Rank the 5 from the 5.

[He's So Unusual]

Tusk
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Tango in the Night
Mirage

[sanders8323]

1. Tusk: in first place for the diversity and artistic vision of Mr. Buckingham. You can point out new things every time you give it a listen and there's so much to enjoy!
2. Rumours: a perfect album with a seemless flow. You can feel the emotions and tension in a lot of the songs
3. Fleetwood Mac: a very solid album, but some songs don't realize their full potential
4. Mirage: disagree with the earlier comment about each artist's songs sounding fine on their own, but not fitting well the others'. On the contrary, I think this album sounds very cohesive and really sounds like a "band" album. It also flows very well. As a whole, the album does feel a bit uninspired, but the warm sound gives it a distinct charm.
5: Tango in the Night: several strong songs here, but some weak ones as well, which drag it down. Also the production makes it sound dated, while the other four albums have stood the test of time very well. Still a satisfying listen overall.

[nicole21290]

Originally Posted by elle

wow!! nice to see all this love for Tusk! every time i see someone choose Tusk i'm curious about their opinion of SYW?

i know i'm repeating myself, but it always fascinates me how much love there seems to be in FM community for Tusk while at the same time so much hate for SYW, which in my mind (as well as some rock critics' i've heard) is in so many ways a very similar album.

for me it's:
Tusk>>>Rumours>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>FM/Mirage/Tango

Well, seeing as my lineup too is:
Tusk
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Mirage
TITN...

I LOVE Say You Will. I think it's underrated and think it's mostly very high quality and consistent to my ears. I love the variety of tone and style on it, and I don't miss Christine's presence or songs, though I know many do.

[jwd]

Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Tango in the Night
Tusk
Mirage

[Wdm6789]

Mirage
Tusk
Rumours
Tango
Fleetwood Mac

[Montclare]

1/2. Tusk and Rumours- Flat out impossible to choose between them. My three favorite FM songs are on Rumours, but that doesn't automatically put it above Tusk. Other than the music, I love Tusk for the experience and experiment that it was.

3. Fleetwood Mac- Love most of the songs, except for Warm Ways and Sugar Daddy. Good beginning for I'm So Afraid, but not nearly as good as what it would become.

4. Mirage- half good, half not so good. I have come to appreciate it more however.

5. Tango in the Night- not an 80s fan, and this is as 80s as it gets.

[lovethemac1]

Actually, they are all amazing in their own individual way. I love each of them for different reasons, things they remind me of at that time in my life, songs that are unique and addictive. Just so hard to do this ranking, darn, way to keep me up late on a Sunday night..................just trying to figure this out.................................

Rumours-Fleetwood Mac Tie
Tango in the Night
Tusk-Mirage Tie

[secret love]

1. Tusk
2. Rumours
3. Tango in the Night
4. The White Album
5. Mirage

[FuzzyPlum]

1) Rumours (Absolute brilliance but sometimes this is easy to forget due to over-familiarity)
2) Tango In The Night (Yes it sounds very 1980's- but the 80's had great music. Stevie's weakest)
3) Tusk (wish Lindsey's songs were a bit more convensionally produced)
4) Fleetwood Mac (massively under-rated. On another day could be higher)
5) Mirage (the most dated and most lightweight album. Lindsey's weakest)

[Macfan4life]

I noticed that there is not a lot of love for Mirage. Some of you guys need to dig out that CD and listen
I remember the Rolling Stone review that said it was the type of album to put on during a romantic dinner over looking the sunset with a bottle of wine.

I really like the album for many reasons. I LOVE the harmonies on Love In Store. Stevie's voice is the strongest and best of any of the Mac albums. She came off Bella Donna where her voice was more raw but it got better for Mirage. I also think the writing was excellent. The classic Gypsy and That's Alright was an oldie written by Stevie that could be a full country song. But Straight Back is one of my all time favorite Mac songs. The drums rock, I love Chris's keyboards and Lindsey's guitar. The song rocks and Stevie's voice is so powerful yelling Straight Back, Straight Back! It also features Chris backing Stevie vocally which is rare but a real treat. Chris has the ultimate hit Hold Me that flows together as the perfect song especially Lindsey's guitar solo. Chris's Only Over You and Wish You Were Here give me goose bumps. Lindsey has some quirky songs but his Cant Go Back and Diane, and Eyes of the World are very good. Love early 80's rock. No computer programming, drum machines yet. It got good reviews but also got slammed by some critics for being too soft rock.
It also features my favorite Mac album cover. Mirage holds up all these years!
I also think the short Mirage tour was the best set list and best tour of the Mac. They sounded the best. I think Stevie and Christine were the most beautiful during this era too.

[moon]

1) Mirage
2) Tusk
3) Fleetwood Mac
4) Tango In The Night
5) Rumours

[KenB]

1. Tusk - A masterpiece that shows off the distinct personalities of the three writers.

2. Rumours - Their best, most timeless work as a rock band.

3. Mirage - Their best work as a pop / adult contemporary band. Criminally underrated. Lindsey's best production of Stevie and Christine's songs.

4. Fleetwood Mac - A classic, but today sounds a bit low in energy. Definitely hinted at the magic that was to come later, though.

