesn't leave the listener becoming bored of the same style being used over and over again which unfortunately some bands can fall prey to.

[michelej1]

Amazon Editorial Review
http://www.epreferential.com/tango-in-the-night-b000002l9y.html

Thanks to the long shadow cast by the group’s blockbuster Rumours, this 1987 effort was inevitably regarded as something of a letdown. That’s too bad, since it’s an underrated set that contains plenty of inventively catchy tunes, with a quirky sonic edge that gives the songs added sonic and emotional depth. Lindsey Buckingham’s eccentric, vaguely menacing

[michelej1]

Houston Chronicle, May 10, 1987 by Marty Racine

Tango In The Night Fleetwood Mac Warner Bros.
Behold this tome from Fleetwood Mac, their first studio recording in five years since "Mirage".

What are we to make of this? That the band is back together? That Stevie Nicks may or may not still have a solo career? That Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie are talking again? That the principals have finally rediscovered a positive atmosphere in which all their creative urges are allowed to mesh? That it was time to make some money again?

It all reads like a soap opera, and frankly I couldn't care less. Interpreting the fragile egos of superstars through obtuse lyrics is not my cup o' tea. This is high society, like "Dynasty" or "Dallas", which has no bearing on my world. The music therefore just doesn't make a difference one way or the other.

That said, the tunes are nice and pretty enough, excellent "adult contemporary" material. I find that I'm partial to McVie and Buckingham as composers, especially in the tunes "Big Love, Mystified" and "Isn't It Midnight". I find also another reason to dismiss Nicks as a flake.

No, this does not measure up to "Rumours", nor to their live shows, which, thanks to the extraordinary Buckingham, can be exhilarating. The problem is that there is too much democracy going, too much of an effort to accommodate everyone's distinct styles. And yet we're supposed to believe this is true "band". Good grief, the perceptions we are fed. (3 stars)

[michelej1]

Fleetwood Mac Restored

April 12, 1987|STEVE HOCHMANOK,

OK, so the faces we used in Record Rack last week to rate albums were stupid. While we launch a study to come up with a better symbol for rating the records, we'll go with the old standby of 1 to 4 checks. Translation: = "Great Balls of Fire"


"TANGO IN THE NIGHT." Fleetwood Mac. Warner Bros.

How does the definitive group of the late '70s make out a decade later?

Very well, thank you. Combining the experimentalism of 1979's "Tusk" and the crisp pop sense of 1977's multi-multi-million selling "Rumours," "Tango" is as arresting and unique a work in its time as those albums were in theirs.

And though Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks each still function pretty much autonomously as songwriters, the group's first album since 1982's uninspired "Mirage" carries the most unified feel of any Fleetwood Mac LP since the ones predating Buckingham and Nicks arrival in 1975.

One reason is the usual solid foundation of Mick Fleetwood's tribal drumming and John McVie's easy-to-overlook bass playing. The main one, though, is Buckingham. As the album's co-producer (with Richard Dashut), arranger and dominant writer/singer, he employs the same distinctively adventurous approach he explored first on "Tusk" and later on his two excellent solo albums.

Buckingham's pop pointillism favors mosaics of small, staccato sounds. But since the elements never quite fit together, the album is characterized by a pervasive, unsettling sense of weirdness.

In Buckingham's hands, a simple, pretty little tune like Christine McVie's "Mystified" becomes an intricately detailed miniature, while on his own songs he combines dozens of whispers into sometimes harrowing screams. Typical is his "Big Love," a sketchy warning to be "looking out for love"--as opposed to looking for love--that builds to a boil over an insistent beat and grunted background vocals. It's as infectious as it is disturbing.

But even such relatively conventional material as McVie's straight rocker, "Isn't It Midnight," and Nicks' dreamy "When I See You Again" benefit from the subtly bizarre undercurrents Buckingham creates.

Predictably, the album's lesser moments come courtesy of Nicks, who on the obtuse "Welcome to the Room . . . Sara" furthers her reputation as the Shirley MacLaine of rock, even calling on the spirit of Scarlett O'Hara. Worse yet, her voice sounds shot.

