Descrizione
Fleetwood Mac: The Dance
2 LPs | Label: Reprise, 1997
Release date: 12.10.2018
he return of the RUMOURS era of Fleetwood Mac to active duty was welcome news in 1997. Each of the band’s three main songwriters – Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie – had done solo work that, while of high quality, was nowhere near the commercial heights of the band in its heyday. And drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie’s attempt to continue without their vocal trio – 1995’s barren TIME with ex-Traffic guitarist Dave Mason – could hardly have fared worse.
From the first notes of “The Chain” on THE DANCE – the live album and video project that marked the return of the classic lineup – it’s easy to hear that the five main players are better together than apart. Buckingham and Nicks were born to harmonize – he sounds like he’s about to burst out of his skin with adrenaline, and her raspy voice gives him a target to aim for. And Christine McVie’s smoky backing adds texture and depth to the song. Listeners recognized something they had missed in that moment, probably without realizing they had missed it – the classic sound of this wonderful band.
In addition to such familiar songs as “Go Your Own Way,” “Rhiannon,” “Dreams” and “You Make Loving Fun,” THE DANCE provided space for each songwriter to showcase new material. “Temporary One” is an uptempo number by Christine McVie that glides along on a breeze of acoustic guitars and is perhaps the most upbeat sounding song on the album. Buckingham contributes “Bleed to Love Her,” which tones down its darker tendencies in favor of a straightforward pop song. Nicks’ “Sweet Girl” sounds the closest of the three to sounding like it could have come from a session in the late ’70s; like “Temporary One,” there’s a lot of strumming and a good amount of harmony, but most of all it was great to hear Nicks’ voice fronting this band once again.
The highlights of the album, however, are old songs that sound brand new. Buckingham takes “Big Love” from 1987 and turns it into a solo guitar workout, with fingerpicking that sounds otherworldly and supports a voice whose desperation is palpable. “Silver Springs,” a RUMOURS B-side, has a heartbreaking mood that is supported by the band’s many strengths, from Nicks’ voice to Buckingham’s solo to the rhythm section that holds it all together.
As the show (and the record) ends with a loud run-through of “Don’t Stop” (augmented by the marching band used for “Tusk” one song earlier), it was clear that Fleetwood Mac weren’t going to stop, that they were capable of continuing. More than that, they were willing to do it, to add to their trove of hits with performances that not only put smiles on the faces of nostalgic fans, but carried the great music of yesteryear into the now.
