"Rumours" among "Most Disappointing Albums"

[chiliD]

"Popularity kills". Simple as that.

32 years ago (almost to the day) when Rumours came out, I liked it. By December 1977, I couldn't stand it...and that has remained to this day. Overkill, overkill, overkill...32 years of Rumours overkill. Had Fleetwood Mac been a SMART band, they would've just treated Rumours like any other album they'd recorded. But, no, they get this idea that everybody STILL wants to hear those songs...sure a few of them, in rotation, but not a MAJORITY of the album every concert...not a re-release every few years. They've made many other albums than Rumours most of them even BETTER musically, some prior, some later...just because an album doesn't sell 20 million copies doesn't mean its a crap album (think Lindsey's OotC)...AND, they're not giving themselves the benefit of the doubt regarding whatever their latest works are...they just took this seemingly self-defeating attitude that whatever their latest album was isn't as good as Rumours because "nobody wants to hear new songs"...didn't stop them from playing all but one song of the album 5 months after its release. If they'd done that with their subsequent albums, maybe those albums would be looked at in a better light.

So, yeah, I know EXACTLY what this guy's talking about and I agree with about 90% of what he's saying.

[skcin]

I wouldn't say it's disappointing. Definitely overplayed. Overhyped as their best album when most of us here don't agree.

[Angel69]

Lets face it Rumours is, was and always will be a classic. You could love it. You may hate it. You could give a rats ass about it. Nothing will ever negate the fact that it is, was and always will be a classic. Nothing will ever change it's place or significance in the history of pop music.

Personally I love it and I have been a fan for 32 years. Is It my favorite? Hmmm dont know. It does contain my favorite song by anyone ever, that being GYOW. Is it overplayed? Yes, by the band and classic, rock and oldies stations. So what. The only control we have is to change the station or not attend a Fleetwood Mac performance, neither of which I intend to do.

[fleetwood_az]

I think the hype around Rumours eventually overtook the album, but there's no doubt it is a great album, with some well written pop rock songs on there. I think the only down side to Rumours being as successful as it was, it makes people forget their other great albums, such as Tusk, Tango etc.

Definitely agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's just a shame this guys unknown hatred of Stevie seems to have warped his slightly.

[Gazza]

I've never understood the "overplayed" argument. I can understand someone hearing enough of one song or an album, but the idea that a radio station or a band constantly playing a particular song or songs from a particular album somehow devalues the song/album is nonsensical. I've had this argument with people who will say things like "Layla is overplayed". It may well be that you've heard it so often it doesn't inspire the same thing in you it did when you first heard it, but objectively it's still a great song. And Rumours is still imo, Fleetwood Mac's best album.

The problem is, it's like the child that gets all the praise. People resent it. But that's more to do with the childishness of the listener imo.

I also think when it comes to the critics, they do seem to be of this mentality that "If you're rich you only have yourself to blame". Weird pseudo-leftist types. And British critics are particularly snobbish about Americans and that West Coast scene. Especially after Fleetwood Mac had had some success as a British Blues band.

[Ench]

Originally Posted by Gazza

I've never understood the "overplayed" argument. I can understand someone hearing enough of one song or an album, but the idea that a radio station or a band constantly playing a particular song or songs from a particular album somehow devalues the song/album is nonsensical. I've had this argument with people who will say things like "Layla is overplayed". It may well be that you've heard it so often it doesn't inspire the same thing in you it did when you first heard it, but objectively it's still a great song. And Rumours is still imo, Fleetwood Mac's best album.

Some music can be boring because it's poorly written, executed, or simply uninspiring. But overplaying even great music can make it boring and uninspiring too. So I believe that overplaying can devalue an album.

[David]

Originally Posted by Gazza

And Rumours is still imo, Fleetwood Mac's best album.

I think so too.

And British critics are particularly snobbish about Americans and that West Coast scene. Especially after Fleetwood Mac had had some success as a British Blues band.

Yes. The British critics were particularly harsh on & uninterested in Fleetwood Mac in the late '70s. The British teenagers, too, weren't as keen about RUMOURS as we American teens were.

[Peestie]

Originally Posted by David

Yes. The British critics were particularly harsh on & uninterested in Fleetwood Mac in the late '70s. The British teenagers, too, weren't as keen about RUMOURS as we American teens were.

Really? Or sarcasm? I wasn't around at the time but all the stories I've heard from my parents say that you couldn't go to a party here without being sure that Rumours would be played and that it would be played every day in their sixth form centre. Could have been the microcosm they lived in, I guess.

[David]

Originally Posted by Peestie

Really? Or sarcasm? I wasn't around at the time but all the stories I've heard from my parents say that you couldn't go to a party here without being sure that Rumours would be played and that it would be played every day in their sixth form centre.

Read my post again.

[gretchen]

Whitman doesn't know his ass from his elbow!

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by chiliD

So, yeah, I know EXACTLY what this guy's talking about and I agree with about 90% of what he's saying.

Not so sure about that. Chili D has always told his opinion about Rumours and that lineup, and he detailed his reasons. Maybe some of us not agree at all, but his argument are very respectful.
But critics sometimes just easily kill a work because of popularity. And their reasons are not so strong, or at least they don't explain well. Yes I agree, popularity kills. But it shouldn't. Yes I got tired and SICK of the Bee Gees Saturday Nigh Fever songs. But, should I hate Bee Gees? Not at all! I think they were one of the greatest bands.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Villavic

But critics sometimes just easily kill a work because of popularity.

I was just reading an article on musical contrarians that made that point, saying that they just like to oppose the popular for opposition's sake. In fact, it mentioned FM.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monitormix/...contraire.html

Contrarians get even more infuriating when it comes to members of legendary bands, often claiming that the "genius" title has been misapplied. They'll tell you that the Buzzcocks were superior with Howard Devoto as their singer, and that Pink Floyd was at their peak with Syd Barrett. But were they? Was Fleetwood Mac actually more awesome before Stevie Nicks? Is Son Volt really a better offshoot of Uncle Tupelo than Wilco?

[Bumperke]

Originally Posted by chiliD

"Popularity kills". Simple as that.

32 years ago (almost to the day) when Rumours came out, I liked it. By December 1977, I couldn't stand it...and that has remained to this day. Overkill, overkill, overkill...32 years of Rumours overkill. Had Fleetwood Mac been a SMART band, they would've just treated Rumours like any other album they'd recorded. But, no, they get this idea that everybody STILL wants to hear those songs...sure a few of them, in rotation, but not a MAJORITY of the album every concert...not a re-release every few years. They've made many other albums than Rumours most of them even BETTER musically, some prior, some later...just because an album doesn't sell 20 million copies doesn't mean its a crap album (think Lindsey's OotC)...AND, they're not giving themselves the benefit of the doubt regarding whatever their latest works are...they just took this seemingly self-defeating attitude that whatever their latest album was isn't as good as Rumours because "nobody wants to hear new songs"...didn't stop them from playing all but one song of the album 5 months after its release. If they'd done that with their subsequent albums, maybe those albums would be looked at in a better light.

So, yeah, I know EXACTLY what this guy's talking about and I agree with about 90% of what he's saying.

Actually, you do have a point,

Will

[PoetofRhiannon]

And who cares what he has to say?
Why do we want to read what he writes?
What makes his opinion so special that we have to read it and take it to heart?

He's just another person with another opinion.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by PoetofRhiannon

And who cares what he has to say?
Why do we want to read what he writes?
What makes his opinion so special that we have to read it and take it to heart?

He's just another person with another opinion.

it was posted because it relates to the band. there's nothing wrong with discussing it. nothing should be discarded merely because it doesn't exalt FM.