The SWS Reviews Thread

[Peestie]

I guess the reviews of the album are going to start coming in any day now so we should have a thread for them all together.

Here's a short on from Classic Rock:

Lindsey Buckingham never fails to surprise when it comes to solo albums. His sixth in all, Seeds We Sow (Eagle) strips away all pretence on every level. It’s raw and intense, with the music drawing from early 20th century American folk and blues, in the way that it relies on technique not technology. And lyrically it explores the ramifications of the choices we make in life. Fleetwood Mac fans might be discouraged by the lack of gloss, but if you like music to be challenging yet also enticing, you’ll love this album.

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/classic-rocks-new-releases-round-up-57/

Encouraging stuff!

[Peestie]

http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/08/25/chilis-lenny-top-cd-reviews

Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow

Buckingham gone to seed? Not a chance. Like its predecessors, the Mac daddy’s superb sixth solo CD is a DIY affair, with LB layering his precise needlepoint fingerpicking and high-whispery vocals atop beatboxes, sparse instrumentation and home-studio sonics. Add some sharp folk-rock cuts about karma and you’ve got the best album Mac didn’t make this year. What up wit dat?

Download: In Our Own Time; That’s the Way Love Goes

RATING: 4 (out of 5)

[WeepingWall]

I guess the reviews of the album are going to start coming in any day now so we should have a thread for them all together.

Here's a short on from Classic Rock:



http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/classic-rocks-new-releases-round-up-57/

Encouraging stuff!

This one is such a great description of why I love Lindsey Buckingham. Thanks for posting.

[Peestie]

For almost four decades, on and off, Lindsey Buckingham has been the driving force behind one of the world’s biggest bands, Fleetwood Mac.

He is the charismatic architect of Rumours and Tusk, whose songs are familiar to millions, yet it’s often the case that many Mac nuts, particularly outside the US, would be hard-pushed to name one of the guitarist’s five solo albums, let alone pick a highlight from any of them.

That doubtless says more about the fairweather nature of the band’s conservative fanbase, though to his credit, Buckingham, one of the more gifted players of his generation, has never appeared to crave attention even though he’s spent his career in the spotlight. Cast as a maverick when he indulged various eccentric recording methods for 1979’s landmark Tusk, the tag has stuck.

As a solo artist, Buckingham is, at the age of 61, enjoying a fine run of form. Seeds We Sow is his third album in five years, following 2006’s Under The Skin and 2008’s Gift Of Screws, records which the Californian singer-songwriter discovered were welcomed by a new audience who’d been enchanted by Fleetwood Mac’s surprisingly harmonious 2003 reunion and tour after 16 years apart. Their comeback set, Say You Will, from that year, was solid enough, its best song a tumbling, guitar-speckled Buckingham number called “Red Rover”. In concert, too, his solo rendition of “Big Love” illustrated the range of his exquisite fretwork and power of his star-crossed vocal. Comparison with Stevie Nicks’ latest solo effort is unnecessary, so let’s just say Buckingham’s passion for his craft is obvious.

What’s noteworthy is that both Gift Of Screws and Under The Skin stemmed from or before those Mac sessions; Seeds We Sow, a mellower affair, is an entirely new set of songs, and, lush and reflective, it unfolds as such. Buckingham composed, produced and mixed the record in his LA home studio, playing almost every instrument, even overseeing its release via the independent label Eagle. Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac are out of contract with Warners, though you suspect the major would’ve stuck with him if he could guarantee a healthy return. As it is, removed from the pressure of label and band, he’s a free agent who can feed his rebellious streak. Go his own way, so to speak. Couple this with his happy domestic situation – he married in 2000 aged 50 and has three children – and it was always unlikely he’d produce a record as unhinged as 1984’s Go Insane.

That’s not to say Buckingham is set in his ways. On the contrary, though he specialises in two types of song, the fluid acoustic flourish and the rockier stomp, he explores variations of these with the youthful vigour of a person one third his age. There’s a “Tusk”-like shuffle to “One Take” which he decorates with an outrageous Yngwie Malmsteen shred, while the distinctive shimmering harmony of “In Our Own Time” and simple interlocking riffs of “Rock Away Blind” can really only be called Buckinghamesque; no-one else plays with such elegance. If there’s one track that will draw newcomers to Seeds We Sow, it’s “Stars Are Crazy”, one of the loveliest songs Buckingham has ever written. Over tantalising fingerwork he pines for a lover before howling at the moon as the chorus erupts, sending shivers of delight through the listener. A closing tiptoe through the Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly” could be Buckingham paying his dues to Jagger and Richards, but the distinction here is that, though his songbook, like theirs, is already abundant, Seeds We Sow suggests that there’s plenty more to come.
Piers Martin

http://www.uncut.co.uk/music

[michelej1]

^That is a glorious review.

I laughed at the Calgary Sun singling out Lindsey's "high whispery vocal." Ummm, I'd rather he not become known for that.
Michele

[Spikey]

I laughed at the Calgary Sun singling out Lindsey's "high whispery vocal." Ummm, I'd rather he not become known for that.
How about, "lush sweeping overtone"? ;)


Thanks for these reviews. They've made me even more excited. I just wish Linds would care a little about singles and the success of the album. I mean, it's great he just wants it to be out there, but as a major fan, I want it to succeed with some promotion.

[elle]

^That is a glorious review.

second that - so nice to read that review, and adding to anticipation! :)

[Peestie]

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/08/29/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-2011/

Rock music, uncategorized — August 29, 2011 9:39 am
Lindsey Buckingham – Seeds We Sow (2011)
Posted by Nick DeRiso

You keep waiting for Lindsey Buckingham, the old rebel, to soften into middle-aged acceptance, to conform. This isn’t that record. Credit Buckingham for never trading true emotion for sentiment. Seeds We Sow is as hard eyed as it is musically ambitious — beginning with its abruptly confessional album-opening title track.

“In Our Own Time” follows, as Buckingham reminisces about a lost love amidst an almost mathematical cascade. “This time I think she’s gone for good,” Buckingham says, then adds: “But I never really know.” Then all of the implications, all of those hurt feelings, all of the still-burning confusion, are echoed in his frenetic, contradictory chording. It’s a triumphal marrying of words and music, and not the last one.

“Illumination,” with a smack-you-around rhythm and smart lyricism, becomes the first echo of his familiar Fleetwood Mac-era mixture of angular pop musicality and the angry admonition. That makes the initially prosaic, old-timey texture of “That’s The Way Love Goes” all the more devastatingly effective. Just when Buckingham has lulled you into a sense of safe melancholy, however, he rips off a series of brick-loosening riffs. Love can be like that too, all soft and safe, then heart-splashingly, completely over.

Buckingham, awake in the middle of the night chasing regrets, drags us across a desolate dreamscape on the echo-laden, pulsing “Stars Are Crazy.” It’s a song of hollow majesty. Then “When She Comes Down” bursts out, powered by a sky-high multi-tracked vocal that runs completely counter to its crepuscule subject matter. Back in their prime, this track probably would have been swiped for a new Fleetwood Mac album. Just like that, though, Buckingham begins banjoing through “Rock Away Blind,” a staggering lament. Those days, he seems to be saying, are gone.

And maybe that’s a good thing. After all, his old band might have struggled with the complexity of “One Take” – a tune that seems to set up as a moment of repentance, with somebody answering for whatever missteps happened along the way. Not in Buckingham’s hands. Looping a half dozen singing Lindseys over a torrent of strangely metallic blues licks, he doesn’t sound sorry — not at all — on this brutally frank rocker.

So, yeah, Seeds We Sow, due on Sept. 6, certainly has its dark moments, culminating with “She Smiled Sweetly.” Sung in an after-midnight whisper, the track doesn’t even try to sort out the mysteries of life, much less of women. Yet, there is a lasting transformative quality to tracks like “Gone Too Far,” this clanking piece of pop confection; and “End of Time,” a surprisingly upbeat moment of ambivalence that again belies its title. Taken together, they end up imbuing this project with a pleasing thematic rhythm, as Buckingham ultimately finds purchase somewhere between striving for community and feeling his oats.

Makes sense. Buckingham, for all of the things he rejects, for all of the things that piss him off and make him play the guitar in a bloody-fingered rage, was never about nothingness. Buckingham’s music, in a move that belied his era, didn’t settle for cheap thrills, quick answers — or something so obvious and easy as nihilism.

And, lucky for us, it still doesn’t.


-------------


I really liked that review! :thumbsup: They've all been good so far!

[michelej1]

^That's a spectacular review, which captures Lindsey's explosiveness.

Then all of the implications, all of those hurt feelings, all of the still-burning confusion, are echoed in his frenetic, contradictory chording. It’s a triumphal marrying of words and music, and not the last one.


And that's what so great about Lindsey's music. Sometimes, his lyrics have to be bare and simple, because he marries them to complex sound which translate them for us. When you are playing with such emotion, too many words can only distract from it. For instance, the way he plays Go Insane, you don't really want him to say more than "I scream your name. She's a lot like you." The feeling is there. It's primal and instinctive. You don't need more words to bring it out and right into our hearts.

This reviewer has captured the way Lindsey's guitar finishes his sentences.

Hurt is only anger and love blended. Anger is only love and hurt. This reviewer hears Lindsey breaking down those components and stringing them back together.

Michele

[Nico]

I love that many of these reviewers seem to "get" what Lindsey is about. He seems to be reaching into that part in a lot of people- where passion, complexity, emotion, beauty and a little of the anal-retentive 'quirk' seems to be stored. He's got all of it at once.

[wondergirl9847]

I think it's hilarious how when we (the general public, not we on this board) read reviews from critics who love what we love, we are happy with them and say they know what they are talking about. Then, when they hate what we love, it's "Stupid critics, they don't know what the h*ll they are talking about!"

:lol: It's just funny to me, dat's all.

GREAT reviews, but I think most music critics love LB. It's the general public that's always going "WTH is this?" Heh.

[Peestie]

I think it's hilarious how when we (the general public, not we on this board) read reviews from critics who love what we love, we are happy with them and say they know what they are talking about. Then, when they hate what we love, it's "Stupid critics, they don't know what the h*ll they are talking about!"

:lol: It's just funny to me, dat's all.

GREAT reviews, but I think most music critics love LB. It's the general public that's always going "WTH is this?" Heh.

I tend to agree with the reviewers more often than not anyway. But the ones who I disagree with are clearly wrong and don't know what they're talking about. ;):lol:

[jellyman10]

Hurt is only anger and love blended. Anger is only love and hurt. This reviewer hears Lindsey breaking down those components and stringing them back together.

Michele

I like that a lot. :nod:

[BombaySapphire3]

By Steve Morse
Globe Correspondent / September 5, 2011

Whenever Lindsey Buckingham is apart from Fleetwood Mac, you worry that he’s going to drift into the ether. Buckingham needs the tension of Fleetwood Mac to bring out his best work. He can get too quirkily self-indulgent on his own, but this new solo album, “Seeds We Sow,’’ has moments of considerable beauty. His fingerpicked acoustic guitar once again shines, leading the way on the hypnotic title track and on such layered gems as the Nick Drake-influenced “Stars Are Crazy’’ and the edgy “End of Time.’’ His vocals throughout are often processed in a heavily reverbed manner. A few songs don’t work - “In Our Own Time’’ has some guitar fills resembling a buzzing gnat - but Buckingham’s sheer gift for melody wins out. The ballad “When She Comes Down’’ is a stately coup, while “One Take’’ is a political insight into this country’s dwindling middle class. Buckingham has made a hobbyist record to please himself, and he ends with a lovely, folk-flavored remake of the Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly.’’ It’s almost a lullaby in his hands. (Out tomorrow)

[michelej1]

“In Our Own Time’’ has some guitar fills resembling a buzzing gnat - but Buckingham’s sheer gift for melody wins out.



Ha, I like this description. But I think I like the buzzing gnat quality. You know how they go away and you think/hope that you've gotten rid of them, but then you return? That's how the song is. The verses are relatively calm and then this angry gnat comes in, "it wouldn't make any difference. We crossed the line" and the gnat kind of shakes things up and changes the mood. Lindsey's voice and his guitar, pairing like two people, coming back to make demands.

Michele

[BombaySapphire3]

Album review: Lindsey Buckingham's 'Seeds We Sow'


September 5, 2011 | 4:22pm

It’s been a good year for Fleetwood Mac, even without the actual existence of Fleetwood Mac, which last toured in 2009 and hasn’t released a new studio album since 2003’s "Say You Will." In May, the hit Fox series "Glee" devoted an episode to the band’s 1977 record "Rumours," the same day that singer Stevie Nicks released "In Your Dreams," her best-received solo disc in decades. And echoes of the group’s lustrous West Coast pop have cropped up recently on records by buzzy young acts like the Belle Brigade and Fleet Foxes. No wonder, then, that Lindsey Buckingham told Rolling Stone last week that Fleetwood Mac will likely return in 2012.

Until then, here’s Buckingham’s latest solo album, his third in five years and the first one he’s releasing himself following a lengthy stint with Warner Bros. Like all of the singer-guitarist’s own work, "Seeds We Sow" is thornier than Buckingham’s material for Fleetwood Mac, with an emphasis on his percussive, sometimes-discordant acoustic guitar playing and on his intimately recorded vocals, which in a stripped-down rendition of the Rolling Stones’ "She Smiled Sweetly" push intriguingly at whatever border separates passionate from creepy. (Buckingham’s originals reflect his usual blend of midlife introspection and limousine-liberal hand-wringing.)

Several cuts, though, suggest that the man who wrote "Second Hand News" and "Go Your Own Way" has indeed been thinking big of late: In "That’s the Way That Love Goes" he layers an insistent vocal melody over a zippy fuzz-pop groove, while "Gone Too Far" has the lush light-rock feel of Fleetwood Mac’s radio-bait late-’80s phase. Stand by to see what these "Seeds" grow.

--Mikael Wood

Lindsey Buckingham

"Seeds We Sow"



Three stars (out of four)

[michelej1]

sometimes-discordant acoustic guitar playing and on his intimately recorded vocals, which in a stripped-down rendition of the Rolling Stones’ "She Smiled Sweetly" push intriguingly at whatever border separates passionate from creepy.

For me, SSS runs for the border and crosses the dividing line into creepy.

As for the limosine liberal hand-wringing, ok I'll give him the "limosine liberal" but I wouldn't call One Take hand-wringing.

Michele

[elle]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/story/2011-09-05/Listen-Up-George-Strait-Lindsey-Buckingham-Hugh-Laurie/50267298/1?csp=34life&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-LifeTopStories+%28Life+-+Top+Stories%29

Lindsey Buckingham, Seeds We Sow
* * * of 4 POP
Buckingham has, happily, been recording at a steadier pace in recent years. Seeds is his third solo album since 2006 and, like its predecessors, is both intricate and supremely listenable. The Fleetwood Mac guitarist remains one of the most lyrical musicians around, fashioning arrangements that veer from gentle beauty to edgy effervescence. His melodies have a similar pungency. — Elysa Gardner
>>Download:One Take, End of Time

[elle]

this person seem to be just throwing names of the songs out there in hope that some of them actually do sound like each other, but no luck - almost none of the song comparison/similarities listed are really there... [either that or i really can't hear]:


http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we/

Music Review: Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sow
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Author: Kit O'Toole — Published: Sep 05, 2011 at 6:24 pm 1 comment

BC Music Premium

Since he surfaced into the public consciousness through his work with Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham has established himself as a one-of-a-kind talent. His offbeat arrangements, quirky but deeply personal lyrics, and superior guitar playing exemplify an artist who enjoys taking chances. From his ambitious Fleetwood Mac projects like Tusk to his eclectic solo career, Buckingham continues forging his own path. His sixth solo album, Seeds We Sow, furthers this journey with an intimate sound and superior musicianship.

For the first time, Buckingham is releasing the album on his own label, and took full reins on producing, mixing, and performing. These changes enhance the deeply intimate listening experience—the quiet, subtle arrangements place Buckingham's multidimensional voice and intricate guitar picking up front. Unlike the lush production of his 1981 hit "Trouble" or the almost robotic feel of 1984's "Go Insane," Buckingham performs delicate ballads like the title track, his hammering of the guitar strings enhancing the pain expressed in the lyrics:

Soldiers of fortune they do conceal
Everything they’re afraid to show
Everything they once gave now they just steal
Oh the seeds we sow

"Stars Are Crazy," another ballad, sounds strangely hypnotic with Buckingham's dizzyingly fast guitar plucking and his soaring voice. Similarly, "When She Comes Down" is propelled by a gentle rhythm, his multi-tracked vocals floating ethereally over the gentle acoustic guitar.

That pounding, rhythmic sound continues on "In Our Own Time," with Buckingham expressing frustration with a glimmer of hope: "It wouldn’t make any difference we crossed that line/From the fire we will rise again in our own time."

While he performs dark, stripped-down material on Seeds We Sow, fans of Buckingham's more mainstream work will find much to like. "Illumination" is slightly reminiscent of "Trouble" in its tight harmonies and pop hooks and memorable chords, while the uptempo "That's the Way That Love Goes" sounds like an edgier track off Rumors. Here, Buckingham demonstrates the range of his voice's inflections—he can sound soft and tender one moment, then radiate anger in another. "I'd like to take your pain away," he croons in the beginning, leading to him chanting "In the dungeon couldn’t believe it no/Took a look and then saw your secret" in the chorus. Fleetwood Mac fans will particularly appreciate "Rock Away Blind," which sounds like an update of "Second Hand News" minus the strong drums. One can definitely picture Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood providing harmonies and adding more heft to the song on future Fleetwood Mac reunion tours.

Buckingham may write and perform delicate ballads, but "One Take" demonstrates that he can still rock. The rage present in such tracks as "Wrong" from his underrated 1992 album Out of the Cradle shines here. "No I have no reputation and I’m not on any list/That’s because I’ve got a publicist who covers up the avarice of where I put my fist," he spits out. "And if you don’t see me it doesn’t mean I’m not there/It only means that when I steal from you I don’t want you to know because I really really care." His lyrics apparently address greed and recklessness, arguing the need for moral responsibility. Interestingly, "Gone Too Far" immediately follows, with Buckingham crying for redemption: "Save me/It’s gone too far," he cries over perhaps the most lush arrangement on the entire album.
Perhaps no other track summarizes Seeds We Sow's overall theme of reflection than "End of Time," which could be seen as a companion piece to "In Our Own Time." Like the latter song, "End of Time" expresses both despair and hope for our current times:
Sliding down the karma slide
Seems like it never ends
When we get to the other side
Maybe then we’ll make amends
The midtempo song finds Buckingham musing on his mortality, longing for his youth. However, he sings, "When they finally come to bury us/Maybe then we’ll tell the truth." Overall, he argues, love transcends death: "Even though I may be dead and gone/And though we may be far apart/My love for you is strong." Is redemption possible, both in love and life? Buckingham poses these questions in Seeds We Sow, but does not provide answers. Still, even the title Seeds We Sow challenges listeners to ponder these complicated issues.
Buckingham's work with Fleetwood Mac certainly merits its critical and commercial success. But his fascinating solo catalog should not be overlooked, and Seeds We Sow ranks as his most sophisticated and intriguing album to date.

[michelej1]

this person seem to be just throwing names of the songs out there in hope that some of them actually do sound like each other, but no luck - almost none of the song comparison/similarities listed are really there... [either that or i really can't hear]:




Well, I agree with the Wrong and One Take comparison. I made that before hearing all of One Take, but I agree with you that musically they are nothing alike. I felt the messages and attitudes were similar. Michele

[elle]

Well, I agree with the Wrong and One Take comparison. I made that before hearing all of One Take, but I agree with you that musically they are nothing alike. I felt the messages and attitudes were similar. Michele

yeah, wrong and one take is the only one that kinda works, and i'm thinking primarily of musical comparisons, not lyrics. but rock away blind and SHN? illumination and trouble?

[BombaySapphire3]

Album review: Lindsey Buckingham, 'Seeds We Sow'

Greg Kot


10:27 p.m. CDT, September 5, 2011
3.5 stars (out of 4)
In the increasing down time between Fleetwood Mac tours and albums, Lindsey Buckingham has become unusually prolific as a solo artist, doubling his career output in the last five years by producing three albums. The latest, “Seeds We Sow” (Eagle Rock Entertainment), is essentially a one-man-band affair, with Buckingham donning his mad-scientist lab coat to orchestrate mood swings on voice, guitar and percussion.

Unencumbered by the commercial and ego demands in Mac, Buckingham affirms his talent for turning eccentricity into twisted pop songs. He tackles big themes: how time reveals consequences; the grudging arrival of enlightenment. He favors undulating guitars, voices woven into choirs, a shimmering sense of space. Not that he’s gone soft. Instead, he’s restless, anxious, as exemplified by the protagonist in “Stars Are Crazy” who awakens in the middle of the night to torture himself with questions he can’t answer.

The turbulence lurking just beneath the surface crashes through on “One Take,” a nasty song about a despicable character (A politician? A rock star? Buckingham himself?) who’s “got a publicist who covers up the avarice.” The jumpy beat gives way to a lovely vocal interlude, only to have Buckingham shatter the fine china with a crazed guitar solo.

Buckingham has a knack for disrupting beauty, intruding on the serene. A deceptively hushed vocal brings “Seeds We Sow” to a seething finish. Tense guitar-playing and furtive percussion overtake “In Our Own Time.” And even as mortality closes in on “End of Time,” the narrator still can’t let go of the lies and hostility that wrecked a relationship.

A cover of the Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly” makes for a particularly apt closer. The guitarist is a huge fan of the Stones’ mid-‘60s pop era, a time of gloriously jaded singles and social commentaries. He plays “She Smiled Sweetly” as a sparse, haunted, 3 a.m. reckoning, exhaling the lines as if he were expiring. “Don’t worry,” the song’s femme fatale advises as the narrator stresses out, his fate sealed.

[email protected]

[elle]

Album review: Lindsey Buckingham, 'Seeds We Sow'

Greg Kot


10:27 p.m. CDT, September 5, 2011
3.5 stars (out of 4)
In the increasing down time between Fleetwood Mac tours and albums, Lindsey Buckingham has become unusually prolific as a solo artist, doubling his career output in the last five years by producing three albums. The latest, “Seeds We Sow” (Eagle Rock Entertainment), is essentially a one-man-band affair, with Buckingham donning his mad-scientist lab coat to orchestrate mood swings on voice, guitar and percussion.