But that's not enough to drag down this showcase of Buckingham's remarkable talents. The only complaint is that with just three Fleetwood Mac studio albums and Buckingham's two solo efforts since "Rumours," we don't get to hear enough of them.

[michelej1]

April 10, 1987 Boston Globe (MA)


Section: ARTS AND FILM

FLEETWOOD MAC RECAPTURES OLD GRACE

Steve Morse, Globe Staff


There was a time when a new Fleetwood Mac album was accorded the same fanfare a Bruce Springsteen or Michael Jackson album is given today. Just turn the clock back to 1977 when Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" LP sold 15 million copies -- a feat since surpassed only by the Bee Gees' "Saturday Night Fever" (28 million sales) and Jackson's "Thriller" (35 million).

But Fleetwood's glory days didn't last. After their experimental, mixed-bag followup album, "Tusk," sold only 4 million copies, group members Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood turned their attention to outside projects. Nicks became an arena headliner in her own right. Buckingham made three overly precious solo albums. Fleetwood went to Africa to make an ethnic dance record. John McVie toured with John Mayall. And Christine McVie made the underrated pop album, "Got a Hold on Me," in 1984.

Fleetwood Mac's new "Tango in the Night" (Warner Brothers) is only the band's second album of original music in the '80s -- and the first since 1982's dubious "Mirage." It is being shipped without fanfare to stores tomorrow (indeed, many fans didn't even know the group was recording again), but it represents their most alluring work since "Rumours."

The album's recent single, "Big Love," signaled trouble with its breathy creampuff sound, but the rest is much more inviting. The group sounds recommitted, especially in the delicate, ethereally-beautiful vocal harmonies that are its trademark. And the songs are again nicely balanced between the bewitching confessional pop of Nicks, the open-hearted love songs of Christine McVie and the offbeat musings of Buckingham. They complement each other just as they did in their late-'70s zenith, even if some arrangements sound like a recycling from that period.

Arranged and partly recorded in Buckingham's home studio in Los Angeles, the tracks have a warmth missing from the "Mirage" LP, which had been recorded in a castle in Europe. The warmest tunes, not surprisingly, belong to Christine McVie, whose song "Everywhere" is a joyous affirmation of newborn love. She later combines with Buckingham on the New Age pop of "Mystified," another love song of singular beauty.

Nicks checks in with her own gems. "Seven Wonders," a cosmic tale of romance that appears to float out of King Arthur's time, has an angelically upbeat vocal. She's equally disarming on "When I See You Again," about meeting a lover for the last time. The mood is enhanced by soft acoustic guitar and a final verse sung by Buckingham, who, not coincidentally, had been her lover during the '70s.

Buckingham's contributions are more checkered, but also more adventurous. His "Big Love," the album's aforementioned single, lays a big egg, but his other songs mostly glisten. His Al DiMeola-like Spanish guitar is a highlight on "Family Man," which concerns owning up to the responsibilities of fatherhood.

Elsewhere, Buckingham experiments with Moroccan and Caribbean textures, then opens throttle on the title track, "Tango in the Night," which describes a romantic moonlight dream and has a guitar solo that screeches into the stratosphere. For that matter, his guitar playing is a focal point throughout the album. He is a master of filigree melodic lines, tremolo touches and the occasional bent-note wail that makes his playing all the more versatile and energizing.

Some critics will surely find Fleetwood Mac an anachronism in 1987. But this album not only restores the grace of their glory days, it proves the band still has some creativity to spare. There is no word yet as to whether they will tour, but they've at least survived the studio with respect intact. MORSE ;

[michelej1]

New York Times (NY), May 13, 1987


Section: C

THE POP LIFE; EDGY WISTFULNESS FROM FLEETWOOD MACStephen Holden


FLEETWOOD MAC'S exquisitely produced new album, "Tango in the Night" (Warner Brothers) is filled with ghostly voices and delicate folk-rock instrumentation all interwoven into the pop musical equivalent of a moody Gothic romance.

"Looking out for love
In the night so still
Oh I'll build you a kingdom
In that house on the hill


Thus begins Lindsey Buckingham's song, "Big Love." The album's opening cut and first single (currently No. 7 on Billboard's Hot 100), "Big Love" establishes a mood of edgy, sophisticated wistfulness that runs through all 12 of the album's cuts.

