Behind The Mask Turns 35 Today (April 9)

[WalkAThinLine.]

Originally Posted by moon

Hi hi! Behind The Mask is one of my fav albums at the moment, as I started to listen more deeply in the lockdown, also with Time.
What can I say! I'm only one year older than it, and when I listen to some songs I find myself travelling in time to 1990, with strange hairdos and stuff...

It's not a bad album (except for The Second Time and that unnecessary long intro of In The Back Of My Mind)!! It has good highlights, of course we can discuss which ones!

I'm still waiting for a deluxe edition, but as you can see, no matter how many years the album is turning, there are still "other" priorities...How many songs can you name to make a great and valid three disc edition??

Happy Birthday, Behind The Mask!

The long intro of "In the Back of My Mind" marks one of the few uses of Mick's drum vest on a Fleetwood Mac studio recording. He may have also used it on "These Strange Times", but I cannot confirm.

Most of the songs on Behind the Mask were written by Billy and Christine, who at the time were the strongest songwriters of the band. The songwriting is fine on the album and the production is serviceable but a little bland at times, with the exception of the title track and the intro to "In the Back of My Mind". The album could have benefited from gutsier production, perhaps from someone like Patrick Leonard, who produced "Love Shines". I'm curious if to what extent the album would have been enhanced with the presence of Lindsey on the rest of the album. Perhaps it would be held in slightly higher regard, particularly if it meant that some of his Out of the Cradle songs were carried over to Behind the Mask and developed by the rest of Fleetwood Mac. Songs like "This is the Time" and "Say We Would Meet Again" would have benefited from some live drums from Mick.