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Originally Posted by goldustsongbird
Good point. IMO, none of FM's members are very good as solo acts, except for Stevie. Why? Because she is, as you said, an exciting performer.
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In terms of critical reception, Buckingham was actually the one in Fleetwood Mac who generally got the accolades as a live performer. He was incendiary on many an occasion, as flummoxed critics often noted in their reviews:
"Buckingham engaged in playful jams with bassist John McVie and generally moved about with the joy of a kid who had just been handed the keys to a toy store. ... Buckingham is the rocker, helping move the band from its old soft-rock focus to a more involving hard-rock approach. He, too, has blossomed as a performer, adopting a near primal scream urgency on key vocals." (L.A. Times 9-01-80)
"Buckingham displayed his newly found control of the group by dominating the performance both musically and energetically. Accompanied by his veteran band of Christine McVie on keyboards, John McVie on bass, Mick Fleetwood on drums, and Stevie Nicks on vocals and percussion, Buckingham made great progress toward returning the group to its status as one of the world's premier bands. ... It was, ultimately, Buckingham's show." (St. Petersburg Times 8-07-80)
"The noticeable switch is in the growing importance Buckingham plays in the front line. He has outmatched the witch-like stance of Nicks, and indeed, the Big Mac Attack now reads like the Stevie and Lindsey Show." (Honolulu Bulletin 3-28-80)
"Lindsey Buckingham moved through the entire concert with a vibrancy that moved into the crowd like cannon fire." (Birmingham News 8-13-80)
"Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has emerged as the most frequent lead singer as well as the main musical force on stage." (Omaha World Herald 8-22-80)
"It was Buckingham's show at the beginning of the tour, and, if anything, he was more commanding at the end. Dressed in a ten-gallon hat, boots and a white V-neck T-shirt of Beverly Hills cowboy, he was simply spectacular onstage. He dominated the band as completely as any human being could ever dominate drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie -- one of the most cohesive and potent rhythm sections in rock." (Rolling Stone 10-30-80)
"It was down to Lindsey Buckingham to move the band into anything approaching strenuous action. ... He's funny, a treat to watch, and he makes the band earn its supper keeping up with him." (New Music Express 12-01-79)
"The quintet apparently has given the reins on stage to Lindsey Buckingham, the singer and guitarist whose music mixes forceful -- and urgent -- emotional touches with a playful eccentricity that is underscored by his quick marches around the stage that are reminiscent of a windup toy." (Los Angeles Times 10-20-82)
And did you read any of the reviews of his 1993 solo tour? Here's a typical example:
"Comeback or debut, Buckingham's concert was confident, energized, accomplished, wide-ranging and surprising. Heck, as long as we're slinging modifiers, why not go all the way? As comebacks and/or debuts go, this one was triumphant." (Los Angeles Times 12-12-92)
Point being that Buckingham was known & admired for being a winning & exciting performer, albeit by a much smaller number of people.