Gift of Screws Reviews

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by LukeA

Do you honestly believe that to be the primary reason why WBR is releasing GOS on vinyl? Seriously?

Why do you think they will do that? With a commercially uninteresting product of an artist with no commercial appeal? For frisbeeing? I don't know where I read it but someone from WBR said that they were blown away by the sonic quality of the masters that they chose to bring it out on highquality Vinyl. Because the masters deserved to be released in an uncompressed format. The MP3-generation is not the targetgroup for that product, would you believe?

Come on people, blow out your ears and listen with an open mind, open to unexpected sounds.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by ajmccarrell

Naw, it couldn't be that I'm a musician myself and his stuff is still using the metronome effects and the dorky percussion effects off of his portable DAW, could it?! I don't even listen to music radio anymore, so your comment isn't quite on point. There are just certain conventions that dictate a final track and he didn't complete all the normal steps. For one, drum machine and placeholder effects are usually stripped out. Not all of the tracks sound amateurish, but some on both GOS and UTS certainly do. The best examples are "UTS", "Show You How", "IWY", "Great Day" parts of "DYMM" and a few others. They are using digitized metronome effects and weird snaky reverbs that sound like a first-timer at home on his computer trying to record something.

I use those same phony percussion effects when laying a new track down, I just strip them and dub in drums instead, as does 99% of other people. The instrumentation should have been overdubbed over the goofy "tapping on the mic" drum effects, especially because the guy has four drummers that I can think of a phone call away. Tapping on the mic and using bad Commodore 64 effects and fairlights from the mid-80's isn't avante-gard, it sounds just plain amateurish at times, like on "Show You How" and on "Great Day". I know he's doing it on purpose, but I can't for the life of me figure out why he wants something to sound bad on purpose. I just see it as a missed opportunity. I just think of how much more kickass the song would have sounded with a real kit.

The fact that you're a musician is not interesting at all. You listen with ears of a guy that knows what a finished track is. Let me make one thing clear: a finished track is a track that is finished by the recording artist, and not by the standard of another one. Lindsey's music has always developped sonicly in weird directions. You must hate his Tusksongs too. Back then they were ranked as unfinished demo's. L&O??? Unfinished demo's. Go Insane? Unfinished Fairlightexperiments.OOTC? Unfinished demo's, because of the synthetic drums . UTS? Unfinished Demo's. And now again with GOS? If all musicians had that same mindset as yours, music would not have developped at all..

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

. . . Come on people, blow out your ears and listen with an open mind, open to unexpected sounds.

That is the great thing about LB. Like Stephen Sondheim, arguably the best and quirkiest musical writer and producer on Broadway, LB's music delights in placing a beautiful musical flourish in a mostly obscure place, making the listener search for it as opposed to putting it obviously up front

[TrueFaith77]

i find all these "neo-con" / "bush's war" interpretations to be ridiculous.

[ajmccarrell]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

The fact that you're a musician is not interesting at all. You listen with ears of a guy that knows what a finished track is. Let me make one thing clear: a finished track is a track that is finished by the recording artist, and not by the standard of another one. Lindsey's music has always developped sonicly in weird directions. You must hate his Tusksongs too. Back then they were ranked as unfinished demo's. L&O??? Unfinished demo's. Go Insane? Unfinished Fairlightexperiments.OOTC? Unfinished demo's, because of the synthetic drums . UTS? Unfinished Demo's. And now again with GOS? If all musicians had that same mindset as yours, music would not have developped at all..

There is a such thing as associations of recording engineers that set standards for things, so yes there is a such thing as a definition of a finished track. Otherwise, music colleges wouldn't waste their time teaching people how to engineer records, if it was all artistic expression. You're right, I do hate a lot of his songs from Tusk and virtually all of Law & Order. I loved OOTC and Go Insane. Both of those sounded like well developed well played albums. I like GOS very much, I just wouldn't call it finished. The difference between the drums on OOTC and on his last two albums is that the synth drums were supposed to and designed to be finish quality. The stuff he used on UTS and GOS is a metronome and also mic taps. There's a HUGE difference. As far as the last statement, you can't really say that.

[Nico]

So what's the deal with the vinyl thing? I was so excited to listen to it on the overpriced turntable I've used, like, 4 times at the most.

Guess it was too good to be true...

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

The fact that you're a musician is not interesting at all. You listen with ears of a guy that knows what a finished track is. Let me make one thing clear: a finished track is a track that is finished by the recording artist, and not by the standard of another one. Lindsey's music has always developped sonicly in weird directions. You must hate his Tusksongs too. Back then they were ranked as unfinished demo's. L&O??? Unfinished demo's. Go Insane? Unfinished Fairlightexperiments.OOTC? Unfinished demo's, because of the synthetic drums . UTS? Unfinished Demo's. And now again with GOS? If all musicians had that same mindset as yours, music would not have developped at all..