Song after song expresses a mixture of longing and remembrance, as Mr. Buckingham's shimmering arrangements for the quintet's three principal singers - himself, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks - evoke the members of the group calling to one another from mist-shrouded turrets, across vast distances. In the album's two most beautiful productions, "Mystified" and "Little Lies," Ms. McVie's mournful, smoky folk alto winds through lush jungles of whispering voices strung with delicate acoustic instrumentation. The album's one sour note is an inferior Stevie Nicks song, "Welcome to the Room . . . Sara," in which the singer's voice rings harsh and flat.

Mr. Buckingham, the group's 37-year-old lead guitarist and co-producer, has long been the principal architect of the Fleetwood Mac sound, but on "Tango in the Night," the group's first studio album since "Mirage" (1982), he assumed near-total control. Mr. Buckingham, who co-wrote seven songs on the album, is a master of aural detail, and the music's gossamer textures - woven with Irish lap guitar, zither, ukulele and other electronically enhanced folk instruments, surpass in refinement even those of the group's 1977 blockbuster album, "Rumours."

" 'Tango in the Night' took about 18 months to record," Mr. Buckingham recalled the other day. "The bulk of it was cut in the home studio that used to be my garage in the Hollywood hills. Most of the vocal parts were recorded track by track. The voices used in the textured vocal choirs were mostly mine. I used a Fairlight machine that samples real sounds and blends them orchestrally. Constructing such elaborate layering is a lot like painting a canvas and is best done in solitude."

According to Mr. Buckingham, "Tango in the Night" resolves - both personally and esthetically - many of the problems that plagued Fleetwood Mac after the success of "Rumours."

" 'Tusk,' the album that followed 'Rumours,' was a brazen act of rebellion for which I took a lot of flak," he said. "Because of that, the 'Mirage' album, was, in my mind, a reactionary piece of work that tried to reprise 'Rumours' and had very little vision. When the group left the road after the 'Mirage' tour, there were many issues left unresolved. This album is as much about healing our relationships as 'Rumours' was about dissension and pain within the group. The songs look back over a period of time that in retrospect seems almost dreamlike."

[LukeA]

4. Caroline

Without a doubt this is the best Fleetwood Mac song in my opinion and one that seems to mysteriously be missing from their greatest hits album for some reason. A great drum backing beat from the great man himself Mike Fleetwood overlaid with a tremendous bass guitar and keyboard line, which gives Lindsey and Stevie something to really work over as they lay down some thick and smooth harmonies.


Unintentional comedy at its finest. Every single word is put to use, and in the end, masterpiece.

[michelej1]

Newsday, April 12, 1987 by Stephen Williams

* * * Sara's back, with her pals.

Sara is also known as Stevie Nicks, that consummate witchy woman, and her pals are Fleetwood Mac. "Tango in the Night" is the name of the new Warner Bros. album, and it is mostly stunning.

If there was a Super Bowl for rock groups so far this year, Fleetwood Mac would win on sheer team effort. Stevie Nicks haunts the background of a Christine McVie song; Lindsey Buckingham punctuates a Stevie Nicks song; Mick Fleetwood is the offensive line, drumbeatting not only behind the songs but through them.

"Tango in the Night," the group's first record since 1982's "Mirage," is not a departure, but a consolidation. Under Buckingham's firm production hand - he is the star and the center of "Tango" - the layers of music still swell, but with more of an edge than in the past. Buckingham's guitar has a dirtier feel, but it's never sour; McVie's vocals are under control on this record, yet full of air and sweetness.

Only Nicks gets away; perhaps the band is giving her enough rope. Her attitude - and her songs are mainly attitude - is more haughty than ethereal, and her melodies, especially "Welcome to the Room . . . Sara" and "When I See You Again," are disturbingly vapid. There is no "Sara" or "Rhiannon" here. And yet her contribution to the record, especially her breathy "uggggghh" on "Big Love" and her soft, kinetic harmonies on "Everywhere," is major.

"Big Love," the first single, opens the record, and on one hearing it's clear that "Tango," like "Rumours" (which was No. 1 for 31 weeks), is loaded with commercial possibilities.

But the string of three songs, starting with "Everywhere," is the record.

