BURNING TO THE SKY

The Solo Work of Fleetwood Mac’s Resident Genius

The musical legacy of Fleetwood Mac is well known and remains part of the musical furniture on most classic rock and adult-oriented radio stations. The music of the band’s best-known album Rumours (40 million albums sold) has become the soundtrack of several generations of music lovers. Almost as well known as the music is the band’s often tumultuous interpersonal history, most of which is centred around the relationship between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Nicks has enjoyed a hugely successful solo career, however, it is my belief that Buckingham’s solo work has been unjustly overlooked, despite it including several hits and some truly fascinating music.

Lindsey Buckingham comes from a different musical place than many of his contemporaries who emerged in the blues/ rock-drenched 70s. Buckingham, a self-taught guitarist, plays without a pick and uses a fingerpicking style based more on folk guitar or bluegrass. Musically and vocally, Buckingham often leaned closer to The Beach Boys and the production style of Phil Spector. Although these influences are woven throughout the Fleetwood Mac albums he was part of, it was actually fully formed before that. The album Buckingham

Nicks, released in 1973 (with his then-girlfriend Stevie), also had the layered guitar and vocal harmonies that would catch Mick Fleetwood’s ear.

Buckingham’s first solo album, 1981’s Law and Order, was largely seen as being weird and a reaction to the pressures of being in Fleetwood Mac. There are some truly oddball songs on Law and

Order, including “Johnny Stew,” “Bwana,” and “That’s How We Do

It in L.A.” Buckingham had begun using guitar and drum loops, heavily processed vocals, and other studio trickery on FM’s “Tusk,” and they were all over Law and Order. Yet his ear for hooks and a great melody was in full force on the radio hit “Trouble,” which is sonic ear candy. To this day, Law and Order remains one of my favourite listens when I want to go to a fun and weird place musically.

The solo album Go Insane followed in 1984 and was more glossy and slickly produced than Law

and Order. The downside was that Buckingham had discovered synthesizers, and they are all over the album. The record is not entirely unlistenable, and has some great tunes, but I do wonder how he would record them today. The title song, a response to a love affair gone wrong, would be retooled as a solo guitar tour de force a couple of decades later.

In 1992, after a long break, Buckingham released his third solo album Out of the Cradle. There had been a lot going on in the artist’s life and career, not the least of which was a rancorous break up with Fleetwood Mac. However, Out

of the Cradle proved Buckingham had lost none of his musical gifts. The album is loaded with great songs and performances, including “Countdown” and “Soul Drifter.” The harder-rocking songs on the album feature Buckingham’s unique guitar sound and stylings. The best of these is “Wrong,” a funny but biting poke at the rock star ego, apparently aimed at Mick Fleetwood. Out of the

Cradle remains a high point in the Buckingham music library.

Five years later, Buckingham rejoined Fleetwood Mac for a second act that was focused more on concerts and less on producing and writing albums. Yet as a solo artist, Buckingham remained busy. Between 2006 and 2011, he released three solo albums, Under the Skin,

Gift of Screws, and Seeds We Sow.

None of them had the commercial impact of his earlier solo outings, yet they all have moments of sheer genius.

In 2018, Buckingham was booted from Fleetwood Mac, apparently at the request of Steve Nicks. How someone as important as Buckingham to the sound and production of the band could be fired is something many have pondered. Buckingham was despondent and suffered a life-threatening heart attack in the wake of the event. Yet Lindsey Buckingham is a fighter and, at 71, he is back with a new, self-titled album and a tour. The new songs released so far—“On The Wrong Side” and “I Don’t Mind”— have all the earmarks of his sound and he is in fine voice. There have also been some hints of a reunion with his old band, so it seems that Buckingham will be busy for the foreseeable future.

That is good news for all of us who love his music.