Recorded in the middle of a hedonistic phase in the life ofthe band, with relationships going astray, married members getting divorced andnewspapers predicting the end of a band that was meant to redefine andromanticize blues rock, Rumours actually became a benchmark for other bands tofollow. Instead of letting the outside world create a bigger void then thereactually was, Lindsay Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, John and Christine McVie andMick Fleetwood went into the studio and came out with a gem of an album.
From the opening ‘Second Hand News,’ the insightful‘Dreams,’ to ‘I Don’t Want to Know’ and the eerie ‘Gold Dust Woman,’ the recordproved Buckingham’s claim that Fleetwood Mac was more than the sum of all itsparts. The band worked separately on most of the songs, uniting a littlereluctantly for ‘The Chain.’ Ken Callait’s hands on production techniques gaveMac a slightly raw uncut sound that set it apart from previous albums and inmany ways, the uncomfortable atmosphere in the studio led to emotionalcontributions by musicians and singers alike.
Songbird, Go Your Own Way, Don’t Stop, Gold Dust Woman andNever Going Back Again are probably the most revealing and emotional songs fromthe album. If you want an insightful listen, then Rumours is right up youralley.
