Released in July 1975, it's hard to believe that there are only seven years separating this, their tenth studio album, from their debut of the same name. They have already lost four mega-talented singer songwriters and have a repertoire of songs and albums that most artists don't achieve throughout their entire career, however this is only just the point where it starts for many fans (myself included up until a few months ago). In case you didn't know, this is the first album to feature Lindsey Buckingham and the legend that is Stevie Nicks, who join Christine and John McVie and Mick Fleetwood in making the band a five-piece again, which is how they would remain until Lindsey Buckingham leaves for the first time in 1987 after Tango in the night's release.
Monday morning is Lindsey Buckingham's signiature song on here, it's a fun, upbeat, catchy start to the album and has a bit of a folky feel. I'd always assumed it was a single as it was included on their 2002 best of, but it turns out that it wasn't. It should've been.
Warm ways was the actual first single to be released, in October 1975 (I don't know why they waited that long), although it was only out in the U.K. where it wasn't a hit - this shouldn't matter though as a very small handful of their singles were ever as big a hit as you would imagine they were now. It's a stunning Christine McVie bluesy ballad which leaves you feeling all fuzzy inside.
I never realised Blue letter was a cover until now, it just sounds so much like a Lindsey Buckingham record. Apparantly though it was written and first recorded by the Curtis Brothers (although they did team up with Buckingham Nicks when they were a duo to record the demo). Anyhow, it is a fantastic piece of country infused rock that Lindsey really makes his own.
Words cannot describe how I feel about the next track. It is of course the magnificent masterpiece that is Rhiannon, and the only time Stevie Nicks would ever get any better is on Dreams. I do have a live version from Buckingham Nicks, as the song was originally intended for their second album, and it is considerably faster. The version on here is the definitive though, and it has become one of the band's most famous songs, despite the fact that it missed the U.K. top forty altogether, which is more proof that the charts are not a good indicator of the best music around.
Christine McVie's Over my head was the lead single in America, becoming their first ever big hit over that side of the pond. I would say that there were better songs to release as the lead single but it's nice that both the U.K. and the U.S. got one of Christine's songs as she is often forgotten about when you think of the Buckingham/Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac. The song itself is good enough to be a single, although it's not a stand-out track for me amongst some of the brilliance here.
Now I just love Crystal, it is one of their more under-appreciated tracks and deserved of so much more praise than it gets. Written by Nicks, but sung by Buckingham on both this and the Buckingham Nicks album where it first appeared, she later did her own version for the film Practical Magic. The version on here is more polished than the original, but that version sounds more raw and heartfelt to me so I would edge towards the original. Nicks' own version comes third for me (sorry Stevie, I normally prefer your vocals but Lindsey sounds great on this). It's one of those songs that just gets better and better with each listen.
Easily the most famous song on here (along with Rhiannon, and possibly now Landslide) is the classic that is Say you love me. Christine is more rocky than usual on this and it's easily the best thing she's done up to this point - only on Songbird, Little lies and Everywhere does she ever surpass herself more. This would still probably be in my all-time Fleetwood Mac top ten though.
I mentioned Landslide a minute ago, and it comes next. It is one that has grown over the years to become one of Stevie's staple songs, and it's use on the TV show Glee has certainly helped to seal its popularity, although the Dixie Chicks brought it to people's attention as long ago as 2002. It's another one that grows on you with each listen and one that I have to admit I didn't fully appreciate properly until recently. Stevie has been broken in gently on this album, with only two lead vocals to Lindsey's five.
Lindsey and Christine have a go at a duet on World turning, a rocking bluesy number which is a welcome hark back to the band's early days. I just love this, it's one to really let your hair down to.
Christine has her fourth and final solo outing of the record on Sugar daddy, which is another quite upbeat performance from her. It may not be one of the best tracks on the album but it is worthy of a place here nonetheless, and I love her little laugh as the song fades out.
The final track is I'm so afraid, which is one of Lindsey Buckingham's most powerful and awe-inspiring vocals ever. The song really gives you goosebumps and the guitar section at the end is equally powerful, sealing his place amongst the elite of Fleetwood Mac's history.
I seriously find it hard to choose between this album and Rumours. There are at least eight potential singles here, but none are disposable and any album that includes both Rhiannon and Say you love me already has the best possible start. It's easy to forget the Fleetwood Mac that came before when you put this on, but thankfully you get a sharp reminder on World turning. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie don't get much of a mention, but with seven first-class singer songwriters now having been on their books, something should surely be said of their talent for spotting talent like no other.
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