Buckingham Nicks, by Buckingham Nicks

For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of Fleetwood Mac. Yet until a few days ago, this particular album was nearly impossible to find, having been out of print for around 50 years after it flopped in 1973 upon its release. Featuring a tasteful, artistic nude photo of the two members of the band, Stevie Nicks and a hirsute Lindsey Buckingham, the album (which is projected to debut at around #7 on the Billboard 200 within a couple days after I write this) made nary a ripple on the charts upon its first release but did impress Mick Fleetwood enough to extend an offer to Lindsey Buckingham to join the group as a guitarist and singer, and for him in turn to make it a package deal with his then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks, who was allowed into the group thanks to the approval of the late and gracious Christine McVie. All of that aside, this album has a nearly legendary if rather shadowy reputation. Is it any good, though? Let’s find out.

This is a short album of 10 songs that lasts only 35 minutes. It begins with “Crying In The Night,” a gorgeous slice of Southern California 1970’s singer-songwriter pop rock, with Stevie warning the listener (Lindsey?) about the wrong sort of woman who will leave the narrator, well, crying in the night. This is a strong and hooky album opener that could easily have been a hit. “Stephanie” follows with some excellent guitar work by Lindsey, a warm and sunny instrumental track that wouldn’t have been out of place on a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album. “Without A Leg To Stand On” finds Lindsey feeling at the end of his rope with compelling guitar work and melancholy lyrics that anticipate some of his moody later work. This is another song that could easily have been a hit. “Crystal” finds Lindsey in a balladeering mood showing appreciation for his partner Stevie, with the two of them coming off as something like Loggins & Messina. This could easily have been popular on AC radio with its spare but melodic production livened at the end of the song by some touching strings and its straightforward tone of devotion. “Long Distance Winner” has a Southwestern feel with its instrumentation and its narrative approach of Stevie, which all make for a compelling song darker than its title would indicate. Lindsey, of course, has a smoldering guitar solo that adds to its appeal on the bridge and another one on the outro. “Don’t Let Me Down Again” sounds like a lost Rumours track, with Lindsey bemoaning an unreliable lover (Stevie?) with Stevie providing harmonies along with some excellent multitracked guitar work. “Django” has the feel of classical Spanish guitar with backing strings in its instrumentation and is another excellent instrumental track. “Races Are Run” finds Stevie singing lead about the struggle of finding a lasting relationship in a bittersweet but beautiful minor key in yet another compelling song that could easily have been a hit single. “Lola (My Love)” begins with some stellar guitar picking that would soon be heard in Fleetwood Mac, to the benefit of all of us, with Lindsey singing a love song with somewhat basic lyrics but some great music that is a foretaste of the greatness of “The Chain”. “Frozen Love” closes the album with more great guitar picking and a song where Lindsey and Stevie sing some complicated and lovely vocal patterns about a dysfunctional relationship.

Listening to this album with hindsight, this album is one of those forgotten classics that honestly should have been a smash hit upon release. Mick Fleetwood was absolutely right in hearing in this album the sort of sound that he wanted in Fleetwood Mac. If few people heard the album at the time, at least some of those people had good ears enough to recognize in the already well-developed musicianship of Lindsey Buckingham and the evocative singing of Stevie Nicks something that would be very successful artistically and commercially, as it indeed was. It is a mystery that this album didn’t take off, but its present success indicates that those of us who go into this project knowing about the greatness of both of its artists will find in it the seeds of greatness already blossoming into art. This album was neglected at the time, but it can be appreciated now and hopefully for long in the future as a precursor of a sound that would end up shaping generations of musicians. Nearly every song on this album is great, and the one song that doesn’t stand up as well lyrically is still amazing musically. If it took fifty-two years after its release to become a hit, it’s still a well-deserved one nonetheless.