Why Tusk is the "Perfect" Album

[BLY]

It seemed like forever waiting for Tusk to be released as the follow up to Rumours. I got sucked in early 1977 , saw them in 78 and The MAC was the number one band senior year in High School. Fleetwood Mac and Rumours were played to death and I couldn't wait for new tunes. I will say when I heard Tusk for the first time time I was blown a way. I knew I was a true fan when I thought at the time of its release that this was a MASTERPIECE! This was the best follow up to Rumours.

[GJK]

Originally Posted by BLY

>I got sucked in early 1977...<

What does this mean? A private thing?

Thanks,
GJK

[BLY]

Originally Posted by GJK

What does this mean? A private thing?

Thanks,
GJK

Just meaning once I heard Rumours I was hooked.

[brickney723]

I like all of Stevie and Christine's Tusk songs- in fact, I think they're some of the very best from both of them. But I hate Lindsey's songs, and Lindsey is my favorite. I'm not fond of the music anyway, but lyrics are also important to me, I understand all of them and they were all directed at Stevie. I think during the Tusk era he had absolutely lost his freaking mind. To me, he was just a hair short of straight-jacket crazy and his Tusk performances prove it. Sorry, I do love him overall, that's my opinion.

[PenguinHead]

Tusk is an album that has aged well over time, like a fine wine. It is certainly more respected and understood now than when it first came out, and confounded everyone's expectations. The public expected a repeat of Rumours, but Lindsey was inspired by the punk scene of that time, and wanted to challenge the norm.

Like many others who bought the album, I was a bit challenged by the somewhat radical departure of the music. The package itself was very intriguing - an austere and elusive cover, with sleeves in sleeves, featuring some bizarre photos. Stevie's songs were the most appealing to me, Christine's songs seemed a bit too thin, and Lindsey's songs were just too out there. The reviews and critics were not kind. Even Stevie made some negative comments about it.

However, over time, in the context of their history, Tusk has emerged as one of the most creative and bold albums ever made. It's their Beatles "White" album. Everything I disliked about it then is what I love about it now!

Lindsey had the balls to break reins and shatter conventions. He got flack for it, and was even a little bit contrite about it at times. But over the decades, people have come to view this work in a very different light. It's nice that so many songs from the album have been performed:

Over and Over
Think About Me
Brown Eyes
Sisters of the Moon
Storms
Beautiful Child
Sara
Angel
Tusk
That's Enough for Me (once!)
Not That Funny
What Makes You Think Your the One
The Ledge (rehearsal only)
Save Me a Place
I Know I'm Not Wrong

On the upcoming tour, I hope they don't glut the set list with Rumours songs, and leave room for some never/rarely performed Tusk songs. How cool would it be to hear the other songs performed:

The Ledge
That's All For Everyone
That's Enough For Me
Walk a Thin Line
Never Make Me Cry
Never Forget
Honey Hi

They should do another Tusk tour, and perform the entire album. Some other groups have done that. In my dreams there will be a Tusk box set with alternate mixes, outtakes, live performances, a DVD packed with videos, interviews and live footage, and a coffee table-like book with tons of photos, articles, comments, assessments, recollections etc...

[sorcerer999]

Tusk is my favorite Fleetwood Mac record! It was ego. It was excess. It was art. It was genius!

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

Even Stevie made some negative comments about it.

Stevie has "waffled" about this album for YEARS!!! When they were doing initial interviews for this album, she said it was their "masterpiece". Yet just three years later, she said that the album was "indulgent" and couldn't wait to get back to the Rumours sound, a la "Mirage". I still can't understand her logic there. Cocaine induced comments.

In any event, as much as I am dismayed over the ticket prices for this new tour, I feel I must at least buy a "nose bleed" seat in the very back row...just so that I might hear "Brown Eyes" (since Christine keeps alluding to the fact that they might play it) or any Tusk song they just happen to surprise us with.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

The package itself was very intriguing - an austere and elusive cover, with sleeves in sleeves, featuring some bizarre photos. .

I loved the packaging, but never understood why they didn't provide a lyric sheet. It took me forever to figure out "blue calm sea" on Storms.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by brickney723

I think during the Tusk era he had absolutely lost his freaking mind. To me, he was just a hair short of straight-jacket crazy and his Tusk performances prove it. Sorry, I do love him overall, that's my opinion.

In my opinion it was the most brilliant set of songs he ever did. Close to insanity. When he is at is best.

[aleuzzi]

Tusk is perfect because it is flawed in musically intriguing ways. It's an off-balance, asymmetrical record, sort of like an enormous concrete sculpture held up by the tiniest pin--or something. It doesn't feel like a coherent statement: rather a series of statements which add up to something approaching an attitude.

It continues to baffle. And that is oddly pleasing.

For what it's worth, I get very similar thoughts when I listen to Then Play On.

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by GJK

What does this mean? A private thing?

Thanks,
GJK

hahahahahahahahahahahaha x100

[MoonSister75]

I can't find a fault in Tusk - I love all the songs and their running order. Its quirky, fun, dark, sad and deeply moving. For Lindsey, Stevie and Christine some of their best songs are on this album - its just a wonderful, wonderful collection of songs from the three of them.

[FuzzyPlum]

Like the Beatles' White album you do wonder what Tusk could have been like as a single album...
...you pick out what you perceive to be the best songs and make what you think is a nice arrangement. You step back and inspect the single Tusk album. But then you realize there's something missing...it just doesn't work.

I've done this a lot. No matter which songs I include and no matter which arrangement I come up with a single album feels weak. Common sense states that the best 12 or so from 20 should be the cream of the crop. However, without everything included they just don't play coherently.
It's only at this point that I look back and appreciate the album as a whole. It needs those odd Lindsey moments to bring out the subtle qualities in the more mainstream songs.

That said I do wonder what it would have been like if some of those numbers were just a bit more mainstream... just a bit more Mick and a bit less shoe-box and biscuit tin (and if Lindsey just sang without the funny voices). I know there are plenty of people who think 'sacrilege- the quirkiness is what makes those songs'. I understand this, and I appreciate the odd sounds and as I said, its these moments that complete the album... I just cant help but wonder...

Tusk is not perfect but its damned interesting.

[tabruns]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Like the Beatles' White album you do wonder what Tusk could have been like as a single album...
...you pick out what you perceive to be the best songs and make what you think is a nice arrangement. You step back and inspect the single Tusk album. But then you realize there's something missing...it just doesn't work.

I've done this a lot. No matter which songs I include and no matter which arrangement I come up with a single album feels weak. Common sense states that the best 12 or so from 20 should be the cream of the crop. However, without everything included they just don't play coherently.
It's only at this point that I look back and appreciate the album as a whole. It needs those odd Lindsey moments to bring out the subtle qualities in the more mainstream songs.

That said I do wonder what it would have been like if some of those numbers were just a bit more mainstream... just a bit more Mick and a bit less shoe-box and biscuit tin (and if Lindsey just sang without the funny voices). I know there are plenty of people who think 'sacrilege- the quirkiness is what makes those songs'. I understand this, and I appreciate the odd sounds and as I said, its these moments that complete the album... I just cant help but wonder...

Tusk is not perfect but its damned interesting.

You have a point here. I think with more production "I Know I'm Not Wrong" could have been a hit.

[sasja]

Tusk is the one FM album I still listen to.

I always thought that, What Makes You Think You're The One is the best song Lindsey / FM ever did.

But the whole Album remains a gem, even still all these years later.

[dontlookdown]

I agree.
And yes - Don't Stop is still cringe-worthy for me.
It's the one Fleetwood Mac song I've never liked.