August 27, 2011

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Fleetwood Mac had already been a band for eight years before Lindsey Buckingham joined the group in 1975 (along with then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks), but it was Buckingham's voice, guitar and pen that helped make the band one of the best-selling rock acts of all time. With Buckingham onboard Fleetwood Mac cut such era-defining, chart-topping, multiplatinum monsters as Fleetwood Mac (Reprise, 1975) and the monumental 1977 follow-up Rumours (Warner Bros.). The latter produced four top 10 hits, including the No. 1 single "Dreams," "Don't Stop" -- later the theme song for Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign -- and "Go Your Own Way."

But it's the left turns of Buckingham's solo career, which began with 1981's Law and Order (Warner Bros.) and often finds him working as a one-man band, that mark him as a musical maverick.

His sixth solo album, Seeds We Sow, continues that tradition as Buckingham explores a broad spectrum of sounds from intense, drum-machine-driven grooves to solo-acoustic splendor and even a cover of the Rolling Stones' "She Smiled Sweetly."

On Sept. 6, Buckingham will self-release the album, the first indie set of his 38-year recording career.

How do your Fleetwood Mac duties and your solo career fit into your life?

You could say that Fleetwood Mac was the mainstream big movie, and the solo thing was the independent film. If you have the choice to be able to do both, it becomes clear that it's the independent film that's going to be your source of growth, where you're going to be able to tap into your higher aspirations as an artist, whereas the other thing eventually will become more about upholding the brand.

Have you ever wished you could just be Lindsey Buckingham?

It would certainly make things a lot easier. But just because it's easier doesn't mean it would be more enriching.

One of the things that makes [Fleetwood Mac] very interesting is that we don't necessarily belong in the same band. We have a set of reference points as individuals that aren't necessarily the same, and it's the differences that come together and make something that's interesting.

You wrote, performed, produced and mixed everything yourself on Seeds We Sow. Are you a control freak?

There's some element of wanting to control the situation, but some of that comes from giving up a certain amount of control on the other side of the coin, too. Because making albums with Fleetwood Mac is not a solitary endeavor. Working with a band is a more conscious political process. Working on your own, sometimes you start slapping the paint on the canvas and the work will lead you.

How did you go from lifelong major-label artist to self-releasing Seeds We Sow?

My deal with Warner Bros. had expired. Trying to shop this album was kind of like starting over. I actually started [shopping] with Warner Bros. [chairman] Rob Cavallo, who is a friend of mine and is in this new position over there. Rob liked it a lot, and then he had to go back and deal with the people in Burbank [Calif.], and when I talked to him on the phone, he started talking about the numbers he had to make quarterly, and I thought, "Well, that's the end of that."

I did talk to a few independent labels and finally decided that what they were doing was something I could probably just as easily do myself.

Bill Hader recently played you in a recurring "Saturday Night Live" sketch, and "Glee" did a Rumours tribute. What's behind the sudden TV interest?

Your guess is as good as mine. When I heard about ["SNL"], my initial reaction was, "Gee, that's kind of obscure." I can only assume someone in the cast was a big fan. I did a walk-on at the end of the season. Irving [Azoff, Buckingham's manager] and I were talking about how funny it would be to just show up on the sketch, and we called Lorne [Michaels], and I guess one thing just led to another. "Glee" I knew ahead of time they were going to do it. I've never seen the show -- my guess is, it's probably not my cup of tea -- but there was no reason to say "no." It's a compliment, to be sure.

After 38 years of making records, how do you keep the process fresh?

If you make choices that help you remember who you are and why you got into this in the first place, and if you maintain your idealism and your sense of wanting to keep growing ... you have the potential of hitting a stride fairly late in your career.

You may hit a certain point where any number of things suddenly comes to fruition. And I feel like that kind of happened with this album.

I must confess I opened this just to see if Christine McVie would be a part of the being considered new Fleetwood Mac album.

I'm glad he's releasing the album himself. He's a brilliant musician and producer (lyrically, I'm always a bit underwhelmed by him, but even so, he has his moments), so what he can do on his own should be very interesting.

But I really hope that he, Stevie, Mick, and John all get back in the studio soon and make a new Fleetwood Mac album. Christine McSacharine would be welcome too if she opts to come back, but I'm fine if she doesn't.

