New (kind of short) LB interview
 

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac
by Aidin Vaziri

The mercurial forces behind Fleetwood Mac - John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham - are back on the road, once again without Christine McVie. And for the first time in a long time, the band doesn't have any new material to promote, so the Unleashed Tour is made up of two hours of fan favorites. We asked the group's 59-year-old guitarist - and a recent father of three - Buckingham how he felt about that. Fleetwood Mac plays Wednesday at Oakland's Oracle Arena and Thursday at San Jose's HP Pavilion.

Q: There was some talk last year that Sheryl Crow was going to take over Christine McVie's position in the band. Did you block that?

A: No, I didn't block it. One of the things that made this go so smoothly is that I've been really unparticular about my opinions. I did not think that was a good idea. One, she was going to come in for a period of time and it spoke to me like something that had come from the top down, like a marketing idea. The other thing is that it struck me as a bit loungey to have someone else come in and do Christine's songs. She went and shot herself in the foot anyway.

Q: How's that?

A: She somehow announced she was going to join Fleetwood Mac. We had talked about it, but it had not been decided. So that became a red flag for the band. At the end of the day, it wasn't the right thing to do. So that was it. I was actually quite happy it turned out that way. We're much better working with the four core people.

Q: Besides, the last thing you need is another ego in this band.

A: That's right. Stevie and I are still working on our dynamic, which, believe it or not, is still evolving.

Q: Does doing a greatest-hits tour make you a nostalgia act?

A: This resting-on-our-laurels tour? We have a body of work that will transcend that label, I think. Had we gone in to make a new album first, it would have felt more in line with the things I value. Oddly enough, having not done that, it put us in the position of going into rehearsals completely anxiety-free, as opposed to having the residue of making the album to deal with. The actual experience of doing the tour has been quite thrilling. I have no explanation for that. It's kind of like a point you get to as a band, and for a moment you can rest and say, "This is what's happened, and it's pretty f- good."

Q: Having three children probably puts the band dramas in perspective.

A: It's certainly put a balance on everything. It's made it easier to enjoy what I'm doing now. It probably helped that I did a couple of solo albums and got some touring out of the way. You hit a point where a lot of things that you thought would push your buttons don't really push your buttons anymore. That's why this tour is going so smoothly. Nothing has really been bothering me.

Q: How much do you think your robust chest hair had to do with Fleetwood Mac selling those 100 million albums?

A: Wow. I would say none. The whole band, or just me?

Q: Specifically you, since I don't remember Stevie or Christine having much chest hair.

A: John has got a good tuft on there. I would hope very little. That's the first time I was asked that. It could have been something I missed. {sbox}

To hear Fleetwood Mac's music, turn on the radio (or search YouTube).

E-mail Aidin Vaziri at [email protected].

Yeah...Lindsey really doesn't like Sheryl Crow too much, eh?

I wonder what they say to one another in passing. He's said more bitchy and long-winded things about this woman than anything he's said about Stevie Nicks combined.

She must have vehemently offended him. Or they may just ask him about it each time. Either way, he sounds a little pissy.:lol:

I'd be uber pissed too though, if I thought some woman was gonna waltz in and take the place of somebody I had a musical chemistry and bond with, like Christine. I think its more the idea of anybody replacing Christine to be honest. They don't really have the right, and they most definitely dont have the right to announce it before its even been finalised and agreed upon by the most important people, ie. the actual band! :distress:

That chest hair thing was hilarious! Great interview, even if it was short 'n' sweet...:thumbsup:

Yes, without a question of a doubt Sheryl Crow is no Christine McVie. I mean, come on (come on! come on!). She's like a more upbeat Colbie Caillat with really great networking skills. :sorry:

The chest hair thing was funny, since that was never one of the most pronounced physical traits of LB. And now his chest hair is all gray or white, so it doesn't even count.

And what he said about John's tuft was funny too. I'd like to hear more of what he thinks of his band mates' body hair!

That reminds me that one of my favorite moments of the Tusk photo shoot video, the way both Lindsey and Stevie are trying to help keep Christine's flat hair fluffy.