"Everywhere" opens with a tinkly keyboard, a very sober McVie and very simple lyric, but with soaring togetherness in front of the rich line of the synthesizers. There is an exquisite tension in the song, and Nicks' harmonies are gorgeous because they are so unaffected.

Buckingham, who wet a toe in the twilight zone of rock with an album called "Go Insane," is the anchor. His "Caroline" has an Eastern sway and deliberate lyrics: "She's so cagey/She's so stagey/So attractive/So reactive." Mick Fleetwood's tom-tom beat plays against a percussive tinkle, and deep underneath is John McVie's bass. Buckingham also wrote the title track, a primal tone poem with a ringing solo.

Side two is weaker. "Little Lies," by Christine McVie and Eddy Quintela, is an updated "You Make Loving Fun," while "You and I, Part II" is a perky song - it sounds like Christmas, if you can imagine that - but thin.

Nicks, from whom many will expect the most, recycles herself. "Welcome to the World . . . Sara" is a lush act with "Gone with the Wind" overtones - references to Tara and Scarlett - but it's never more than a private melodrama. Her "When I See You Again" is milky love song, with the singer shifting vocal textures and ragging syllables. Vapid.

McVie lifts side two with "Isn't It Midnight," with help from Buckingham on guitar and harmonies. It's a natural single, rushing with energy from start to finish in the best tradition of "Go Your Own Way."

"Tango in the Night" is a blend of accessible techno-pop and collective heart. It is not a single vision, but, like "Rumours," a collage. Not particularly courageous, but the folks in Fleetwood Mac save their indulgences for their solo work. This is the Fleetwood Mac of old, of 1977, of "Rumours," and in 1987, that's the best that could happen to this band.

[michelej1]

[From David Bowling's ongoing reviews of FM albums for Blogcritics.org]

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-fleetwood-mac-tango-in/page-2/

November 20, 2010


It had been close to five years since Fleetwood Mac had released a studio album. In the interim, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, and particularly Stevie Nicks had established successful solo careers.

Tango In The Night actually began as a Buckingham solo project that eventually expanded into a full-blown Fleetwood Mac album, although many of Buckingham’s tracks featured him without much participation by the other members of the group. The album would only reach number seven in the United States but would spawn four top twenty singles. Worldwide, it would become the second most commercially successful album of their career, selling more copies than all of their releases except Rumours. It was also the last studio album to feature their classic pop line-up.

Tango In The Night is an album of high points that mainly center on their hit singles, and they are representative of their pop sound at its best. It is also an album of average songs, though, which means the album is memorable in places but not consistent enough to rank with their best work.

McVie created the best group of songs. “Little Lies,” which reached number four, is elegant pop with enough hooks to keep you coming back for more. “Everywhere” was another hit single with wonderful harmonies. This love ballad contained one of her finer vocals. “Mystified” was another ballad written with Buckingham that bears her stamp. “Isn’t It Midnight,” also co-written with Buckingham, is about as hard as this incarnation of Fleetwood Mac rocks. It’s nice to hear her provide a different type of vocal.

Nicks only created three offerings. She was dealing with a cocaine addiction and rehab at the time and only one of her songs lived up to her past high standards. “Seven Wonders” is a nice mid-tempo rocker with solid group harmonies in support. It would be a deserved hit single. Her other two songs were not as lucky. “Welcome To The Room…Sara” needs to be understood within the context of her rehab at the time as it has an overall depressing feel. “Will I See You Again” is a song of relationships and longing, territory Nicks had covered before and better.


Buckingham contributed the most tracks, though with mixed results. “Big Love” reached number five on the singles charts and is catchy pop with some nice guitar work. Many of his other contributions are excellent musically but are ultimately hurt by the lyrics. On the positive side his guitar playing is very good on most of his material.

When Tango In The Night is good, it is very good, as it is well polished and has a sonic quality. Buckingham would abruptly quit the band after the album's release, and it would be a far different group that would enter the nineties. This album remains as a credible Fleetwood Mac release but not among their best pop work.


Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-fleetwood-mac-tango-in/#ixzz15tiXWLk8

[michelej1]

Lansing State Journal (Lansing, MI), December 9, 2010

Section: NOISE

Music: Fleetwood Mac
December 9, 2010
Tango in the Night

(Warner Bros.)