Efan said:

Christine McSacharine would be welcome too if she opts to come back, but I'm fine if she doesn't.

btw: she never left the band. she said she just couldn't tour anymore and the rest of the bandmates decided that she would not be invited to be a part of the album because if one of her songs became a hit, the audience would expect to hear the song live. WTF is that?

However, last year, Nicks said she wouldn't do another Mac album without McVie, so, we will see.

sosgemini said:

Efan said:

Christine McSacharine would be welcome too if she opts to come back, but I'm fine if she doesn't.

btw: she never left the band. she said she just couldn't tour anymore and the rest of the bandmates decided that she would not be invited to be a part of the album because if one of her songs became a hit, the audience would expect to hear the song live. WTF is that?

However, last year, Nicks said she wouldn't do another Mac album without McVie, so, we will see.

I thought it was weird that she released a solo album right around the same time as Say You Will came out. I hope she does return, then. Honestly, I do like her and she's written several FM songs that I absolutely love (Hold Me, Songbird, You Make Loving Fun, Heroes Are Hard to Find, among many others). But I thought Say You Will was brilliant, so I'd still be stoked to get a new FM album even if she wasn't on it.

How did you go from lifelong major-label artist to self-releasing Seeds We Sow?

My deal with Warner Bros. had expired. Trying to shop this album was kind of like starting over. I actually started [shopping] with Warner Bros. [chairman] Rob Cavallo, who is a friend of mine and is in this new position over there. Rob liked it a lot, and then he had to go back and deal with the people in Burbank [Calif.], and when I talked to him on the phone, he started talking about the numbers he had to make quarterly, and I thought, "Well, that's the end of that."

I did talk to a few independent labels and finally decided that what they were doing was something I could probably just as easily do myself.

Is that the same Cavallo who was one of Prince's managers Cavallo, Fargnoli and Ruffalo? The ones that were referred to in the industry as "the spaghetti brothers?" If so, it is interesting that he is now chairman over at Warner.

Anyway, what I found sad about this is that it really sums up where the industry is and why so much crap floods the airwaves (radio and video). The focus on numbers has totally overshadowed talent. It's music not milk. These folks are focused on making quarterly sales goals with music as if they were selling gallons of milk at a grocery store. It is said that art has been commodified in this way.

sosgemini said:

Efan said:

Christine McSacharine would be welcome too if she opts to come back, but I'm fine if she doesn't.

btw: she never left the band. she said she just couldn't tour anymore and the rest of the bandmates decided that she would not be invited to be a part of the album because if one of her songs became a hit, the audience would expect to hear the song live. WTF is that?

However, last year, Nicks said she wouldn't do another Mac album without McVie, so, we will see.

Yet they toured Tango In The Night after Lindsey had left and his Big Love had been a hit, so their excuse for not allowing Christine on the album doesn't really add up.

It's been said that Christine doesn't need to tour as she's made more money than the others due to most of their biggest hits being penned by her. And as she didn't do any live performances to support her last solo album I guess she just has no interest in that area anymore.

Still, it would be great to see her on the (hopefully) forthcoming FM album as it will probably be their last.

bellanoche said:

How did you go from lifelong major-label artist to self-releasing Seeds We Sow?

My deal with Warner Bros. had expired. Trying to shop this album was kind of like starting over. I actually started [shopping] with Warner Bros. [chairman] Rob Cavallo, who is a friend of mine and is in this new position over there. Rob liked it a lot, and then he had to go back and deal with the people in Burbank [Calif.], and when I talked to him on the phone, he started talking about the numbers he had to make quarterly, and I thought, "Well, that's the end of that."

I did talk to a few independent labels and finally decided that what they were doing was something I could probably just as easily do myself.

Is that the same Cavallo who was one of Prince's managers Cavallo, Fargnoli and Ruffalo? The ones that were referred to in the industry as "the spaghetti brothers?" If so, it is interesting that he is now chairman over at Warner.

Anyway, what I found sad about this is that it really sums up where the industry is and why so much crap floods the airwaves (radio and video). The focus on numbers has totally overshadowed talent. It's music not milk. These folks are focused on making quarterly sales goals with music as if they were selling gallons of milk at a grocery store. It is said that art has been commodified in this way.

