We're always discussing favs... so look at the ugly!

[louielouie2000]

I just posted a variation of this on the Stevie board. It seems we're always talking about favorites, the best of the best, what speaks to our hearts, etc. So let's dish some dirt now instead! What's the worst Mac album to you, and why? I say we should include any album from 1975-present, including Behind the Mask and Time.

To me, the title, tiara, and bouquet go to Mirage. The whole heaping mess just seems like an afterthought, filler, and half hearted. Lindsey's songs are all abominations, sans Eyes Of The World. The whole '50s pop throwback theme he was going for was just gross, and unimaginative. I realize he probably did it as a way to protest the band members wanting to go back to a more pop-commercial sound. Stevie's nod to country western, That's Alright, has no place on a Mac album. The only person who has consistently good material on this album is Christine.

It's not all bad though. Stevie's songs Straight Back and Gypsy were the last really great Mac songs she ever recorded. Christine's material is predictably good, with Hold Me being one of my favorite Mac tunes of all time. It just makes me smile hugely, and ALWAYS puts me in the best mood when I hear it on the radio. As a whole though, the album just comes across as flat and soulless to me though.

[LikeAMagnet]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I just posted a variation of this on the Stevie board. It seems we're always talking about favorites, the best of the best, what speaks to our hearts, etc. So let's dish some dirt now instead! What's the worst Mac album to you, and why? I say we should include any album from 1975-present, including Behind the Mask and Time.

To me, the title, tiara, and bouquet go to Mirage. The whole heaping mess just seems like an afterthought, filler, and half hearted. Lindsey's songs are all abominations, sans Eyes Of The World. The whole '50s pop throwback theme he was going for was just gross, and unimaginative. I realize he probably did it as a way to protest the band members wanting to go back to a more pop-commercial sound. Stevie's nod to country western, That's Alright, has no place on a Mac album. The only person who has consistently good material on this album is Christine.

It's not all bad though. Stevie's songs Straight Back and Gypsy were the last really great Mac songs she ever recorded. Christine's material is predictably good, with Hold Me being one of my favorite Mac tunes of all time. It just makes me smile hugely, and ALWAYS puts me in the best mood when I hear it on the radio. As a whole though, the album just comes across as flat and soulless to me though.

Two words to back up that entire arguement:

Oh Diane..

What in the name of Lucifer was he thinking? It's the worst song ever. Not just the worst Fleetwood Mac song.. but EVER. Everynow and again I contemplate erasing it off itunes so it won't come on when shuffle is on.. only that I'm completely OCD and have to have the entire album it'd be gone in a flash. Mess of a song.

Oh, and the only reason Eyes Of The World is so good is cos of the Pachelbel intro!

[TrueFaith77]

I like "Oh Diane."

Though Mirage would not be my choice for worst post-75 Mac album, I think it marked the end of the Mac as a unified force in their albums. Each individual song on Mirage is actually quite lovely (by all three artists), but I don't hear them communicating to each other or even really complimenting each other the way they do on Rumours -- which has a narrative -- and Tusk -- in which the intertwined/alternating voices are united by a shared artistic impulse, amounting to a social vision. The songs on Mirage seem connected only if you follow the abstract theme suggested by the album's title. Still, Lindsey's attempts to understand both his desires and his musical heritage (the language that allows him to articulate his desires) on tracks like "Oh Diane" and "Can't Go Back" are interesting, pretty, touching, and... catchy. His voice sounds great too.

("Talkin' bout Diane...")

[TheWILDheart]

Originally Posted by LikeAMagnet

Oh, and the only reason Eyes Of The World is so good is cos of the Pachelbel intro!

I really don't like Eyes Of The World on the album, but I do enjoy it live. Can't stand Oh Diane at all. But for me, worse albums are...

pre-75: The first 2 - Fleetwood Mac & Mr. Wonderful. Don't like them at all. Having said that, I'm not a blues fan.
Rumours lineup - Tango In The Night. Some great songs, but in general I didn't like it. Stevie's absence was obvious, Lindsey's unhappiness and desire to break out was obvious, which left Christine and the boys to carry the album. She did it well as all her songs were fantastic. But Fleetwood Mac has never been about 1 person.
Post-Rumours: Time. Never felt like a Fleetwood Mac album

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I say we should include any album from 1975-present, including Behind the Mask and Time.

I think it's hard if we compare different lineups, but since you asked for it, I'd say I never listen the TIME album, so that's my choice.

[BellaDonna93]

For me it's Behind The Mask because it isn't Fleetwood Mac, the real Fleetwood Mac, because of that Lindsey left...so yeah, Behind The Mask.

[holidayroad]

I love Lindsey, but I hate "Save Me A Place" from Tusk. It has okay lyrics but that's it! As for "Oh Diane", I've always liked it!