Unencumbered by the commercial and ego demands in Mac, Buckingham affirms his talent for turning eccentricity into twisted pop songs. He tackles big themes: how time reveals consequences; the grudging arrival of enlightenment. He favors undulating guitars, voices woven into choirs, a shimmering sense of space. Not that he’s gone soft. Instead, he’s restless, anxious, as exemplified by the protagonist in “Stars Are Crazy” who awakens in the middle of the night to torture himself with questions he can’t answer.

The turbulence lurking just beneath the surface crashes through on “One Take,” a nasty song about a despicable character (A politician? A rock star? Buckingham himself?) who’s “got a publicist who covers up the avarice.” The jumpy beat gives way to a lovely vocal interlude, only to have Buckingham shatter the fine china with a crazed guitar solo.

Buckingham has a knack for disrupting beauty, intruding on the serene. A deceptively hushed vocal brings “Seeds We Sow” to a seething finish. Tense guitar-playing and furtive percussion overtake “In Our Own Time.” And even as mortality closes in on “End of Time,” the narrator still can’t let go of the lies and hostility that wrecked a relationship.

A cover of the Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly” makes for a particularly apt closer. The guitarist is a huge fan of the Stones’ mid-‘60s pop era, a time of gloriously jaded singles and social commentaries. He plays “She Smiled Sweetly” as a sparse, haunted, 3 a.m. reckoning, exhaling the lines as if he were expiring. “Don’t worry,” the song’s femme fatale advises as the narrator stresses out, his fate sealed.

[email protected]

i like this one a lot :thumbsup:

[BombaySapphire3]

Review

by Thom Jurek

Since resuming his solo recording career with 2006's Under the Skin, songwriter and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has worked steadily but quietly. After the gorgeous Gift of Screws in 2008, he toured briefly and returned to the shadows; but the three years between it and 2011's Seeds We Sow was fraught with change. Buckingham left the major Warner umbrella and created his own label, Mind Kit Records. He recorded, performed, and produced Seeds We Sow at home. The sound of this album is very different form anything we've heard from him before, even if his musical and lyrical signatures are all over it; they pick up where Gift of Screws left off. That said, sonically it couldn't be more different than anything he's done before: it sounds like a self-made recording, which is a very good thing. Buckingham's classy songwriting and guitar playing are trademarks, but so is his ambition as a record producer. Seeds We Sow is delightfully ragged. "When She Comes Down" has a bassline that's actually distorted in the final mix, as if it were a polished demo. That said, its gorgeous melody and lyrics, carried by layers of voices and guitars, create a blissed-out love song. "In Our Own Time" is a labyrinthine rock tune whose guitars simulate strings, as organic and synthetic percussion create twin pulses that contrast beautifully with his melodies (there are two of them) and which criss-cross and breed. "That's the Way Love Goes" is the only track here with other musicians: drummer Walfredo Reyes, keyboardist Brett Tuggle, and bassist Neale Heywood. It passes for a big, explosive rocker on this set, full of Buckingham's knotty Baroque pop touches, but it's a very basic production. "Stars Are Crazy" is about the results poisonous romantic relationships reap. Buckingham's lyric understands that they are all too human; long after they end, they pick at our emotional scabs. His multi-layered acoustic guitars and harmonies act as other voices, empathically reflecting back to us the haunting regret and desire for redemption in the middle of the night. "One Take" is a punchy, snarling, confessional rocker. "End of Time" is a classic Buckingham tune. It may be about karma, but it feels like a guttersnipe Fleetwood Mac delivering a pop song. He delivers -- and makes his own -- a solo acoustic cover the Rolling Stones' "She Smiled Sweetly," to mark the end of a remarkable, homegrown project that challenges listeners to expand their definitions of Buckingham and include him as an indie singer/songwriter.

[Jondalar]

Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow
(Mind Kit)
★★★★ 1/2 Stars (out of 5)

It's a good year for the two pillars of Fleetwood Mac's best-known records.

Stevie Nicks, forever the group's most identifiable face in her space-cadet witch regalia, surprised skeptics in May with the unexpectedly solid In Your Dreams. Lindsey Buckingham, the real visionary behind the lush, sparkling Mac sound that once sold records into the platinum stratosphere, does not surprise us at all: with Seeds We Sow, he delivers yet another terrific collection of songs.

Buckingham's solo career has been a matter of one reliable gem after another, so there's always a danger of simply taking his modest little masterworks for granted. The multi-instrumentalist and gifted songwriter never returns to form because the standard has yet to slip.

Like his last two releases, Under the Skin (2006) and Gift of Screws (2008), the new disc - his sixth studio recording and first self-released effort - is defined by Buckingham's hyperactive acoustic fingerpicking and ultra-melodic hooks. The wonderfully familiar pattern is quickly established by the title track, which opens the album, and In Our Own Time, which follows it.

As usual, one of Buckingham's most intriguing quirks is that it's sometimes hard to lock into the groove of his songs: a chorus will come around and you're looking for the natural place to move your head with the rhythm. In Our Own Time and That's the Way That Love Goes are perfect examples. On the latter, the guitarist wails contentedly with two bare-bones electric solos.

Playing virtually all the instruments and doing his own producing and mixing, Buckingham manages to make an insular work sound far-reaching and timeless. Rockers like Illumination and One Take alternate with dreamier tracks like Gone Too Far, which is the most obvious Mac sound-alike on the disc, and When She Comes Down, which evokes the Irish folksong Wild Mountain Thyme as well as Brian Wilson's sunnier choral beds.

Once again, Buckingham raids the deep tracks in the Rolling Stones' mid-`60s catalogue. Having covered I Am Waiting on Under the Skin, he closes the new album with a haunting version of She Smiled Sweetly, surely one of the most tuneful beauties in the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards oeuvre.

If the recurring themes of betrayal and distance add a blue note to the proceedings, the music on this disc overflows with joy. Never take it for granted.

- Bernard Perusse
Montreal Gazette

http://www.canada.com/Reviews+Montreal+Gazette/5354762/story.html

[elle]

http://www.guitaromnivore.com/2011/09/best-guitar-cds-of-week-week-of.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Best Guitar Cds of the Week - Week of 09/06/2011
Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sow

Lindsey Buckingham fans are in for a treat. All the things you would want from a Buckingham solo album,the slightly oddball arrangements,the lush Beach Boys inspired background vocals,the unique finger style guitar, are not only here but are better than ever. Headphone listeners in particular will have fun as Buckingham,who handled all of the mixing and production duties,has his trademark guitar tone doing all manner of cool tricks in the stereo field.It is,of course,the guitar in particular that caught my attention. There is an impressive amount of drool-worthy playing that never takes away from the focus of the song.

I was also surprised to notice that this is the first time Buckingham,a noted control freak,has released something on his own label. The freedom seems to suit him well. Instead of leading to self indulgence,Buckingham has released his most intimated and focused solo album thus far. No word on a solo tour yet but Buckingham reports he's hoping for a Fleetwood Mac tour in 2011.


EDIT: huh - no word on the solo tour?!?!?! - people should really read up on what they are writing from time to time! :)

[elle]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/seeds-we-sow-20110906

Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow
Mind Kit
Rolling Stone: 3/5 star rating

By WILL HERMES
SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
Lindsey Buckingham's 2008 Gift of Screws, assembled with some of his Fleetwood Mac compadres, was a shockingly good set from a dude who hardly needed to prove anything. This self-released and -produced LP is a true solo affair. The best moments - the title track, the Rumours-echoing "Rock Away Blind" - show a sweet guitar picker, a haunting high-tenor and an unmistakable melodic touch. But the recording suffers from thin, uneven sound and, on tracks like "Stars Are Crazy," a surfeit of muddling reverb. Sometimes a man needs to go it alone, but sometimes it's good to bring your buds.

Listen to "Seeds We Sow":

[elle]

http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/new-and-hot/lindsey-buckingham-in-our-own-time-20110906?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Lindsey Buckingham
'In Our Own Time'
SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham has mellowed a lot with age, but he's never stopped being an artistically restless type. "In Our Own Time," a highlight from his new self-released solo album Seeds We Sow, finds an interesting middle ground between the serene, cascading finger-picked guitar parts of his more recent work with the offbeat, manic qualities of his early solo material. There's some studio trickery in evidence on the recording, but this live performance clip showcases Buckingham's ability to play dazzling, super-fast arpeggios on his guitar.

Related
• Lindsey Buckingham: Fleetwood Mac Will Return Next Year

[lbfan]

"But the recording suffers from thin, uneven sound and, on tracks like "Stars Are Crazy," a surfeit of muddling reverb. Sometimes a man needs to go it alone, but sometimes it's good to bring your buds."

While Mick and John are mainly studio players when it comes to LB's recent work, back in the heydey, I think they brought a different perspective that made the whole greater than the sum of it's parts. I personally feel the same way about Richard Dashut's involvement. That may be (for me) what sets OOTC (and LB's songs on FM albums through 1990) apart from LB's recent efforts (beginning with GOS original effort in the mid to late 90s). While there are some gems, the entire CDs have not been that I would listen to them without skipping some songs. Some of the live songs have the Neale Heywood influence (that "musical sensibilities") that make them that much more enjoyable. I will probably end up liking the live "Stars Are Crazy" better than the studio version, once it is released with the DVD.

[elle]

While Mick and John are mainly studio players when it comes to LB's recent work, back in the heydey, I think they brought a different perspective that made the whole greater than the sum of it's parts. I personally feel the same way about Richard Dashut's involvement. That may be (for me) what sets OOTC (and LB's songs on FM albums through 1990) apart from LB's recent efforts (beginning with GOS original effort in the mid to late 90s). While there are some gems, the entire CDs have not been that I would listen to them without skipping some songs. Some of the live songs have the Neale Heywood influence (that "musical sensibilities") that make them that much more enjoyable. I will probably end up liking the live "Stars Are Crazy" better than the studio version, once it is released with the DVD.

while i am really really happy that DVD/CD with live versions are coming out (that IOOT live video LB just released sounds just perfect!), i have to say that SWS might be the only LB or FM album where i don't skip any songs! [well, besides stars are crazy sometimes:p]. but, as i keep repeating to anybody who would listen, while i think it works as a whole, i would be even happier with this album if he didn't process his vocals so heavily on many of the songs. and that's probably part of the reason why i'm so happy w/ songs like illumination or one take (and SSS) on the album - he didn't overprocess his vocals on these!!

[BlueGrass]

"But the recording suffers from thin, uneven sound and, on tracks like "Stars Are Crazy," a surfeit of muddling reverb. Sometimes a man needs to go it alone, but sometimes it's good to bring your buds."

While Mick and John are mainly studio players when it comes to LB's recent work, back in the heydey, I think they brought a different perspective that made the whole greater than the sum of it's parts. I personally feel the same way about Richard Dashut's involvement. That may be (for me) what sets OOTC (and LB's songs on FM albums through 1990) apart from LB's recent efforts (beginning with GOS original effort in the mid to late 90s). While there are some gems, the entire CDs have not been that I would listen to them without skipping some songs. Some of the live songs have the Neale Heywood influence (that "musical sensibilities") that make them that much more enjoyable. I will probably end up liking the live "Stars Are Crazy" better than the studio version, once it is released with the DVD.

I can see the point being made about the quality of recordings. Not that they are necessarily worse, but OOTC just has a different atmosphere than his last three albums. The difference might be what LB used to record the last albums. Weren't most of them done on his four-track machine? I know a lot of stuff for UTS was, sans a few Cavallo-era recordings. Dashut did add something for sure. Lindsey has also paired down is array of instruments that were deployed in OOTC.

[elle]

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/music-news-new-music/2011/9/6/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sew.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=Music&utm_content=music+review

Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sew
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 10:43AM

Lindsey Buckingham - Twenty-five years after "Go Your Own Way", a song that moved Fleetwood Mac from British blues-rock pioneers to SoCal pop hitmakers, guitarist/songwriter and occasional frontman Buckingham is back with his sixth solo project in advance of a Mac reunion next year // Release: Seeds We Sew (September 6) // Sounds like: Buckingham's trademark reedy tenor and remarkable guitar playing are in fine form on this diverse collection...the slightly caffeinated left-of-center idiosyncrasy and prickly unpredictability which has always been a Buckingham production hallmark (remember "Tusk"?) are also featured within some odd time signatures ("In Our Own Time", "One Take") and reverb-heavy vocals ("Stars Are Crazy") but this is a focused, mainstream and melodic affair...the intricate finger-picking guitar forms the base of a number of Seeds' songs, minimally processed from the ticking electronic rhythms that undoubtedly backed up the original demos...

Quote: "I've had what you might call 'the big movie' with Fleetwood Mac. I also have the small movie, the independent movie that has to do with my solo work...I ended up making probably the best solo album I've ever made..." // What we like: it's hard not to compare Seeds We Sew to Buckingham's best writing and -- happily -- many of these new songs stand up well: the Mac-ish "When She Comes Down", "Gone Too Far" and "End of Time" all provide vivid glimpses into what has made Buckingham such an enduring force as a performing songwriter...the ability to meld a memorable hook with glistening guitar lines is still a marvel to behold...

[BombaySapphire3]

by Jason Heller


Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow

B av club rating


There’s a reason Lindsey Buckingham is portrayed as the aloof-and-silent type on Saturday Night Live’s “What’s Up With That?”: In real life, he’s always seemed that way. Yet his songs with Fleetwood Mac—many of which he sang—remain some of the most heartrendingly intimate ever committed to mass consciousness. His solo work since Mac’s prime has been hit or miss, but 2008’s Gift Of Screws was a beautiful reminder of Buckingham’s bygone directness and warmth. His new album, Seeds We Sow, sees him shying away again. But not always in a bad way.

Seeds’ biggest barrier is one Buckingham has always shielded himself with: the studio. Otherwise stunning folk-rock gems such as “Stars Are Crazy” and the disc’s title track drown stark, naked folk in staccato reverb and air-conditioned acoustics. Often, though, Buckingham elicits gooseflesh for the right reasons. “Illumination” is a sharp, accusatory screed that vibrates like a Tusk outtake, and “In Our Own Time” wrings sorcery out of Buckingham’s signature finger-picked arpeggios and haunted swathes of harmony. But where Gift Of Screws showcased the unforced and immediate passion of his voice, even the best moments on Seeds feel as though they’re being heard through a stethoscope placed upon Buckingham’s chest.

One thing Buckingham has never forgotten, though, is how to construct albums with the consummate balance and gravity-defying magic of an architect. After laying a foundation of sprawling airiness and sumptuous overdubs, he tops Seeds with “She Smiled Sweetly,” a bittersweet, almost medieval-sounding love song that falters and quivers like collapsing lungs. And when he closes the track—and the album—with what might be the soft, breathy aftershock of a kiss, he once again cuts through all the effects and atmospherics to deliver a little raw piece of his hear

[elle]

http://www.realgonerocks.com/2011/09/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

Real Gone - reviews, news and more...

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM – Seeds We Sow
Written by Real Gonepop, singer songwriterSep 6, 2011
Following 1992’s ‘Out of The Cradle’, Lindsey Buckingham continued to write new material, but largely stayed out of the spotlight. In the early 00’s he had almost completed a solo album, provisionally entitled ‘Gift Of Screws’, when destiny called and he rejoined Fleetwood Mac. A few songs scheduled for ‘Gift of Screws’ were reworked with Fleetwood Mac and eventually surfaced on their 2003 release ‘Say You Will’.
After touring for that record, Buckingham resumed his solo career and released the intimate acoustic record ‘Under The Skin’ in 2006, followed by a finished, partially different ‘Gift of Screws’ in 2008. As 2011’s ‘Seeds We Sow’ is Buckingham’s third solo release in five years, it marks his most prolific period in some time. It’s a very home-spun recording, with a lot of programmed mechanical elements, but that’s certainly not to say it sounds hurried or remotely slapdash compared to works on which he spent three times longer.
Despite the drum loops, ‘Gone Too Far’ has a pop purity, which with a little tweak would be worthy of inclusion on a Fleetwood Mac disc, with pleading lead vocals and a plethora of backing voices. Musically, it’s much simpler than some of Buckingham’s works, but it stands up well. The vocals alone would carry most of the number, but a few plays in, the unobtrusive guitar solo stands out as being particularly noteworthy, capturing a very clean and distinctive sound. ‘In Our Time’ is a superb off-kilter pop number which Buckingham very much makes his own. Not just with a plethora of finger plucked moments, but the addition of staccato keyboard strings for emphasis hints at the anger of a couple of his ‘Tusk’ performances. Almost a complete opposite ‘When She Comes Down’ is rich with harmony vocals. The music is relatively simple, but Buckingham is acutely aware that a strong hook and stronger vocal will win out. It’s enough to make you wonder how this would have sounded with the embellishment of Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie… [‘Seeds We Sow’ may be rather mechanical on the whole, but even after a few plays, it’s so obvious that most of these songs are vastly superior to those which filled Mac’s ‘Say You Will’, which was let down in part by Christine McVie’s absence].
‘That’s The Way That Love Goes’ is credited as featuring other musicians (everything else is arranged and recorded by Buckingham alone), but even so, it doesn’t sound much more natural than the other cuts. The drums come with a clipped march, the bass only slightly warmer than on other numbers and the keyboards add little interest overall. As expected with a Lindsey Buckingham recording, however, this track is still very much “The Lindsey Buckingham Show” – and frankly, his contributions are almost beyond criticism. His vocal retains exactly the same presence as it has always had -as if barely any time has passed since those drug-fuelled ‘Tusk’ sessions and days of excess – while the music contains a few slightly more angular moments. ‘One Take’ is the album’s most urgent cut, both musically and lyrically. The bass notes rumble as Buckingham settles for a far less showy guitar style. Clanging rhythm chords provide most of the focus, but the two instrumental breaks are where it’s at; each one brimming with fury – a sharp reminder of the man who played the screaming solo at the end of ‘The Chain’. Combined with Lindsey spitting lyrics like “I have no reputation and I’m not on any list / That’s because I got a publicist who covers up the avarice and where I put my fist”, it’s certainly the closest ‘Seeds We Sow’ comes to presenting anything resembling an angry rocker. Placed alongside some of the more refined numbers – particularly those with a strong bias towards finger-picked guitar – stylistically, this feels a little shoe-horned in. On the other hand, it comes loaded with a chorus that’ll stay with you after three or four plays, so it’s still a really great track.
It’s with the solo number ‘Rock Away Blind’ ‘Seeds We Sow’ unleashes what is unquestionably it’s most amazing piece. Buckingham’s voice has a pop musician’s purity, and as such is extremely admirable, but looking beyond that, his guitar work is just astounding. His voice compliments a furiously plucked acoustic guitar which is subjected to an appropriate studio shine (and possibly some kind of delay). The blanket of notes is mesmerizing – this is every reason Buckingham is revered as a musician as well as song writer. With this track, he captures the essence and brilliance of that performance of Fleetwood’s ‘Big Love’ (the one featured on ‘The Dance’) on a studio recording. It’s a track which can be played on a loop and never lose any of its sparkle. Similarly, the cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘She Smiled Sweetly’ – which wraps things up – proves a fantastic showcase for Buckingham’s sounds of wood and strings pitched against breathy vocals. A track so subtle, yet brimming with professional brilliance, this provides a most appropriate ending.
Although this album stretches Buckingham’s work into a couple of new places stylistically and isn’t always as polished as some of his previous outings, his voice retains a heart-warming familiarity which will keep most listeners coming back time and again. And while some musicians would sound cheap surrounded by drum machines and programmed elements, throughout ‘Seeds We Sow’, Buckingham’s song writing runs rings around most and that – combined with his superb voice – is enough to make ‘Seeds We Sow’ a fantastic listening experience.
September 2011

[michelej1]

By Chris Willman at TheWrap
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/06/idUS391882468120110906

Review: Lindsey Buckingham Goes His Own Way, Again, With 'Seeds We Sow'
Tue Sep 6, 2011 10:53am EDT

For someone who plays so well with others -- as attested to by tens of millions of records sold with Fleetwood Mac -- Lindsey Buckingham sure does create a hermetically sealed world when he makes his one-man-band solo albums.

“Seeds We Sow,” his latest, is another pipeline directly into his brilliant head, an echo chamber marked by equal parts obsessive neuroticism and dexterity. As always, it’s a fascinating place to visit, though if you dared to live there, you’d probably want to bring along a rhythm section, if not a chick singer.

This is the paradox of Buckingham: When he's with the Mac, you wish Stevie Nicks would do fewer songs so we could get more of his genius, but when he's by himself, you start to wish another human would show up, even if just for a cameo, to assure us we haven't been locked into his brain alone.

The trademark of his last few independently released solo efforts has been endlessly repeated, time-signature-avoidant acoustic guitar arpeggios, which inevitably sound like they’re being played by three sets of hands at once. These patterns are beautiful, but maddening after a spell -- “mad” perhaps being the operative word for a guy who titled an early signature project “Go Insane.”

When he deigns to do something resembling a pop song, your gratitude for the relief of a simplistic beat and sing-along chorus may know no bounds. That arrives in the form of, among other songs, “That’s the Way That Love Goes,” but don’t go looking for any lyrical comfort even there, amid the almost cheerful sounds. Sample lyric: “I lie alone and watch you sleep/I’d reach for you but I might weep/If you should tell me I must keep/Away.”

That’s minor paranoia by Buckingham standards. “I can’t touch you anymore, it causes you harm,” he sings in “Stars Are Crazy.” The title track's seeds aren't blooming into anything too sweet, either: “Pretty things are dying, in the penny arcade of Edgar Allan Poe.”

Is there a tell-tale heart beating underneath all these bad vibes? Warmth does rear its ugly head in the gorgeous chorus of “When She Comes Down,” although it’s not at all clear who are what the imminent “she” in the tune is. Maybe it's death itself, since that’s the theme of “End of Time,” where Buckingham suggests, “When we get to the other side, maybe then we’ll make amends.” (Those are probably the words he dictates to the telegram operator every time he turns down another Fleetwood Mac reunion.)

