Behind the Mask: 30th Anniversary
Thirty years ago, on Tuesday, 10 April 1990, Fleetwood Mac released their fifteenth studio album, Behind the Mask.
Behind the Mask remains a great album. |
You beat me to the punch. I still remember buying my BTM cassette tape in late April 1990 at the Greengate Mall, Record Mart, Greensburg, PA. I was 20 and working at a grocery store. I LOVED how unpop it was compared to Tango. I loved the bluesy feel some of the songs had and how we all heard Christine's playing again. In The Back Of My Mind was an early favorite and loved how all 3 singers were featured in the song. The only dud on the album is Hard Feelings IMHO. Half the album is outstanding while the other half pretty good. I prefer Lindsey in the band of course but there is something about this era that really appeals to me. I think maybe because maybe Christine was more of a focus than she normally was especially in concert. Mick and Billy were drinking themselves blind while Stevie was zonked out of her mind. She seemed to be the capable captain navigating the ship. The 1990 Farewell Concert still racks up as one of my all time favorite concerts ever. As crazy as this sounds, I preferred it to the Dance. The Dance was so scripted and studio like. While it was great having Lindsey back, the 1990 shows were arena rock days when anything could happen and technology was not taking over sound (yet).
Was disappointed how poorly the album sold and to barely have a top 30 hit from the Mac was shocking. No Stevie songs even good enough to release or chart...another first for the band. Although we can celebrate the album's big success in the UK #1 and in Canada Save Me peaked at #7. |
This album just might be my second favorite Mac album in general. I know that’s an extremely unpopular opinion, but it doesn’t bother me. Even after the “genius” Lindsey had left, you have to admire the band’s effort as a whole to keep going and doing something slightly different while still holding onto their sound AND at the same time navigating the new sound of the late 80s and early 90s. They even managed to tap into their older blues sound, while still sounding pop/rock. Like I said in the other thread for When It Comes To Love, Love Is Dangerous is funky blues-rock, In The Back Of My Mind is experimental and trippy and shows off the whole group very well. Save Me and Skies The Limit are classic Christine and were commercial as heck. It’s a mystery why these singles didn’t get more attention. But I suspect it’s because of the changing musical trends, the fact everyone knew Lindsey was gone, and the public’s view towards the band as being “old”. All members (except Billy) were over 40 years old by this point and let’s face it, ageism is unfortunately a thing within the music industry and a factor in radio reception. Nonetheless, I personally love the majority of the songs, and even some of the songs that didn’t make the final cut (especially Got No Home and Paper Doll).
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Haha I've been searching about this album before I came to the forum, and I saw the thread open!! :xoxo:
Personally, I don't find myself with this album yet. And I have the cassette!! If I heard it once, it was too much... I've been searching about the album not only because of the 30th anniversary, but also because of and extended version of Behind The Mask. Is it a crazy idea?? Of course it depends on how important Warner/Rhino can see the chance, but I think it would be really interesting for us the fans to hear also demo versions of this album. Mark. |
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At the time, I listened to the whole thing at first, but eventually cut several songs out of my playlist. There are some decent songs on there, but it's not a classic album. They then realized how much they needed Lindsey. |
The symbolism or irony that 30 years to the day that Behind the Mask was released we all would be living (literally) behind a mask
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That I can wear 'Till day is done The wind in the trees The falling leaves The world's spinning Make me a mask So I can laugh 'Till nighttime comes No more can I stay How long must I play This game of winning If I had known this was only a dream I would have awakened from this sleep Make me a mask So I can last 'Till the right time comes A tear in my eye To light I fly And end is beginning [Lindsey Buckingham, 1992; contemporary although not from Behind the Mask] Quote:
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Forgot to add it is pretty ironic that I have to wear a mask if I go out in public as of right now |
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way too many SN stans on social media have been lately going in crazy circles trying to belittle LB's genius (guess to try to make her more important or something? makes no sense, really, they were all important in their very different ways), thanks for explaining it was just misplaced quotation marks. :) hugs back, hope you are doing well and staying safe! :wavey: |
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What are your top 5 favs, if you could only pick 5 from this album? And sorry, this is a general question for everyone... For myself 1-Love Is Dangerous 2-Save Me 3-In The Back Of My Mind 4-Behind The Mask 5-Freedom And Make Me A Mask is one of Lindsey’s most hypnotic songs. I love it BTW.. |
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And yes, I agree with the last you said...:thumbsup: |
Well, he can be a genius, but please not a visionary. I almost fainted in the store when I saw the “visionary” sticker on the CD.