[LikeAMagnet]

Originally Posted by holidayroad

I love Lindsey, but I hate "Save Me A Place" from Tusk. It has okay lyrics but that's it! As for "Oh Diane", I've always liked it!

..

wh..whyyyyy???

[holidayroad]

Originally Posted by LikeAMagnet

..

wh..whyyyyy???

It's too slow and sounds out of tune to me. I have always felt that song had zero effort put into it musically. Lyrics are fine though.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by holidayroad

It's too slow and sounds out of tune to me. I have always felt that song had zero effort put into it musically. Lyrics are fine though.

I much prefer the earlier renditions of this song heard on the Tusk Documentary. It was quicker, and in tune.

[AncientQueen]

I have always disliked "Tango in the night". Even when it came out I found the sound dated. I like some of the songs, but most of them bore me to death. Stevie never had a weaker outing, every song of her is subpar. Worst song on the album is "Mystified" who happens to be the worst song ever by any incarnation of FM.

I also came to hate "Little Lies" with a passion, it still pops up in elevators, shopping centers and in other random places - they did so much better, so why is this borefest their signature song? It is not that the song is bad, the overly polished, heavily overproduced final product grates on my nerves. Same for "Everywhere", the early Christine demo is just fine, then Lindsey produced it to death (and seemed to want a thank you for doing that, oh the irony).

Well, not all is bad - "Isn't it midnight" is a good song, once you hear it on the box set with the more jazzy background, you'll start liking it. The live version of "Big Love" is a fantastic song, so under all the jiggle jaggle and harmonies lies some substance. And - "Seven Wonders" had a beautiful video, at least for the 80's standard.

I would really like to be more positive, but from first listen there has always been that "What were they thinking" element about this album for me.

[vivfox]

I played the Time album twice and hated all of it. From Tango, Oh Diane and Only Over You make me barf.

Eva cassidy sings Songbird way better than Christine and while I'm on the subject of Chris: when she wasn't looking Dennis should have thrown the master of Never make Me Cry off the sailboat. And when Lindsey wasn't in the studio Stevie should have burned the master of Not That Funny. The band should have refused to let Lindsey sing Not That Funny live for longer than 3 minutes. And when Stevie was antique shopping Lindsey should have taken the master tape of Welcome To The Room Sara and hid it under the console next to his copy of Bella Donna.

[AncientQueen]

Originally Posted by vivfox

I played the Time album twice and hated all of it. From Tango, Oh Diane and Only Over You make me barf. Eva cassidy sings Songbird way better than Christine and while I'm on the subject of Chris: when she wasn't looking Dennis should have thrown the master of Never make Me Cry off the sailboat. And when Lindsey wasn't in the studio Stevie should have burned the master of Not That Funny. The band should have refused to let Lindsey sing Not That Funny live for longer than 3 minutes. And when Stevie was antique shopping Lindsey should have taken the master tape of Welcome To The Room Sara and hid it under the console next to his copy of Bella Donna.

LOL! I agree on all points.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by BellaDonna93

For me it's Behind The Mask because it isn't Fleetwood Mac, the real Fleetwood Mac, because of that Lindsey left...so yeah, Behind The Mask.

The REAL Fleetwood Mac is: Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood

So don't EVEN THINK about Fleetwood Mac not being "Fleetwood Mac" because there was no Lindsey Buckingham!

The only "bogus" Fleetwood Mac was the one that attempted to finish out the Mystery To Me tour. Everything else is legitimate, Buckingham or no Buckingham.

Originally Posted by vivfox

I played the Time album twice and hated all of it. From Tango, Oh Diane and Only Over You make me barf.

Um...you mean "Oh Diane" & "Only Over You" from MIRAGE and not TANGO, right? Helps to know what album you're listening when you're rating the songs; adds credibility to your opinions.



The list of Fleetwood Mac "stinkers" (in chronological order from oldest to newest):

When You Say
(I'm A) Roadrunner
Not That Funny (studio version)
Oh Diane
Welcome To The Room...Sara
The Second Time
Running Through The Garden
Silver Girl

To me, that's about it. In 40+ years and all the songs they've released, that's a pretty good percentage of decent material to only have 8 "stinkers" in the bunch.

[LikeAMagnet]

Originally Posted by chiliD

The REAL Fleetwood Mac is: Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood

So don't EVEN THINK about Fleetwood Mac not being "Fleetwood Mac" because there was no Lindsey Buckingham!

The REAL Fleetwood Mac?? The REAL Fleetwood Mac is the Fleetwood Mac lineup that appeals to a person individually..
My own personal REAL Fleetwood Mac is the Rumours lineup..
Some others might consider the SYW lineup to be the REAL Fleetwood Mac.. its a subjective term really isn't it?

Surely your REAL Fleetwood Mac mightn't be others REAL Fleetwood Mac.

I do agree though, saying its not Fleetwood Mac due to the absence of one band member is, you can dress it up as much as you like but basically, ignorance..