You sir are awesome, I couldn't agree more.
And Tusk? Easily Lindsey's artistic triumph and this new album is the closest he's got to that in a long time.

[vivfox]

-- HOWARD COHEN

• ROCK

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

Gift of Screws

Reprise

**

On his 2006 album, Under the Skin, Lindsey Buckingham confessed he cares what people think of his efforts to never repeat the wildly successful formula of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 landmark, Rumours.

``Reading the paper saw a review / Said I was a visionary, but nobody knew / Now that's been a problem.''

OK Lindsey, you're a genius. Now, must you be so self-indulgent in trying to prove it?

Technically, Gift of Screws has some of Buckingham's best-written, catchiest solo songs. That's what makes this album's failings so frustrating.

The hook-filled Love Runs Deeper and The Right Place to Fade could be Fleetwood Mac hits from the Go Your Own Way period. But Buckingham overproduces everything. Where his earliest music had room to breathe, now he stifles it with avalanches of vocal, guitar and percussion overdubs. He sings in a breathy, exaggerated manner. As a result, simple rock songs turn arty and insufferable.

Worse, for an artist for whom repetition is anathema, he seems locked into that finger-picking flamenco style on guitar he employed to such rousing effect on 1997's live renditions of Big Love and Go Insane. Now, on tracks like the spiraling irritant Time Precious Time, the sound has degenerated into pinpricks on the brain. There's a great album here buried under all this fussiness.

Pod Picks:Love Runs Deeper, The Right Place to Fade, Did You Miss Me.

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertain...ry/686490.html

[Nicks Fan]

From one of local papers in Ottawa Ontario Canada
September 14, 2008

Lindsey re-giftsGift of Screws is a 'cobbled-together bunch of leftovers'

By DARRYL STERDAN, SUN MEDIA



LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM

Gift of Screws

Pop-Rock

Sun Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5

Sometimes, you have to look a gift horse in the mouth -- if you don't want to get screwed, that is.

Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham's fifth solo CD seems like one of those occasions. As he admits in a press release: "This album is a distillation of a number of periods of time, some false starts to make albums, certainly some songs that go back a number of years, that took a while to find a home here, combined with brand-new songs and a whole other outlook."

Translation: It's a cobbled-together bunch of leftovers, demos and fleshed-out ideas -- some cut at home and on the road in the wake of his 2006 CD Under the Skin, with others dating back perhaps as far as 2001, when the album title Gift of Screws became a rumour in the Lindseysphere.

But even if it's mostly secondhand news, it's not all bad news. Buckingham also claims this disc rocks more than his last one. And it does -- on the cuts that feature Mac bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The rest of the time, it's all about Lindsey, his spiderwebby vocals and his precise, intricate guitar work.

Sure, it has its moments. But frankly, most of these tracks sound more like technical exercises and home-studio experiments than songs. So unless you want to pay to hear Buckingham dump out his hard drive, you might want to go your own way.

---

Great Day 3:12

Over a bare-bones beatbox that sets a brisk pace, Lindsey layers gently throbbing arpeggios and flamenco flourishes with his acoustic guitar, crowning the affair with echoing vocals.

Time Precious Time 4:25

Buckingham fingerpicks at breakneck speed, stitching together a needlepoint backdrop for another echoing vocal line. This one sounds like Peter Gabriel and Robert Fripp.

Did You Miss Me 3:55

Finally, an actual song -- a slice of breezy, bittersweet California folk-pop complete with a suitably laid-back beat, a chiming guitar line and an actual chorus.

Wait for You 4:58

Fleetwood and McVie boogie on the bottom while Lindsey slings some bluesy juke-joint slide licks and brays like Stevie Nicks. A nice hypnotic groove in search of a bigger hook.

Love Runs Deeper 3:56

It starts out an understated, strummy little pop ditty -- then busts open on the chorus into a big Mac-style acoustic rocker. Not brilliant, but not half bad either.

Bel Air Rain 3:49

The cascading waterfall of glistening tones that flows from Buckingham's flying fingers is superb. The rainstick and soaring vocals, not so much. Enough with the echo, already.

The Right Place to Fade 4:02

Another decent acoustic rocker, with a lilting melody, memorable hooks and (we presume) another visit from McVie and Fleetwood. This one could end up on a Mac album.

Gift of Screws 2:52

A scrappy number that walks the line between British Invasion pop and garage-rock. It's not bad -- until Buckingham begins laughing like a hyena in the chorus.

Underground 2:58

Dreamy and wistful without being too ethereal, this folk-pop number features a throbbing guitar and some quietly popping percussion.

Treason 4:26

After all that frantic fingerpicking, Buckingham finally runs out of steam, lazily strumming his way through this downbeat, Dylanesque folk-rock ballad.

Matt

[Tango]

The reviews don't matter. I'll be picking it up in person tomorrow! In three years he's gotten out two albums and two DVDS. Not bad, Lindsey. And "I Am Waiting!"

