Fleetwood Mac [1975] [Ruby Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive] in Bloomington, MN

It's unfair to say that
Fleetwood Mac
had no
pop
pretensions prior to the addition of
Lindsey Buckingham
and
Stevie Nicks
to the lineup in 1975. When they were led by
Bob Welch
they often flirted with
, even recording the first version of the unabashedly smooth and sappy
"Sentimental Lady,"
which would later be one of the defining
soft rock
hits of the late '70s. Still, there's no denying that 1975's
represents not just the rebirth of the band, but in effect a second debut for the group -- the introduction of a band that would dominate the sound of American and British mainstream
for the next seven years. In fact, in retrospect, it's rather stunning how thoroughly
Buckingham
Nicks
, who had previously recorded as a duo and were romantically entangled in the past, overtook the
British blues
band. As soon as the Californian duo came onboard,
turned into a West Coast
pop/rock
band, transforming the very identity of the band and pushing the band's other songwriter, keyboardist
Christine McVie
, to a kindred
sound. It could have all been too mellow if it weren't for the nervy, restless spirit of
, whose insistent opener,
"Monday Morning,"
sets the tone for the rest of the album, as well the next few years of the group's career. Surging with a pushily melodic chorus and a breezy Californian feel, the song has little to do with anything
the Mac
had done before this, and it is a positively brilliant slice of
songwriting, simultaneously urgent and timeless. After that barnstorming opener,
lies back a bit, contributing only two other songs -- a cover of
Richard Curtis
'
"Blue Letter,"
the second best up-tempo song here, and the closer,
"I'm So Afraid"
-- while the rest of the album is given over to the wily spirits of
McVie
, whose singles
"Rhiannon,"
"Say You Love Me,"
"Over My Head"
deservedly made this into a blockbuster. But a bandmember's contribution can never be reduced to his own tracks, and
not only gives the production depth, he motivates the rest of the band, particularly
, to do great work, not just on the hit singles but the album tracks that give this record depth. It was diverse without being forced, percolating with innovative ideas, all filtered through an accessible yet sophisticated sensibility. While
Rumours
had more hits and
Tusk
was an inspired work of mad genius,
wrote the blueprint for Californian
of the late '70s and was the standard the rest were judged by. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine