Official Music
Publication on The Web
Representing The Bay
Area
Best Seen with "Explorer"
  
|
|
.....
Fleetwood Mac
Rocking the USA!
|
....The nearly 2½-hour
show opened with the Mac's signature "The Chain" and was followed by
crowd-pleaser "Dreams," from the group's critically acclaimed
"Rumours" album. It would have been easy for Fleetwood Mac to
exclusively dip into its extensive catalog of favorites and perform a
greatest-hits show.
.....The band, however, played
a handful of songs from its latest CD Say You Will, proving that this band
won't simply rehash successful musical formulas. The new tunes were strong
numbers from an album that already has gotten industry and fan approval.
.....Despite Fleetwood Mac's
problematic 30-year-plus history as a band dealing with internal struggles,
drug abuse, relationship entanglements and other lifestyle conflicts, the music
always has remained in the spotlight. This concert demonstrated that musical
power; the band has long been known for its heavyweight, revved-up live
performances.
.....As many people revere the
band for its brittle, beautiful songs as ridicule it as a symbol of '70s
excess. This puts the reunited band members in an awkward position. If they
play too many of their countless hits live, they get dismissed as a nostalgia
act. But if they don't, they foster their reputation for narcissism and
indulgence. Fortunately the absence of keyboardist Christine McVie from the
current lineup forced fellow singer-songwriters Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie
Nicks to go head to head for the band's latest album, "Say You Will,"
and the pair came up with some strong new songs, even if the awkwardly skewed
creative dynamics both help and hurt the group. Fleetwood Mac sensibly decided
not to replace McVie for its tour, though the band did enlist a half-dozen
supporting players for its appearance at the Oakland Arena on Thursday night,
to a sold out show.
.......Just about everything in
between, however, was a rousing testament to Fleetwood Mac's talents and, in
particular, those of resident genius Buckingham. Buckingham's a true rock
eccentric who has turned his back on Mac many times before, and you get the
impression he wouldn't bother touring were he not wholly committed. Fleetwood
Mac delivers slick studio quality under the guise of soft rock, and
Buckingham's strange bent brings out the best in the band. But Thursday night,
the band sounded awesome. Buckingham displayed his unique guitar prowess,
playing without a pick on both the acoustic songs and the electric rockers, his
right hand flaying and flapping like a paddle. But Buckingham's is a
surprisingly precise paddle, and whether performing the frenetic "Big
Love" alone on acoustic guitar or taking an epic solo during "I'm So
Afraid," he showed off his virtuoso, folk-formed technique. Stevie Nicks,
was on cue with her various witchy personas - designated by a selection of
color-coded shawls - were predictably trotted out during "Rhiannon,"
"Gypsy" and "Gold Dust Woman," . Facing old age Stevie
stills has the photograhpers shoot 500 feet away. I still think she is
beautiful with lokks and voice. During the gorgeous "Landslide," a
recent hit for the Dixie Chicks, the 55-year-old Nicks bravely sang about
facing old age. She was under 30 when she wrote the song, but with each passing
year, her delivery grows more heartfelt. Nicks also sang "Beautiful
Child" from the band's unsung 1979 masterpiece "Tusk," but along
with that album's ever-bizarre title track and an out-of-place version of
Nicks' solo disco hit "Stand Back," the bulk of the set came from
1975's self-titled "Fleetwood Mac" disc, 1977's "Rumours"
and "Say You Will." Again, McVie's "Say You Love Me" and
"You Make Loving Fun" were sorely missed, but the rest of the band
made due with one less spotlight. New songs, such as "What's the World
Coming To" and the ballad "Say Goodbye," fit in with the
classics remarkably well, and throughout bassist John McVie and drummer Mick
Fleetwood showed themselves to be one of classic rock's most reliable and
supple rhythm sections. As Fleetwood Mac's namesake and the only two remaining
founding members, they also know what's good for the band: When in doubt, just
let Lindsey loose and Stevie sing her classics the rest falls into place.
By Randy Cohen
........This is the Official Rock Publication Web Site
All photos and written material courtesy of Rock Publication
.Copyright © 2003
...... By Randy Cohen
E-mail at
Rockpub@aol.com
|
|
Fleetwood
Mac
|
.. 2003....
