Fleetwood Mac rekindling the classics on 2013 tour
Fleetwood Mac are one of the most significant and influential bands in the history of rock and roll. While originally a blues band, it gradually evolved into the tuneful pop-rock band that became its most famous and enduring incarnation. Most people think of Fleetwood Mac as the vehicle for Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks' narratives about their relationship, but they were actually the last members to join the classic lineup. The second album featuring songs by Buckingham and Nicks, Rumours, was the most successful of the band's career. It became the top-selling album of all time when it was released in 1977, and the singles "Don't Stop," "Dreams," "Go Your Own Way" and "You Make Loving Fun" all became massive hits. Rumours currently ranks as the eighth best-selling album ever. The band never achieved that degree of success again, but the albums Tusk, Mirage and Tango in the Night sold well.
In the midst of the band's success, the star individuals of the group were releasing solo albums. Stevie Nicks, always a prolific songwriter and arguably the most popular member of the band, became the first artist to have a chart-topping solo album while still in an active band. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie also launched respectable solo careers.
Much of Fleetwood Mac's entertainment value lay in the members' personal relationships. John and Christine McVie had a fairly stable marriage, but Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had a tumultuous relationship that entered into rock and roll mythology. The good and bad times in their romance were chronicled in the songs that made them famous. They endured a public break-up, after which Nicks dated the band's drummer, Mick Fleetwood, for a short time. All of this drama coupled with the band's copious and public drug use made for a fascinating saga that perfectly suited the excesses of that era in rock history.
Though the band never officially broke up, it stayed silent for long stretches of time after Buckingham's departure in 1987. During the late '80s and early 90's, Fleetwood Mac's output consisted mostly of greatest hits packages and retrospective box sets. The band had a brief resurgence in 1992 when Bill Clinton chose "Don't Stop" as his campaign song and commissioned a performance for the Inaugural Ball the next year. After a few more years of scattered collaborations, the classic lineup of the band reunited for the 1997 live album, The Dance. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and released Say You Will in 2003.
Extended Play, an aptly titled EP, was released on April 30th 2013. It features "Sad Angel," a song Buckingham wrote for Nicks, and "Without You," which was written by Nicks before she and Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac.
The tour in support of the EP launched on April 4, and several of those dates have been sold out. The band has spoken about the tour in very positive terms, noting that in the past, its members often lacked the passion necessary to deliver great performances. This time around, Fleetwood Mac is grateful for its continued success and relevance, and this is evident every night onstage. The band will travel overseas after completing the American leg of the tour.
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