You know, John McVie, that dude who plays bass for Fleetwood Mac? Anyway, for the past few months, I've come to realize that he's probably the most under appreciated long-standing member of Fleetwood Mac. His bass lines are always intriguing, even when they get buried in the mix. Lately I've been listening through my albums with the low-end cranked up just so I can appreciate his playing more. Listen to some great pre-
Rumours tracks like
Coming Your Way,
Bare Trees, and
Miles Away and tell me that John isn't one of the most underrated players in the business. I'm not even an
amateur musician, but I know good playing when I see it. He has a subtlety and tack that most rock bassists simply
wish they had.
Besides the drunken fits he had during the making of
Rumours, I've never heard anyone have anything bad to say about John and I get the impression he's always been a pretty classy guy. No one has accused him of strangling his exes, being an overbearing freak, having an enormous sexual appetite, joining religious cults, or ingesting drugs in interesting manners. John is so low-key I wouldn't be surprised if I walked into him in a buffet line and didn't recognize him. He never takes serious potshots at anyone else in the band, he has almost no ego to bruise and he and Christine basically got over themselves after their divorce and maintained a professional working relationship for almost 20 years afterwards. I wish more rock "stars" were as humble as he is.
