My nit picks for Tusk.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by ryan4136

This is sacreligious!!! This is Tusk

Yes! I see no reason to de-tusk it. It is what it is. THIS IS TUSK.
Wishing that it was more palatable to one's personal taste or expectations just supports all the confining artistic principles Lindsey was aiming to defy.

It took several decades for the album to achieve its status of lauded distinction and appreciation. Lindsey made the bold move to push the envelope, and it eventually paid off. The album's context has benefited from space of time, and now stands out from the pack for all the right reasons. It's odd, unexpected, indulgent, challenging, unconventional...everything art is meant to be.

But go and think what you want, I know that you have the need.

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

It took several decades for the album to achieve its status of lauded distinction and appreciation.

But go and think what you want, I know that you have the need.

Lets put things into a little context. The albums appreciation has grown- there's no denying that. I'd still say its far from universally lauded though. There are plenty of people out there that still find a lot to be desired- a spectrum that stems from full 'de-Tusking' as you put it, to little gripes here and there.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Lets put things into a little context. The album's appreciation has grown- there's no denying that. I'd still say its far from universally lauded though. There are plenty of people out there that still find a lot to be desired- a spectrum that stems from full 'de-Tusking' as you put it, to little gripes here and there.

Very well stated!

For certain the album is, so to speak, not everyone's cup of tea. That is a large part of its distinction; much like fine art --some get it, some don't. Lindsey's intention was not to placate the masses by replicating what was to be expected. And he succeeded! I understand the yearning to edit the album to make it more traditional and accessible, but that misses the point as to why Tusk is what it is.

With the benefit of space and time, more people have warmed up to the album, recognizing the approach was purely motivated by something more than just universal commercial appeal. It was a daring move, but it allowed new musical avenues to open up.

I admittedly was one of many fans who was initially disappointed and confused about the album, mostly about Lindsey's songs. But that didn't dampen my intrigue, because it had such a unique, albeit, challenging aura. Fast forward from 1979 to now. I see the defiant artistic brilliance of Lindsey challenging the norm. For a band inclined to plays it safe, this was a unique moment in their history.

[brad975]

If Tusk needed to be two discs in order to get five stellar Stevie songs, then so be it.

But I will always have a problem with a Lindsey Buckingham solo album spread out across it. I even read an interview where he basically bragged that "Tusk" essentially contained his first solo album.

And it's a pretty good solo album too But the problem is Lindsey was/is in a "band."

Adding Stevie and Christine harmonies to some of his songs would have helped solve this problem (and likely improved the songs).

It still would have been the California rock equivalent of "Prince & the Revolution" (where the "band" contributions were often limited to Wendy & Lisa's background vocals in the studio). But it might have added cohesion (same goes for Tango). Actually, Lindsey might not be that far removed from Prince in terms of wanting to produce and play songs mostly by himself.

But Tusk is what it is. If you love it all, that's awesome. But to me, it's just not a fully enjoyable listening experience all the way through. Maybe I'm getting too old to appreciate jarring musical numbers like "What Makes You Think You're the One" and "Not That Funny."

I also read an article where Ken Caillat said he took the lead on album sequencing to help it flow better. I actually think "Sara" should have opened the whole damn thing.

And you know what, I can make that happen by constructing my own Tusk playlist. I did the same thing with 24K, whacking that down to 10 or 12 songs, depending on my mood.

There's plenty of great stuff on Tusk to make it your own.

I actually do enjoy listening to Mirage straight through. It's not perfect. But it flows.