The Fearful Genius of Lindsey Buckingham

[michelej1]

I Walk A Thin Line: The Fearful Genius of Lindsey Buckinghamby David Zahl on Sep 15, 2011 • 10:15 am Mockingbird
http://www.mbird.com/2011/09/i-walk-...ey-buckingham/

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during the initial brainstorming sessions for Saturday Night Live’s “What’s Up With That?” skit. It may not be their most clever bit of all-time – in fact, it’s a rather irritating choice for a running sketch – but the idea of having Lindsey Buckingham serve as a silent foil to Keenan Thompson’s Deandre Cole almost makes up for the increasingly unfunny premise. Bill Hader plays Buckingham with an aloof smirk, and it’s a hilarious juxtaposition. Most of all, though, it’s gratifying to see some limelight cast Buckingham’s way, even it’s the left-field variety.

Lindsey, of course, came to fame via his role in Fleetwood Mac in the late 70s/early 80s and his much-publicized relationship with Stevie Nicks (who, you may be surprised to learn, he met during high school at – get this! – a Young Life event). On stage he played the role of guitar hero and male counterpoint; in the studio he pretty much masterminded their blockbuster albums, converting the songs of the band’s other two songwriters (Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie) into bigger hits than any of his own, “Go Your Own Way” notwithstanding. A card-carrying Brian Wilson-obsessive, Buckingham was responsible for the Mac sound, AKA the sonic backdrop of late-70s California boomer hedonism.

Anyone who has listened to Lindsey closely knows how ironic his reputation was/is. He may have played a laid-back bohemian on TV, but the guy was the least mellow thing to come out of the California music scene since Frank Zappa. There was nothing feel-good about his pinched tenor or the anguish it frequently conveyed. In fact, his banner tune on Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1975 record, his first with the band, was the paranoid tour-de-force known as “I’m So Afraid.” The solo remains one of rock’s finest and most tortured (see below). The wider audience overlooked his simmering neuroticism, focusing instead on his role in the romantic musical chairs that was Rumours. Rumours, of course, was one of those Thriller-sized records that became a Law unto itself, a reality not lost on its architect.

What do you do for an encore? Lindsey was determined not to be painted into a corner. His response to the commercial and artistic expectation was a strange combination of fight and flight called Tusk.

Considered by many (myself included), to be the Mac’s masterpiece, Tusk marked the apogee of coked-out West Coast culture, an overblown and under-selling collection that sounds very little like what came before or since. Lindsey’s tunes stuck out immediately. They’re almost all warped cries from the heart with thudding percussion and vocals that were yelped as much as sung. “Not That Funny” and “The Ledge” were unhinged reminders of the pain fueling the debauchery, while “Save Me a Place” was as affecting a love song (and plea for deliverance) as one is likely to find, anywhere. “That’s All For Everyone” makes the spiritual exhaustion painfully explicit, while “I Walk a Thin Line” finds Lindsey channeling his alienation and confusion into one of the best tunes Brian Wilson never wrote. And then there’s the well-known title track, which is one of the oddest songs ever to climb the US charts, a superbly intense psycho-sexual nightmare. Tusk was the sound of a man half-addled/half-energized by the Law, firmly in the grip of various (self-)medications, yet somehow fearless about his fearfulness.

Lindsey has gone on record about the edict he received from the band after Tusk flopped: dial it back, man. A command which naturally prompted a solo career. Over the next 25 years, in addition to his off-and-on-again relationship with the Mac, he put out three records under his own name, and they’re all gloriously eccentric affairs. The first, Law and Order, is probably the most consistent, while the second, Go Insane, contains what might be the best rock and roll eulogy ever put to tape (“D.W. Suite” about the Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson). The third, Out of the Cradle, he recorded after leaving Fleetwood Mac briefly in the late 80s and it took him five years – he was out to prove himself on his own, i.e. under heavy Law. It failed to find much of an audience, and listening to it now, as blissed-out and perfectionistically poppy as it is in places, one can certainly see why. Without Nicks and McVie to balance him, his talents were simply too jagged and arty. As a result, perhaps, he didn’t make much noise for the next decade or so.

Which brings us to the present, and what inspired this post. Last week I wrote about Glen Campbell’s last-minute renaissance. Lindsey, too, has experienced a significant second wind in his older age, quietly releasing three excellent records over the past five years: the largely acoustic Under The Skin, the more electric Emily Dickinson-inspired Gift Of Screws and the genuinely auteurish Seeds We Sow, which came out last week. He attributes the renewed creativity/productivity to being happier in his personal life, and well-loved by his family. We might say that because his “main gig” with Fleetwood Mac is again carrying the lion’s share of expectations, his solo career has become the place where, by definition, he is free to operate independent of those pressures – at least the external ones. Whatever the impetus, these three records constitute a stunning body of work.

At this point Lindsey sounds like no one else, not even Fleetwood Mac. He’s making significantly artier and more interesting music than most of those that commonly get the credit for being “cutting edge” (though, truth be told, if you were to take a poll of indie bands, most of them would be hip to what he’s up to – Lindsey’s become something of a cult hero in recent years).