For me, Lindsey Buckingham WAS Fleetwood Mac. A wildly unpopular assertion, based on the relative strength of their more blues-oriented, earlier work but one I am confident in making.

With 1987's "Tango in the Night," Buckingham would leave his final mark on the band, before setting out on a satisfying but far less commercially successful solo career. And with the glossy yet somehow raw sound of "Tango," he left on a high note.

From the stirring "Isn't It Midnight" to the singalong quality of "Big Love," the album is full of highlights. Though the production is decidedly '80s, "Caroline" has a seductive, soulful sound that showcases Buckingham's rich voice.

Never to be as highly regarded as "Rumours" or endlessly studied like "Tusk," "Tango in the Night" remains one of Fleetwood Mac's best albums, and an enduring testament to the songwriting abilities of Lindsey Buckingham.

[Mac_Man_Dan]

this is one of my favourite albums simply because of "tango in the night" itself.
i already gained a liking to everywhere, little lies but after picking up the vinyl for £1, i decided as i couldn't play it, i would "find" the entire album and listen to it.
at this point of purchasing it, i had literally just bought my first 4 records that day including this one purely to start another collection of some kind!

as Tango was not on the greatest hits album, i skipped it mentally before coming back to it and then finding out how great it was. To me its been one of the few songs that on my mp3 player gets played 20times before going onto the next song which happens to be "oh diane" which gets about 10 plays aswell, but i cant help but get some weird mental delight in listening to it especially the guitar solo after in incredible!

seven wonders is the other song which really stands out to me that i didnt know before. stevie's vocals on this song are really sexy and very 80's. something in this song i would use the term "eargasm":o

as a whole, the first half of the album is brilliant, but then it slopes down a little but for the first half, one hell of a set of songs !

[markolas]

I've been listening to Tango a lot the last couple of days. I made a playlist for my ipod and added Ricky, Down Endless Street, Book of Miracles, Joan of Arc, and You and I, Pt. 1 to the end. I'd forgotten how much I love this album, and I actually think Welcome to the Room...Sara is a pretty good song.

I've always loved all of LB's songs from Tango. His songs from this and Tusk are his best work w/ FM, IMO.

[TrueFaith77]

I know this is rude of me to request, but my Family Man (Extended Guitar Mix) got fubar'd for some reason. Does anyone happen to have this track they could share with me? :angel:

[markolas]

Also, I had not, until the other day, ever heard the Mirage album in its entirety. I was prepared to hate "Wish You Were Here" and "Only Over You" based on what some Ledgies have said about them. I wouldn't say they're CM's best songs, but they're hardly terrible, and I actually really like Only Over You.

I like LB's songs, but they're not as strong as the ones from TITN. As with Tango, I made a playlist out of this album and added "Cool Water," "Goodbye Angel," "Teen Beat," and the Mirage versions of "If You Were My Love" and "Smile at You."

All in all, I'd rank Mirage just slightly below TITN, but not by much.

[TrueFaith77]

This is my bonus disc playlist for Tango in the Night. I call it Book of Miracles. For some reason Family Man (and maybe even a couple of others) have gotten messed up. Not sure why. If someone could share another Family Man ext guitar mix, i'd be much appreciative.

Book of Miracles
Fleetwood Mac
http://www.mediafire.com/?bnpaj6k53kvka

1. Family Man (Extended Guitar Mix)
2. Down Endless Street
3. Little Lies (Extended Mix)
4. Book of Miracles
5. Seven Wonders (Dub)
6. You and I, Part I
7. Isn't It Midnight (Extended)
8. Everywhere (Dub)
9. Ricky
10. Big Love (Extended Remix)
11. Joan Of Arc


What a sublimely silly sound! :)

[tabruns]

First Impression.

I'm a fairly young FM fan (24) and although I've loved Rumours, S/T and Bella Donna for a decade I've actually never listened to Tusk, Mirage and TITN in their entirety before. Of course I'm familiar with most of the singles from these albums and the ones performed on The Dance though. So, I've decided to rectify this glaring omission and I've begun with Tango.