Maybe he’s setting more commercial material aside in case he succumbs to another Mac attack, but more likely, this is the only muse he’s following nowadays. And it’s one worth following with him, if you’re a freak for brilliant acoustic guitar playing and the strange hooks Buckingham breaks them up with. But “Seeds We Sow” is deeply claustrophobic, so don’t go in without a lifeline to pull you back out.

“I’m just another madman/I turn it off, I turn it on,” he announces in “One Take," doing some role-playing but probably speaking for himself, too. That’s our Lindsey: still going insane after all these years.

[michelej1]

[I haven't seen the original review by Barry Walters, but an excerpt of whatever he wrote was quoted on this blog by "Joe"]

http://17dots.com/2011/09/06/new-arrivals-5/ September 6, 2011


Lindsey Buckingham, Seeds We Sow: I’ve been getting pretty into Tusk lately, so I’m sure I’ll probably give this a listen. This is some truly amateurish cover art, but Lindsey is a great songwriter, so I’m sure there are at least a handful of gems here. Barry Walters certainly seems to think so. He writes:

Lindsey Buckingham’s sixth studio album doesn’t suggest a guy who’s spent most of the past 36 years as the artistic center of a band that’s sold more records than everyone currently in the charts combined. It’s Buckingham’s first self-released disc, and it feels like an indie album, albeit one from a studio genius able to afford and master any high-end gizmo he pleases. The folky opening title track would fit on Fleet Foxes’ latest if it weren’t so exquisitely produced; it may be entirely acoustic, but listen to the way his wordless refrain halfway through the track soars like the private jets that became Fleetwood Mac’s preferred vehicle of travel.

[michelej1]

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/09/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

American Songwriter
By Ryan Reed September 6th, 2011 at 12:41 pm

Lindsey Buckingham:
Seeds We Sow
(Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Rating: ***

In a year when longtime Fleetwood Mac mystic (and his former flame) Stevie Nicks released some of her worst songs to date (the underwhelming In Your Dreams), there’s something especially comforting about the ornate fingerpicking that opens Seeds We Sow, Lindsey Buckingham’s sixth solo album. “Had a dream that you reached for me in the night, touched me soft and slow,” he nearly whispers, his paper-light voice shrouded in homespun reverb. “Everything was wrong, but everything was right.”

It’s a moment of astounding, nostalgic beauty, alarming in its quiet and even more so in its blinding emotion. As great of a pop songsmith as Buckinghams’ always been, something even more mesmerizing always happens when he strips back the excess, trimming the mix to his acoustic and vocals. The album version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love” now sounds dated and restrained; Buckingham’s now legendary solo performances of the track are transcendent, often featuring the singer screaming himself hoarse over his windmilled spirals of fingerpicked color.

“Seeds We Sow” is yet another moment of sparkling clarity. Elsewhere, Buckingham’s at his best where he so obviously feels most comfortable: strapped to that acoustic, armed with nothing else but his fingers and that journeyman’s tenor. The electronic-spattered “In Our Own Time” climaxes in a torrent of head-rush arpeggios. His hypnotic, double-tracked assault on “Stars Are Crazy” is jaw-dropping, wrangling out his trademark alien noises from only a six-string and a capo.

Buckingham’s no stranger to the recording process, but Seeds We Sow is his most DIY moment yet. He wrote, played, produced, and mixed every inch of this batch, which he is also self-releasing. There’s a rough, intimate charm throughout—as if you’re listening in on basement warm-ups rather than final takes. Buckingham’s voice is breathy and intimate, typically coated in trebly reverb, even when he soars to his usual beefy choruses (“In Our Own Time”); and the emotions are expansive and fully-bloomed, even when the music is dated. (“When She Comes Down” sounds like a bad Steve Winwood B-side as heard on the soundtrack to a direct-to-video ’80s rom-com—but it somehow gets by on its own craftiness.)

Ultimately, the most “song-like” tracks here (like the rowdy, half-baked rocker “One Take”) are also the least interesting. Those moments feel stifled and awkward. Ironically, the more pop details Buckingham adds, the less impact he achieves; at times, you can’t help but wish for a Mick Fleetwood drum fill or John McVie’s liquid bass pulse.

But Buckingham knows his true strengths. Seeds We Sow waves goodbye, just as it began: with quiet meditation. “She Smiled Sweetly” is nothing more than folky plucks and ocean breeze whisper, evaporating gracefully into the fog of a half-gone dream.

[BombaySapphire3]

[QUOTE=michelej1;1014735]http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/09/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/



"In a year when longtime Fleetwood Mac mystic (and his former flame) Stevie Nicks released some of her worst songs to date (the underwhelming In Your Dreams)"

eeek that's harsh ..and I'm sure not the last one we'll hear of IYD bashing once all the indie/hipster critics that panned her album hand in their reviews.

[michelej1]

There’s a reason Lindsey Buckingham is portrayed as the aloof-and-silent type on Saturday Night Live’s “What’s Up With That?”: In real life, he’s always seemed that way.

In real life, he's never seemed that way. He may be aloof, but he's really not all that silent. Just because his voice is high and soft doesn't mean he wasn't using it all of the time.

This reminds me of a video he was doing. I think he and Chris and Mick (and John?) were doing promos and he came in with a sweatshirt and a hood on and Chris told him he looked like a robber or something. Well, when he came in looking like that you'd think he was just going to sit in a corner and kind of brood (and heaven knows he can brood with the best of them), but the next thing I know he's up and saying, 'should I take it off? Should I stand this way? What if I say . . ." He was all into it.

Michele

[MacMan]

[QUOTE=michelej1;1014735]http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/09/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/



"In a year when longtime Fleetwood Mac mystic (and his former flame) Stevie Nicks released some of her worst songs to date (the underwhelming In Your Dreams)"

eeek that's harsh ..and I'm sure not the last one we'll hear of IYD bashing once all the indie/hipster critics that panned her album hand in their reviews.

The surprising thing is in the current issue of their magazine they've got like 4 page spread/interview with Stevie and in the first couple of paragraphs call her new album a "strong ouput".

[michelej1]

[QUOTE=BombaySapphire3;1014794]

The surprising thing is in the current issue of their magazine they've got like 4 page spread/interview with Stevie and in the first couple of paragraphs call her new album a "strong ouput".

Yes, it's funny when the feature writers clash with the review writers in a publication.

Michele

[bombaysaffires]

My husband looked at Lindsey's new album online while we were waiting for Conan to come on and said "OMG! He looks like a Martian! Does he think he can make up for the receding hairline by growing it HIGHER?" ROFL

[BombaySapphire3]

My husband looked at Lindsey's new album online while we were waiting for Conan to come on and said "OMG! He looks like a Martian! Does he think he can make up for the receding hairline by growing it HIGHER?" ROFL

Maybe he can star in a film version of the old series "My Favorite Martian " and do the soundtrack too!:blob1:

[BombaySapphire3]

Lindsey Buckingham has for so long been a part of the one of the biggest mainstream pop bands in the world - Fleetwood Mac, of course - that we tend to forget what an oddball he can be. When the singer/guitarist makes solo records - formerly infrequently, but Seeds We Sow is his third in five years - he takes his cues from the experimental Tusk more than the mainstream blockbuster Rumours. Seeds runs on Buckingham's usual staples - sparkling melody and superlative guitar work, particularly hyperactive acoustics in this case - but it's the production that makes the record more than a soft rock side project. Looking back to the quirky arrangements of Out of the Cradle and the synthesized sheen of Go Insane, Buckingham takes often simple tunes and processes them into a strange mix of weirdness and clarity.



"One Take," while sporting an immediately catchy chorus and a burning guitar solo, is powered by deliberately old-fashioned electronic drums and clipped singing, sounding beamed in from another dimension. "Rock Away Blind," outside of its enigmatic libretto, floats on a sea of air while still digging its roots into the ground. "Stars Are Crazy" revolves around the tension between Buckingham's fleet-fingered acoustic guitar and his urgent singing, which sound out of sync in a beguiling way. "Gone Too Far" and the title track even alter the auteur's voice to sound younger, thinner and more feminine.



Buckingham does play it straight from time to time - "She Smiles Sweetly" lives up to its title with just voice, guitar and a no-frills tune, while "End of the Line" and "That's the Way Love Goes" just need the voices of Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie to be Mac tracks. The rocking "Illumination" boasts not only an obviously anthemic chorus but a production job straight out of Tango in the Night.



Buckingham's hero has always been Brian Wilson, another eccentric whose forte is combining heavenly melody with imaginative production. Without sounding anything like Pet Sounds, Seeds We Sow indicates Buckingham has absorbed Wilson's lessons well.



DOWNLOAD: "Stars Are Crazy," "Illumination," "Gone Too Far"

[michelej1]

[Heavy blues sound?? After 1975, FM can still sound bluesy. For instance, YMLF is a little bluesy, but I wouldn't say Lindsey was the main reason for that]

Pop Blend, September 6, 2011
http://www.cinemablend.com/pop/LP-Release-Tuesday-September-6th-2011-34869.html

4) Lindsey Buckingham Seeds We SowAre you a fan of Fleetwood Mac? Though many of my readers would not find it hard to say yes, there are plenty of people who won't admit that the Stevie Nicks led group is good. It's mainly my generation of audiences who have a problem with admitting so. They're either men unwilling to admit they listen to anything that resembles feminine music or they're people with awful taste. I'll assume the former. Mac's heavy blend of blues-rock and pop vocals are anything but feminine, and even Stevie Nicks' deeply melodic voice triggeredd a sense of rock euphoria that neither pop superstars Taylor Swift nor Lady Gaga could achieve. But, I digress.

The main reason for Fleetwood Mac’s heavy blues sound was due to the multi-instrumentalist Lindsey Buckingham. Through his effortless instrumentation, the group found their sound in multiple genres and blended them together for a unique style all their own. Since 1981, Buckingham released six solo efforts. Now that his touring schedule has shrunk considerably,he's found enough time to work on another record, Seeds We Sow. Sticking with his similar rock sound from Fleetwood Mac, the artist's latest endeavor is nothing short of what we would expect from him; unique and timeless rock n roll.

[elle]

http://thehurstreview.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

With Seeds We Sow, Lindsey Buckingham has made what could well be the finest indie record of 2011—an odd thing to say about a man whose voice as a singer and songwriter was integral to Rumors, the Fleetwood Mac blockbuster that was, at one time, the best-selling pop album of all time; less odd for the architect of Tusk, whose frayed edges and druggy haze make it a perennial favorite for cultists and leftfield pop enthusiasts. But of course, both sides are crucial to who Buckingham is, both inside the Mac and outside it—and that has never been truer than here, perhaps. Seeds We Sow is his first self-released album, launched under his own Mind Kit imprint upon the fulfillment of his stint with Warner Brothers. More crucially, it’s a homespun glory that revels in its one-man-band roots, propelled by voice and melody, built upon Buckingham’s glowing Nylon-string guitar work and his (surprisingly seamless) ProTools rig.

You can hear those glorious Rumors melodies on just about everything here. You can hear a little bit of the Tusk idiosyncrasy. More than anything else, you can hear the homemade, ramshackle approach of the early Paul McCartney solo albums, whose DIY spirit personifies what it means to be “indie.” Make no mistake: Beautiful though it is, and wonderfully of a piece with latter-day Buckingham gems Under the Skin and Gift of Screws, this is the most ragged music he’s ever made under his own name, a wonderfully loose and rough album that finally finds him completely abandoning the full-band illusion he harbored on those other fine records and flaunting the album’s solitary basement roots. I’ll be honest: I’m generally not big on the one-man-band thing, which often sounds either flimsy or stilted. But by embracing it full-on, Buckingham harnesses the implicit roughness and turns in a record that feels surprisingly lively and spontaneous. Plus, the songs have the man’s musical and lyrical signatures all over them, which is just another way of saying that they’re quite good.

Seeds We Sow is a testament to the singer’s enduring romanticism; he fumbles for understanding in the universe and resigns himself, not bitterly but hopefully, to the fact that he may never find the answers he seeks, but love is enough to win the day. More than anything, though, it’s a testament to Buckingham’s own resourcefulness as a record-maker. He offers glistening, finger-picked folk songs; baroque pop numbers; and gloriously big, propulsive rockers. And he does it all by himself, simulating full orchestration without assistance from any other players (save for on “That’s the Way Love Goes,” where he’s joined by a full band—and where things really do explode).

“In Our Own Time” is evidence of the full extent of Buckingham’s gifts. It’s a serpentine rock tune that moves from a contemplative verse into a slamming chorus—and crescendos with a glorious, cascading, finger-picked bridge. There’s programmed percussion that gives it a twitching pulse, but the blood in its veins comes entirely from the lyric and melody. It’s followed by a remarkably loose, hard-hitting rocker—surprising when you consider that it’s a one-man show, anyway—called “Illumination,” a cantankerous ode to personal revelation that might as well be Buckingham’s theme song.

There are quieter moments, as well. The title cut, which opens the album, is one of the most beautiful things he’s recorded as a solo artist, a wonderfully hypnotic, circular guitar figure with a wistful melody—not dissimilar from something that might have been on the inward-focused Under the Skin. Meanwhile, “When She Comes Down” is a chilled-out pop ballad where synthetic percussion, keyboard tones, and vocal effects are used with restraint and great effect; the chorus is almost a gospel anthem, not unlike the Gift of Screws standout “Treason.”

All of Buckingham’s recent records have included songs based around repetitive, trance-like finger-picking—“Not Too Late” and “Time Precious Time” are two examples—and this record is no exception; here, one of the standouts is “Stars Are Crazy,” a resigned but not despairing reflection on a romance that’s destined to fail. What makes albums like this one so rich and expansive, though, is that a song like that one can sit so comfortably alongside “One Take,” a jittery rock and roll number with a Mac-worthy chorus, a politically-charged lyric, and a blistering electric guitar solo, all stitched together using the same lone-strummer magic that holds the entire album together.

It’s a very special record, in other words, and it is of a piece with Under the Skin and Gift of Screws in one key respect: It’s an album only Lindsey Buckingham could have made. It’s a joyfully ragged singer/songwriter album that transforms lo-fi production values into high pop style. It’s an indie record just about any way you care to define it—though it’s unlikely to be credited as such, I imagine—and it’s maybe the most enticing entry yet in Buckingham’s very fine, very special latter-day catalog.

[elle]

http://www.topsongsofthisweek.com/top-of-the-week/2-seeds-we-sow-amazon-mp3-exclusive-version-2/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

SEP/11
#2: Seeds We Sow (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)


Lindsey Buckingham is one of those singer/songwriter/musicians who is truly an artist. His last two solo albums (UNDER THE SKIN and GIFT OF SCREWS) were absolutely beautiful, almost like musical tapestries (with a hefty amount of grit thrown in to roughen things up a bit). SEEDS WE SOW follows a similar vein.

From the ethereal “Gone Too Far,” to the angry “One Take,” to the simplistic rocking wonder of “That’s the Way Love Goes,” SEEDS is an almost pitch-perfect pop/rock record. Buckingham’s musicianship has never been better; he can still make a guitar do things previously unimaginable. His voice has aged nicely (more like whiskey than wine, I’d say, which is just the way it should be), and his lyrics remain cryptic, yet somehow undeniably relatable.

Of his three most recent solo efforts, SEEDS is perhaps the strongest, in that the songs congeal into an amazing album, yet are listenable and fantastic on their own. (Both SKIN and SCREWS are strongest when listened in one long sitting, as opposed to one track at a time.) It’s an album by a master tunesmith who has nothing left to prove, and is simply making music he enjoys making. Fortunately, it’s music that still has something worth saying, that is still unique and groundbreaking.

[elle]

http://www.kinston.com/entertainment/album-76102-lindsey-buckingham.html

Album reviews: Lindsey Buckingham and Duke Ellington
Comments 0
September 08, 2011 12:00 AM
Jon Dawson
Staff Writer
New album: Seeds We Sow

Artist: Lindsey Buckingham

Label: Mind Kit Records

Rating: 3.5 out of 5



There was a time when it took Fleetwood Mac frontman Lindsey Buckingham three or four years to make an album. Was this due to laziness?

No, it was due to the fact that Buckingham was a perfectionist; every note would be considered, doubled and overdubbed into infinity to achieve a razor-sharp sound that enthralled some and had others wondering what the man had against spontaneity.

Since the reboot of his solo career in 2006, Buckingham has been doing much to undo his reputation as the Stanley Kubrick of rock and roll. His most recent work (“Under the Skin” – 2006, “Gift of Screws” – 2008) showcases Buckingham’s newfound appreciation for the stripped-down approach. While the man who masterminded all those Fleetwood Mac hits of the 1970s/80s still knows how to craft a great piece of pop music, the new approach allows the performances to breathe, thus creating an intimacy that couldn’t respirate within the confines of a song with massive, claustrophobic production.

Buckingham — who played all of the instruments on 10 of the 11 tracks — also recorded and mixed the album himself, along with releasing it through his own record label. The ability to do everything himself without the interference of a major label seems to have invigorated Buckingham, as “Seeds We Sow” sounds more like the energetic work of a young independent artist than that of a mainstream veteran well into his fifth decade on the planet.

The new songs are propelled mainly by Buckingham’s fiery-picked acoustic guitar, hugely reminiscent of his stunning solo performance of “Big Love” from Fleetwood Mac’s “The Dance.” “Illumination” rumbles along with drum accompaniment that wouldn’t be out of place on a Red Hot Chili Peppers record, but when the chorus kicks in with those harmonies that made him a rich man, Buckingham successfully merges the elements that made him a star with those that have allowed him to grow as an artist.

“When She Comes Down” begins as a mid-tempo ballad of the later-day Fleetwood Mac variety, but this eventually gives way to a tsunami of reverb-drenched vocals that recall the psychedelia of Tommy James and The Shondells “Crimson and Clover.” “Rock Away Blind” propels itself towards the listener with rapid-fire musical flourishes and arching vocals that are so cleverly arranged you’ll hardly notice it’s just a man and his guitar.

For “That’s the Way that Love Goes,” Buckingham brings in a band and injects a good dose of revved-up rock to the proceedings. The most Fleetwood Mac-ish track on the album, “End of Time,” is almost begging for Mac-mates Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks to jump in on the chorus, but Buckingham’s own multi-layered vocal does it justice.

Buckingham has apparently unfurled his third digit to the record industry, which means you’ll probably never hear his new music on the radio again, but those who take the time to check out what he’s doing will be rewarded for their effort.

[shackin'up]

http://thehurstreview.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

With Seeds We Sow, Lindsey Buckingham has made what could well be the finest indie record of 2011 It’s an indie record just about any way you care to define it—though it’s unlikely to be credited as such, I imagine—and it’s maybe the most enticing entry yet in Buckingham’s very fine, very special latter-day catalog.

WOW. This may be the best review he's going to get. It's splendid, well written and spot on. Let's send it to Chili.

[elle]

WOW. This may be the best review he's going to get. It's splendid, well written and spot on. Let's send it to Chili.

i know, i love it too (of course!). it's been one of top tweets too, when you search for lindsey buckingham (people liked it and have been re-tweeting it). i couldn't resist telling the guy who wrote it how great it is :)

this is how i read Chili's first impression: "lindsey sounds too much like lindsey. i don't like that. period." (sorry Chili for talking behind your back:p)

[elle]

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/129461998.html

CD Spotlight

Lindsey Buckingham: Seeds We Sow
e-mail print
Sept. 8, 2011 2:45 p.m. |(0) Comments

Lindsey Buckingham

Seeds We Sow

Buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham has spent many years chasing pop perfection. While that helped him turn Fleetwood Mac into one of the most successful bands of the '70s, it made his solo career a halting, erratic thing. In the last five years, however, he has evidently abandoned the pursuit; paradoxically, that has resulted in a steady flowering of his creativity.

"Seeds We Sow" is Buckingham's third studio album since 2006, and it's his rawest. He made it at home for his own label, and it sounds as though he decided against polishing everything to a sterile shine.

Yet because his voice remains sweet, his guitar intricate and his melodies irresistible, the ear notices the gems more than the flaws. The relative simplicity of the production and performance brings out the beauty in "When She Comes Down" and sharpens the edge of "One Take," and Buckingham has never seemed closer to his muse or his audience.

- Jon M. Gilbertson

Lindsey Buckingham will perform Sept. 17 at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St.Look for a list of the week's new CDs Tuesday in the Cue for a Better Life section.

[shackin'up]

this is how i read Chili's first impression: "lindsey sounds too much like lindsey. i don't like that. period."

Spot on. But his review was breathtakingly humourous too.

[elle]

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/09/07/play-skip-this-weeks-new-music-on-fox411com/

PLAY > SKIP: This Week's New Music on Fox411.com
By Shawn Amos
Published September 07, 2011
| PopNews Wire

While I was getting nostalgic last week about early 2011, apparently the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, and Glen Campbell released new records. So let's get current, shall we, and step into the fall musical rush, along with Lindsey Buckingham and John Doe — a bunch of dudes well past 40, all proving that rock (and country and folk) can age gracefully.

the rest of the article from http://popnewswire.tv/play-lindsey-buckingham-the-seeds-we-sow/13288

PLAY: Lindsey Buckingham, “The Seeds We Sow”
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 at 5:24 am
By Shawn Amos

Life with Fleetwood Mac is a double-edged sword for Buckingham — and his fans, although one could argue that Fleetwood Mac fans and Lindsey Buckingham fans are two separate crowds. Buckingham’s main talking point is that his supergroup is the “big movie,” while his solo works constitute his small “indie films.” Cynics would say that’s a politician’s way of managing expectations — and Buckingham’s own ego. However, any artist will realize that Lindsey Buckingham is smart enough to know that without Fleetwood Mac, he’d be another brilliant, starving musician. The Mac pays the bills, but the solo work keeps him from becoming a classic rock caricature. More of the group’s fans should join along.
“The Seeds We Sow” is better than any big-budget band album Buckingham has pushed out in decades. The title track and the beautifully amped-up “The Way Love Goes” show a player, writer, and singer still passionate at 62. I’ll tolerate a mediocre Fleetwood Mac album knowing the money is funding stuff like this one. It brings new meaning to art patronage.

