Lindsey Buckingham: Thinking About Tomorrow (The East End Independent [Long Island])

HejiraNYC · #1 03-12-2007, 10:22 AM

Not sure if this has been posted before... but I happened to see this over the weekend. Nothing new... except I wonder what the "tight little band" will be comprised of since Taku and Brett are with Stevie...

Lindsey Buckingham: Thinking About Tomorrow
(March 8, 2007)

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By Rick Murphy

Not too many musicians can say they were co-lead vocalist and songwriter and lead singer on one of the best selling albums of all time, but Lindsey Buckingham can.

Buckingham, as a member of Fleetwood Mac, will bring an intimate band to the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 24. The band will perform numbers from his critically acclaimed Under the Skin solo album but also, "branch out and play some of the stuff people expect."

"The Stuff," presumably, will include Buckingham originals like "Monday Morning," "Go Your Own Way," "Sara," and written with the entire band, "The Chain," often considered one of rock's finest songs.

The band's seminal album, Rumours, won a Grammy award for Album of the Year for 1977, and spent 31 weeks at the top of the Billboard Music Charts. By 2003, the album had sold more than 19 million copies in the United States alone and was certified by the RIAA as the third-highest selling single-disc album in history. Yet Buckingham might never had been a part of Fleetwood Mac if not for an unusual turn of events.

With his then-partner Stevie Nicks, the duo already had one album under their belts when Mick Fleetwood made a surprising offer just a couple years before Rumours — join Fleetwood Mac, a band that had already undergone significant changes. It first came to prominence with the guitarist Peter Green ("Black Magic Woman") fronting the band. When Green left first Danny Kirwan and then Bob Welch ("Sentimental Journey") joined the core band -- Mick on drums, John McVie on bass and Christine McVie on keyboards and vocals. Buckingham was ambivalent.

"Stevie and I had aspirations," he related in an interview Thursday. "We hadn't given up. There was a lack of clarity about exactly what our role would be with Fleetwood Mac." Buckingham pointed out an unsung hero in the story, Mo Ostin of Warner brothers records, who allowed Fleetwood and company to meander from album to album without any set release dates and with ever-changing personnel. "Mo let them sit on the label. Without him there would never have been a Fleetwood Mac.

The band clicked from the onset, with Christine McVie's soaring, harmonic compositions blending perfectly with Nicks' songs and Buckingham's, who added searing lead guitar riffs behind the legendary McVie/Fleetwood rhythm section.

"We were a real band," Buckingham said. We were players. . .we were something more than say, The Eagles."

With the unforeseeable success of the album came the very public spats: band members sleeping with each other's partners, the breakups, the in-house screaming matches, chronicled in "Go Your Own Way."

When it was time for a follow up album, Buckingham was determined to break the mold. "We were poised to make another record, and everyone expected Rumours II. I drew a line in the sand, and said let's do this for the right reason," Buckingham recalled. The new double-album, Tusk, heavily influenced by Buckingham, sold "only four million" albums and was considered a disappointment. Buckingham said it was his favorite Fleetwood Mac album.

He left the band in 1987 but the popularity of the songs led to repeated calls for a reunion tour. Bill Clinton adopted the band's song, "Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)" as his campaign theme and the band sang it at his inauguration.

In the late nineties, Fleetwood Mac reunited for a worldwide tour. "I took off in 1987 because things had gotten real crazy," Buckingham recalled. He said after getting married and having a child, he "looked back with more tenderness. A lot of things had changed. To get back to a situation where we were touring was a meaningful time, a chance to reunite." A live album attests to the band's prowess, but a new studio album was shelved, at least for the time being.

Buckingham released his latest solo project, Under the Skin to critical acclaim — it was chosen by Rolling Stone as one of the top 50 albums of the year. It features Buckingham's trademark harmonies, intricately layered. The songs are reminiscent of the Beach Boys' signature sound. That's no accident, Buckingham said.