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The group worked very well as a team and had a distinctive sound still FM but different from the LB work. The harmonies on almost everything are grand. BTM is great, not a dud among the songs, and mostly teamwork, nobody plugged solo work into the mix. This era also gave us As Long as you Follow, No Questions Asked, Paper Doll, Love Shines, Heart of Stone. I think the album did as well as an album with LB would have, it was a time when the music business and tastes changed rapidly and FM were going to be passe and dinosaurs no matter what.
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Yet...never ever heard it on the radio even why I tried to find it MTV never played the video. Only VH1 played it. I remember being so pissed why MTV would not play it. The song never even cracked the top 40. Unbelievable. Do you suppose Lindsey was secretly paying MTV and radio stations not to play it? :eek: |
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I remember as a youngster seeing the ALAYF video on VH1 but definitely don't recall it on MTV - coming off Tango you'd think they'd be more successful but I think the timing was just bad for a group of 40-45 year olds who were definitely coming off their "cool" peak. |
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I guess it's true. This coming to jesus moment brought to you by Homer McVie... |
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But the cool factor ebbs and flows. I think they got EXTREMELY cool again in 1997 (maybe the most ever for a short time...certainly popular with a variety of generations) and still maintain some of that to this day, though I'd say after the "Christine's back" reunion, and this most recent nonsense, combined with their age, they're on the cool factor decline yet again. |
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Sorry, I meant spineless pig....:xoxo: |
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#chaiseloungeChristine |
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And..... If anything, she tried to bridge the gap those two whackos. I always suspected she left (in-part) because of the in-fighting. Always in the middle. She didn't throw Lindsey under the bus. Someone else did. Rhymes with boat. Rhymes with cheesy. |
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Stevie wont tour with Lindsey. Fire Lindsey. CHECK Even things she may not personally believe, she will always blindly support Mick. She has always put the Mac above everything else and that means being loyal to Mick. Chris even paid for his debt prior to Mick filing for bankruptcy in 1984. Now THAT is loyalty when you are throwing money at a coke infested drunk. |
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Was it fake and phony like Lindsey and Sleazy holding hands when they hated each other? Do these people actually have any emotions that are genuine, or they're just a bunch of phonies? |
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Chris and Lindsey definitely get along especially when it comes to making music. However when it came down to Mick making a ton of money with Stevie or nickel and dimes without Stevie....Mick chose Stevie and Christine was the silent supporter. I don't take that to mean Chris and Lindsey don't LOVE making music together and LOVED the Buck/Vie project. The enemy of your enemy is not always your friend :) |
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I've seen her roll her eyes at $tevie too many times. Note to self - never depend on Christine McVie to be in charge of your life support. Her cell phone might need a charge. |
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As bad as Lindsey's firing was...it STILL had monetary value for the band. Money talks. Denying Bob Welch a tiny moment is worse because it had no monetary value. It was personal. Even in the wildest dreams....Bob's demands could not have been that great. However, Bob's demands came at the worst time for Mick (prior to the Dance). It was possible Mick needed every nickel from every album sold even in the early days to stay afloat. Bob changed FM and was the stepping stone for the other Americans to join. To dishonor him was to dishonor the legacy of the band. But hey now, we know Mick does not care about legacy by now :eek: |
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Denying Bob's induction was the beginning of her no longer being my favorite musician (FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE). She can be a bitter shrew. Lindsey's firing sealed my opinion of her. I still care about her, and she's my favorite singer in the band, but she ain't the Superwoman Mick claimed. No wonder he thinks that. She folds like a cheap lawn chair for any of his wishes! #chaiseloungeChristine |
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