A very sad state of affairs indeed.

I am such a huge fan of Lindsey Buckingham...with Mac and solo. His solo stuff is always criminally under-rated. Gift of Screws and Out of the Cradle are as good if not better than any Mac album. This guy is a genius.

, Lindsey is also a criminally underrated guitarist!

Cloudbuster said:

sosgemini said:

btw: she never left the band. she said she just couldn't tour anymore and the rest of the bandmates decided that she would not be invited to be a part of the album because if one of her songs became a hit, the audience would expect to hear the song live. WTF is that?

However, last year, Nicks said she wouldn't do another Mac album without McVie, so, we will see.

Yet they toured Tango In The Night after Lindsey had left and his Big Love had been a hit, so their excuse for not allowing Christine on the album doesn't really add up.

It's been said that Christine doesn't need to tour as she's made more money than the others due to most of their biggest hits being penned by her. And as she didn't do any live performances to support her last solo album I guess she just has no interest in that area anymore.

Still, it would be great to see her on the (hopefully) forthcoming FM album as it will probably be their last.

Plus they are probably not going to have a big hit at this point!

But I see CM's point, she was not really spotlighted as much as Stevie/Lindsay and she deserves it. How about she and Peter Green go on tour?

Cloudbuster said:

sosgemini said:

btw: she never left the band. she said she just couldn't tour anymore and the rest of the bandmates decided that she would not be invited to be a part of the album because if one of her songs became a hit, the audience would expect to hear the song live. WTF is that?

However, last year, Nicks said she wouldn't do another Mac album without McVie, so, we will see.

Yet they toured Tango In The Night after Lindsey had left and his Big Love had been a hit, so their excuse for not allowing Christine on the album doesn't really add up.

It's been said that Christine doesn't need to tour as she's made more money than the others due to most of their biggest hits being penned by her. And as she didn't do any live performances to support her last solo album I guess she just has no interest in that area anymore.

Still, it would be great to see her on the (hopefully) forthcoming FM album as it will probably be their last.

The Tango in the Night thing was probably more complicated, though, because they had the tour dates set up when Lindsey pulled out.

I thought Christine's aversion to touring was because of age, not money. I'm guessing Stevie would have more money than all of them combined, given how successful her solo career has been.

jbrown83 said:

, Lindsey is also a criminally underrated guitarist!

Agreed.

I love his solo stuff. Especially the last two. I also really like last FM album Say You Will. So I do hope they decide to do another FM album.

It's criminal really that LB has to release new album by himeslf. I mean like how much money do you think he's made for Warner Brothers over the years? I'm sure quite a bit.

if Christine would re-join the band on a tour and a new CD,I'd be really excited.Without her,it just doesn't feel complete.

NDRU said:

Cloudbuster said:

Yet they toured Tango In The Night after Lindsey had left and his Big Love had been a hit, so their excuse for not allowing Christine on the album doesn't really add up.

It's been said that Christine doesn't need to tour as she's made more money than the others due to most of their biggest hits being penned by her. And as she didn't do any live performances to support her last solo album I guess she just has no interest in that area anymore.

Still, it would be great to see her on the (hopefully) forthcoming FM album as it will probably be their last.

Plus they are probably not going to have a big hit at this point!

But I see CM's point, she was not really spotlighted as much as Stevie/Lindsay and she deserves it. How about she and Peter Green go on tour?

Probably not. But you never know, having Chris back on board might rekindle the commercial magic.

Her pop sensibilities along with Lindsey's production was always a good mix.

Peter Green. Another tragic acid casualty. Great, great talent.

Cloudbuster said:

NDRU said:

Plus they are probably not going to have a big hit at this point!

But I see CM's point, she was not really spotlighted as much as Stevie/Lindsay and she deserves it. How about she and Peter Green go on tour?

Probably not. But you never know, having Chris back on board might rekindle the commercial magic.

Her pop sensibilities along with Lindsey's production was always a good mix.

Peter Green. Another tragic acid casualty. Great, great talent.

I thought Peter Green was lost, but recently I saw him interviewed about the old days. I was very surprised.