WATCH Lindsay Buckingham perform “The Seeds We Sow” live at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.
(they provided a link to welshwitchPMD's video, btw)

[elle]

http://artsandentertainmentplayground.com/2011/09/08/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-a-review/?utm_source=@AandEplayground

Lindsey Buckingham – ‘Seeds We Sow’: A Review
September 8, 2011By Kenneth E. Oquist
As a long time Lindsey Buckingham fan, his new release Seeds We Sow is excellent from start to finish. “End of Time” is a really pleasant mid-tempo song that does show the marketabililty the group that gave him a boot in the behind several years ago would have liked. That being said, this is simply a really good song and my favorite track. “Gone Too Far” is a Pop flavored song. Regardless of marketability, this is another of the best. “Illumination” shows a more funky side than what some of the other songs sound like from Lindsey these days.

“In Our Own Time” is another sound yet with some slick acoustic guitar lead and it’s a snappy sounding song. On “One Take” finally folks enter the electric guitar. A quirky song but funky in parts. It’s great song and one of the best here. “Rock Away Blind” has a minimal beat and those fast acoustic guitars he favors these days. “She Smiled Sweetly” is a lovely acoustic song. I like this one quite a bit. The title track is quite a fast paced acoustic song. Marketing may not know what to do with it, but no matter it’s pretty good to me.

“Stars Are Crazy” is another fast acoustic guitar tune with minimal percussion, but strong as they all are. “That’s the Way Loves Goes” alternates totally acoustic with a pretty snappy beat. Variety is here in this song by itself. Another really good song. “When She Comes Down” is a slower song with a lazy beat. There is a nice variety here in spite of a lack of electric guitars. With very little weakness, Lindsey scored four and a half stars easily.

Contact the Author: [email protected]

[michelej1]

September 8, 2011
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110909/ENTERTAINMENT04/109090346/Buckingham-wanders-solo-outing?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

Brian Passey
"Seeds We Sow" by Lindsey Buckingham 2.5 stars

Why is it that many classic rockers never seem to live up to their glory days? Does the creativity seemingly run out?

This isn't true with all of them. Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Neil Young have released some of their best work in the past 15 years.

Then there's the Doobie Brothers, America and even Paul McCartney. Although they've had a few great songs in the last couple of decades, they don't even come close to matching the hits of their younger years.

Unfortunately, Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame falls into the latter category. He has released some interesting music in recent years but none of it measures up to classics like "Big Love" and "Go Your Own Way."

His latest solo effort (and he's seriously solo here, writing and playing nearly every note himself), "Seeds We Sow," does find him branching out some but still falling short.

The solo show may have been a poor choice in some aspects - like the recording part. The title track seems to go alternately soft and loud in a way that probably couldn't be described as "studio creativity."

While the intricate guitar work is lovely throughout the album, some of the tracks leave you wanting a little more musical depth beyond the layered acoustic guitar and Buckingham's echoing vocals. The tracks that do have more going on like "Illumination" and "That's The Way Love Goes" definitely stand out.

Overall the songs do seem to illustrate more variety than 2008's "Gift of Screws." "When She Comes Down" is simply lovely and "End of Time" might be a bit cheesy but it's still a pretty little ballad. Then there's that riveting, sputtering electric guitar solo on "One Take" - an especially welcome aspect that saves the otherwise forgettable track.

While Buckingham is a classic rocker struggling to find his way in a modern rock world, Blitzen Trapper's Eric Earley is a modern rocker embracing the allure and attitude of classic rock.

Earley, the primary songwriter and vocalist, first caught our attention with 2008's breakthrough album and single, both called "Furr." With that album, Blitzen Trapper joined other indie bands in a new wave of Americana.

With 2010's "Destroyer of the Void," Earley sounded as if he wanted to try something new but was afraid to leave the winning formula of "Furr" behind. Finally with the new "American Goldwing," Blitzen Trapper has perfected the indie Americana classic rock sound.

This is an album The Band or Buffalo Springfield could be proud of. There are a couple of slight missteps, but for the most part it's a collection of near-perfect tunes full of melody, rhythm and pedal steel.

Blitzen Trapper hinted at this new direction in 2010's gorgeous "Sadie," one of the best songs of the year. Earley seemed to channel elements of both Lennon and Dylan while combining it with his own more modern contributions.

That's the magic of "American Goldwing." The songs have a "classic" feel but they don't sound old.

"Fletcher" is good ol' Southern rock while the aptly-named "Street Fighting Sun" channels elements of the Rolling Stones and the White Stripes. Meanwhile the title track is a motorcycle anthem that would have been perfect on the soundtrack to "Easy Rider."

A harmonica and banjo paint bluegrass backgrounds for "I Love The Way You Walk Away" and "Taking It Easy Too Long" while the pedal steel whines out sad country tales but they all just provide atmospherics to a couple of pop rock Americana triumphs.

Even "Astronaut" has a nice country romp sound that would make Levon Helm proud. Then Earley drops just the kind of lyrics that we've come to expect from him: "'Cause I'm an astronaut on the shores of the this grand illusion."

[michelej1]

Look at OKC
http://newsok.com/cd-review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/article/3601986

Following two solo albums of gauzy beauty suggesting that placidity had settled upon Lindsey Buckingham's restless mind, “Seeds We Sow,” his sixth solo studio disc, indicates that the Fleetwood Mac guitarist still has demons to exorcise. Indeed, “Seeds We Sow” finds Buckingham alternating between moments of pop transcendence and exhilarating songs in which he sounds like he might come unglued. It is his most interesting and varied solo work since 1984's “Go Insane,” the last time he behaved as if he could take breaks from carrying the standard for Fleetwood Mac's musical legacy and just be a freak.

While “Under the Skin” and “Gift of Screws” sounded like the work of a rock god transitioning to indie singer-songwriter glory, “Seeds We Sow” is Buckingham's first truly independent record, released on his own Mind Kit label, and it sounds completely unencumbered by expectations. The opening title song growls at the ghosts in his past before he lets his fingers fly on “In Our Own Time,” picking wildly as drum machines and blasts of orchestral synths thunder in the background. “Illumination” and “That's the Way Love Goes” find Buckingham in off-kilter Mac mode, creating manic, multilayered pop music with a noticeable edge of menace.

“I can't see you anymore, but it don't mean I'm blind,” Buckingham croons on the soaring centerpiece “Stars Are Crazy” before the chorus finds him howling at the sky. But not all turmoil is internal: “One Take” finds Buckingham inhabiting the callous soul of a corporate raider who “won't be satisfied 'til the middle class is gone,” before ending “Seeds We Sow” with the shimmering “Gone Too Far” and a cover of the Rolling Stones' “She Smiled Sweetly,” a song about never being able to let the past lie. Buckingham might always be encumbered with an unquiet mind, but “Seeds We Sow” shows the artistic upside of living with a personal and professional history that curses as often as it blesses.

— George Lang



Read more: http://newsok.com/cd-review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/article/3601986#ixzz1XTKvdWDZ

[michelej1]

Remember Clayton Morris, the anchor on Fox and Friends who started a twitter account for Stevie? He wrote

Listening to Lindsey Buckingham's new album that came out yesterday. Big fan of his solo stuff.

He then posted a link to Lindsey's album. When someone commented that they couldn't stand Lindsey's voice, Clayton replied:

I can tolerate his vocals enough to get past them. His guitar skills are off the charts. I think he's one of the most underrated guitarists of his era.

I wish they would book Lindsey on Fox and Friends' weekend edition with Morris.

[elle]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/arts/music/music-by-wild-flag-lindsey-buckingham-and-the-raincoats.html?_r=1

PLAYLIST
Wordless Vocals and a Complex Whisper
By JON PARELES
Published: September 9, 2011

Lindsey Buckingham

When Lindsey Buckingham sings, “I woke up in the middle of the night/with you on my mind,” it’s hard to avoid thinking he means his many guitars, acoustic and electric. Throughout his solo album “Seeds We Sow” (Buckingham Records) his fingers fly, often in layers of fast, restless finger-picking that he clearly couldn’t wait to assemble. He played, produced and mostly wrote the songs all by himself, except for one songwriting collaboration and a version of the Rolling Stones’s “She Smiled Sweetly.” While Mr. Buckingham obviously selected every buzzing or pinging guitar tone carefully, the production has the low-fi informality of a demo. He maintains the sense of pop melody he brought to Fleetwood Mac, and he sings in an expressively frayed latter-day version of his old high tenor. His lyrics philosophize about love, loss and passing time. But his guitar geekery is the album’s governing force, and it’s usually for the better.

[michelej1]

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/09/lindsey-buckingham-showcases-his-expertise-seeds-we-sow

Whitney Tolar | September 9, 2011
Staff Reporter

Lindsey Buckingham Showcases His Expertise On "Seeds We Sow"

Fleetwood Mac fans get excited – Lindsey Buckingham’s new album, “Seeds We Sow,” is now available for download and as a whole, it is definitely praiseworthy.

Even for generations too young to remember Buckingham’s pre-solo career, the album should resonate with anyone who appreciates a simple melody enriched by incredible instrumentals on the acoustic guitar.

The overall tone of the album is nostalgic and tranquil, yet one or two songs stray slightly from Buckingham’s characteristically understated sound into a louder, fast-paced style that has a more rock 'n roll feel, which is not necessarily pleasant.

“One Take,” for example, is out of place in the otherwise calming collection of songs, but this does not detract from the quality of the album as a whole.

A few especially great songs are “Seeds We Sow” and “End of Time.”

The album’s title track, “Seeds We Sow,” offers beautiful, intricate instrumentals on the acoustic guitar, creating a calming sound reminiscent of classic Fleetwood Mac.

This song is definitely the standout of the album, featuring subdued yet powerful vocals and touching lyrics making for a catchy melody that is sure to get stuck in your head (in the best way possible).

While the vocals and lyrics are impressive throughout, Buckingham’s awe-inspiring expertise on the acoustic guitar is what truly makes the album exceptional, unique, and definitely worth a download.

For the most part, “Seeds We Sow” maintains a refreshing folk sound few artists can achieve as well as Buckingham.

[elle]

http://tonymoreira.visibli.com/share/NGgGS9

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM, ‘SEEDS WE SOW’ – ALBUM REVIEW
by: Nick Nadel 49 minutes ago

Buckingham Records

While Fleetwood Mac have been relatively quiet of late, Lindsey Buckingham has used the long gap between Mac albums (their last was 2003′s ‘Say You Will’) to release a series of increasingly excellent solo records that hark back to his blistering work on ‘Tusk.’ While 2006′s ‘Under the Skin’ was a hushed folk-rock affair, 2008′s ‘Gift of Screws,’ and the newly released ‘Seeds We Sow,’ are a reminder that Buckingham is one of best (and most underrated) singer-songwriters working today.

As usual, Buckingham fully takes the reigns on the self-released record — producing, mixing, and engineering the album himself. On the acoustic title track, Buckingham shows off his signature finger-picking flair amid melancholy references to “pretty things dying in the penny arcade of Edgar Allan Poe.”

‘In Our Own Time’ starts out as another shimmery folk track before Buckingham belts out the chorus. (“Wouldn’t make any difference/we crossed the line/from the fire we will rise again/in our own time”). Buckingham is equally fiery on the album standout ‘That’s the Way Love Goes,’ a churning pop-rock tune that sounds like a lost track from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Mirage’ album. It’s moments like this that make you wish that the Buckingham of ‘Tusk’ gems ‘The Ledge’ and ‘What Makes You Think You Think You’re the One’ would pop up more often.

If Buckingham doesn’t break out vocally as much as he did on ‘Gift of Screws,’ musically he is at the top of his game. ‘Stars Are Crazy’ and ‘Rock Away Blind’ should satisfy anyone looking for a blast of Buckingham’s distinctive guitar arpeggios. Those missing the harmonies and driving drums of his Fleetwood Mac work will find a lot to like in bouncy tracks like ‘Illumination’ and ‘One Take.’

Meanwhile, fans of ‘Tango in the Night’-era Mac will dig the smooth, soft rock stylings of the gorgeous synth-kissed love song ‘When She Comes Down.’ (It rivals the recent Bon Iver track ‘Beth/Rest’ for the title of “ultimate ’80s adult contemporary throwback of 2011.”)

Following up on themes developed in ‘Gift of Screws,’ the lyrics on ‘Seeds We Sow’ find Buckingham ruminating on eternal love, death and the unstoppable drum march of time. Buckingham sings of the “end of the line” on ‘End of Time’ and muses that “when they finally come to bury us, maybe then we’ll tell the truth.”

The album closer, a strong cover of the Rolling Stones’ ‘She Smiled Sweetly,’ brings this song cycle to an intense close with an audible exhale. (Could the “she” Buckingham refers to throughout the album be the sweet embrace of Lady Death?)

‘Seeds We Sow’ comes at a time of renewed interest in Buckingham and his band of merry Mac-sters. Stevie Nicks is riding high off her best solo album in more than a decade, while a young audience is discovering Fleetwood Mac classics like ‘Landslide’ and ‘Dreams’ thanks to the recent ‘Rumours’-themed episode of ‘Glee.’ And of course, there was Buckingham’s recent appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live’ opposite his on-screen doppelganger Bill Hader in the “What Up With That” sketch. (There’s also talk of new Fleetwood Mac music in 2012.)

Never one to coast on his past triumphs, Buckingham is making the most of this new phase of his career through stellar albums and live shows (he just kicked off a national solo tour) that demonstrate why he is one of the most enduring icons in classic rock.

4/5 stars

[AliceLover]

http://tonymoreira.visibli.com/share/NGgGS9

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM, ‘SEEDS WE SOW’ – ALBUM REVIEW
by: Nick Nadel 49 minutes ago

Buckingham Records

‘Buckingham is equally fiery on the album standout ‘That’s the Way Love Goes,’ a churning pop-rock tune that sounds like a lost track from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Mirage’ album. It’s moments like this that make you wish that the Buckingham of ‘Tusk’ gems ‘The Ledge’ and ‘What Makes You Think You Think You’re the One’ would pop up more often.

4/5 stars

I could not agree with this more!

[bangdrum]

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/09/lindsey-buckingham-showcases-his-expertise-seeds-we-sow

Whitney Tolar | September 9, 2011
Staff Reporter

Lindsey Buckingham Showcases His Expertise On "Seeds We Sow"

Fleetwood Mac fans get excited – Lindsey Buckingham’s new album, “Seeds We Sow,” is now available for download and as a whole, it is definitely praiseworthy.

Even for generations too young to remember Buckingham’s pre-solo career, the album should resonate with anyone who appreciates a simple melody enriched by incredible instrumentals on the acoustic guitar.

The overall tone of the album is nostalgic and tranquil, yet one or two songs stray slightly from Buckingham’s characteristically understated sound into a louder, fast-paced style that has a more rock 'n roll feel, which is not necessarily pleasant.
“One Take,” for example, is out of place in the otherwise calming collection of songs, but this does not detract from the quality of the album as a whole.

A few especially great songs are “Seeds We Sow” and “End of Time.”

The album’s title track, “Seeds We Sow,” offers beautiful, intricate instrumentals on the acoustic guitar, creating a calming sound reminiscent of classic Fleetwood Mac.

This song is definitely the standout of the album, featuring subdued yet powerful vocals and touching lyrics making for a catchy melody that is sure to get stuck in your head (in the best way possible).

While the vocals and lyrics are impressive throughout, Buckingham’s awe-inspiring expertise on the acoustic guitar is what truly makes the album exceptional, unique, and definitely worth a download.

For the most part, “Seeds We Sow” maintains a refreshing folk sound few artists can achieve as well as Buckingham.

Annnnndddd... this is why he does so many "orchestral guitar" pieces and DOESN'T rock out as much as a good chunk of this board wants!

Also, Seeds We Sow (the acoustic version) the highlight of the album? :distress::distress::distress::sorry:

As long as reviews keep praising the "acoustic folk styling single guitar intimate feel etc etc etc" thing, Lindsey is never ever going to do an album full of songs like Illumination, TTWLG, SWS electric, and more of the heavy GOS stuff. :shrug:

[bangdrum]

[url]
‘In Our Own Time’ starts out as another shimmery folk track before Buckingham belts out the chorus. (“Wouldn’t make any difference/we crossed the line/from the fire we will rise again/in our own time”). Buckingham is equally fiery on the album standout ‘That’s the Way Love Goes,’ a churning pop-rock tune that sounds like a lost track from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Mirage’ album. It’s moments like this that make you wish that the Buckingham of ‘Tusk’ gems ‘The Ledge’ and ‘What Makes You Think You Think You’re the One’ would pop up more often.


I need to only have moments that I wish Tusk Lindsey would pop up more often??? (Also, my dream setlist includes both The Ledge and What Makes You Think You're The One...)

[elle]

I need to only have moments that I wish Tusk Lindsey would pop up more often??? (Also, my dream setlist includes both The Ledge and What Makes You Think You're The One...)

mine includes What Makes You Think You're The One and Walk a Thin Line. although i wouldn't mind The Ledge either.

[bangdrum]

mine includes What Makes You Think You're The One and Walk a Thin Line. although i wouldn't mind The Ledge either.

Oh yeah, Walk A Thin Line too, especially since it's the only one they've never even rehearsed! Plus most of Law and Order and Go Insane. (I'm one of the GI lovers... see username. :p)

[elle]

Oh yeah, Walk A Thin Line too, especially since it's the only one they've never even rehearsed! Plus most of Law and Order and Go Insane. (I'm one of the GI lovers... see username. :p)

i do love bang the drum and a few other songs on go insane (love d.w.suite!), but i dislike some others and so overall definitely not my favorite LB album. maybe i should listen to it more since looking at your lists of favorite LB songs, i seem to agree with you a lot?!

[Nico]

i do love bang the drum and a few other songs on go insane (love d.w.suite!), but i dislike some others and so overall definitely not my favorite LB album. maybe i should listen to it more since looking at your lists of favorite LB songs, i seem to agree with you a lot?!

I think Go Insane needs a reevaluation as well! I listened to it again and find it such an endearing album. He really made some fantastic solo albums, even if everyone has their personal faves. You can't fault his vision.

[Silver Springs]

I think Go Insane needs a reevaluation as well! I listened to it again and find it such an endearing album. He really made some fantastic solo album, even if everyone has their personal faves. You can't fault his vision.

I think Go Insane tends to be so overlooked, along with Law and Order, because it is so experimental. Some fans tend to stay close to what they know and the "Lindsey Brand", and to them it means the songs that sounds the most like they would have been released by Fleetwood Mac themselves. I've noticed this a lot in his fandom, where people can't really see past the Mac style to what Lindsey really is about. Personally, I feel that the more experimental he is, the more I can understand him as an artist, and thus the more endeared I am to him. Maybe, as a fellow artist, I can understand the need for striking out with "new canvases", rather than re-using the old and popular, and if a mess is created then it's all in the aid of experimentation. Go Insane and Law and Order feel almost like busy, idea filled sketchbooks to me.

[Nico]

Personally, I feel that the more experimental he is, the more I can understand him as an artist, and thus the more endeared I am to him. Maybe, as a fellow artist, I can understand the need for striking out with "new canvases", rather than re-using the old and popular, and if a mess is created then it's all in the aid of experimentation. Go Insane and Law and Order feel almost like busy, idea filled sketchbooks to me.

This is how I feel as well! Like, that quirky/strange side of Lindsey really jumps out at me. I'm a very artsy person and I really love to dig into a person's psyche with their creations, and Lindsey's far more left-field stuff really draws me in. I know some people don't care for that electric "Seeds We Sow" but when I hear it it's like hearing that side of Lindsey I love so much, as well as things like the Go Insane album and "My Little Demon." Honestly, there are a lot of different "Lindsey styles" and I can sincerely say I'm a fan of all of them, but that crazy wild side is something that makes him stand alone to me. It's the part of him that baffles me and makes me think, "Wow, how did he end up in Fleetwood Mac?"

[bangdrum]

i do love bang the drum and a few other songs on go insane (love d.w.suite!), but i dislike some others and so overall definitely not my favorite LB album. maybe i should listen to it more since looking at your lists of favorite LB songs, i seem to agree with you a lot?!

I'm flattered that someone doesn't think my taste in music is absolutely terrible! (Then again, my only experiences trying to share FM with people were playing LB CDs in the car with my mother (a Jethro Tull and Lionel Richie fan - yeah, I know) who started begging me to turn it off... and my stupid ex-boyfriend, who thought Tango was the most dated and horrible thing he'd ever heard...)

From Go Insane, I love I Want You (reminds me of Prince), Slow Dancing, I must Go, Play In The Rain continued (that's where it gets good), Bang The Drum (obviously), and parts of D.W. Suite. The sequencing is also perfect.

As a general rule, the more quirky and bizarre and unexpected something is, the more I tend to like it... :D

[michelej1]

Sound and Vision Magazine, September 6, 2011
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/photogallery/week-music-september-6-2011

Lindsey Buckingham: Seeds We Sow (Mind Kit)
NEW RELEASE

With 2008’s Gift of Screws, Lindsey Buckingham proved he could make a vintage Fleetwood Mac-sounding album all (largely) by himself. This follow-up is a more typical Buckingham solo set — meaning that the pop mastery is still here, but the overall feel is darker and more insular. He does seem in a more downcast mood than usual, whether that’s due to romantic troubles, advancing age, or the state of the nation (the foreboding “End of Time” alludes to all three). And the best moments here are indeed melancholy: “When She Comes Down” echoes the soaringly sad feel of Mac’s “Walk a Thin Line,” and the closing cover, “She Smiled Sweetly,” has a verge-of-tears vocal that makes it more affecting than the Rolling Stones’ original. With nobody else in the studio, Buckingham alternates stripped-down acoustic numbers with full-band facsimiles. That said, even the loudest songs here — like the topical “One Take,” which includes one of his most ferocious guitar solos ever — don’t detract from the album’s late-night, down-there mood.

[jellyman10]

It's the part of him that baffles me and makes me think, "Wow, how did he end up in Fleetwood Mac?"