He has pioneered an astounding, accelerated style of acoustic guitar playing that combines classical, nylon elements and folk finger-picking patterns with what can only be called synthesizer-like spikes, over which he whisper-shouts his nervy lyrics. It’s more beautiful than it sounds – just listen to “Stars Are Crazy” or, for an idea of the guitar virtuosity, any recent performance of the legendary “Big Love.” Meanwhile, his louder songs continue to explore his obsession with the three-minute pop single, filtered through his angular melodic sensibility and done up with consistently inventive arrangements and his trademark man-on-the-verge vocals. Some of Lindsey’s finest moments come when he integrates the two approaches and allows a finger-picked verse to collide with an explosive chorus, as on Seeds We Sow‘s “That’s the Way Love Goes” (not a Janet Jackson cover). He’s also revealed a curious affinity for Between The Buttons-era Rolling Stones, covering two of that album’s songs (“I Am Waiting” and “She Smiled Sweetly”).

Buckingham has always been more of a music guy than a “lyrics man,” but his themes remain his own; there’s a lot of riffing on the subconscious (words like “underground” abound), mortality (“time” is another recurring word), madness, and the cruelty of desire. Despite his quiet and even serene demeanor in interviews, Lindsey is clearly no stranger to the darker side of the human psyche, his own most of all. There’s a moral vision at work here, the parameters of which may be a little fuzzy, but the chief undercurrent of which has to do with owning up to the consequences of one’s actions. In “Wait For You,” off Gift of Screws, he even alludes to something universal:

Tarantula passes by the window/ No one takes it as a sign
No one cares which way the wind blows/ Someone’s got to change your mind
Every bone has been broken/ Rumors all lost at sea
Every word every language has been spoken/ Someone’s got to set you free…

Someone’s going to have to pay the price
Someone’s got to change your mind
I’m going to wait for you

As far as uplift, there’s not an overabundance of it, beyond the obvious fact that Lindsey sounds rejuvenated to the point of rebirth. So higher powers are noticeably absent from the proceedings – unless, of course, you consider the freedom he’s experiencing, which does not appear to be freedom from pain/darkness, but freedom for and through it. Lindsey even makes some arresting observations along these lines on the stunning single from Gift of Screws, “Love Runs Deeper”: Love runs deeper from the underground/Love runs deeper from a broken home. It’s certainly proving true in his own story. Love pouring out of him in direct proportion to the, um, troubles of the past – what’s up with that?

[TrueFaith77]

THAT I liked! Perfect description of his sound as well.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

THAT I liked! Perfect description of his sound as well.

Exactly. THAT was an excellent read and some spot on descriptions. Accept the sellingfigures of Tusk; which I still think is pretty annoying...it sold millions. But he's forgiven, this is an awesome article.

[michelej1]

I loved what he said about most indie artists probably being aware of what Lindsey is up to, truth be told.

I'd like to think that's so.

Michele

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I loved what he said about most indie artists probably being aware of what Lindsey is up to, truth be told.

I'd like to think that's so.

Michele

It's a wonder their music isn't better...

[Nico]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

It's a wonder their music isn't better...

There was some indie band that based their music on LB's Tusk songs and I'm trying to remember what they were called. Anyway, they raved about his inspiration.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by Nico

There was some indie band that based their music on LB's Tusk songs and I'm trying to remember what they were called. Anyway, they raved about his inspiration.

Dig deeper Nico! I want to know which band you're referring to!!

[Silver Springs]

What an eloquent and thoughtful article. I've often myself tried, and innumerably failed in my attempts to poignantly discuss Lindsey as an artist, and his effect on myself there to. And yet I never quite manage to get beyond the crust of the man's being. I almost feel like less of a "true fan" for not being able to discuss him so intelligently. But then again, alot of the time I'm so wrapped up in the listening that I just don't have enough time for the conveying. Maybe it's one thing in common with Lindsey that we seem to share a self deprecating nature, and refuse to settle for less than perfection in what we strive to achieve.

Just a question, though. What is a "Young Life" event? Obviously we don't have those over here, or I would know haha.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Dig deeper Nico! I want to know which band you're referring to!!

Oh, I just thought it was Camper Van Beethoven. If it was someone else, then I want to know too.

Michele

[Nico]

Ok, I am on a mission now to find that interview. I don't know how I will be able to, as I never saved it, but I will try my best to present it to you all. I recall when I found it I did a Lindsey Google search and clicked "news" and it just happened to be that that band was being interviewed and mentioned it. Give me some time...

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by Nico

Ok, I am on a mission now to find that interview. I don't know how I will be able to, as I never saved it, but I will try my best to present it to you all. I recall when I found it I did a Lindsey Google search and clicked "news" and it just happened to be that that band was being interviewed and mentioned it. Give me some time...

Take your time....



But Hurry up!

[Silver Springs]

Originally Posted by Nico

Ok, I am on a mission now to find that interview. I don't know how I will be able to, as I never saved it, but I will try my best to present it to you all. I recall when I found it I did a Lindsey Google search and clicked "news" and it just happened to be that that band was being interviewed and mentioned it. Give me some time...