"Being from California, Brian [Wilson] was a big influence on a number of levels — as a producer, a writer, and someone who had some problems with his support system." Under the Skin "is multi-layered. Today, as we move into tougher times, you encounter the sense that harmony is sentimental, and that's too bad."

In addition to another Fleetwood Mac project, there has been significant clamoring for Buckingham and Nicks to re-release their album, Buckingham Nicks, which has never been released digitally. There is also talk of a tour to support the new project.

"It's on the backburner," Buckingham said. "It's part of the dynamic between Stevie and I, we're always off doing something. It's a victim of inertia."

The Westhampton show is his only area appearance, and tickets are extremely limited. Call 288-2350 for reservations.

"It will be fun," Buckingham said. "We have a tight little band."

shackin'up · #2 03-12-2007, 10:34 AM

thanks for posting. A rubbish article though.

and Brett's not with stevie, but with Lindsey. Taku isn't with Stevie either, he was supposed to work with Janet Jackson. He is replaced by another percussionist in LB tight combo.

MacMan · #3 03-12-2007, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackin'up

thanks for posting. A rubbish article though.

and Brett's not with stevie, but with Lindsey. Taku isn't with Stevie either, he was supposed to work with Janet Jackson. He is replaced by another percussionist in LB tight combo.

Taku is still with Stevie up through the Las Vegas shows... Then as far as a percussions in her band??

danax6 · #4 03-12-2007, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackin'up

thanks for posting. A rubbish article though.

Crappy title aside, I had to really laugh when they said 'the stuff' would include 'Sara'. I think Lindsey'd rather die than perform 'Sara' during a solo show.

HejiraNYC · #5 03-12-2007, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackin'up

thanks for posting. A rubbish article though.

and Brett's not with stevie, but with Lindsey. Taku isn't with Stevie either, he was supposed to work with Janet Jackson. He is replaced by another percussionist in LB tight combo.

As mentioned, Taku is currently with Stevie, and more than likely will stay with her through the Crystal Visions tour, IMHO. My understanding is that Janet's tour has been canceled due to the poor sales of her most recent album.

Still not sure about Brett though... and to be honest, I don't care. He's just awful

. I guess this may explain why Stevie's band is rehearsing for five days before the Vegas shows- to break in the new keyboardist/guitarist.

HejiraNYC · #6 03-12-2007, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

"We were a real band," Buckingham said. We were players. . .we were something more than say, The Eagles."

Meow, HISS!

SortaSavageLike · #7 03-12-2007, 02:52 PM

Shouldn't the article be titled "Thinking About Going His Own Way?"

Sarah · #8 03-12-2007, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danax6

Crappy title aside, I had to really laugh when they said 'the stuff' would include 'Sara'. I think Lindsey'd rather die than perform 'Sara' during a solo show.

I was going to say almost the exact. same. thing.

Research, anyone? Why can't people write worth a crap anymore?

JunkFoodGenius · #9 03-12-2007, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah

I was going to say almost the exact. same. thing.

Research, anyone? Why can't people write worth a crap anymore?

No, the writer was right. Sara is the song Lindsey wrote about the abortion of the love child between he and Don Henley.

Sheesh, people. Get it together.

Kelly · #10 03-13-2007, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

As mentioned, Taku is currently with Stevie, and more than likely will stay with her through the Crystal Visions tour, IMHO. My understanding is that Janet's tour has been canceled due to the poor sales of her most recent album.

Still not sure about Brett though... and to be honest, I don't care. He's just awful

. I guess this may explain why Stevie's band is rehearsing for five days before the Vegas shows- to break in the new keyboardist/guitarist.

I did read yesterday that Janet's tour was canceled. I wasn't sure if that was accurate but I guess it was. I agree about the rehearsing for Vegas. Stevie may not even be at all the rehearsing either. Waddy could run it for a few days to break in the new band member and then Stevie may pop in for a day or two. I think the five days has more to do with the new band member than it does with Stevie adding new songs.

Edit..forgot I was on LIndsey's board. Sorry for the Stevie banter.