I'm sort of surprised that Christine McVie's contributions are the stand out of the entire album. Mainly because her 80's solo record is mostly unremarkable. On Tango, however, she gets in the best songs with Everywhere and Little Lies. Isn't It Midnight is a great jam and a very typical McVie song. Mystified is a bit odd with it's almost "Let's Get It On" mood and You and I, Part II is fun.

Stevie's songs lack the urgency that her material from S/T & Rumours have. Seven Wonders feels very much like a solo track and Welcome to the Room Sara is largely forgettable. When I See You Again is fantastic but far from a masterwork.

And Lindsey... *sigh*, I find his tracks on this album insufferable. I've always found Big Love to be a bit pretentious and jarring to listen to and Family Man has to be one of his worst songs. Caroline and the title track are both fairly boring. I like Lindsey but his work in the 80's is indulgent to a fault.

Overall it's a good album. I almost wish it was a follow up to McVie's self titled record because she seemed to be on quite a roll during this period. Unfortunately Nicks offers very little and Buckingham is still on a mission to prove how clever he can be.

B-

I hope I haven't made any enemies with my thoughts and welcome some observations from more seasoned fans of the band.

Hi Ripley,

Thanks for the observations. I've been a Mac fan since Rumours came out, and I bought every album of theirs since then (clarification: every album of theirs that had Stevie on it).

I have to say that I think your assessment of Tango in the Night is very similar to mine.

To me, all three songwriters were at the top of their form for 'Fleetwood Mac' and 'Rumours'. On the following three albums, one of the writers was "off":

Tusk - Lindsey and Stevie both turn in very creative, great songs. Christine's are very mediocre when compared to her output on the previous two Mac albums. "Think About Me" and "Over & Over" are decent album tracks. "Brown Eyes" is saved by masterful production. "Honey Hi", "Never Make Me Cry" and "Never Forget" are all kind of forgettable, IMO.

Mirage - Stevie and Christine turn in the best tracks here. Lindsey fumbles, frankly I think because of reacting to the blow-back he got from Tusk: "Oh Diane" is somewhat cute, "Empire State" has that rolling bass line to save it, but "Can't Go Back", "Eyes of the World", and "Book of Love" all lack any kind of gravity at all.

Tango In The Night - Here Lindsey rebounds, Christine shines, and Stevie is the culprit. The only decent Stevie song, "Seven Wonders", wasn't even written by her. Some fans find "Welcome to the Room...Sara" to be touching because its personal. I find it to be a meandering mess of a song. "When I See You Again" might have been salvageable except for the constant repetition of "whatsa matter baby" that Stevie thinks she has to sing a different way everytime.

The only album that they've all done together since then is The Dance, and on that one they all turned in solid songs. I always found it amusing what they wrote about:
Lindsey writes "My Little Demon" about himself and "Bleed to Love Her" about Stevie.
Stevie writes "Sweet Girl" about herself.
Christine writes "Temporary One" about the band.

[McTrouble]

I've been listening to Tango a lot the last couple of days. I made a playlist for my ipod and added Ricky, Down Endless Street, Book of Miracles, Joan of Arc, and You and I, Pt. 1 to the end. I'd forgotten how much I love this album, and I actually think Welcome to the Room...Sara is a pretty good song.

I've always loved all of LB's songs from Tango. His songs from this and Tusk are his best work w/ FM, IMO.


Me too - LB's songs on Tango are very grown-up and very very sophisticated.

[cliffdweller]

The band that made TITN might as well have been a different band that made Tusk. Both albums are excellent in their own way, but Tusk has urgency, has genuine artistic vision. TITN sounds like a well-orchestrated albeit calculated bid for the charts.

And this is kind of the problem. After Tusk, the band (-Lindsey) wanted to go back to a more mainstream, commercial sound a la Mirage and Tango. I wish they would've kept with the Tusk ethos of experimentation and change, but I understand why they didn't, and I think there are some really great songs on both Mirage and Tango. But to me, the height of FM's genius came along with Tusk and god bless Lindsey Buckingham for having the cajones to push that sucker through. Yes, I'm sure making Tusk was the closest thing Lindsey Buckingham has ever experienced to giving birth and I'm sure it was just as painful. :lol: