In Review - Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

song's lyrics express a positive outlook and the belief that things will get better. Don't Stop became one of Fleetwood Mac's most popular and enduring songs, and it has been embraced as an anthem of resilience and optimism. The song has been covered by numerous artists and has been used in various commercials and campaigns, further solidifying its status as a beloved and iconic song. It's a catchy and uplifting track that continues to resonate with listeners of all generations. Yeah, I think this song is just the embodiment of hope. Yeah, definitely. It's interesting because it's written by Christine McVie, but it's sung by her, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks. Yeah, it's a very big song, and I think that's why it's so iconic. It's a very simple song. It's not like a super complex song. It's not doing anything that you haven't really heard before, but it's just a feel-good song. Yeah, it really Alright, I think we're live. What's up, guys? This is Sam Bennett. I'm Luke Garrison. Yeah, and this is OBUFM, and this is our podcast through The Signal. And we are excited to share what we think are some of the best albums of all time with y'all. This is just going to be kind of a weekly journey that we hope you'll take with us, where we do just a track-by-track, you know, review, if you will. And, yeah, we're looking forward to it. This first album we're going to be doing is Rumors by Fluid Mac, which is kind of unarguably one of the greatest albums of all time, I'd say. Yeah, yeah, I agree. A lot of critics say that. Obviously, we say that. But, you know, you don't have to take our word for it. Yeah, the numbers speak for themselves, and we'll get into that soon, as do the songs, of course. And I think it's one of those albums that, despite it definitely being older, most people, even from our generation, know at least, I would say, half this record. Yeah. It's got many of their biggest hits on there. And without boring you all with too much, we'll go ahead and get into the history of the band. Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band that has been active for over five decades. The band's roots can be tracked back to 1967, when founding members Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood formed the group in London. The two quickly recruited bassist John McVie. Originally a blues band, Fleetwood Mac experienced several personnel changes over the years, including Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks. In the early 1970s, the band achieved moderate success with albums like Kiln House and Future Games. However, it wasn't until the addition of American singer-songwriters Buckingham and Nicks in 1975 that Fleetwood Mac's fortunes truly skyrocketed. Their self-titled album released that year produced several hits and marked a turning point for the band. This new lineup, consisting of Buckingham, Nicks, Fleetwood, and Christine and John McVie, would go on to be the band's most commercially successful lineup, and over the next decade, Fleetwood Mac became one of the most successful and influential bands of the era. Their 1977 album Rumors is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with hits like Go Your Own Way, Don't Stop, and Dreams. The album was notable not only for its commercial success, but also for the personal turmoil that fueled its creation, as band members navigated breakups, affairs, and drug use. In the 1980s, Fleetwood Mac continued to release successful albums and singles, though their sound became more pop-oriented, some would say. Buckingham left the band in 1987, but the remaining members continued to tour and release music throughout the following decades. In 1998, Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their status as one of the most important and enduring bands of rock history. Drummer Mick Fleetwood declared that the band was no more as of February of 2023, after the passing of Christine McVie in November of 2022. Yeah, and now that we've talked about the history of the band as a whole a little bit, I'm going to dive into more of the history of this album specifically. So, Rumors is actually the 11th studio album by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. It was released on February 4th, 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. As we've said, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums in the history of rock music. The making of Rumors was played by personal and romantic turmoil among the band members, which inspired many of the songs on the album. Fleetwood Mac's two couples, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and John and Christine McVie, who were actually married, were going through painful breakups while drummer Mick Fleetwood was in the midst of a divorce. Despite these tensions, the band managed to create a cohesive and emotionally powerful record. And we've already talked about how good most of these songs are, which is interesting considering these tumultuous times when it was recorded. Alright, these recording sessions for Rumors took place at their record plant in, I don't know how to say this, Sausalito? Sausalito. California. The old Sausalito. Honestly, that's kind of, like, a year doesn't even sound like that long to me. No, I mean, we're both musicians, we work together, and thinking about how great this album is, considering just the composition itself, a year does not seem like a whole lot, but I guess when you're going through as much as they are at the time, you have a lot to write about, so. That's true, but it's so interesting, the quality of that, I can't even imagine writing songs about someone who is in the same band as me, and then not only doing that, but then recording them together that quickly, and this isn't even just happening with one person, this is like literally half of the band is going through this at the same time, it's pretty interesting. Yeah, I was watching a documentary about this album in preparation for this episode, and it was saying how it was very difficult for them to write the song and then come to the studio the next day and present it to their ex to sing, or play on, or help write, which, I mean, yeah, I can only imagine that that would be not only awkward, but very difficult, so. Yeah, very weird to think about. Yeah. So, the band members often recorded separately and worked long hours to perfect their parts. They used a variety of instruments, including electric and acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers, and this all created a unique sound that blended rock, pop, and folk influences. The album was produced by Fluid Mac, along with Ken Calais and Richard Daschip, and it was also engineered by Calais. It featured several hit singles, including Go Your Own Way, Don't Stop, and Dreams. The members received critical acclaim upon its release and became an instant commercial success, spending 31 weeks at the top of the US album charts and selling over 40 million copies worldwide. That's a lot of records. Yeah, I think that's also kind of interesting to say, because, I mean, you have plenty of albums that are regarded classics. Yeah. It might have taken a minute to get there, but this thing was instantly, like, the number one album in the world. I mean, it's one thing just to say that, you know, you have a record that you think is one of the greatest of all time, and that's just based on opinion, but, I mean, numbers don't lie. And when you're selling 40 million copies of just one of your records, and that's not, like, a greatest hits compilation or something like that, it's a lot of records. Especially for this time, because, like, this is in the 70s, so. I think also, like, it's important to mention that the vinyl revival, if you would say that, you know, that we've seen in the past few years, I know that there's been a lot of reissues of this album, particularly, that many have purchased. So I think that that would also contribute. I do have a copy, so. Yeah, same. I guess mine probably counted. Rumors has been praised for its sophisticated songwriting, intricate vocal harmonies, and emotional depth. The album was awarded the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978 and has since been included in numerous best-of lists by music publications. Their enduring popularity of Rumors has made it a classic of the rock music canon and an essential album for any music lover. So, yeah, I think that's enough we can kind of say about this album if we're actually talking about this. That's enough, yeah, history to bore you guys with. But before we get into the track by track, Luke, how did you not only find Fleetwood Mac, but this album particularly? So Fleetwood Mac, I don't really remember when I didn't know what this band was because my parents loved them so much, and my dad has multiple Fleetwood Mac T-shirts, and I would hear the music all the time. So I quite quickly came to understand who the band, at least the songs. I didn't know all the drama or anything about the band, but I could sing along to a bunch of these songs when I was probably only eight or nine years old. It wasn't until I got Spotify for myself, which I want to say was like eighth grade, so I was probably about like 13 or 14. I remember one of the first things I did was I was listening to Fleetwood Mac and Beatles and all these other artists my parents introduced me to, and rumors was definitely like I realized, oh, all these songs I love are on this same album. So then I ended up listening to the album and, yeah, kind of just fell in love with it. I would say I know that Fleetwood Mac is a huge, huge band for my parents. I would say that probably us and many of our classmates would say the same. It's just a band of that time, but they're also timeless, and Fleetwood Mac is a huge influence on me. I remember I saw them in concert back in middle school, I want to say, and it was at the show, I'm like, oh, I know this song. Oh, I know, yeah, and I just knew every single one. And then I actually got in trouble because that was before streaming, and I went the next day and I purchased every single song on iTunes, not knowing that we already had them. So that was a fun surprise for my parents. But, yeah, so just listening to them endlessly solidified their musical presence in my catalog for sure. I love this band and I love this record. So you want to get into the track by track? Yeah, let's do it. All right. I know there's nothing to do And I'm so bad I can't get enough Won't you lay me down in the grass And let me be myself Down, down, down, down, down, down, down So the first song on the album is Secondhand News. It's written by Lindsey Buckingham. Buckingham wrote this song during the early stages of the recording process. The song's lyrics are about a relationship that has ended. The track's distinctive musical arrangement features Buckingham's signature finger-picking style on the guitar. Which, as a guitar player, I just want to kind of say this before we even talk about all this music, I think Buckingham is a super underrated guitarist. For sure. Very unique, has his own style, and you can instantly tell it's him when you hear those parts. The harmonies provided by the other members of the band are also a standout part of this track. It was released as a lead single from members in the United States, but it's not achieved the same level of success as some of the album's other singles that we've talked about. And over the years, Secondhand News has been covered by a number of artists, including indie pop band Tame Impala and country music singer Leigh-Anne Womack. Yeah, I love this song. I think it's a very interesting song. I was, like I said, I was watching the documentary of how they recorded this, and it was saying how it was like sort of, it has like a Scottish influence, like a marching kind of feel to it, which, you know, you said you mentioned the guitar playing style. As a drummer, it's a very bizarre beat. I know he used brushes, which, you know, for my drumming aficionados, you know what that means. And for those that don't play drums, I guess you don't, but it's a special kind of drumstick that would create this kind of sound, so you can go back and kind of listen and see how that would sound. But it's definitely a little bizarre in terms of the rhythm to it, but it's a marching tune. And also, he was saying how like on the chorus, there's the, you know what I'm talking about, the bow, bow, bow, bow part. Yeah, this is a very weird song. It's very Lindsey Buckingham. Yes, it is. And he has these type of songs that you can tell are like kind of solely written by him and kind of like feel like he's self-indulging a little bit. I like it, but it is one of the oddest tracks on here, and I think it's an interesting choice to start the album, honestly. It is an interesting choice. I think it's because it kind of fades into the song. Yeah, and it just kind of like grabs you and lets you know that you're along for quite a ride throughout the rest of this record. When I think back to like, you know, the vinyls and everything that this record was originally on, like when people put this album on, this is the first song they ever heard. I mean, it's kind of interesting to me, I guess, because it would make like dreams of the next track. That, in my head, makes way more sense for like someone to put an album on and hear that song and be like, oh, this album's good, or this album's probably going to be good. But I don't know. It's a cool track. I still like listening to it. Yeah, I think it's kind of interesting because the song itself, obviously, like many of the other songs in this record, are sort of about a past love that is no more, most likely between Buckingham and Nicks. But it has such a happy tone to it. Yeah, definitely. And most likely, that's probably why they chose to open their record with it. I would have a few other songs I might choose to open this record with, but I think they obviously made, you know, their Fleetwood Mac, What Do We Know. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, the next song is Dreams, written by Stevie Nicks. Surprisingly, this is their only number one in the United States. Oh, that is weird. And looking at all of their songs, not only on this album, but in their entire catalog, it's very peculiar to me that this is their only number one. But, you know, people love them regardless. So Nicks apparently wrote the lyrics to this song in just 10 minutes, which, you know, they say a lot of the best songs don't take forever to write. The song's lyrics express a sense of longing and regret, with Nicks singing about a past relationship and the desire to move on. The chorus features the iconic line, Thunder only happens when it's raining, which has become one of the most popular and recognizable and quoted lyrics in popular music. It's a very obscure song in terms of feel. It's called Dreams, and it feels very dreamy in terms of production. Yeah, I agree. This one's kind of interesting to me that the lyrics were written that quickly, but they're honestly like, I don't know, I would say the lyrics on this song are pretty good. Yeah, it's poetic, for sure. Very well written. And then the music, like you said, is very dreamy, but it's very repetitive. Yeah, it is. It's got a great structure to it. I think Lindsey Buckingham really drives this song with his guitar work. I would agree. The guitar parts stand out, but it's just kind of a good backdrop, I guess, for Stevie Nicks' vocals and her wordplay. Because, I don't know, it is very dreamy, it's very repetitive, but I still could listen to the music of this track even though it is pretty simple for hours. I know that this is, like we said, this is their only number one in the States. I know that this is one of their biggest songs. I heard a while ago, it's not released, but Post Malone has a freestyle over this song, and it's actually pretty good, so I would encourage you guys who are interested to go find that. I want to listen to that now. Yeah, it's interesting, for sure. He changes the lyrics, but it's cool. Also, I want to mention one of the most iconic rhythm sections in music history, Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass. With Mick Fleetwood just driving a straight 4-4, John McVie, on the other hand, with the bass, he gives it more of a groove. Yeah, definitely. Which I think, without that, this song would be, I don't want to say mundane, but it would certainly have less of a driving factor. Maybe drag a little bit. I could definitely see that. I think John McVie is very understated. Also, like you were saying, Lindsey Buckingham is. Yeah. I think a lot of the credit goes to Stevie Nicks, which, obviously, that's completely earned. She's a great songwriter, for sure. All five members of this band deserve their flowers. This song's kind of also had a resurgence lately. With that TikTok of that dude on the skateboard. What is he drinking? I don't know, like Fanta or something? I think it's cranberry juice. It's something weird. Is it cranberry juice? Something like that. I don't know. I know it caught on, because Stevie Nicks redid the TikTok, and Nick Fleetwood did, too. Yeah, I remember this song was back on the Hot 100. It was just kind of crazy, because this is, what, 40 years later? Yeah, nearly. This is definitely one of their, probably their most known songs. For sure, for sure. All right, so next on the track list is Never Going Back Again, which is written by Lindsey Buckingham. He wrote it as a reflective and introspective piece with the song's lyrics exploring themes of personal growth and change. The song features Buckingham's intricate finger-picking guitar style, and its melody is characterized by its gentle, almost wistful quality. It's a stripped-down song. It's an acoustic arrangement. Intimate lyrics have resonated with the audience, and it's a song that's been around for a long time. It's a stripped-down song. It's an acoustic arrangement. Intimate lyrics have resonated with the audience, and the song has been covered by a number of artists in a variety of musical genres. In addition to its musical appeal, Never Going Back Again has also been recognized as a milestone in the career of Lindsey Buckingham, who has been widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential guitarists of his generation. The song's finger-picking style has been studied and emulated by countless musicians over the years, and its influence can be heard in a wide range of musical genres. Yeah, I just want to say, this has always been a track I've always came back to, because I am a guitar player, and I do love the guitar on this, but it's weirdly difficult to play. Yeah. It's not easy. If you listen to it, there's definitely multiple rhythms going on, and as I just said, it has this odd finger-picking. It's not something you would just learn as a normal guitar player in normal guitar classes. It really points to how Lindsey Buckingham stands alone in terms of his own style. There's a lot of guitarists that, while are great, they're not recognizable right off the gate. You know, Lindsey Buckingham is one of those guitarists where as soon as you hear, whether it be a Fleetwood Mac song or one of his own solo songs, you know it's him just based on the guitar alone, and I think that's a really amazing quality to any musician. Definitely. It's a very obscure song. Yeah, I wouldn't say it's one of their biggest, but it is on their biggest album. Yeah. I still say it's fairly well-known, but I don't know. This was always one I came back to, and I didn't really realize it wasn't as big of a hit. I remember I was messing around with this on guitar one time, and my dad heard me, and he was like, I know I know that song, but I don't know what song that is. And I was like, oh, it's Never Going Back Again, and talked about it a little bit. It's an odd song. It almost feels like just Buckingham for the majority. Yeah. It's just guitar, his vocals, and then you have... At the very end, there's a little hum thing between, I guess, the three of them. Yeah, I could definitely hear Stevie, I assume Christine, too. I don't know who else is singing that part. It's a very simple arrangement, but it needs to be. Yeah, I think it lets the song breathe. Yeah. Yeah, I wouldn't change it at all. It's a nice break in the album from what you've already heard and definitely what you're about to hear going forward. Yeah, definitely. Don't stop thinking about tomorrow Don't stop, it'll be easy It'll be better than before Can't you let go? Can't you let go? So now we're at Don't Stop, which was written by Christine McVie. The song was written by McVie as a message of hope and encouragement during a difficult time in her life. She had recently gone through a divorce from the band's bassist, John McVie, and was struggling with the pressures of touring and recording. The song's lyrics express a desire to move forward and to not give up in the face of adversity. I think one of the key points of this song in terms of a history aspect is that it has been associated with a number of political campaigns, most notably the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton. It was kind of his anthem. And at his inauguration, he basically forced the band, who was broken up at the time, I believe, to perform the song at the inauguration. Oh, I didn't even know that. And I think that led to them actually getting back together and going on tour. So say what you want about Bill Clinton, but we have him to thank for the reformation of Fleetwood Mac, so thank you, Bill. Also, I think it's interesting to point out how so many campaigns today, the candidate will try and use a song at one of their rallies or something, and in most cases, the artist will say, please don't do that, because they just want to stay out of politics. And I think it's an interesting look back to the time that we were in in the 90s to where the band was so appreciative of the song being used. It just shows how times have changed. Yeah, times have definitely changed. I knew about that. I don't remember if my mom or someone showed me. I've seen someone's ad that had this song. It's kind of funny looking back. If you go watch the clip, it's very obscure. It's the band performing, and then it's Bill and, of course, Hillary and their daughter just singing along and dancing with all these other politicians. It's just weird. Some Black Mirror type stuff there. It's a duet between Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, and obviously it's just a feel-good song that kind of, like I said earlier, shows the message of pushing through in the face of adversity and don't stop to be cheesy. This is definitely one of the earliest songs by them, I remember, just because of the chorus. That don't stop thinking about tomorrow. I don't know, I have memories of hearing that all throughout my childhood. I love the solo on this song. Oh, yeah, definitely. This is a great guitar solo, which kind of comes out of nowhere, too. The song is very melodic. I mean, it's definitely still rock, but it's not really like a rocker. And then that guitar. Honestly, on multiple tracks on this album, that kind of happens. You just have this very distorted guitar solo come in. It's one of the happier songs on this album, which there aren't many. Honestly, that's true. It stands out in terms of tone and mood. I like this song a lot. Yeah, it's great. The next song is Go Your Own Way, written by Lindsey Buckingham. He wrote this one about his tumultuous relationship with the band's lead vocalist, Stevie Nicks. The song's lyrics express Buckingham's frustration with Nicks and the desire for her to move on and find her own path in life. The song's melody is driven by Buckingham's signature guitar style, with its driving rhythm and catchy hooks. This song was a major commercial success, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. In addition to its popularity as a song, Go Your Own Way has also been recognized as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It has been included on numerous best-of lists and has been covered by a number of artists in a variety of musical genres. I think we have to mention Forrest Gump. The running scene? I knew this song before I saw that movie, because it's Fleetwood Mac and they're a huge part of my childhood, but that's what a lot of people know this song from. I think before you were in the band, for those of you who don't know, Luke and I were in a band called Bad Habit. Before Luke was in the band, I think we played this, and a lot of people would come up to us and say, oh, that's the song from Forrest Gump. And we're like, if that's what works for you, then sure. But yeah, it's certainly a great song, and also, like we said for Don't Stop, it has a great solo. Definitely. I think it has two. Well, there's kind of like an outro solo, but yeah, that one in the middle was really good. I remember learning how to play that when I was kind of trying to teach myself how to play lead guitar a little bit more. But I think it's interesting that this song is specifically out of this album. It's the one that's kind of been recognized as one of the greatest rock songs. It's been on a lot of the best-of lists. I can see why. It definitely is a really well-written, really good song, but I don't know if it's the greatest one on here, on this track list. Yeah, it's certainly an anthem. Definitely, yeah, that's true. It's like even that Forge Gump scene, yeah, it's definitely authentic. I feel like I've heard this in a lot of movies, and a lot of commercials and stuff like that. I feel like it's weird, because you look at Don't Stop, and that's an anthem that roots for pushing through hard times. And it's a happier song in terms of tone. And this song is an anthem as well, and it feels very motivational. But the lyrics are completely different to Don't Stop, where it's talking about sad stuff. It's talking about a breakup and hoping that things get better, but not sure if they will. It's literally saying, like, get away from me. It's like, go your own way. It's very odd. We didn't say it specifically, but I would argue that Never Going Back Again is also kind of about the Stevie Nicks relationship, because if you look at the history, that's who he'd been with for the years before this album. It's so weird to me that he wrote this and was comfortable singing it and recording it with Nicks. And Stevie, I'm pretty sure she sings on this album. It's just so odd to me. They obviously know it's about each other. Yeah, that's just such a reoccurring monster on this album. Just bringing in a song to the studio that you know is about you, or you know is about the other person, I mean, and that's got to be awkward. It has to be. And you know that they hate each other during this point, so it's not like, oh, that's awkward, I'm not going to say anything. I would imagine that this would lead to a lot of arguments and stuff like that. I don't know how they didn't break up as a band. They don't for years after this album. It's really a miracle that they not only stayed together, but that this album is not only as good as it is, but that it's good at all. Yeah, it's really good. If you wrote this scenario on paper, you would think that the album would be bad. It's a recipe for disaster that made a masterpiece. That's as good as it gets. Go Your Own Way, it's a great song, definitely one of the ones I remember hearing first, one of the bigger songs on this album. Go Your Own Way Next we have Songbird, which is written by Christine McVie. It's a simple, intimate ballad that features McVie's soulful vocals and piano work. The song's lyrics express a deep sense of love and vulnerability, with McVie singing about her desire to find someone to share her life with and her fear of being alone. It's sort of Christine's opus. Yeah, I would agree. Let's talk about Christine for a minute. Listen to this after her, those of you who don't know, she did pass away. November of 2022. I remember we were in your room. I was in a different area of your room with your roommate, our friend Barry. Shout out to Barry. We were just chilling and I was looking on Instagram and I just saw the news. Christine McVie has passed away. I remember I just screamed into the other room that she had passed and that was not a good day for me, but certainly not Luke Garrison. I was like, no. I love Christine McVie. She honestly might be my favorite out of the three. This song specifically, listening back to this album after her passing, is definitely one of the harder ones to listen to. It's beautiful, honestly. Before and after her passing, I've always thought this song was beautiful. It's a great song and it's kind of similar to Never Going Back Again in terms of its simplicity regarding arrangement. It's really just her and her piano. It's Christine's opus. It's her in her rawest form expressing something that she felt so deeply and it makes for such a great and beautiful ballad. I think it certainly stands alone on the record because it doesn't really sound like the rest of it. No, even Never Going Back Again kind of has the same vibe as a lot of the other tracks, as stripped back as it is. This one could be almost like its own song. It could be a Christine McVie single. Yeah, it could. You could definitely argue that she has written better songs or that there are better songs the band has played that are hers. Yeah, more notable tracks. Yeah, but I agree as just her songwriting, her playing, her singing. It definitely is her opus. It's such a well put together song. You can tell it's really coming from her heart when she recorded this. What is your favorite Christine McVie-led Fleetwood Mac song? Oh, I don't know. That's a really hard question because this record has some great ones and then, honestly, one of my favorites we're about to get to, You Make Loving Fun. She has a deeper cut called Prove Your Love that I think I've showed Sam before. I really like that one. It's one of the earlier ones, right? Yeah, it was before Stevie and Lindsey were even in the band because she was in it for a minute before they were. And then on Tango in the Night, there's some great ones. Tango in the Night, yeah. A lot of people say that Rumors is the best Fleetwood Mac album and I don't give them that. In terms of numbers and how well it sold, sure. I think it is. And I love the record, don't get me wrong. We're talking about it right now. Tango in the Night, however, deserves its flowers, okay? It's got so many hits and the production alone is just a monster. I think it's an interesting time for the band as well. It's 1987, so I guess 10 years later from this record. And I know that Stevie Nicks is really more interested in her solo career at this time. A lot of the band is completely just coked out and Lindsey Buckingham is going out of his mind trying to get this record done. He's kind of helmed production and songwriting and just doing what he can to get the record finished. It presented its own set of challenges, different from the challenges that they faced in this record, but it's also very Christine McVie-heavy in terms of the hits. Obviously, like Everywhere. Everywhere is great. Mystified is a great song. Yeah, that's a deep cut. We've got Little Lies. Oh, yeah. And then shortly after, they released a Greatest Hits compilation and there's a song called As Long As You Follow, which many people don't know. I actually found it only back in December. I don't know if I've heard that one. It's a great song. I completely missed it just because it's on the Greatest Hits record and you wouldn't know it was there unless you were looking. So I would encourage those who don't know to go listen to that. It's a great Christine track. But moving on from Songbird, that concludes my rant about Tango In The Night. We have The Chain. I mean, just a monster of a song. We've said the word anthem a few times throughout this episode, but I think this is really the definitive Fleetwood Mac anthem. This one has transcended the band, I would say. This chorus, really this whole song, I feel like everyone knows, or at least they've at least heard it and without necessarily thinking, oh, Fleetwood Mac. This is just such a great song, such an anthemic song, like you said. I know that the band likes to open their shows on tour with this song, as we like to do, which I find funny. Another interesting point about this song is that it's the only song on the album, I think one of the only songs in Fleetwood Mac's catalog, that was written by all five members. So the song was initially developed from several separate pieces of music that each member of the band had been working on and was then assembled into one cohesive track. The lyrics were also written collaboratively and each member contributing lines that were then edited together by Buckingham, which is a great feat to do something like that. Yeah, he was definitely a wizard in the studio. Yeah. The chain features a distinctive bass riff, which has become one of the most recognizable in rock music before they just go ham at the end. That second half, yeah. This song definitely has sections to it, which I really like. It's just very well put together. I mean, the beginning is so stripped, really. Really, all it is is the guitar and the vocals and you have that thudding kick. But, yeah, I don't know, man, this is a great song. Yeah. The song's driving rhythm and intricate harmonies are further enhanced by Buckingham's innovative guitar work and by Mick Fleetwood's powerful drumming. I know at the end, it's just like, roll down the windows in the car, drive as fast as you can, try not to get a ticket. It's just balls to the wall rock and roll music and it's Fleetwood Mac at their greatest. Yeah, it really is at their peak. The guitar on the end of this song, because it really, I mean, I might have to listen back, but I don't think there's any electric guitar until the breakdown. And then you have this really, I want to say droning, almost kind of line. It's on the same note and then it slides up an octave and then the solo starts and the whole band kicks in and it's just such a great moment in their catalog. It was interesting you said how it feels like the song is in sections and going back to how we know that this song was composed, it was brought together by, I guess, four to five different pieces of music that they put together. So I think that that's interesting in terms of the composition of this song. It's kind of a simple song, if you will. Yeah, it really is. So it's interesting that it was put together by so many different pieces of music. Yeah, I'm guessing it's probably the verse, chorus, and then that ending part were definitely, that bass line, I'm sure, was something he had come up with. Just all around really good. The guitar on this is pretty simple to play. It's kind of an odd tuning, though. I remember learning to play this pretty early on when I was playing guitar and it was just very satisfying because it's such a distinct sound, very Lindsey Buckingham. Yeah, they bring their A game on this track. It's a miracle But I've a feeling there's no time to try So you want to get into this next one? Yeah, this next one is You Make Loving Fun, written by Christine McVie. It was a major commercial success for Fluid Mag, reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. I feel like we've said that a lot. Yeah. We're reading these track listings. But the song's success helped to cement the Rumors album as one of the greatest and most influential works in the history of rock music. It was inspired by her relationship with the band's lighting director, Curry Grant. Yeah. Okay, that's kind of weird. Yeah, well, I mean, obviously she said goodbye to John McVie. Yeah, her ex-husband was there too when she was recording this. Yeah, I was watching that documentary, as I said earlier, and they were saying how whenever she was with Mr. Grant, if you will, John couldn't be around because John was just not having any of that. And, you know, this is a song that is pro-love, which is not too common on this record. Again, one of the few happy songs, I'd say. Yeah. It's also, I mean, just musically speaking, pretty funky. I love this song. It's almost like the chain kind of has different parts. Because, like, the verses are, like, funky, like you said. And it's almost like, I don't want to say minor, but it kind of has, like, that darker, kind of minor musical quality to it. And then it just opens up when it gets to the, I don't even, see, I want to say chorus, but I don't really know what you'd call it. Yeah. Maybe even magic or miracles or whatever. Like, the whole part of the song, it completely becomes this kind of sunny, happy-go-lucky song. I love the backing vocals, which are done by her, I believe, on that section of the song. Sounds like it, yeah. Just so, like, dreamy. And I think a lot of that is in credit to not only, obviously, Christine and the band, but also the producers of this record. Definitely. So I think they really knew what they were doing. I love Nick Fleetwood on this song as well. Just some of the auxiliary percussion work that he did. And, you know, going back to the Curry-Grant situation, I think John McVie brought his A-game to this song, maybe because of that. Because the bass drives this song. It's a very driving bass line that brings a funk element that is pretty uncommon in Fleetwood Mac. I mean, they're very rock and roll, very folksy. Yeah. Funk is not really in their repertoire. So I think this is a really standalone track that deserves its flowers. It is kind of an outlier on the album, like, musically. It does, like you said, that kind of chorus, dreamy section. I would say that and, like, dreams and several other songs do kind of have that almost ethereal quality or whatever. That's a good word to use. Yeah. Kind of the chorus and, like, the dreamy quality of this song. And then back to dreams and a few other points that kind of have that feel on this record. I think that's kind of one of the most influential things about this record was because other popular acts, especially going into the 80s, basically after this album came out, kind of have that quality. And I do think it is something that kind of Fleetwood Mac pioneered because a lot of the other pop music around this time, it's either a lot more upbeat or driving or, like, it could be sad. But I wouldn't really call it any of it dreamy. Fleetwood Mac kind of brought that to the mainstream, I'd say. And that's just kind of one of the things I love about this track, specifically. Yeah. I don't want to know the reason why I love you God, I'm talking about the night I don't want to stand when you're in love Honey, I just want you to feel fine I don't want to know So moving on, we have I Don't Want to Know, written by Stevie Nicks. A fun fact, this song actually wasn't supposed to make the album. It was originally going to be Silver Springs, which they did release. Yes. It's one of their less notable songs, I would say, but many fans do love that song. Also, a Stevie Nicks composition. But they ended up telling her that that song was not going to make the record, and they chose this song instead, I Don't Want to Know, due to its more upbeat tone, which I guess, since a lot of the album was so somber, if you will, They kind of needed that light in terms of mood. It's a duet between Nicks and Buckingham. You know, it's not distinctive parts, but they sing together in unison throughout the song, which I think is an interesting aspect to this song in terms of harmony. The song's lyrics express a sense of emotional detachment and avoidance. Kind of going back to what we said earlier about how the song musically sounds so happy and joyful, but the lyrics are nothing but just sadness. You know, true rumors fashion. Yeah, true rumors fashion. This song, I never remember really coming back to it or liking it that much, but then when I was listening to it in preparation for this episode, I mean, it's pretty catchy. I do really like this chorus on this song. Very catchy. The vocals between Nicks and Buckingham are very pretty, and the harmonies actually are... I mean, it just sounds really good together, which is even more weird when you think about the situation behind everything. Yeah. Nick Fleetwood is such a unique drummer. I've heard it said that he never plays the same song the same way twice. He always plays it differently, which I would imagine would drive someone like Lindsey Buckingham crazy. But, you know, he has very unique fills and just driving patterns that are very much him and his chaotic ways, and I think that this song is a great example of that with some of the fills and choices that he makes rhythmically. Yeah, I don't want to know. I think it's the underdog of the record. Yeah, one of the least known tracks. But it is very catchy. Like you said, the rhythm is kind of... it's definitely odd. I like it. I mean, it's not one I come back to a lot too, but after talking about this and listening to this album a little bit more, I think I might add it to the rotation a little bit more. Yeah. So speaking of underdogs... Okay. We're getting into the next track. The next song. Okay. Oh Daddy, written by Christine Mouvie. Yeah. This song is a slow, bluesy ballad that features Mouvie's soulful vocals and piano work. The song's lyrics express a sense of sadness and loss with Mouvie singing about her feelings of abandonment and longing for a father figure in her life. Yeah, this one, like... I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. 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I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Wow. What is it? It's I Don't Wanna Know. Wow. That's your favorite? On this record, at least. It's not necessarily my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. Yeah. It's definitely top five, though, which I think it doesn't make a lot of people's top five. Maybe not even their top 10 to 15. I wouldn't say so. Yeah. I've always loved this song. You know, whenever I first heard it, it kind of just, I don't know, it's just a kind of happy-go-lucky song. In terms of music, definitely not lyrics, but I think it's just a great tune. I've always really loved this one. You know, a brief runner-up would be You Make Loving Fun, which I'm going to guess is your favorite song on this record. Yeah. That is my favorite on this record. I don't want to say always has been, but it's definitely, over the past few years, it's became my favorite by far. I just, I love Christine. This song is just, the arrangement is, like you said, it is kind of funky. I just like the different kind of sections of it, the vibe it