[michelej1]

[Since I was thinking of Camper in this thread, I'll put this right here

Excerpt from a Guardian article about covers:

Peter Paphides guardian.co.uk, Thursday 8 September 2011 18.00 EDT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011...paul-mccartney

In their way, that's also what Camper Van Beethoven – best known for their 1986 indie hit Take the Skinheads Bowling – were doing when they gave themselves four days to rerecord Fleetwood Mac's monolithic 1979 double album Tusk. "People have come around to Tusk," says Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery. "Certainly, this was not a record that any hipster would have touched when we decided to remake it." Nevertheless, following a 10-year hiatus (in which Lowery achieved mainstream success with Cracker), the newly reformed group zealously set about the challenge in 2002. "In part, we were inspired by Pussy Galore and their 1986 recreation of Exile On Main Street. I love it, even if some songs kind of fall apart halfway through."

Conscious that this was a bizarre way to herald their return, Camper Van Beethoven constructed an implausible backstory to go with their Tusk. "We said that we had originally made it in a four-track recorder in 1987, whilst we were trapped in the snow in a mountain cabin. None of that was true, but the way we actually recorded it was consistent with the story. For instance, we used a 1987 Drumulator machine because, like in the story, our drummer supposedly broke his arm." The best thing about CVB's Tusk is the way it exaggerates the extremes of the original. The barely suppressed mania of Lindsey Buckingham's performance on Not That Funny is supersized; coming in just shy of 10 minutes, the title track makes room for a psychedelic melange of nightmarish varispeeded crashes and chants. In this environment of high-speed problem solving, CVB even manage to salvage something of value out from the witchy platitudes of Stevie Nicks's Sisters of the Moon. "Nobody wanted to do that one," recalls Lowery. "That's why we got the computer to sing it."

[elle]

Originally Posted by michelej1

[Since I was thinking of Camper in this thread, I'll put this right here

Excerpt from a Guardian article about covers:

Peter Paphides guardian.co.uk, Thursday 8 September 2011 18.00 EDT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011...paul-mccartney

In their way, that's also what Camper Van Beethoven – best known for their 1986 indie hit Take the Skinheads Bowling – were doing when they gave themselves four days to rerecord Fleetwood Mac's monolithic 1979 double album Tusk. "People have come around to Tusk," says Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery. "Certainly, this was not a record that any hipster would have touched when we decided to remake it." Nevertheless, following a 10-year hiatus (in which Lowery achieved mainstream success with Cracker), the newly reformed group zealously set about the challenge in 2002. "In part, we were inspired by Pussy Galore and their 1986 recreation of Exile On Main Street. I love it, even if some songs kind of fall apart halfway through."

Conscious that this was a bizarre way to herald their return, Camper Van Beethoven constructed an implausible backstory to go with their Tusk. "We said that we had originally made it in a four-track recorder in 1987, whilst we were trapped in the snow in a mountain cabin. None of that was true, but the way we actually recorded it was consistent with the story. For instance, we used a 1987 Drumulator machine because, like in the story, our drummer supposedly broke his arm." The best thing about CVB's Tusk is the way it exaggerates the extremes of the original. The barely suppressed mania of Lindsey Buckingham's performance on Not That Funny is supersized; coming in just shy of 10 minutes, the title track makes room for a psychedelic melange of nightmarish varispeeded crashes and chants. In this environment of high-speed problem solving, CVB even manage to salvage something of value out from the witchy platitudes of Stevie Nicks's Sisters of the Moon. "Nobody wanted to do that one," recalls Lowery. "That's why we got the computer to sing it."

Lowery is interesting guy, can write really well and he weaves some good stories.

however, i wouldn't necessarily believe everything he says - have a first hand experience that he can be full of it: in his ongoing blog, he lambasted as highly unprofessional some band that left the stage b/c somebody from the audience threw a can (i think, can't remember now) on the stage. meanwhile, i saw Cracker some time close to their peak in the 90s, they were a headliner at some open air summer festival in atlanta and guess what happened? they went on, and after maybe couple of songs somebody threw something on the stage (can? plastic cup? again - don't remember anymore...). Lowery made a huge scene and left the stage highly offended - cracker's performance was over!

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by michelej1

I loved what he said about most indie artists probably being aware of what Lindsey is up to, truth be told.

I'd like to think that's so.

Michele

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

It's a wonder their music isn't better...

I'm pretty big into indie music and you can hear Lindsey's influence pretty heavily on many current indie artists. I've noticed especially those who hail from the incredibly creatively rife Brooklyn music scene utilize flavors of Lindsey from past and present. One who comes to mind immediately is Joseph Arthur, an indie artist I've followed for over 10 years now. Lindsey is obviously way bigger of a catalyst for these more underground artists than any of them are letting on.

Anyway- it's good to hear this article point out what I've said for several years now- Lindsey most certainly has respect & influence among many incredibly talented new indie artists/bands.