5.Tango in the Night - Could have been another Rumours had it not been produced with such an ear for "today's" (at the time) sound. I loved it at the time but it's aged terribly, with the excption of Little Lies. My biggest fear is that the new album will end up like this, in that they'll try too hard to sound "contemporary" and sacrifice all timelessness in the process. Hope not.

[bethelblues]

1. Rumours -- This is pretty much a perfect album, even without Silver Springs. Autobiographical, personal, emotional, raw...the differences of how people cope. The tracking, the quality of the songs, how everything comes together and supports one concept. This is the work of one band, working together at the top of their game. Edit Note: Isn't it interesting that Gold Dust Woman has now become Stevie's showstopper, taking the place of Rhiannon and Sisters of the Moon? I think it's one of her very best songs, and a perfect end to this album. You Make Loving Fun is a marvel or production, and Go Your Own Way, a perfect rock anthem.
Best Record: Dreams
Best Song: The Chain
Underrated: Oh Daddy

2. Tusk -- The most interesting Fleetwood Mac album, by far. So many rich and diverse songs here...not all are successful, and the album is a mess conceptually. I get the criticism that it sounds like three different solo artists. But that's also part of the fascination around Tusk and why it continues to stand out. Stevie's at the top of her game here, with five great songs. There was blowback, unfortunately, upon it's release. The shame is the band has never fully embraced this album, which would significantly bolster their legacy rather than reduce it to just Rumours Rumours Rumours. It's their version of the "White Album" (Beatles), though Chris calls FM FM the White Album.
Best Record: Beautiful Child
Best Song: Sara
Underrated: Brown Eyes

3. Fleetwood Mac -- This album isn't my favorite to listen to, since it's not as interesting as the others. There's no unifying idea behind the album. The classic songs provided on it, though, are unmistakable. Stevie and Lindsey really showed up, right away, and were ready for superstardom. I would put Tango ahead for listenability, though this is clearly a better album.
Best Record: Rhiannon
Best Song: Landslide
Underrated: Crystal

4. Tango in the Night -- Very interesting sonically, but also very dated. That's what happens when you embrace synths and a very 80s style. Still, it's more cohesive than Tusk, Fleetwood Mac, or Mirage. Thank God Christine showed up. Stevie's songs, for the first time, are a step down from the others. I get a kick out of how she got a songwriting credit for Seven Wonders..."yup, one word here, a change there, Woila!" Of course, there are examples of Lindsey coming up short in writing lyrics...still I really like the aural atmosphere he created and his guitar work.
Best Record: Little Lies
Best Song: Big Love
Underrated: Isn't It Midnight

5. Mirage -- This is the album I'm least familiar with. I just don't find it that interesting. Apparently, neither does Lindsey. Wish they kept forging forward from Tusk instead of taking this step back, but it was rough on Lindsey, how the band and the label turned on him. A few songs stand out as being exemplary, but there's a lot of filler.
Best Record: Gypsy
Best Song: Gypsy
Underrated: Love in Store

[Macfan4life]

I love this thread and everyone's opinions how diverse we all are... sort of like the Mac itself

Couple of interesting points. Tusk and Tango share one similar quality even though they could not be further apart in style and sound. Both really sort of were Lindsey's solo records within the Mac. I don't like Carolyne or Family Man on Tango. Complete Lindsey solo sounds at the time. Those songs sound like they are from Go Insane. Mick took a back seat yet again while Lindsey programmed the drum machines. Welcome to the Room Sara is a huge dud musically. It is nothing different than the demo. Big Love again is Lindsey technology with speeding up his grunt sounds to sound like a woman. But Tango does have some great songs on it. Tusk also is accused of being a Lindsey solo album with him wanting to record on his own and play all of his own instruments. But what makes Tusk great is it is so deep in writing and other material.
In some ways Mirage was the opposite of Tusk. It was a group effort again. During Tango Stevie was only there several days. In Mick's book he writes how Stevie flew off the wall about how little she contributed to the album and threatened to go to Rolling Stone to tell them. Christine and Stevie got into it and Christine told Stevie that she wanted her to be on background on Everywhere but she was no where to be found. So they had to add Stevie's background vocals on the song at the last minute.
That is why Mirage appeals to me. An entire group effort and yes Lindsey was on a leash but he still worked magic over creating some extremely classic Fleetwood Mac songs. Mick calls Mirage a bit more classic Fleetwood Mac. Gypsy is a perfect example. Hold me was the huge hit and was innovative with percussion. But everyone's vocals are all over Mirage unlike the other albums. Nothing dated on Mirage like Tango and it certainly was not a Lindsey solo album within the group.

[HomerMcvie]

1- Rumours -Face it, it's pop perfection, and the REASON they're still around. The album that changed my life forever.
2 - Tusk - yes, it's their most artistic statement, but if it weren't for Rumours, Tusk would have never seen the light of day.
3 - White Album - Very solid album, and you can feel that the lineup is finding their footing. Telegraphing what was to come.
4 - Mirage - Never got the respect it deserved. I love it.
5 - Tango - When the computers took over, they left a turd in the road, that sounds like a dated turd in the road. I like it, and love some of the songs, but it doesn't stand the test of time.