Well, Nico, at that time, in 1974, Fleetwood Mac was going through yet another personnel change. Guitarist Bob Welch had given notice that he was going to quit and Mick Fleetwood was looking for a studio to cut the band's next album. Mick just happened to get talking to an acquaintance of his in an LA grocery store, Keith Olson, who mentioned a --

**gets yanked off with a hook for wasting everybody's time**

[elle]

New album reviews: Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Clapton & Wynton Marsalis, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Published: Monday, September 12, 2011, 6:06 AM
By Kevin O'Hare, The Republican

Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Buckingham, “Seeds We Sow” (Mindkit Records). 3 ½ stars.

Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton, “Play the Blues – Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center” (Reprise – CD/DVD). 3 ½ stars.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, “I’m With You” (Warner Bros.) 3 stars.


Lindsey Buckingham, “Seeds We Sow” (Mindkit Records). 3 ½ stars.

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham is on this list as one of the Top 10 guitarists in the game, and certainly one of the most underrated.
His solo career has included several outstanding efforts like “Go Insane” and “Out of the Cradle” that have also often flown under the radar. “Seeds We Sow” deserves to be heard.

Buckingham’s sixth solo album and first self-release, features plenty of his fretboard virtuosity, whether it’s the rippling acoustic beauty heard on the title track or the finger-picking wizardry that rises to the top of “Stars Are Crazy.”

For fans of the mighty Mac, Buckingham offers several selections that will evoke echoes of the band that brought him to fame, namely the rockin’ “Tusk” styled “One Take,” the uptempo “That’s the Way That Love Goes” and the hook-filled big throttle of “Rock Away Blind.”

Guitar aficionados will find a lot to like about the first single, “In Our Own Time,” while the disc finishes with an imaginative cover of the Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly.”

Tracks to download: “One Take” “In Our Own Time.”

For my 2008 interview with Lindsey Buckingham, click here.

[michelej1]

The Miami Herald, September 14, 2011
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/14/2407064/new-albums-from-george-strait.html


  Lindsey Buckingham, Seeds We Sow (Mind Kit/Buckingham Records). ★ ★ ★ (standard CD version); ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (iTunes exclusive).

In May, Fleetwood Mac band mate Stevie Nicks released In Your Dreams, her best collection of songs in 30 years. Not to be outdone by an ex-girlfriend,Buckingham has delivered his finest batch of new songs since the Carter administration. The gorgeous and grandiose Seeds We Sow mines group efforts Tusk and Tango in the Night for musical inspiration but its raw, ebullient sound represents creative growth.

The infectious Sleeping Around the Corner, a must-have bonus track on the iTunes version, could fit snugly on Tusk but is more melodic and pop-friendly. The über-catchy standout Illumination would be the highlight on any post- Rumours Fleetwood Mac album.

Most impressively, with the exception of That’s the Way Love Goes, Buckingham plays every instrument, along with producing, writing and engineering. The one-man-band brings forth a wall of sound built on canyons of interwoven acoustic and electric guitars, distorted bass, layered voices and crisp percussion.Where this approach failed on previously indulgent solo efforts, Seeds We Sow is accessible and guided by a sure hand at pop craft.

Buckingham multitracks his voice into a choir to contrast the nervous, jumpy guitars, bass and drums on the edgy rocker One Take and, tense and restless as ever, he uses his electric guitar as a gouging knife on the furious hook of In Our Own Time. The shimmering, fast-plucked acoustic guitars on the lovely Rock Away Blind sound like his old song Never Going Back Again on speed. Buckingham’s new material is so good the only real throwaway is a cover of the Rolling Stones’ 1967 LP cut, She Smiled Sweetly.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/14/2407064/new-albums-from-george-strait.html#ixzz1XyI20h8U

[michelej1]

The Pulse, September 14, 2011
http://chattanoogapulse.com/music/new-music-reviews/new-music-reviews-lindsey-buckingham-kerooacidu-suavak/

Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow
(Mind Kit)

Demonstrating one of the most successful band reboots ever, Fleetwood Mac evolved irregularly, going from a good-to-great British blues-rock group to a staggeringly popular rock/pop phenomenon, with the inclusion of Americans Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in the mid-’70s. For the current generation of listeners, understanding why other ’70s phenomena were huge and important may be easier to fathom—ABBA spawned modern pop, and Led Zeppelin bridged the transition from blues-worship to hard rock.

But, understandably, Fleetwood Mac likely brings to mind, to vaguely informed youngsters, middle-of-the-road Californian soft rock and Stevie Nicks’s earthy long-dress mysticism. The multi-multi-platinum-selling album Rumours got most of the attention, but this writer maintains that the true masterpiece of the Fleetwood Mac reboot is the ambitious 1979 double-album Tusk, largely due to Lindsey Buckingham’s contributions; with home recording experimentation and bent pop conventions, his tracks were always a little off-center but never unpalatable.

Decades later, it’s comforting to know that Buckingham hasn’t rested nor given in to mediocrity, and his latest, Seeds We Sow, is actually the third in a run of solo releases in the last half-decade, following the excellent Under the Skin and Gift of Screws. With Buckingham’s own reboot (there’s a 14-year gap between Under the Skin and its predecessor), he has emerged with a style that highlights his acoustic guitar fingerpicking chops; this is apparent on the opening title track and throughout the album, like on “Stars Are Crazy,” with cascades of echoing note patterns.

As possibly hinted by its title, “In Our Own Time” is hard to place in a certain time period, with drum machine beats, jarring string-ensemble hits, and the trademark Buckingham pop-song nervousness. He shows a D.I.Y. spirit, releasing and recording Seeds We Sow by himself, and his home recordings are stark and clean but not shiny-slick, with everything up front. It may come as a surprise—a solid album with strong hooks and irresistible vocal harmonizing, showcasing Buckingham’s vitality as a veteran who refuses to go through the motions.

[michelej1]

From Splice Today, September 14, 2011
http://www.splicetoday.com/music/don-t-lose-the-magic

Don't Lose the Magic, by Noah Berlatsky

Lindsey Buckingham's latest album is pretty good and all, but it can't match the drug-fueled mania of his best work.

Fleetwood Mac is firmly associated with middle-of-the-road 1970s radio rock. In addition, every song Stevie Nicks has ever written meanders into the same plodding New Agey groove. And, in addition to that, Christine McVie writes extremely accessible melodic pop. Put these factors together, and the result is that if you’re not watching for it, it’s possible to listen to Fleetwood Mac and miss the fact that Lindsey Buckingham is completely ****ing off his head on cocaine.

Buckingham’s spastic is-he-really-not-well-or-is-that-genius is on display throughout Fleetwood Mac’s oeuvre. You can see it most consistently on 1979’s Tusk, where on songs like “What Makes You Think You’re the One,” Buckingham alternates between shouts and whispers while the music staggers along like a constipated calliope being buffeted by high winds.

But if you really want the full force of Buckingham’s chemically-induced derangement, you need to check out his first couple of solo albums. Law and Order, from 1981 is one of the most freakishly ADD albums in existence. Buckingham’s hindbrain spends the entire 36 minutes trying to crawl out through his nostrils. The first song, “Bwana,” starts with jungle noises and a hint of bongo before that’s abandoned and we get Buckingham shouting, mewling, and yodeling up and down his range almost at random until the back half of the song gets into what sounds like a series of raucous kazoo solos, because jungles are well known for kazoos. Other highlights include a slowed down, cabaret-singer-on-a-bender version of “September Song,” and “That’s How We Do It in L.A.” where Buckingham spits bile so enthusiastically he appears to be in danger of burning a whole through his tonsils. The whole thing has a queasy fey energy, like a truckload of fairies strung out on… well, strung out on cocaine.

Go Insane, Buckingham’s next album from 1984, is his New Wave exercise, which makes it marginally more stylistically grounded. It’s still pretty nuts though, with drum loops jerking as Buckingham uncorks spiky guitar blasts that scrape and wail and wander into the corner to die. On the title track, a chorus of multi-track Buckinghams intone menacingly about his loss of mental health. It’s the music Hal from 2001 might perform if he were to ingest a staggering amount of coke.

In light of these predecessors, Buckingham’s just released latest effort, The Seeds We Sow, is surprisingly restrained. Specifically, it’s an entirely decent collection of polished tuneful folksy tunes, with mesmerizing guitar playing. At times it seems like he’s turned into Sufjan Stevens or Devandra Banhardt—and in so doing, he demonstrates convincingly why classic Lindsey Buckingham was a much, much more entertaining performer than Sufjan Stevens and Devandra Banhardt put together. Fey and pretty is okay, but fey and bat**** crazy is better.

There are some signs of the old Lindsey. “Rock Away Blind,” for example, shifts dynamics in a way that suggests the manic dementia of old. “End of Time” has an over-carbonated drumbeat threatening to bash its way out of the lyrical guitar line and catchy chorus. “One Take” sounds like it could be a Tusk outtake.

Best of all is the electric version of “Seeds We Sow.” For the concluding track on the album, Buckingham abandons the drifty hippie persona, and uncorks squiggling keyboards, unhinged multi-tracked choruses, and pilled-up drums. The song is a burping, staggering, quivering mess—finishing up with a totally badass rock star guitar solo. Eat your heart out, Eddie Van Halen.

So the man hasn’t exactly lost it. Still, Seeds We Sow comes across as a serious album with bizarre touches, rather than as a catastrophic train wreck. The set is anchored by a number of definitively pretty songs—“Gone Too Far,” “End of Time,” the acoustic “Seeds We Sow”—which suggests that Buckingham has some vague interest in entertaining his audience rather than being primarily focused on tearing the bugs out of his own skull. Seeds We Sow is a really fine album—better than anything Bob Dylan or Neil Young has done for the past couple of decades. But it’s doesn’t scale the pinnacles of cracked sublimity the way Buckingham used to. Maybe he’s just not as young as he used to be. Probably, though, it has something to do with getting off the coke.

[michelej1]

Best of all is the electric version of “Seeds We Sow.” For the concluding track on the album, Buckingham abandons the drifty hippie persona, and uncorks squiggling keyboards, unhinged multi-tracked choruses, and pilled-up drums. The song is a burping, staggering, quivering mess—finishing up with a totally badass rock star guitar solo. Eat your heart out, Eddie Van Halen.



Ok, now I understand the argument that SWS electric should be a b-side and not an Amazon bonus. Everyone should have access to that song, not just Amazon purchasers. I use it as the last song on my album too, like this reviewer does.

I am ok with not having acoustic End of Time everywhere, but I think it's a disservice to SWS as a whole, not to make the electric version of the title track available to all. Sleeping Around the Corner is also in need of widespread exposure, because these two give you a wider palette on which to accurately judge Lindsey's work this time around. You need the full context.

Michele

[shackin'up]

The Pulse, September 14, 2011
http://chattanoogapulse.com/music/new-music-reviews/new-music-reviews-lindsey-buckingham-kerooacidu-suavak/

Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow
(Mind Kit)

It may come as a surprise—a solid album with strong hooks and irresistible vocal harmonizing, showcasing Buckingham’s vitality as a veteran who refuses to go through the motions.

Yup. Nicely put.

[elle]

some great reviews with interesting break-downs of SWS songs in the last few days!

[elle]

http://www.assignmentx.com/2011/cd-review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

CD Review: Lindsey Buckingham – SEEDS WE SOW
An exceptional set of great, ambient pop songs from one of Fleetwood Mac’s most influential musical architects
Grade: A-

By A.C. FERRANTE / Editor in Chief
Posted: September 15th, 2011 / 08:48 AM
Distributor: Buckingham Records
Suggested Retail Price: $9.99

When Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 (with Stevie Nicks), the end result was a transformation of a rock solid band into a pop music powerhouse.

Buckingham was an expert and visionary musical architect who had a vision that not even the band probably fully grasped at the time and his contributions resulted in some of the finest pop songs ever (I defy you no to start singing along to “Go Your Own Way” when it comes on the radio).

While Buckingham still tours with Mac, the band hasn’t released a new album since 2002, but Buckingham has been very busy as a solo artist releasing the great acoustically textured UNDER THE SKIN in 2006 and followed by the more rocking GIFT OF SCREWS in 2008.

Now, Buckingham returns with his latest solo release, the exceptional SEEDS WE SOW which lands stylistically between his last two solo releases.

It’s a showcase for his incredibly nimble guitar work and his crystalline vocals. The songs, as always, are as catchy as ever and cover a broad spectrum of relationship highs and lows.

The balance between soft, introspective songs like “Seeds We Sow” and “Stars Are Crazy” give way to full-blown pop treatments as on “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Illumination”

Lyrically, Buckingham is quite playful on this set of tunes. “Seeds We Sow” has the line “Sweet things pretty things are dying/In the penny arcade of Edgar Allan Poe” while “One Take” deals with bad celebrity behavior commenting, “No I have no reputation and I’m not on any list/That’s because I’ve got a publicist who covers up the avarice of where I put my fist.”

Stand-out tracks include the beautiful “Rock Away Blind” which begins with an elegant guitar picking intro and then builds into a crescendo complemented by Buckingham’s soulful vocals. Like the best of his work, the song is filled with beautiful nuances and continues to build and grow until the song shifts gears into an incredible guitar solo toward the song’s end.

“In Our Own Time” also mixes acoustic guitar with a propulsive beat about a love that still bubbling beneath the surface. It also contains the wonderful line: “ I had the same old dream she was hiding outside my door/She used to come from time to time but not anymore.”

“When She Comes Down” is a mid-tempo gem that evokes “Down on Rodeo” from Buckingham’s UNDER THE SKIN.

And “Gone Too Far” is just a great pop song about the end of a relationship – as good as anything he’s done solo or with Fleetwood Mac.

On first listen SEEDS WE SOW feels like it’s relying on too many slow or mid-tempo songs, but on repeated listens, you start realize how expertly placed each song is on this album. Buckingham has always been a stickler for sequencing (you can see that evidenced in the Mac days that even with three different singer/songwriters sharing the spotlight, there was always a cohesive whole to each album) and here there is a flow and mood he’s expertly created with care and tact.

Music nowadays rarely offers these kind of rewards, where new textures or appreciation for music arises out of digging deep into the music. Part of this comes from Buckingham’s unique voice which soulful, bright and powerful and his supreme guitar skills. Both enhance and complement all of the songs on this release.

SEEDS WE SOW ends with the beautiful “She Smiles Sweetly” – a cover of the little heard 1960s Rolling Stones song. And dare I saw, this is a case where Buckingham does it more justice than the Stones originally did. Buckingham recorded this song on a previously unreleased version of his GIFT OF SCREWS album. It’s similar, but this time it’s been stripped down to just Buckingham and his acoustic guitar. It’s incredible, and if you didn’t know it was a Stones tune, you would swear Buckingham wrote it himself because he truly makes it his own.

For die-hard Buckingham fans (like myself), there are handful of B-sides/bonus tracks also available for SEEDS WE SOW.

Perhaps the best of the bunch is “Sleeping Around the Corner” which is only available on the iTunes download of SEEDS WE SOW (you can purchase it separately as well).

This is a pretty awesome track which feels like TUSK era Fleetwood Mac with its crunchy guitar sounds. It’s listed as the “electric” version, so there must be an acoustic version of this floating around as well. It will be interesting to see if this track resurfaces for a future Mac album or not. It’s a shame Buckingham didn’t feel it worthy of inclusion in the actual sequencing of the album, but I’m sure there are many reasons.

The Amazon.com download exclusives (which also can be purchased separately) include an electric version of “Seeds We Sow” which rocks a lot more, but somehow loses the intimacy of the softer, finished version. Similarly, the acoustic version of “End of Time” is not as powerful as the more produced version on the actual album.

It’s interesting to listen to Buckingham deconstruct his songs, and in some cases bring a completely different feel and sonic palette to the same music. It’s a testament to his perfection nature – and it’s nice that he’s allowing fans a glimpse into the process with these bonus tracks.

SEEDS WE SOW is one of the best albums of 2011. Buckingham is still at the top of his game, and instead of the long wait in between solo releases (like it was in the 1980s and 1990s), he’s pushing forward at a much faster pace with music that is just as good, if not better than when he first made his mark with Mac in the 1970s.

[elle]

The Cleveland Sound - http://www.theclevelandsound.com/?p=8883

Buckingham ‘Goes Insane’ Again on New Album

September 15th, 2011 | Published in TCS Reviews

“I can go crazy without even trying,” sings Lindsey Buckingham on the new Seeds We Sow. “I’m just another madman—I turn it off, I turn it on.”

Madman or not, even casual listeners know the off-beat Buckingham has been Fleetwood Mac’s X-factor ever since joining the former blues-rock outfit (with then-paramour Stevie Nicks) in the early seventies. The singer-guitarist brought his quirky pop-rock sensibilities to bear on the reconfigured group’s eponymous 1975 album with songs like “I’m So Afraid,” World Turning,” and “Monday Morning.” His “Second Hand News” and “Never Going Back Again” were just two of many gems gracing the acclaimed follow-up, Rumours. Mega-hit “Go Your Own Way” still frequents the airwaves—as well as Mac concert set lists.

His impeccable songwriting skills aside, Buckingham was always the kind of guy who—for whatever reason—struggled against type. He played left field when record execs wanted him in right, defiantly orchestrating and delivering Tusk in 1980 when Warner Bros. had ordered the equivalent of Rumours II. The first solo effort, Law and Order, featured both sides of Buckingham, containing WTF-zingers like jungle song “Bwana” as well as more straightforward, radio-ready fare like “Trouble.” Lindsey also contributed to popular 80’s movie soundtracks like Back to the Future. He wasn’t as prolific as Kenny Loggins in that regard—but the compact “Holiday Road” (National Lampoon’s Vacation) was arguably more original than fifties-knockoff “Footloose.”

Lindsey ducked in and out of Mac throughout the 80s-90s, coproducing Mirage and Tango in the Night—but excusing himself from Behind the Mask (notwithstanding his contribution to the title track). Solo discs Go Insane and Out of the Cradle were artistic triumphs—if not the commercial smashes Liddy Buck and his label had hoped for. Come 1997, the fleet-fingered guitarist was back in the Mac, appearing again with Nicks, Chris and John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood on the well-received MTV event (and live album) The Dance.


Songs written by Buckingham 1998-2001 turned up on the next Mac record, Say You Will, instead of another planned solo project. But Lindsey had an opportunity to sublimate his ego and find creative catharsis thereafter, releasing and touring behind the excellent Under the Skin and Gift of Screws. The former album showcased Buckingham’s inimitable vocals and finger-style on stripped-down acoustic arrangements (“Not Too Late,” “Down On Rodeo”), while the latter featured smatterings of electrified rock and roll (“Love Runs Deeper,” “Right Place to Fade”) alongside sparkling new nuggets of eclecticism (“Great Day,” “Wait for You”). Buckingham then reteamed with Mac for an extensive tour surveying the group’s thirty-plus years of hits.

But the muse kept knocking at the Buckingham residence, prompting Lindsey back to work in his home studio. Where his last two efforts examined the passage of time and importance of love in an increasingly fast-paced world, the musician’s latest disc explores mortality and karma. The themes pervading Seeds We Sow never stray far from the idea of reciprocity, that one only gets what he gives—and even then, you can’t take it with you. Sure, notions of fate flutter unseen throughout the lyrics, but Buckingham recognizes freewill as the wild card thwarting utter human helplessness. We don’t have to play victim for manifest destiny. Whatever happens happens, yes—but people still have a say in things. We can choose to be better, to forgive or pay it forward, to own past mistakes, and relish (or suffer from) the consequences of our decisions. Just as you sow you shall reap, so sayeth the proverb.

The songs of Seeds are sprinkled liberally with Buckingham’s unique fingerstyle guitar, which at times is so quick—or plucked on upper frets via capo—that the intricate strains resemble something more characteristic of keyboard instruments. His right thumb coaxes syncopated rhythms while his nimble fingers tickle enchanting melodies from the treble strings, resulting in shimmery, beguiling passages beneath his vocals. Bass isn’t terribly audible on the album—notwithstanding the low (probably synthesizer) augmentation on the frenetic “One Take,” but acoustic drums and rhythm box underpin a majority of the tunes.



“In Our Own Time” examines how people have plundered the planet, with Mother Nature possibly “gone for good,” receding into bursts of orchestral strings in the chorus. The title track also hints at mankind’s detrimental impact on the environment: Sweet pretty things are dying / In the penny arcade of Edgar Allen Poe / Medicine Men have gone off spying / Oh the seeds we sow. But the plaintive tune (not unlike “Time Precious Time” from Gift of Screws) paints in broader strokes, likening humans to “soldiers of fortune” who squander their time as much as nature’s bounty.

The more upbeat, accessible tunes are fittingly sequenced at the album’s core. “Illumination” is the foot-stomping psychoanalysis of a deceiver wherein Buckingham layers his dense, ear candy vocals in a play on the term “process of elimination.” “That’s the Way Love Goes” begins like a lullaby, with Lindsey calmly offering to “take your pain away”—but then the listener is blindsided with his off-kilter refrain about discovering a lover’s secrets in “in the dungeons.” It’s here Buckingham also busts out his familiar Rick Turner guitar for a pair of crisp, high-energy solos.

“Rock Away Blind” takes the opposite approach, with the narrator averting his gaze from his lover’s dirty laundry even when it’s spotted with “clues” of deception. Still, the chorus is decidedly optimistic—even exuberant—coming from someone who sounds like he’s been kidding himself about a few things.

On its surface, “One Take” reads like the confessional of a celebrity (or politician, maybe) who admits he’s a “soldier in the badlands” out to usurp the middle class, making “a killing” while his publicist sweeps up the mess. The stuttering guitar lines, hiccupping drums, and interjections of That’s right! intensify the creepy narcissism—then Buckingham weaves his way out on one of the wildest guitar solos he’s ever committed to tape (or hard drive).

The disc has its ballads, too. “Stars are Crazy” reflects on a romance that may have ended prematurely, Lindsey’s exquisite arpeggios pinging like notes from a harp. “When She Comes Down” is a bittersweet piece combining the best elements of John Waite’s sentimental hit “Missing You” and Liddy’s own wanderlust (“Underground”) and longing (“Bleed to Love Her”). “End of Time” suggests the sands of the hourglass are quickly running out on us—yet there’s a sense of wanting to forgive (and be forgiven) permeating Buckingham’s verses. Whether the olive branch is being extended to specific party (Nicks? Fleetwood Mac?) or to people in general we’ll never know—but the musical message is quiet and introspective without being sullen: Swing low sweet chariot / Give us back our youth / When they finally come to bury us / Maybe then we’ll tell the truth.

