Two solid hours of classic songcraft (Salt Lake Review)

MacMan · #1 04-19-2007, 09:22 PM

Lindsey Buckingham: Two solid hours of classic songcraft and masterful guitar work
By Dan Nailen
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/entertainment/ci_5704790

Posted: 12:08 PM- You might think the 57-year-old Lindsey Buckingham would support his overwhelmingly acoustic new album "Under the Skin" with a low-key tour packed with delicate beauty and just a few choice cuts from his past.
Think again.
The masterful songwriter - whether you're talking about his solo catalog or his work with arena-rocking Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Fleetwood Mac - isn't quite ready to settle down yet, musically speaking. Buckingham's passionate, inspired performance at a packed Depot Wednesday showcased an artist with plenty still to say, and more than enough energy and skill to completely destroy a room as soon as he straps on a guitar and lets his fingers go to work.
Packing two solid hours with songs drawn almost equally from "Under the Skin" and his past, Buckingham was enthralling from the minute he took the stage alone with an acoustic and launched into "Not Too Late," the first song on the new album. He perfectly set up the rest of the show with the whispered lyric "I'm not a young man, but I'm a child in my soul."
That inner child became increasingly apparent as Buckingham proceeded through the show, illustrated with enthusiastic shouts to the crowd, the three-piece band that shared the stage about half the night, and to himself. When his eyes weren't darting to all corners of the bi-level venue to see a crowd equal parts classic-rockers, old hippies and middle-aged yuppies, they were closed tight as he launched into killer solo after killer solo. Watching Buckingham attack his instrument in person - and make no mistake, he punishes his guitar strings with his hand slaps and peerless finger-picking style - is unforgettable.
After solo takes of "Trouble" and "Never Going Back Again," Buckingham welcomed guitarist Neale Heywood, multi-instrumentalist Brett Tuggle and percussionist Walfredo Reyes, Jr., to the stage. With their considerable skills partnered with Buckingham's chops, the show immediately exploded into technicolor wonder full of intricate instrumentation and some of the best rock songs of the last 30 years.
"Second Hand News" thrilled the crowd, who immediately joined Buckingham on vocals. After the singer praised the intimacy of theater venues, compared to the impersonal arenas Fleetwood Mac is confined to playing, Buckingham bounced between new songs (a gorgeous "Cast Away Dreams," the poppy "It Was You"), Mac tracks ("Red Rover," a brilliant-if-familiar solo acoustic take on "Big Love") and old solo hits (the sinister "Go Insane").
Buckingham ended his set with a glorious rush that included the bluesy riffing on "World Turning," "I Know I'm Not Wrong," and an organ-fueled "Tusk." Set-closer "Go Your Own Way" had Buckingham prowling the stage like a caged tiger, unleashing peels of ringing guitar notes as he circled his space between band members. His four-song encore was no less worthy. "Holiday Road" included a chorus of barking dogs, courtesy of the audience. "Turn It On," "Show You How" and a solo, show-closing "Shut Us Down" from "Under the Skin" ended what is destined to be one of the best shows in Utah this year.
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For an online slide-show of photos from Wednesday's Lindsey Buckingham show, visit www.sltrib.com/entertainment.

Visit: www.sltrib.com/entertainment for the rest.