[JamieSPC]

Originally Posted by ajmccarrell

There is a such thing as associations of recording engieers that set standards for things, so yes there is a such thing as a definition of a finished track. You're right, I do hate a lot of his songs from Tusk and virtually all of Law & Order. I loved OOTC and Go Insane. Both of those sounded like well developed well played albums. I like GOS very much, I just wouldn't call it finished. The difference between the drums on OOTC and on his last two albums is that the synth drums were supposed to and designed to be finish quality. The stuff he used on UTS and GOS is a metronome and also mic taps. There's a HUGE difference. As far as the last statement, you can't really say that.

As much as I love FM and Lindsey, and am glad to have new material, this is dead-on.

My question is: Is anyone making a "mastering pass" at Lindsey's home-made recordings? Because that's where you would clean up a lot of the chintzy stuff that has made SOME of LB's recordings of the last few years sound like the Casio Kid. LB himself may not want this step, but take it from someone who has done a lot of demo work (amateur and professional): MANY of his recordings on UTS were demos, nothing more, and there were some glaring mastering errors that don't reflect artistic choice or musicality. And even the best musicians need some mastering work.

Tusk was very loose and organic, and I appreciate that. The easy availability of electronic drums and click tracks wasn't as prevalent back then.

I expect it to hear many of these same issues on GOS, since much of it is "home-made" as well. Biggest question in my mind has always been how the metronome ended up on some of the SYW tracks since they went through mixdown? I found that embarrassing for the band, actually. A lot of my engineer friends made tremendous fun of that record, and wondered if since it was analog to start with that the click got on the tapes somehow and couldn't be wiped out.

With all that said: Musicality is indeed in "the ear of the beholder." If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother you. No big whoop. As a pop craftsman and player, I agree LB's a genius and I expect to love these songs. I just think he's overrated in the studio and should put more stock in equally gifted mixers.

~Jamie

[MacMan]

Originally Posted by Nicks Fan

From one of local papers in Ottawa Ontario Canada
September 14, 2008

Lindsey re-giftsGift of Screws is a 'cobbled-together bunch of leftovers'

By DARRYL STERDAN, SUN MEDIA

The thing that pisses me off about this review, is not the fact that it tends to be on the negative side, but the fact that it's running in pretty much every Sun newspaper in every major Canadian city... So far it's appeared in Wpg, Edmonton and now Ottawa! And I'm sure it'll run in others too.

[shackin'up]

Come on people, If I remember correctly, UTS was under the top 50 records of the year in 2006 in the states (was that Rolling Stone?), even nr 13 in the yearlist off UK's Uncut Magazine. The arrogance of bashing his work as unfinished demo's just says alot about your narrow views. Pathetic.

[ajmccarrell]

Originally Posted by JamieSPC

As much as I love FM and Lindsey, and am glad to have new material, this is dead-on.

My question is: Is anyone making a "mastering pass" at Lindsey's home-made recordings? Because that's where you would clean up a lot of the chintzy stuff that has made SOME of LB's recordings of the last few years sound like the Casio Kid. LB himself may not want this step, but take it from someone who has done a lot of demo work (amateur and professional): MANY of his recordings on UTS were demos, nothing more, and there were some glaring mastering errors that don't reflect artistic choice or musicality. And even the best musicians need some mastering work.

Tusk was very loose and organic, and I appreciate that. The easy availability of electronic drums and click tracks wasn't as prevalent back then.

I expect it to hear many of these same issues on GOS, since much of it is "home-made" as well. Biggest question in my mind has always been how the metronome ended up on some of the SYW tracks since they went through mixdown? I found that embarrassing for the band, actually. A lot of my engineer friends made tremendous fun of that record, and wondered if since it was analog to start with that the click got on the tapes somehow and couldn't be wiped out.

With all that said: Musicality is indeed in "the ear of the beholder." If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother you. No big whoop. As a pop craftsman and player, I agree LB's a genius and I expect to love these songs. I just think he's overrated in the studio and should put more stock in equally gifted mixers.

~Jamie

Yay! Someone who agrees with me!

He should have Moncrieff do the mixing and mastering, he's vastly better at it than Mark Needham. Plus, Moncrieff got on my case if I had printed compression, even though it was needed to keep Alex's voice from distorting with all the gear turned down (that girl has some lungs!!!). He said he'd kill my pets if I blended my rhythm and leads again. There's no way he'd let Lindsey get away with this metronome crap. I'm really surprised that he is doing some of this stuff. I mean, the guy really needs to learn how to use his DAW. Real men read instructions.

[ajmccarrell]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Come on people, If I remember correctly, UTS was under the top 50 records of the year in 2006 in the states (was that Rolling Stone?), even nr 13 in the yearlist off UK's Uncut Magazine. The arrogance of bashing his work as unfinished demo's just says alot about your narrow views. Pathetic.

Critics are not engineers. Period. How many of these guys spent countless hours at a board trying to make things sound good. Zero.