Seeds concludes with a lovely take on the Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly,” a deep cut from their 1967 Between the Buttons LP. It’s not the first time Buckingham has covered Jagger / Richards—he submitted a version of “I Am Waiting” on Under the Skin—but it’s quite possibly his loveliest Stones interpretation yet.

The mp3 version of Seeds We Sow includes alternate versions of “End of Time” and “Seeds We Sow.” Interestingly, the album’s catalog number (on Buckingham’s own label) is an anagram for THE BARD. True enough.

[michelej1]

On its surface, “One Take” reads like the confessional of a celebrity (or politician, maybe) who admits he’s a “soldier in the badlands” out to usurp the middle class, making “a killing” while his publicist sweeps up the mess. The stuttering guitar lines, hiccupping drums, and interjections of That’s right! intensify the creepy narcissism—then Buckingham weaves his way out on one of the wildest guitar solos he’s ever committed to tape (or hard drive).

Perfect description. And I love the "that's right" Of course, I liked "that's right baby, to the left, to the right up and down, in and out and around"
a whole lot too.

The mp3 version of Seeds We Sow includes alternate versions of “End of Time” and “Seeds We Sow.” Interestingly, the album’s catalog number (on Buckingham’s own label) is an anagram for THE BARD. True enough.

Wow, what a fun fact. This is a great review. The guy called him Liddy and he quoted "I turn it off, I turn it on" which I love too. There are people out there that really appreciate LB. Sometimes it feels like we're all alone, but we're not.

Today I was listening to a podcast for new parents, "Daddy on Board." I knew the host, Clayton Morris had listened to SWS, but I didn't expect him to mention it on that parenting podcast. He totally gave the album a plug. But he told people to listen to it on Spotify. He should have told them to buy it.


Michele

[michelej1]

Corpus Christi Caller.com
http://www.caller.com/news/2011/sep/23/buckingham-continues-to-go-his-own-way/

CORPUS CHRISTI — When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac on New Year's Eve 1974, they had no idea how their relationship would affect the group's musical direction. They were a couple at the time, and their eventual breakup, as well as the dissolution of the marriage between fellow band members John and Christine McVie, ended up being the inspiration for many of the songs on the band's masterwork, 1977's Rumours. Buckingham's finest moment on that album was the blistering pop/rock of "Go Your Own Way," a fiery kiss-off to Nicks. That song was just one of the highlights of the group's many successful albums.

After several multiplatinum discs and sold-out tours, Buckingham announced he was leaving Fleetwood Mac, only to return for a much-hyped reunion in 1997. Whether he was in the band or not, he still released several solo albums that displayed his own brand of quirky pop music more sharply than it did on past Mac projects. He returns with another batch of challenging yet melodic songs on Seeds We Sow (Mind Kit Records).

Amazingly, Buckingham's voice seems to have transcended time, as his vocals sound as if they could have graced some of Fleetwood Mac's best 70s work. But it's obvious that he's a little worse for the emotional wear and tear and he cleverly juxtaposes his take on the disturbing state of the world against a lovely, deceptively engaging melody on "End of Time." While that is far and away the best song here, several of the other performances are layered with Buckingham's multi-tracked voice and assured, meticulous guitar lines.

"Illumination" is a song that finds Buckingham displaying his gray haired wisdom in a lyrically clever way. "In Our Own Time" and "That's The Way Love Goes" are melodic cautionary tales in a similar vein and they perfectly balance the less innocuous reflections like the eerie "When She Comes Down." All the songs are originals except for an acoustic cover of the Rolling Stones' "She Smiled Sweetly" that sounds as if Buckingham ran through this tune in a casual, offhand way and liked the end result. On the other end of the spectrum is "Stars Are Crazy," the one track that sounds like it could have been on Rumours, as it tears through the emotional wreckage of what's left of a relationship. In a sense, that song brings it all full-circle for Buckingham, as Seeds We Sow still echoes with the signature musical imprint of one of rock's most influential architects.

[elle]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8402403/music_review_lindsey_buckinghamseeds.html?cat=33

Music Review: Lindsey Buckingham--"Seeds We Sow" (2011)

Caston Countz, Yahoo! Contributor Network

Music Review: Lindsey Buckingham--"Seeds We Sow" (2011)

Caston Countz, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Sep 22, 2011

For some reason, Lindsey Buckingham's solo career has flown under the radar. As he released his third studio recording in 6 years, he seems to get better with age….

"Seeds We Sow" is his first album away from Warner's umbrella as he created his own label, "Mind Kit Records". It was also recorded in his home studio, which in this case is a good thing. For those who are used to listening to Buckingham however, it is a huge departure from anything he has recorded. Many of the songs have been stripped down to his voice, his guitar, and drums. I've read critics complain that it's under produced, but the vibe created with this music/lyric marriage is perfect. He even took an old Rolling Stone deep cut (She Smiles Sweetly) and made it his own. The sonic experiments that were a big part of the first two albums have now melded into a "less is more" credo that blows away much of the chaff. However, a good listen with headphones shows us that although the production is intentionally sloppy at times, there are still signs of the ear candy that he is known for. Because of this skimmed down production, we are not pushed away but instead are drawn into the musical conversation.

Lyrically, this is a continuation of the mature themes of, "Gift of Screws" (2008), and "Under the Skin" (2006). He has always been a bit cryptic as it sounds as if he writes the music first, but what beautiful music it is. His signature finger picking style is always enjoyable, but there are moments here that it's almost breathtaking as in the song, "Stars Are Crazy". For those who are Fleetwood Mac fans, give a listen to "Illumination" and "One Take". However, don't be mistaken, he took the template laid down with, "Tusk" and over a sometimes near brilliant solo career, continues to give us mature, solid music. I highly recommend for those who like Buckingham's style of songwriting and singing, to pick up, "Seeds We Sow"…put on the headphones and settle in for a beautiful ride.

[elle]

http://www.musicvita.com/music-freak/daily-stuff/8652-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-album-review.html

Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sow Album Review


Ever since Lindsey Buckingham made the decision to leave Fleetwood Mac, permanently ;( or so we believed at the time) after the release of the Album ‘Tango in the Night’ (1987) Lindsey has forged onwards with his own solo career, while also going back to his friends in Fleetwood Mac.

So much is the love and deep respect he has for his former band.

Lindsey Buckingham’s own solo career started while he was still in Fleetwood Mac, with the Album ‘Law and Order’ released in 1981.

From his second studio album ‘Go Insane’ released in 1984, it took another eight years to release his third album ‘Out of the Cradle’ released in 1992. He took so much time and effort to make this third album be the best it could possibly be.

I am glad to report that ever since the release of that third Album, Lindsey has been releasing albums more regularly. If he has not been releasing albums in a certain time period that is because he has been involved with Fleetwood Mac Albums and Tours.

Lindsey’s last studio album ‘Gift of Screws’ (2008) was like his former girlfriend Stevie Nicks latest album ‘In Your Dreams’ (2011) his most rockiest solo set of songs he had released in years. That is also in addition to the previous number of heavy rock songs on Fleetwood Mac’s album ‘Say You Will’ (2003).

For this his brand new sixth studio album ‘Seeds We Sow’ we have a Lindsey Buckingham album in a way we have never heard him sound like before.

He left his former record company Warner Bros Records, and joined Eagle Records (a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment). He also set up his own label Mind Kit Records to release his own solo albums.

The thing about Lindsey Buckingham is that he is not just a very talented Singer-Songwriter; he is also generally the producer of his albums. He has been known to record albums in his own home studio.

The key to this new album and the way it sounds is due very much to Lindsey recording in his own studio, and very much going for the classic early 1970’s rock sound for sound acoustics. There are parts of this album that very much sound like a home demo, and in Lindsey Buckingham’s case that is not a bad thing at all. He is fully displaying his own independent credentials on this new album.

The album starts with the title album single ‘Seeds we Sow’. Lindsey playing solo acoustic guitar like only Lindsey Buckingham can. There is only one word for this single; ‘Sublime’.

Lindsey’s playing of guitar always amazes the listener, and this single is just classic Lindsey Buckingham material. This song would not have been out of place on his ‘Under the Skin’ Album (2006).

The next single ‘In Our Own Time’ starts with light touches of instrumentation (just like the way seeds we sow came across) and then goes into a chorus, that just totally (and I mean TOTALLY) amazes you.

You are suddenly aware of Lindsey talent as a Producer. He has two or three acoustic guitar parts going on in the chorus. His use of classical counterpoint melodies will have your jaw dropping to the floor in unbelief. What is more, these guitar parts are spread across the stereo field for a sense of sound dimensions coming through the speakers.

After the shock of that AMAZING track; you have the single ‘Illumination’ and you yourself are also ILLUMINATED in how this track sounds. If there was ever a reason why analogue sounds better than digital, the proof is in this single. If you want that classic retro sound of 1970’s Rock Recordings you have to do what Lindsey Buckingham does with the ‘Illumination’ track, and DON’T use too many wet sounding reverbs on your recordings. I mean I don’t know the principles of recording a track like this, but MY GOD!! Can you hear it, and BOY!!!!! Does it make you happy.

The chorus of the song ‘That’s the way love goes’ is like being transported to circa 1977 of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest Album ‘Rumours’

The track ‘Stars Are Crazy’ is just as moving a song, as ‘Bel Air Rain’ was from his ‘Gift of Screws’ album (2008).Lindsey’s vocal reaching the highest points of his voice register

One track after another; all the songs on this album all have that classic Lindsey Buckingham trademark of incredible acoustic guitar playing.

Lindsey does not generally use a finger pick while he is playing guitar. He uses his fingers near the fret board, so gets that very unique acoustic sound in his recordings. This whole album is just beautiful from start to finish. There also seems to be evidence of techniques he was using in his ‘Out of the Cradle’ album (1992). His use of electronic sounds coming in and out of the sound mix. Touches of soft acoustic guitar and rock acoustic guitar working singularly or all together in songs. In the quieter moments of this album there are examples of songs like, ‘Rock Away Blind’, ‘End of Time’, and ‘She Smiled Sweetly’ that match up to his work on the Album ‘Under the Skin’ (2006)

The real reason why this whole album comes across very well is because it is HONEST and TRUE to Lindsey’s own heart as a musician.

Lindsey is a very unique acoustic and heavy rock guitar player, and these are the principles that really drive this Album.

I really believe this is one of the finest solo albums that Lindsey Buckingham has released in his career to date.

This is a Hugely Incredible and Totally Recommended Album.

Lindsey Buckingham Seeds We Sow Eagle Records/Mind Kit Records

10/10 **********

Roger Howard© 28/09/2011

[michelej1]

West Coast Music in France, October 3, 2011

http://noted.blogs.com/westcoastmusic/2011/10/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow.html

With the release of his 6th solo album SEEDS WE SOW, legendary Fleetwood Mac songwriter and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has created some of his most personal and intimate lyrics and songs of his storied and award winning career. From the soft melodic pop/rock tinge of "End of Time", the album's most rockin' track, "One Take", and the almost lullaby-esque hushed tones of the closing number, "She Smiles Sweetly", the album showcases Buckingham's full arsenal of skills.

[Nico]

http://www.musicvita.com/music-freak/daily-stuff/8652-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-album-review.html

Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sow Album Review


Ever since Lindsey Buckingham made the decision to leave Fleetwood Mac, permanently ;( or so we believed at the time) after the release of the Album ‘Tango in the Night’ (1987) Lindsey has forged onwards with his own solo career, while also going back to his friends in Fleetwood Mac.

So much is the love and deep respect he has for his former band.

Lindsey Buckingham’s own solo career started while he was still in Fleetwood Mac, with the Album ‘Law and Order’ released in 1981.

From his second studio album ‘Go Insane’ released in 1984, it took another eight years to release his third album ‘Out of the Cradle’ released in 1992. He took so much time and effort to make this third album be the best it could possibly be.

I am glad to report that ever since the release of that third Album, Lindsey has been releasing albums more regularly. If he has not been releasing albums in a certain time period that is because he has been involved with Fleetwood Mac Albums and Tours.

Lindsey’s last studio album ‘Gift of Screws’ (2008) was like his former girlfriend Stevie Nicks latest album ‘In Your Dreams’ (2011) his most rockiest solo set of songs he had released in years. That is also in addition to the previous number of heavy rock songs on Fleetwood Mac’s album ‘Say You Will’ (2003).

For this his brand new sixth studio album ‘Seeds We Sow’ we have a Lindsey Buckingham album in a way we have never heard him sound like before.

He left his former record company Warner Bros Records, and joined Eagle Records (a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment). He also set up his own label Mind Kit Records to release his own solo albums.

The thing about Lindsey Buckingham is that he is not just a very talented Singer-Songwriter; he is also generally the producer of his albums. He has been known to record albums in his own home studio.

The key to this new album and the way it sounds is due very much to Lindsey recording in his own studio, and very much going for the classic early 1970’s rock sound for sound acoustics. There are parts of this album that very much sound like a home demo, and in Lindsey Buckingham’s case that is not a bad thing at all. He is fully displaying his own independent credentials on this new album.

The album starts with the title album single ‘Seeds we Sow’. Lindsey playing solo acoustic guitar like only Lindsey Buckingham can. There is only one word for this single; ‘Sublime’.

Lindsey’s playing of guitar always amazes the listener, and this single is just classic Lindsey Buckingham material. This song would not have been out of place on his ‘Under the Skin’ Album (2006).

The next single ‘In Our Own Time’ starts with light touches of instrumentation (just like the way seeds we sow came across) and then goes into a chorus, that just totally (and I mean TOTALLY) amazes you.

You are suddenly aware of Lindsey talent as a Producer. He has two or three acoustic guitar parts going on in the chorus. His use of classical counterpoint melodies will have your jaw dropping to the floor in unbelief. What is more, these guitar parts are spread across the stereo field for a sense of sound dimensions coming through the speakers.

After the shock of that AMAZING track; you have the single ‘Illumination’ and you yourself are also ILLUMINATED in how this track sounds. If there was ever a reason why analogue sounds better than digital, the proof is in this single. If you want that classic retro sound of 1970’s Rock Recordings you have to do what Lindsey Buckingham does with the ‘Illumination’ track, and DON’T use too many wet sounding reverbs on your recordings. I mean I don’t know the principles of recording a track like this, but MY GOD!! Can you hear it, and BOY!!!!! Does it make you happy.

The chorus of the song ‘That’s the way love goes’ is like being transported to circa 1977 of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest Album ‘Rumours’

The track ‘Stars Are Crazy’ is just as moving a song, as ‘Bel Air Rain’ was from his ‘Gift of Screws’ album (2008).Lindsey’s vocal reaching the highest points of his voice register

One track after another; all the songs on this album all have that classic Lindsey Buckingham trademark of incredible acoustic guitar playing.

Lindsey does not generally use a finger pick while he is playing guitar. He uses his fingers near the fret board, so gets that very unique acoustic sound in his recordings. This whole album is just beautiful from start to finish. There also seems to be evidence of techniques he was using in his ‘Out of the Cradle’ album (1992). His use of electronic sounds coming in and out of the sound mix. Touches of soft acoustic guitar and rock acoustic guitar working singularly or all together in songs. In the quieter moments of this album there are examples of songs like, ‘Rock Away Blind’, ‘End of Time’, and ‘She Smiled Sweetly’ that match up to his work on the Album ‘Under the Skin’ (2006)

The real reason why this whole album comes across very well is because it is HONEST and TRUE to Lindsey’s own heart as a musician.

Lindsey is a very unique acoustic and heavy rock guitar player, and these are the principles that really drive this Album.

I really believe this is one of the finest solo albums that Lindsey Buckingham has released in his career to date.

This is a Hugely Incredible and Totally Recommended Album.

Lindsey Buckingham Seeds We Sow Eagle Records/Mind Kit Records

10/10 **********

Roger Howard© 28/09/2011

Holy cow, this dude sounds like me and my adoration of this album! Yep, STILL freaking love it. I honestly don't think that is going to change.

[michelej1]

Houston Press
http://www.houstonpress.com/2011-10-06/music/lindsey-buckingham/
Lindsey Buckingham, By Dylan Hicks Wednesday, Oct 5 2011

Details
8 p.m. Sunday, October 9, at Verizon Wireless Theater, 520 Texas (Bayou Place), 713-230-1600 or www.livenation.com.

Fleetwood Mac's Buckingham began his solo career with 1981's Law and Order, led by the gorgeous single "Trouble" and full of the sort of candied eccentricity that marked his rococo triumphs on the Mac's Tusk. Another highlight is 1992's Out Of the Cradle, whose prodigious melodies and harmonies largely overcome some of L.A.'s blandest tones. Buckingham's new album, Seeds We Sow, displays some of his questionable tendencies — vocals that can rival Darth Vader for breathiness, drum programming that makes one pine for Mick Fleetwood, some overwrought lyrics — but comes through with lovely Beach Man choruses like that on "When She Comes Down," a cool cover of the Stones' "She Smiled Sweetly" and lots of impressive finger-picked guitar. The emphasis will very much be on solo material, but quite likely you'll hear "Go Your Own Way," "Tusk" and a few other Fleetwood Mac favorites.

[elle]

http://vivoscene.com/featured-articles/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-music-review/

Lindsey Buckingham ‘Seeds We Sow’ Music Review

October 8th, 2011 | Published in Best New Music, Featured Articles, Rock, Pop & Folk

A Vivoscene Music Review by Brian Miller

vivoscene rating 9.2

Lindsey Buckingham’s sixth solo album Seeds We Sow is an insanely great record from an insanely gifted man, an artist whose guitar talents are the match of anyone alive and whose songwriting ability is undeservedly regarded as somewhat past his prime. Not so, my friends, not so at all. In fact, the figure who transformed Fleetwood Mac from a talented blues band into the monster group of the 1970s is currently issuing some of his best work ever. This new album won’t sell millions but it deserves a place in your music library, regardless of your age, sex or preponderance of either.

Competence on the guitar is fairly commonplace, as is the facility for writing hook-laden material. What distinguished Fleetwood Mac once Lindsey joined the group was the way they came up with songs you couldn’t live without. Frankly, the only reason Lindsey’s solo stuff hasn’t commanded the same response is that several million fans kept wanting the same old same old while Lindsey was compelled to move on. He was the mastermind behind the successor to FMac’s Rumours, competely bewildering their audience with Tusk, which in retrospect moved music forward a good decade or so. Lindsey recently explained it thus to azcentral.com:

There was a point in time where I kind of rejected the idea that we had to do any particular thing that was expected of us, and having rejected that, the follow-up to ‘Rumours’ is a good example of making a complete left turn, and in some ways subverting the idea that there would ever be a ‘Rumours II.’

It would have been, for me, fascinating and quite humorous, probably, to be a fly on the wall watching them listen to ‘Tusk’ for the first time in the boardroom at Warner Bros. It was sort of a line in the sand that I drew. And it kind of defined the way I still think.”

The album opens with the title track “Seeds We Sow”, and quickly establishes that not only is Buckingham’s fingerpicking still blazingly quick, it is unfailingly melodic, a combination rarely found in guitarists of great technical facility. He exhibits similar flourishes on the brilliantly “Illumination” and its clever wordplay in “the process of illumination”. And “That’s The Way That Love Goes” is both classic Buckingham and classic FMac. If only the drumming on this cut were as spectacular as that of Mick Fleetwood’s (though it’s dammably good), the song would rocket up the music charts. His singing on this track is powerful too, though not in the usual fashion: it’s both delicate and unabashedly passionate, with some great dynamics. Then there’s “Stars Are Crazy” with some crazy-good acoustic guitar, powerful melody,and popsong perfection. If this track were on a 45, you’d sit there transfixed playing it over and over again in a blissed-out trance, thinking to yourself htf does he do that?

The centrepiece of the record, though, is “When She Comes Down”, a ballad of anthemic proportions that can get under your skin in a first listen; more majestic than slow, more heartfelt than sentimental, and as sticky as spruce gum (the original sugar-free confection), the song is simultaneously sad and exhilarating.

Seeds We Sow was conceived as a solo project between ongoing FMac touring commitments and recently Lindsey offered this perspective on his new album:

It was kind of like going down and painting, whereas working with a band, being more collaborative and to some degree more of a political process, you could say that’s a bit more like movie making. If you work alone, one thing you don’t have to do, necessarily, is have a completed song. You don’t have to feel like you have a whole thing to present to a group of people who are then going to judge it, edit it or filter it through their own collective sensibilities.

You can kind of have a notion of where you might want to go and, much in the way a painter would be sitting there with a blank canvas and might just start slapping colors on the canvas without knowing where it’s going, things sort of develop and open up and the work kind of leads you, so it becomes a sort of far more subconscious process – and in a certain way, a kind of meditative way of working that a band is not. You start off with something way more abstract, and the process becomes more abstract and more mysterious because of that, I think.”

There’s not a weak cut on the album and the closer, a cover of the plaintive Rolling Stones tune “She Smiled Sweetly” derives from the mid 60s album Between The Buttons. Mick Jagger himself claimed the only decent cut on that album was “Back Street Girl”, and derided the rest of the album as ‘more or less rubbish”. Lindsey Buckingham handily puts the lie to any thought that Jagger might have a future in music commentary, as his version of this minor Stones’ ballad is revelatory in its ethereal beauty. It’s a fitting ending to a stunning record that could well be the indie-rock Album of The Year.

Watch: “Seeds We Sow”



Watch: ‘That’s The Way That Love Goes”



Watch: “When She Comes Down”



FIND AT AMAZON.COM

FIND AT AMAZON.CA

[michelej1]

Lindsey Buckingham handily puts the lie to any thought that Jagger might have a future in music commentary, as his version of this minor Stones’ ballad is revelatory in its ethereal beauty. It’s a fitting ending to a stunning record that could well be the indie-rock Album of The Year.