gives. It's just a happy-go-lucky song. Yeah. Like, I can listen to this at any point. Like, if I'm sad, I can put this song on to make me a little bit happier. If I'm happy, I can listen to this song. Yeah, it works. Yeah. I mean, as second, for me, I don't know, it might be The Chain, because that one, like, as popular and overplayed, some might say, as it is. It's just so good. Yeah. Overall, this is a great record. Are you sure it's not Oh Daddy? No. No. Oh Daddy. Honestly, is that your least favorite? No. On this record, yeah. I would probably agree, too. I don't know if I didn't know if we were asking that or not, but not that I hate that song. No. It's just the one I... It's the filler of the record. I want to listen to it the least. Yeah. Like, on this track list. Like, no one's saying, like, hey, you know, play Fleetwood Mac, and they're playing Oh Daddy first. Oh Daddy. But, you know, much respect to the guys. Yeah. Kind of a retrospect, like we said earlier, just a monster of an album, sold 40 million copies worldwide, spent 31 weeks at the top of the U.S. album chart, sparked one number one hit in the States, and won the Grammy Award for album of the year 1978. I mean, just arguably one of the greatest records of all time. Yeah. I'm pretty sure, like, Rolling Stones has it, like, number six, number five. Yeah. Yeah. It's like every list you look at, it's in the top 15. Yeah. Top 20, at least. I think it's also, you know, interesting to look at the album that came right before this, their self-titled, which is their 10th studio album, and it's the debut of Buckingham and Nicks in this lineup. Also a great album. Yeah. It felt like they were finding their footing within this lineup, and rumors kind of cemented that. Definitely. It is very weird that, I don't want to say weird, it's unusual that a band comes in their own like this late. Yeah. They had been a band for, what, I think at least a decade, I want to say, like, with the original members. So, them coming in and finding this, like, new sound that really is, like, becomes so influential and, like, just critically acclaimed. Yeah. It's kind of interesting to see, because now, you know, like, artists will get huge off of, like, one or two tracks just because of, like, internet fame, but this band definitely put in the work. Yeah. To get to where they were. Yeah. You look at their success, and this album alone could be a greatest hits in and of itself, but, you know, they could have three greatest hits records, and they would all stand alone. So, I think that that's a test to how great this album is and how great this band is. If you've listened this far, I would assume you already agree that Fleetwood Mac is a great band, but if not, go listen to this album at least. Yeah. Listen to some of their other albums. Yeah. Sam wants you to listen to Tango. Yeah. It's one that I guarantee you it's worth your time. Big Love is a banger. So many great songs on that album. You know, Mirage is a great record, too. It's unassumingly so, but, I mean, it's got some great tracks. It's got a great Christine track called Only Over You, which I would encourage people to go listen to. It's got that ethereal vibe that we mentioned earlier. Yeah. I really like the next album. It's definitely a weird one. Tusk. Yeah. The next album that Fleetwood Mac came out with. It's longer, has a lot more filler, some would say. Yeah. It's got a lot more filler than the songs on that album. I know that album was very much Lindsey Buckingham being as experimental as he could be, which, you know, if you know who Lindsey Buckingham is and you know his vibe, that's very much an experimental person. It's kind of weird, but... I think they were kind of between a rock and a hard place with Tusk, because you're following rumors. Yeah. So it's kind of like the Eagles, you know, who put out Hotel California, and then they have to follow that up with The Long Run, which is a great record. It's not Hotel California, though, similar to how Tusk is not rumors. Even like Fleetwood Mac with Dark Side of the Moon, their next album was, some would say, not nearly as good, but... I can't imagine having that big of a success, and then the record label being like, okay, what are you putting out next? What's next? And, you know, it's not only what's next, but it's how soon can we have it? Yeah. Because they need to capitalize on the success of your predecessors, so. Yeah. Alright, so we figured that it would be a fun segment to add to these episodes where, on top of just reviewing the album itself, we would provide y'all with some of the songs that we've been listening to the week that we record. So we'll call it three of the week, and I'll go ahead and go first. Yeah, go for it. So my three, I'm going to start with Walking the Dog by Aerosmith off their self-titled 1973 album. It's a great rock track. Then I'm going to go with Allison by Rick Springfield off the Living in Oz album from 1983. And then Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart from Every Picture Tells a Story in 1971. Alright, cool. And then my three of the week, first song I'm going to do is Lips Like Sugar by Echo and the Bunnymen, and it's off their self-titled 1987 record. It's a good choice. The next song I'm going to say is When the Stars Come Out by Chris Stapleton, and it's off his album Traveler from 2015. Kind of just rediscovered that one, I've always loved Chris Stapleton. This next song is by this band I kind of recently found, they're called Under the Rug, and they just released an album called Homesick for Another World, like, just this month. And Turkey Vulture, specifically, is a great track off that album. Sounds like an interesting song for sure. Yeah. Yeah, and that's three of the week. We hope that you guys have enjoyed this little review, and we hope to be as consistent as possible with our weekly releases. We're going to try and get this thing out as soon as we can. And yeah, we hope you guys enjoy it, and thank you for listening to OBUFM. I'm Sam Bennett. I'm Luke Garrison. Thanks for listening. This has been a Questone Entertainment production.