I just appreciate that Sheryl Crow has been too classy to say anything back to Lindsey. I would understand it if she did, but I'm relieved that she didn't, because he's insane. The most she said is that she's still friends with Stevie and then she said she's friends with ALL of them. So, she's really taken the high road.

I did think it was really funny when the rumours were circulating in 2003 that she might join the band and Stevie said something like Mick and John loved Sheryl and that Lindsey "really liked" her too. That indicated to me that Lindsey liked her somewhat less than John and Mick did.

At AHI when they all came out on stage for the last song, Sherly Crow had a pretty tight hold around Lindsey's waist. I was thinking, "Please, unhand that man." But things looked pretty friendly between them then. Ah well.

Michele

She has been quite respectfully silent about the whole issue. She's probably been warned about LB's bitchiness, or realizes his senility and is letting it pass...

Though he is taking it to a certain extreme. I mean, at some point he could just say "Yeah, she made an unwarranted announcement, we didn't like it, but it's all good now." But apparently it's quite a big deal to him and he wants everyone to know that, again and again, quite fervently. :laugh:

Yes, I heard you mention before about this tight grip. I want a screen cap to remember the good ol' days where Sheryl Crow was at least tolerated by the man.

I hope you are being sarcastic! That or you just switched up who was sane and insane. Obviously, Sheryl Crow was the insane one, hyping up a deal that hadn't even materialized. And I don't think her silence is a move of 'classiness'. Seems more like embarrassment to me. She has a few good songs, but is nowhere near Christine. And I think Lindsey's normally recalcitrant personality would have come screaming back had they decided to include Sheryl on this tour. Love the chest hair question! Finally, someone asks a question LB hasn't heard (and didn't have a well-thought-out and gawd-awful long answer for!)

No, I wasn't being sarcastic. Yes, she was presumptuous. Then, she lied and said she didn't know where the rumor came from -- even though she is the one who started it. We all lambasted her at the time. It would have been perfectly reasonable for Lindsey to deride her once or twice, but for him to go on and on about it is ridiculous.

I didn't want her in the band. Don't like her. But the situation was resolved. Why would he be so ungracious about it? At this point, the press is only still asking about it because they know they'll get some biting reply from him.

Between that and the fact that he still talks about how Mick wanted him to use a pick back in 1975, I think Buckingham is perilously close to a nervous break down.

Things work much better when he gets his way (as with not using Chris Lord Alge in Destiny Rules) and then shuts up about it and looks innocent -- though smug -- as if he was entirely disinterested in the matter.

If there was a way to give him electro-shock therapy without cutting his lovely hair, I would be all for it. Kristen, sign the admission papers, please.

Michele

Wow, I agree with this 100%.... great post

So that thing in Destiny Rules where he basically said it was "up to Stevie" to decide about the mixer was just a cover-up? He wanted her to choose his guy the whole time...lol! I wonder if things mainly go his way at home...

Kristen: Lindsey, we're having lasagna tonight.

Lindsey: Whatever you want, baby. But I was kind of feeling like having steak. And since you complain about never getting to dress up, we can try that new place and you can wear something hot.

Kristen: Yeah, I think I wanted steak as well.

Lindsey: Well, if you insist, I guess we'll have to.

Well, but ultimately we differ because, of course I really wouldn't give him electro-shock therapy. I am rather tragically pleased with him as he is.

Michele

Sheryl Crow
 

I respect Sheryl enormously, but I must say her speech inducting them into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (viewable on youtube) was appalling.

She really spoke only of Stevie. Her references to Lindsey and Mick were in the context of their romantic involvement with Stevie, and she essentially referred to them as Stevie's guitar player and drummer. Even in discussing Stevie, Sheryl mentioned nothing musically poignant about her -- just touched on her haircut and that she (Sheryl) wanted to be like her. They deserved so much more -- and it was as though Peter, Jeremy, and Danny weren't even being inducted at all. Her speech presenting Stevie with the Blockbuster Music Award for writing, on the other hand, was a wonderful speech. So they should have had someone else induct Fleetwood Mac into the Hall -- Warren Zevon, John Stewart, Tom Petty -- anyone else. Sheryl was too all about Stevie and spoke next to nothing of the group's actual music.