I would love to hear what Mick Jagger thought of this cover (or any of Lindsey's other RS covers, for that matter). I laughed when he said that Donovan must not have liked what he'd done and Lindsey even threw in a Scottish accent.

Michele

[elle]

Album review: Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sow (Buckingham Records)

You can take the boy out of Fleetwood Mac, but you can't take all of the Fleetwood Mac out of the boy

Posted on 10 Oct 2011

Not that it’s a bad thing. Looking as if he hasn’t aged a day since his last album, (2008’s Gift of Screws), Buckingham picks up where he left off stylistically with his signature, rapid fire acoustic guitar playing, now more front and center in this record, his first break with Warner Brothers on his own Buckingham Records imprint.

Starting with the title track, Buckingham starts with a slow, gentle, acoustic groove, offering multiple vocal overdubs along with an abundance of echo, fading to barely a whisper at the end of the track, hinting that this record might just have the dynamic range of his last. Unfortunately, the level rises quickly on the second track, with a full-blown radio friendly (and most Mac –like) sound by the third. Most of the songs are somewhat trippy, with much talk about dreaming, karma and suspicion. Only on the track “One Take” is there a glimmer of the artist when he sings, “I have no reputation and I’m not on any list/That’s because I’ve got a publicist who covers up the avarice of where I put my fist.” Still a little Rumours residue?

It appears that this independence from the major label also means freeing himself of band members. On his last album, Buckingham recruited some great players as well as a couple of his ex – Mac bandmates with good result. But this time, he plays, sings, records and engineers this record. Much like similar efforts by Todd Rundgren or Prince (who also follow this trend) it can either succeed brilliantly or end up being too much of a good thing – and Buckingham walks a thin line here, often putting a bit too much paint on the canvas.

The Seeds We Sow is certainly a friendly record that legacy fans will probably enjoy, but considering what a splendid catalyst he always seems to be with other musicians, Buckingham still does his best work in the context of a band.


You can view the artists website here.

Photo by Jeff Dorgay

Posted on: Monday, 10 Oct 2011
Categories: Album reviews from Tone Audio, Music
Tags: album reviews, audiophile album recordings, audiophile albums, Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, Seeds we sow, solo album, Tone Audio

[elle]

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-buckingham/Content?oid=3165705

MUSIC » RHYTHM & VIEWS

Lindsey Buckingham: Seeds We Sow (Buckingham)
by Eric Swedlund

Sounding reflective and emotionally raw, Lindsey Buckingham takes a bigger turn toward folk music on his latest solo effort.

The album leads off with its strongest song, the title track, which is a gorgeous showcase for Buckingham's signature voice and virtuoso guitar style. Fast picking and a mournful wail blend together into a song as powerful as anything he's sung in the past.

Though punchier and fuller in instrumentation, "In Our Own Time" and "End of Time" also find Buckingham playing comfortably in the folk-rock realm, with particularly sharp use of his own layered vocals. "Stars Are Crazy" blends his ornate finger-picking with a hazy reverb on the vocals.

Still, there are songs on Seeds We Sow that mine the '70s vibe of classic Fleetwood Mac—particularly the Rumours-esque "That's The Way Love Goes," the incredibly catchy "Illumination," the meditative "Rock Away Blind" and the rock-ballad "Gone Too Far."

Buckingham does fall into a soft-rock trap on "When She Comes Down," and misses the mark on "One Take," which features half-rapped braggadocio and out-of-place aggressive—though skilled—guitar solos.

Buckingham closes with an excellently chosen cover, the Rolling Stones' "She Smiled Sweetly," which he turns into a somber and aching reflection.

Though his has been a long and fruitful career, Buckingham still can earn attention with his signature style as both a guitarist and a vocalist—and even better, he has the production smarts and skill to continue molding those familiar elements into new and fresh music.

[michelej1]

Pop Matters
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/148838-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

Lindsey Buckingham: Seeds We SowBy John Bergstrom 14 October 2011

Most of Lindsey Buckingham’s career has been a study in contradiction. He was the eccentric, anti-social studio rat who was fascinated by Talking Heads and the Clash. Yet he was the featured guitarist in one of the most mainstream, popular bands in the world. When Buckingham tried to inject his restlessness into Fleetwood Mac on Tusk , the result was a million-selling album that was deemed a commercial failure and brought on the wrath of his bandmates and record company alike.

Buckingham relented, saving his more experimental work for an intermittent solo career, which he financed with his day job as musical director for the Mac. But it was always a struggle. Thanks in no small part to Warner Brothers Records’ politicking, Buckingham’s solo albums became Fleetwood Mac albums, first Tango in the Night, and then, after a 15-year reprieve, Say You Will.

Finally, as the 21st Century dawned, Buckingham began to come to terms with both sides of his musical existence. As he formed his own family and relationships within Fleetwood Mac became more normal and drug-free, he was able to channel his restless energy into the band, then take the momentum back into the studio for a resurgent run of solo work. Under the Skin (2006) and Gift of Screws (2008) are widely regarded as some of the best work of Buckingham’s career, and for good reason. They showcase a musician and songwriter who is fully immersed in, and coming to terms with, his considerable gifts. And the two albums provide an ideal combination of the skilled melodicism and almost unhinged strangeness that have marked the different aspects of Buckingham’s career.

You can consider Seeds We Sow the third in a trilogy. In terms of overall feel, it is very much of a piece with Under the Skin and Gift of Screws. Maybe too much so, for some listeners. Buckingham is now free of Warner Brothers, which means Seeds We Sow is even more of a do-it-yourself effort than the previous releases. But the close, reverb-drenched atmospheres, needling acoustic guitar arpeggios, and minimal production are familiar.

Buckingham displayed a bit more of his nervous, jittery edge on Gift of Screws, and Seeds We Sow has some even sharper, weirder moments. “One Take” starts with a sparse, tense atmosphere, as Buckingham half-raps his way through the verse. Then the chorus bursts into a multi-tracked chant. It’s a dynamic Buckingham has used often, but the haywire drum programming helps turn this into his most out-there work since Tusk. “That’s the Way Love Goes” applies a similar approach to a more pop-friendly melody, while the rattling “Illumination” is as close as Buckingham has come to garage rock.

Of course, Seeds We Sow has pure pop moments as well, where Buckingham’s pure songcraft is given a chance to shine. “In Our Own Time” mates a reflective yet hopeful verse to a jolting chorus where Buckingham gets to jam on his acoustic. “Rock Away Blind” is a great reminder that, like his hero Brian Wilson, Buckingham has a way with sing-song, almost lullaby melodies that capture the pure innocence of rock’n'roll. On these tracks, the stripped-down production becomes a liability, though, the demo-like quality almost becoming self-sabotage.

This no-frills approach works much, much better on the reflective, slow-motion ballads that are nestled throughout Seeds We Sow. The successive “Stars Are Crazy” and “When She Comes Down” are stunning, paying homage to an unnamed, elusive goddess with a near-religious beauty and intensity. Tracks like these display a warmth that, crucially, nudges up against Seeds We Sow‘s more remote tendencies.

Under the Skin was inspired by Buckingham’s young family, and benefited from an unprecedented lyrical directness because of it. On the new album, Buckingham is more oblique, his most overt message being something about corporate greed ruining the middle class. Thankfully, though, such rhetoric is in short supply. Much more effective is the sentiment of “End of Time”, a trademark Buckingham heartwarmer in which the impeding apocalypse sounds like a welcome rest for the weary.

Indeed, Seeds We Sow could be viewed as a sort of sampler of the different directions Buckingham’s ambition and brilliance can take. It could also be viewed as more of the same. But both approaches would be taking the unique quality of the songs for granted. With output as consistently strong as Buckingham’s has been, that would be easy to do. A much better way to think of Seeds We Sow would be as the album where Buckingham’s creative restlessness finally, completely made peace with his history with one of the biggest bands in the world.

Rating: 7 out of 10 [ouch!]

[bangdrum]

Rating: 7 out of 10 [ouch!]

The only thing about this review I don't get is that he thinks Stars is "stunning" and "warm," but Rock Away Blind sounds too much like a demo. :distress::confused::distress:

[lbfan]

The only thing about this review I don't get is that he thinks Stars is "stunning" and "warm," but Rock Away Blind sounds too much like a demo. :distress::confused::distress:

I can see how non-hardcore fans might think Rock Away Blind sounds like a demo and not understand or appreciate LB's approach to letting the guitar do the work of the entire band. When Iread your post, I had a few thoughts pass through my mind:

I prefer the acoustic demo of Gold Dust Woman on the re-issued Deluxe Edition.

When LB doesn't let the guitar do the work of the entire band, the results can be amazingly different - e.g., Seeds We Sow acoustic versus the alternate electric version.

I am probably in the minority, but I love Stars. Gone Too Far is my second favorite, followed by Rock Away Blind. I think Rock Away Blind would sound great live (which my daughter and I yelled repeatedly in Chicago).

[elle]

http://www.iconfetch.com/album-and-book-reviews/current-album-reviews/424-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-cd-review.html#.TqocuVjS2Ks.facebook

Lindsey Buckingham – Seeds We Sow (Mind Kit Records) CD review by Craig Glasheen

The regrettably well-kept secret in music is that Lindsey Buckingham has been consistently making great albums apart from Fleetwood Mac since his 1992 release Out of the Cradle. 2011’s Seeds We Sow is no exception to this impressive streak. This is the first release on Buckingham’s own Mind Kit Records label and it was recorded and performed in his home studio. He’s taken the term “solo record” so seriously that only one track, “That’s the Way Love Goes,” has contributions from other musicians: bassist Neale Heywood, drummer Walfredo Reyes, and keyboardist Brett Tuggle.

The title track opens the album and sets the stage for a man who is sharing his years of wisdom with the listener; “Illumination” could be the son of Buckingham’s 1984 hit “Go Insane”; “That’s the Way Love Goes” would fit comfortably on Fleetwood Mac’s 1979 release Tusk (often considered Buckingham’s first solo effort); and “The End of Time” is classic Lindsey Buckingham-crafted pop. On Seeds We Sow, Buckingham’s underrated fingerstyle guitar playing is frantic yet purposeful, sloppy yet oddly precise. His use of a VSO (Variable Speed Ossilator) to alter the tone of his guitars is simply one of the brushes he uses to create his art along with his multi-layered vocals.

Forgive the over-used comparison of musicians to painters but much like Brian Wilson (to whom he is often compared), Lindsey Buckingham paints a sonic landscape that is simple, yet richly textured. His albums are meant to be listened to repeatedly and enjoyed like an old friend while discovering new layers and subtle nuances with each listen.

[Cammie]

:wavey: Thank You to Craig Glasheen!!!
Your review was sparse but honest!!! :)

[michelej1]

Forgive the over-used comparison of musicians to painters

I'll forgive it in the reviewer, but not in Lindsey. Not at this point. Michele

[elle]

this is automated internet translation from French to English without any intervention (also below article in original French):

http://www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=5264&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

CHRONIC
> Latest reviews

Buckingham, Lindsey - Seeds We Sow
/ Published 02-11-2011 /

Sixth solo album for one of the pillars of the group Fleetwood Mac , "Seeds We Sow" may be difficult at first, but more importantly, take the time to listen to this album. Fully registered in his home studio, and run almost entirely by himself (except the excellent Walfredo Reyes on drums on one track).

This defeat just the beginning, the sound, even if the input convinces the title track. The guitarist of this particular game draws on our ear. The song itself is deep, and the game used modal fits perfectly.

"In Our Own Time" a bit shocked initially saw the instruments and samples that return strongly to the '80s. But the chorus hook, and, again, the guitar playing supports the song without necessarily highlight the guitar - it's also how he said his whole approach music.

"Illumination" is one of those titles that give want to move, and here the vocal harmonies are particularly successful as well. "That's the Way That Loves Goes" has a tone very "Beatle-esque" not to offend. "Stars are crazy" is itself a small melodic gem, all acoustic but oh so intense.

"One Take" is a bit more rock, and here the arrangement is also typical eighties although some find the sound a bit outdated. Also very melodic, "The End of Time" button by the sensitivity of the song.

Finally, there is a beautiful cover of "She Smiled Sweetly" the Rolling Stones .

In conclusion, "Seeds We Sow" will listen and listen with pleasure. This is a homemade album by an exceptional musician, highly recommended  !

4 stars
Xavier Rossey


Original article:

CHRONIQUES
› Dernières chroniques


BUCKINGHAM, Lindsey - Seeds We Sow
/ paru le 02-11-2011 /
Sixième album solo pour un des piliers du groupe Fleetwood Mac, "Seeds We Sow" risque d'être difficile au premier abord, mais surtout, prenez la peine de réécouter cet album. Entièrement enregistré dans son home studio, et presque entièrement exécuté par lui-même (excepté l'excellent Walfredo Reyes à la batterie sur un des titres).

Ce qui déroute un peu au début, c'est le son, même si d'entrée le titre éponyme convainc. Le jeu particulier de ce guitariste attire tout de suite notre oreille. La chanson elle-même est profonde, et le jeu modal utilisé convient à merveille.

"In Our Own Time" choque un peu au départ vu les instrumentations et samples qui renvoient fortement aux années '80. Mais le refrain accroche, et, ici encore, le jeu de guitare soutient la chanson sans nécessairement mettre en avant le guitariste - c'est d'ailleurs la manière dont il dit approcher toute sa musique.

"Illumination" est de ces titres qui donnent envie de bouger, et ici les harmonies vocales sont particulièrement réussies également. "That's the way that loves goes" a un ton très "Beatle-esque" qui n'est pas pour déplaire. "Stars are crazy" est quant à lui un petit bijou mélodique, tout acoustique mais ô combien intense.

"One Take" est un tantinet plus rock, et ici l'arrangement typiquement eighties convient également même si certains trouveront le son un peu vieillot. Très mélodique également, "The end of time" touche par la sensibilité du chant.

Pour terminer, on relèvera une belle reprise de "She smiled sweetly" des Rolling Stones.

En conclusion, " Seeds We Sow" s'écoutera et se réécoutera avec plaisir. C'est un album fait maison par un musicien exceptionnel, vivement conseillé !

Xavier Rossey

Pays: US
Eagle Rock EAGCD 448
Sortie: 2011/09/05

[elle]

http://13thfloor.co.nz/reviews/cd-reviews/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-eagleshock/

Lindsey Buckingham – Seeds We Sow (Eagle/Shock)

In between touring and recording with Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham has nurtured a solo career, reaching back to 1981. Following up on 2008’s Gift Of Screws, comes Seeds We Sow, Buckingham’s 6th studio solo outing.

While Lindsey is a fine singer and songwriter, it’s really his guitar playing that stands out on the 11 tracks included here. Buckingham has developed his own, unique sound, based around his delicate finger-picking and he using the technique to full advantage on songs like That’s The Way Love Goes, Stars Are Crazy and Rock Away Blind. His rippling notes seem to flow off the fretboard.

Sonically, Buckingham induces a dream-like atmosphere throughout the album thanks to his lyrics, which often refer to dreams, and his layered vocals.

Highlights include the short, but catchy Illuminations, probably the track that sounds most like Fleetwood Mac, In Our Own Time , with its gentle, intricate guitar, and jarring chorus and End Of Time, a mid-tempo rocker that finds the artist singing about “sliding down the karma slide”.

Although most of the songs deal with matters of the heart, the tune, One Take, has a decidedly political viewpoint, accusing corporate fatcats of decimating the middle class.

The album ends with a cover of an obscure Stones song. She Smiled Sweetly originally showed up on 1967’s Between The Buttons. It’s just Buckingham’s voice and guitar that puts a new spin on an old tune.

Chances are Fleetwood Mac with regroup for another tour and/or album…there’s too much money to be made not to. But in the interim, Lindsey Buckingham is keeping himself busy making some high-quality West Coast pop.

Marty Duda

Click here to listen to That’s The Way That Love Goes from Seeds We Sow:

[elle]

http://www.rocktopia.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1677:lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow&catid=910:cd-reviews&Itemid=121

Lindsey Buckingham - 'Seeds We Sow'

Artist Lindsey Buckingham
Title Seeds We Sow
Label Eagle

Sixth solo album from the Fleetwood Mac guru.

The sixth solo album from the Fleetwood Mac guru, 'Seeds We Sow' finds the veteran musician in fine form. Keeping a solo career ('the small machine', as he calls it) running alongside Fleetwood Mac ('the big machine'), Lindsey has cemented his position in the music world as a prolific and skilled songwriter. After a fourteen year gap between his popular 'Out Of The Cradle' release in 1992 and the sparser sounds of 'Under the Skin', Buckingham picked up the pace by putting out the impressive 'Gift Of Screws' in 2008. 'Seeds We Sow' offers fans an album that, sonically, sounds to me takes elements from 'Out Of the Cradle' and 'Under The Skin' and blends them together into a satisfying whole. It also marks Buckingham's first album without major label backing from Warners.

The title track includes all the Buckingham trademarks imaginable; it's a pleasant, yet slightly haunting tune which Lindsey gave away on his website - an act which I'm sure whetted the appetites of his fans. When I heard it, and the second track 'In Our Own Time', with its programmed drums and lilting lead vocal, I expected another album like 'Under The Skin', but despite Lindsey handling almost everything himself on the record, there are plenty of more 'band orientated' tunes on offer. A great example of the fuller sound can be found on ‘That's The Way Love Goes’, the only song to feature additional musicians. The verse starts in similar guitar and vocal style, before exploding into one of the catchiest choruses anywhere on the album. 'Rock Away Blind' is an energetic foray, preceding one of my favourites: 'One Take'. This excellent tune starts quietly with Lindsey and his electric guitar this time, before the bass and drums kick in for another great chorus. The particular highlight on this track is the superb pair of guitar solos Buckingham lets rip, the first one tasteful, the second faster and exquisite.

'Gone Too Far' sounds like it could easily be a Fleetwood Mac song and the great ballad 'End Of Time' is also well worth a listen. Lindsey also pays tribute once again to The Rolling Stones, with a cover of 'She Smiled Sweetly', recorded just with voice and guitar. This gentle finale is a wonderful way to close to a classy album.

With its measured use of bass and drums on several tracks, juxtaposed with the one voice/one guitar approach Lindsey favours so much, the album is an excellent blend of all that makes him such a talent. It's also a grower with some kind of grip on me - every time I think I have heard it enough to review it, I keep giving it another spin. And it keeps getting better! I'd put this down as essential for anyone who has enjoyed Lindsey's solo work before, and a great starting point if you've ever been tempted to try the songs from the small machine out.

James Gaden

[elle]

http://hearhearmusic.com/2011/11/10/album-review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

Hear! Hear! What matters in the world of popular music.

ALBUM REVIEW: Lindsey Buckingham – “Seeds We Sow”

Lindsey Buckingham

Album Review
Lindsey Buckingham – “Seeds We Sow” (2011, Buckingham Records)

Reviewer: Madison Faulkner

There seem to be two Lindsey Buckingham’s that exist on the icon’s latest solo endeavor, Seeds We Sow. The legendary rocker’s newest release proves to be a fusion of the Buckingham that once was and the Buckingham that is. Listeners are given a choice as to which Buckingham they prefer — the harmonious crooner humming over the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar or the fast paced, stern vocalist layered over frantic, gritty synth blare with the occasional guitar solo.

The title track starts the album off strong as the sweeping chorus plays through with accompanying strings as Lindsey cries. The definition of each note played is pure and symphonic, done only in the brilliance that Buckingham can offer in his melodic lullabies. Airy whispers echo on as the song fades out, “Oh the seeds we sow”—a little cheesy but I will forgive him for that. He, did, after all give us Tusk.

The rest of the album is hit and miss for the artist. “In Our Own Time” is a dizzying, fast paced number with Buckingham’s vocals layered over an annoying buzz-like warble reminiscent to that of gnat in your ear, producing a cheap and unwelcome effect. “Rock Away Blind” once again showcases Buckingham’s uncanny ability to capture the poetic beauty of rock music. Lindsey’s mastermind is complemented by the toe tapping, gentle melody that carries you along as vocals sweetly coo in and out, weaving their way through the guitar’s rhythm.

Lindsey’s split personality rears its head once more in “One Take”, delivering its direct, stern vocals and a gritty, pulsating guitar riff. The genius of Lindsey’s frantic finger picking guitar solo is almost enough to save this song but falls short when Buckingham half-heartedly raps through parts of verse.

The album comes to a close with Buckingham’s breathy, tender cover of “She Smiled Sweetly” sending listeners off with the same image of Buckingham as when they entered; melodic, gentle vocals accompanied by the brilliance of his cadenced guitar playing.

We want to keep Lindsey as he was in Fleetwood Mac but as he ever so swiftly progresses into old age, perhaps he has earned the right to let his freak flag fly. Some of the tracks on Seeds We Sow verge on the edge of progressive with their hurried, synthetic rhythms but the album is salvaged by the brilliance of Buckingham’s songwriting and saccharine sweet vocals. Some listeners will appreciate the assortment Buckingham offers and those that do will find the outnumbered tracks varying in style much to their liking as they lose themselves in the genius that is Lindsey Buckingham.

[michelej1]

From E-Gear
http://www.e-gear.com/article/lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow-cd-buckingham-records/1

November 28, 2011, Lindsey Buckingham: Seeds We Sow

Working in totally solo mode, Fleetwood Mac sonic architect and resident creative genius crafted “Seeds We Sow” in his home studio, playing and singing nearly every part, producing, engineering―he even put it out on his own label!

The sound is perhaps a bit thinner than on his previous solo works, but Lindsey still has plenty of creative fire in his furnace, imbuing tracks like “That's The Way Love Goes” with his loony originality. Other songs show his more lyrical, acoustic side, and he's still one fabulous guitar picker.

[elle]

http://www.littleratbastard.com/?p=14835

Lindsey Buckingham – Seeds We Sow
BY JEFF M. – DECEMBER 20, 2011

To me, Lindsey Buckingham has always been a guy marching to the beat of a different drum. He lives for offbeat arrangement, deeply personal lyrics, and his style of guitar playing depict an artist who enjoys taking a risk. Buckingham continues blazing his own path on his sixth solo album ‘Seeds We Sow.’

This album is the first release on Buckingham’s own label, and in doing so he was able to produce, mix, and perform as he saw fit. These changes seemed to give the record an intensely intimate feel. Buckingham’s complex voice and elaborate guitar picking takes center stage on exquisite ballads like the title track “Seeds We Sow.” Don’t think for a minute that Lindsey has forgotten how to rock as demonstrated by “One Take.” I really enjoyed his stripped down version of the Rolling Stones “She Smiled Sweetly” it kind of rides that fine line between passion and sinister.

Lindsey Buckingham’s catalog of solo work should not be overlooked by music fans. ‘Seeds We Sow’ gives listeners a sample of all the different directions Buckingham’s aspirations and talent can take them. ‘Seeds We Sow’ may be his most captivating album to date.

Nuff Said…


Official Site / MySpace / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube (Vevo)

Lindsey Buckingham – Seeds We Sow

Track listing:

Seeds We Sow
In Our Own Time
Illumination
That’s The Way Love Goes
Stars Are Crazy (featuring Lisa Dewey)
When She Comes Down
Rock Away Blind
One Take
Gone Too Far
End Of Time
She Smiled Sweetly
End Of Time (Acoustic – Amazon Exclusive)
Seeds We Sow (Electric – Amazon Exclusive)
* Available only on Amazon (MP3 Exclusive Version)

September 6, 2011 – Buckingham Records/Mind Kit Records/Eagle Rock Entertainment

Get It Now: iTunes / Amazon (CD) / Amazon (MP3 Exclusive Version)

Official Site / MySpace / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube (Vevo)

[elle]

great reviews still keep pouring in...

http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/entertainment/136435163.html

Street Sounds: Fleetwood frontman farms a winner

By Dean Gordon-Smith - Vernon Morning Star
Published: December 30, 2011 9:00 AM
Updated: December 30, 2011 9:29 AM

Despite fronting a mega-band in his off-time, singer/guitarist Lindsay Buckingham excels in under-the-radar releases.

Seeds We Sow is Buckingham’s sixth solo album and it offers a glimpse into the musician’s creative drive. He doesn’t let his high profile alter his style.

There are Mac-isms throughout Seeds We Sow, but they’re representations of Buckingham’s personality, not derivative attempts at past creations. Illumination and That’s The Way Love Goes are pieces of classic Buckingham-influenced Fleetwood Mac, fueled by the guitarist’s slightly wild edge.

The stately guitar work of Buckingham marks him as a premier stylist; a heavy hitter who’s also a singer/songwriter of some renown.

Guitarist/singer? Singer/songwriter? Singer who plays guitar? All of these and more.

Buckingham’s one-two punch carries over onto his instrument of choice. His spidery acoustic lines crackle along at a manic, angular pace (Stars Are Crazy, Rock Away Blind) that’s at home in Appalachia.

His soaring and skewed electric work is singular and unpredictable and hasn’t showed signs of rust.

One Take updates Buckingham’s borderline frenzy against a straight ahead rhythm that’s cliché but tough.

There’s an under-current that mixes the melodic sunburst of The Beach Boys with the suggestive imagery of ‘80’s era Dylan and late ‘60’s Leonard Cohen.

When She Comes Down and Gone Too Far float this direction into both corners and She Smiled Sweetly connects the two sonic dots with cool logic.

Seeds We Sow = passion + precision.

–– Dean Gordon-Smith is the music reviewer at The Morning Star. His column, Street Sounds, appears every Friday.

[elle]

short and succinct from twitter [part of the convo on how relevant LB's music is that is mostly about IOOT so i put it in the separate thread] -

@YoungJerks
@nczeitgeist Dude have you listened to his new album? It's kind of f***ing great. Not an inch of "aging rock icon" to be found.

[elle]

another really nice review (need to click on the link to see the cutout) -

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiRil7KS9VY/Tv8y1eC0X0I/AAAAAAAALzg/8kqQt_trKEw/s1600/Dallas+Morning+News+Lindsey+Buckingham+Seeds+We+Sow+Review.jpg

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Review: Lindsey Buckingham "Seeds We Sow"
Let's back up and test-drive "El Camino," "Seeds"

"It cascades, works up a rhythm, thumps & thrashes"

http://nickslive.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow.html?spref=tw

[michelej1]

another really nice review (need to click on the link to see the cutout) -

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiRil7KS9VY/Tv8y1eC0X0I/AAAAAAAALzg/8kqQt_trKEw/s1600/Dallas+Morning+News+Lindsey+Buckingham+Seeds+We+Sow+Review.jpg

Thanks.

Lindsey Buckingham, Seeds We Sow B+

The first thing clearly noticeable about Buckingham's Seeds We Sow is the gorgeious guitar work. It cascades, works up a rhythm, thumps and thrashes. The famed Fleetwood Mac member hasn't lost his touch with the six-string. Performed, recorded and mixed by Buckingham, Seeds We Sow swirls melodies and moods, multi-layered vocals and pointed lyrics.

There's even an indie pop feel to the disc, particularly in the way Buckingham keeps the proceedings refreshingly uncluttered, almost low-fidelity.

These are songs that unfurl with repeated listens, particularly the beautiful title track, "Illumination," and the stomping rockers "That's the Way Love Goes" and "One Take." Play this one during a long road trip. It's great driving music.

[PenguinHead]

another really nice review (need to click on the link to see the cutout) -

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiRil7KS9VY/Tv8y1eC0X0I/AAAAAAAALzg/8kqQt_trKEw/s1600/Dallas+Morning+News+Lindsey+Buckingham+Seeds+We+Sow+Review.jpg

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Review: Lindsey Buckingham "Seeds We Sow"
Let's back up and test-drive "El Camino," "Seeds"

"It cascades, works up a rhythm, thumps & thrashes"

http://nickslive.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow.html?spref=tw

I have both of those albums. Recently discovered the Black Keys. I liked El Camino so much, I bought all of their earlier albums.

[elle]

http://driftwoodmagazine.com/2012/01/12/review-lindsey-buckingham-seeds-we-sow/

Driftwood

FLEETWOOD MAC, GUITAR, LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM, ROCK

Review: Lindsey Buckingham, Seeds We Sow
In CD Reviews, Reviews on January 12, 2012 at 7:00 am

Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow
[Mind Kit Records/Eagle Rock (2011)]

Seeds We Sow is Lindsey Buckingham‘s sixth solo album since leaving Fleetwood Mac, and his first self-release effort. As a guitar player, Buckingham ranks as one of the best, and this album serves as a reminder of just how good he is. Many of the tracks demonstrate Buckingham’s glissando guitar attack, a 6-string fingerpicking method which seems to defy time and space and gravity.

The title track, a self-confessional that edges into a brittle, preachy protest song, has a blistering “sheltering sky” aura, with plenty of reverb and echo and swirling dynamics, and is faster than the speed of light almost. [Lindsay Buckingham defies laws of physics. News at 11. -ed] “Stars are Crazy”, another whirlwind of cascading notes, seduces with its angry, dangerous tone and threatens to run off a cliff with its barrage of pulsating rhythms and bouncy tempos.

However, as much as I enjoy Buckingham showing-off speed-demon crazy guitar licks and zipping around the fretboard as if his fingers were on fire, he’s at his best when he keeps things simple, sane, and stripped-down. Buckingham’s genius lies with his subtle guitar interplay and arranging, which were brilliantly on display on most of the successful Fleetwood Mac hit singles and albums. His most engaging work rests on when he lays low on the guitar and builds up tension and suspense with clever guitar and vocal overdubbing, as he does on classic Mac songs like “Go Your Own Way,” “The Chain,” “That’s All for Everyone.” Seeds We Sow has three speeds: Super doggone fast, kinda fast, and real slow. The last two are the ones you want to sing along with late at night when there’s a slight chill in the air and the moon is fading softly away. “End of Time,” my personal favorite from the album, has some clever simple guitar chords and restrained phrasings as he

Always keep me in your heart
even though I maybe dead and gone
and though we’re far apart
my love for you is strong.

It certainly could have surfaced on any Fleetwood Mac record with its dreamy lyrics mixed with soft, pleading lines. “That’s the Way Love Goes”, a spirited harpsichord romp with a simple lead guitar crawl continues in the same vein, and gets stuck in your head on the first play. “When She Comes Down” is also a sure-fire winner with a drifting, slo-mo heartbeat and crafty, layered vocals ala Beach Boys. Less is more, and “Gone to Far” has a steady strum of three chords and some wistful, heartfelt singing that Lindsey does so well. A final successful song is Buckingham’s cover version of the Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly,” which he underplays with just guitar and voice. Melancholy perfection.

Those wishing to witness first-hand Buckingham’s astonishing dexterity on the six-string and songwriting skills are advised to seek out Songs from the Small Machine: Live in LA, a DVD/CD of Buckingham performing in front of an adoring crowd of fans.

—TJ McGrath (Woodbridge, CT)

[elle]

http://thisisaclose-up.blogspot.com/2012/01/bo11-seeds-we-sow-by-lindsey-buckingham.html

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
BO11: "Seeds We Sow" by Lindsey Buckingham

It’s hard to conceptualize such a singular talent with so many commercial successes taking as many sonic detours as this guy. Lindsey Buckingham himself framed his intermittent solo work as “indie films” when compared to the widescreen blockbusters of Fleetwood Mac, and that’s as good an analogy as any; it captures the sense of experimentation and control that has defined his non-Mac work, and as any good film geek knows, the indies give you something to devour and perseverate upon that the major studio fodder just can’t provide.

Seeds We Sow is as close to a skill set sampler as one can imagine, as hushed confessional vocals align with the taut and powerful shouters, with backdrops of frenetic finger-picking and forceful six-string abuse and metronomic strumming showcasing the broad musical palette Buckingham can bring to bear seemingly on command. It’s a capstone to everything he’s ever done as a musician, from experimental to insinuating, and it’s a shame that there’s no outlet for this indie to get the big-screen close-up it deserves.

Posted by H8 at 11:00 PM

[Lindsfan]

http://thisisaclose-up.blogspot.com/2012/01/bo11-seeds-we-sow-by-lindsey-buckingham.html

Tuesday, January 17, 2012
BO11: "Seeds We Sow" by Lindsey Buckingham

It’s hard to conceptualize such a singular talent with so many commercial successes taking as many sonic detours as this guy. Lindsey Buckingham himself framed his intermittent solo work as “indie films” when compared to the widescreen blockbusters of Fleetwood Mac, and that’s as good an analogy as any; it captures the sense of experimentation and control that has defined his non-Mac work, and as any good film geek knows, the indies give you something to devour and perseverate upon that the major studio fodder just can’t provide.

Seeds We Sow is as close to a skill set sampler as one can imagine, as hushed confessional vocals align with the taut and powerful shouters, with backdrops of frenetic finger-picking and forceful six-string abuse and metronomic strumming showcasing the broad musical palette Buckingham can bring to bear seemingly on command. It’s a capstone to everything he’s ever done as a musician, from experimental to insinuating, and it’s a shame that there’s no outlet for this indie to get the big-screen close-up it deserves.

Posted by H8 at 11:00 PM

And the great reviews just keep on coming :thumbsup:

...and am I the only one that had to look up perseverate? :shrug:

--------------------

[Nico]

Still loving this album passionately.

[Lindsfan]

Still loving this album passionately.

Me too! I love it as much today as when I first heard the songs at Saban <333

[elle]

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-3082-backblog_music_you_may_have_missed.html

March 6th, 2012
By Brian Baker | Music | Posted In: Reviews

BackBlog: Music You May Have Missed
Horrible Crowes, Shiny and the Spoon, Hank III and more

There have been many Lindsey Buckinghams, none of them being the frequent guest on DeAndre Cole’s What Up with That. There’s the Buckingham who teamed with girlfriend Stevie Nicks on their ill-fated 1973 album, and the Buckingham who joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974, bringing Nicks along in the deal and transforming the British Blues-to-Pop outfit into a commercial juggernaut. There’s the Buckingham whose break-up with Nicks fueled the creative engine that drove 1977’s Rumours to platinum numbers, the Buckingham whose perfectionism and substance binges colored the schizophrenically wonderful Tusk, the Buckingham who left Fleetwood Mac, the one who came back and all the Buckinghams who have maintained a potent presence in the band ever since.

Then there are the solo Buckinghams, the early ones on the Fleetwoodiesque Law and Order and Go Insane and the introspective and vindictive Out of the Cradle, and the later ones from the husband and father; the acoustic Under the Skin, the long-delayed Gift of Screws and the new, self-released Seeds We Sow.

Untethered by label expectation and commercial demands, Buckingham is free to meander around his creative garden and pick whatever looks good in the moment and, as always, he has plenty of ripe choices. He exhibits his graceful acoustic fingerpicking dexterity on the title track and “Stars Are Crazy,” leans hard into Fleetwood Mac’s banked Pop/Rock turn on the beautifully intense “Illumination,” “In Our Own Time” and “One Take” and matches (and transcends) his own best work with the effervescent “Rock Away Blind,” the gorgeous Pop ode “Gone Too Far,” the majestic balladry of “When She Comes Down” and the hybridized Pop-lull-to-Rock-tumult of “That’s the Way Love Goes.”

Buckingham wasn’t even planning to create an album when he began the songs for Seeds We Sow, and that unplanned mindset translates to a relaxed atmosphere across the album’s eleven tracks. Just as importantly, Buckingham wrote and performed everything on Seeds We Sow, working quickly and unhampered by his notorious streak of perfectionism. As a result, Seeds We Sow stands as the pinnacle of Buckingham’s musical accomplishments because he was free to draw on the spark and spirit of all of the creative elements that have defined him over the past three and a half decades. All of the Buckinghams have been brilliantly erratic songwriters, stellar harmony vocalists and supernaturally gifted guitarists, and they all bring an interesting shade of eccentric genius to whatever they do. They’re all the same and all incredibly unique and all of them seem to have contributed a little something to Seeds We Sow. What up with that indeed.

[elle]

http://www.heathpost.com/2012/02/album-review-seeds-we-sow-by-lindsey.html

The Heath Post
A Celebration of Home, Kentucky, Sports, Music, and Other Passions

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Album Review: Seeds We Sow by Lindsey Buckingham

I can only hope that at 62 I can still put this much passion and energy into a project the way that Buckingham did for this album. Many musicians hit their peak performance in their mid 20's. Buckingham at 62 sounds like he's still hitting for the rafters and delivers a very solid album.

There are a few things here that are very interesting. One piece is how Buckingham recorded the album. It was done in his home studio and he is the only performer on all but one song on the album. Despite that he took the time to construct, layer, and produce fully realized songs. He didn't just dial in an acoustic set which he could have easily done as his guitar work on this album is brilliant. No he fully flushed out every song.

Second thing going on here which really drew me to this album was the lyrics. Whether on purpose or not Buckingham has created a set of 10 new songs and one cover which are all reflective in nature. Either looking at love or life the songs here have a thoughtful air to them. This makes the album a great choice for a late night drive alone through the countryside.

Of course all of this work is done with Buckingham's unique pop sense which he brought to fruition so effectively back in the day with Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham still has that same unique sound, but it still works even 40 years later.

On top of that Buckingham has made one song which will be a strong candidate for my song of the year and even song of the decade. "Stars Are Crazy" lyrically is a simple song about the pain of a broken relationship. As I said earlier it is a reflective song but Buckingham delivers it with a fully emotional performance and has placed it in the middle of some brilliant production work. The pulse and drive of the guitars on this song bring the emotions of the lyrics to a masterful peak and is a rare beautiful piece of work.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 3 out of 5 stars for Pretty Good.


Posted by Matthew Vaughn at 2:32 AM


Labels: Album Reviews, Music
2 comments:

Eric February 5, 2012 4:17:00 PM EST
excellent song.

Eric December 21, 2012 2:42:00 PM EST
still excellent.

[FierySequences]

I can't stop listening to this piece of art that is just truly amazing. This isn't your typical “Jump on the LB love wagon” post. As you see, I, like SN have a love-hate relationship with Mr. Buckingham. I bought UTS in what 2006, and although I didn't hate it....didn't even dislike it, I didn't give his future work much chance. Around this time (or shortly before it) I had also bought ITM by Ms. McVie, and the whole experience just left my with a feeling of....well, I want New Mac material!

I really do appreciate this album....something is to be said of an artist (of LB's stature if Enchanted is playing in the background....and I totally tune it out to hear SWS).

This whole album is an orgasmic journey to the ear....and I still can't believe it has taken me a whole year to warm up to it....I am speechless towards his talent. I'm not going to do a track-by-track critique but will list my fave's: "In Our Own Time" "Illumination" "That's the Way Love Goes" "Stars Are Crazy""One Take" "Gone Too Far”“End of Time”.

I am sad I missed him on his last tour(but not to sad) b/c I like LB to be not all acoustic. I had considered going....but had spent my concert funds on SN (with Stewart) which was uneventful....Heart (3rd row) they were awesome! And the not-so-proud-of Madonna in New Orleans-never again, lol. LB is amazing and I will catch his next show.

The truth is, that this record buyer will not waste my hard earned $ on Rumours III, but will purchase Songs from the Small Machine DVD, instead.:cool:

[Lindsfan]

I can't stop listening to this piece of art that is just truly amazing. This isn't your typical “Jump on the LB love wagon” post. As you see, I, like SN have a love-hate relationship with Mr. Buckingham. I bought UTS in what 2006, and although I didn't hate it....didn't even dislike it, I didn't give his future work much chance. Around this time (or shortly before it) I had also bought ITM by Ms. McVie, and the whole experience just left my with a feeling of....well, I want New Mac material!

I really do appreciate this album....something is to be said of an artist (of LB's stature if Enchanted is playing in the background....and I totally tune it out to hear SWS).

This whole album is an orgasmic journey to the ear....and I still can't believe it has taken me a whole year to warm up to it....I am speechless towards his talent. I'm not going to do a track-by-track critique but will list my fave's: "In Our Own Time" "Illumination" "That's the Way Love Goes" "Stars Are Crazy""One Take" "Gone Too Far”“End of Time”.

I am sad I missed him on his last tour(but not to sad) b/c I like LB to be not all acoustic. I had considered going....but had spent my concert funds on SN (with Stewart) which was uneventful....Heart (3rd row) they were awesome! And the not-so-proud-of Madonna in New Orleans-never again, lol. LB is amazing and I will catch his next show.

The truth is, that this record buyer will not waste my hard earned $ on Rumours III, but will purchase Songs from the Small Machine DVD, instead.:cool:

I love your post. It makes me happy when someone takes the time to give an album a fair listen :nod: I still listen to SWS, or the live versions every morning on my way to work. It starts my day off on a high note!

You cracked me up with your listing of fave songs from SWS. It's almost the whole album, and I have the same difficulty in narrowing down my favorites from so many wonderful songs :D

Re. UTS. I always liked the songs, but preferred them live to the actual album. When people asked me what album of his to start with, I told them anything but UTS :distress: Well, not any more. Early last year I just put the thing on repeat one afternoon while having a lazy day, and it finally got under my skin! The problem was I always listened to individual songs, and once I listened to the whole thing, beginning to end, I came to love it. I'm not always in a Go Insane or Gift of Screws mood, and UTS is great for just chillin', or when I'm in a more pensive or reflective mood. It's really a beautiful album.

Re. Lindsey's solo shows. Of course, you know what you prefer, but I know a lot of people expected this acoustic show to be a mellow affair. Well, it wasn't. Whether playing his M1 or any of his acoustics, he is sooo intense. The show was often loud, always aggressive, and and what a pleasure to see him play in such an intimate setting. I hope you catch him next time he goes solo. I doubt you'd regret it, and the price is pretty darn reasonable.

[FierySequences]

Re. Lindsey's solo shows. Of course, you know what you prefer, but I know a lot of people expected this acoustic show to be a mellow affair. Well, it wasn't. Whether playing his M1 or any of his acoustics, he is sooo intense. The show was often loud, always aggressive, and and what a pleasure to see him play in such an intimate setting. I hope you catch him next time he goes solo. I doubt you'd regret it, and the price is pretty darn reasonable.

thx for the kind words....see, this is why (and I was back on my concert kick) I wanted to go see him....I knew it was a good show. Based on Go Insane, Oh, Well and Tusk on the Unleashed tour.....I love this Lindsey...straight from the heart and fingers Rock!

My sister to this day still mentions how awesome he was at family/friends gatherings. He really stole the show at Unleashed (Columbus) and I have no problamo with it as long as they deliver an awesome show.

[GypsySorcerer]

Re. UTS. I always liked the songs, but preferred them live to the actual album. When people asked me what album of his to start with, I told them anything but UTS :distress: Well, not any more. Early last year I just put the thing on repeat one afternoon while having a lazy day, and it finally got under my skin! The problem was I always listened to individual songs, and once I listened to the whole thing, beginning to end, I came to love it. I'm not always in a Go Insane or Gift of Screws mood, and UTS is great for just chillin', or when I'm in a more pensive or reflective mood. It's really a beautiful album.


I agree with this. UTS is a beautiful album, and it's best experienced whole. I love the narrative from beginning to end.

I've recently rediscovered Seeds We Sow. I liked it when it was released, but kind of lost interest. (I know....bad fan.) On a whim, I played it the other day...and, wow! What an album. I haven't stopped playing it. I love every song except "She Smiled Sweetly."

[Lindsfan]

I've recently rediscovered Seeds We Sow. I liked it when it was released, but kind of lost interest. (I know....bad fan.) On a whim, I played it the other day...and, wow! What an album. I haven't stopped playing it. I love every song except "She Smiled Sweetly."

I'm seriously thinking maybe I should probably put it away for a while so I can experience the joy of rediscoverig it too :) ...but I just can't :distress:

The original version of She Smiled Sweetly, on GOS1 (the bootleg), was so pretty. I wish he had used that. The harnonies, and just his whole style was near perfect! I do like the SWS version alright, but, to me, it will never surpass the earlier version.

[jetta07]

Its sort of odd, but my love for SWS and seeing him live (solo) for the first time on the SWS tour made me to give UTS and GI another chance. I always dismissed UTS as being too slow and GI as being too weird/experimental, but something just clicked with both of them and now I love GI from beginning to end and aways play it when I need inspiration to get up and moving. On UTS, I can take or leave about the first half of it, but I can't get enough of TFTS onward.