It was not extensive but he seemed relatively normal. Maybe he is able to reminisce but not function as well in the present, much like a person with Alzheimer's

Efan said:

Cloudbuster said:

Yet they toured Tango In The Night after Lindsey had left and his Big Love had been a hit, so their excuse for not allowing Christine on the album doesn't really add up.

It's been said that Christine doesn't need to tour as she's made more money than the others due to most of their biggest hits being penned by her. And as she didn't do any live performances to support her last solo album I guess she just has no interest in that area anymore.

Still, it would be great to see her on the (hopefully) forthcoming FM album as it will probably be their last.

The Tango in the Night thing was probably more complicated, though, because they had the tour dates set up when Lindsey pulled out.

I thought Christine's aversion to touring was because of age, not money. I'm guessing Stevie would have more money than all of them combined, given how successful her solo career has been.

Yeah, the tour was already booked before Lindsey pulled out. Shame we never got to hear the title track played live.

I guess I'm just disappointed that they wouldn't consider doing an album with Chris unless she agreed to tour.

Stevie lives a much more lavish lifestyle than Chris, tho'.

Also, Stevie's solo material didn't sell quite as well outside of the US, whereas FM songs are radio staples to this day across the globe.

And most of them are Christine's tracks. Dreams is the only FM hit by Stevie that I hear on heavy rotation, unfortunately.

NDRU said:

Cloudbuster said:

Probably not. But you never know, having Chris back on board might rekindle the commercial magic.

Her pop sensibilities along with Lindsey's production was always a good mix.

Peter Green. Another tragic acid casualty. Great, great talent.

I thought Peter Green was lost, but recently I saw him interviewed about the old days. I was very surprised.

It was not extensive but he seemed relatively normal. Maybe he is able to reminisce but not function as well in the present, much like a person with Alzheimer's

He's certainly a lot healthier these days. It's just sad to think what could have been, he didn't touch a guitar for years.

Cloudbuster said:

Efan said:

The Tango in the Night thing was probably more complicated, though, because they had the tour dates set up when Lindsey pulled out.

I thought Christine's aversion to touring was because of age, not money. I'm guessing Stevie would have more money than all of them combined, given how successful her solo career has been.

Yeah, the tour was already booked before Lindsey pulled out. Shame we never got to hear the title track played live.

I guess I'm just disappointed that they wouldn't consider doing an album with Chris unless she agreed to tour.

Stevie lives a much more lavish lifestyle than Chris, tho'.

Also, Stevie's solo material didn't sell quite as well outside of the US, whereas FM songs are radio staples to this day across the globe.

And most of them are Christine's tracks. Dreams is the only FM hit by Stevie that I hear on heavy rotation, unfortunately.

I was all set to see the Tango in the Night tour...had my tickets and everything, and they canceled the show just hours before, as I recall. What a shame. I was very disappointed.

I wonder how they break up the royalties from all those songs. I guess the songwriter would get the bulk of royalties from the singles, while the band would split album sales equally? I have no idea.

Rhiannon, Sara, and Gypsy weren't big hits elsewhere? I think Sara is too long for most radio stations to play now, and maybe Gypsy wasn't as big a hit. But Rhiannon would seem to be pretty radio-friendly all these years on.

Efan said:

Cloudbuster said:

Yeah, the tour was already booked before Lindsey pulled out. Shame we never got to hear the title track played live.

I guess I'm just disappointed that they wouldn't consider doing an album with Chris unless she agreed to tour.

Stevie lives a much more lavish lifestyle than Chris, tho'.

Also, Stevie's solo material didn't sell quite as well outside of the US, whereas FM songs are radio staples to this day across the globe.

And most of them are Christine's tracks. Dreams is the only FM hit by Stevie that I hear on heavy rotation, unfortunately.

I was all set to see the Tango in the Night tour...had my tickets and everything, and they canceled the show just hours before, as I recall. What a shame. I was very disappointed.

I wonder how they break up the royalties from all those songs. I guess the songwriter would get the bulk of royalties from the singles, while the band would split album sales equally? I have no idea.

Rhiannon, Sara, and Gypsy weren't big hits elsewhere? I think Sara is too long for most radio stations to play now, and maybe Gypsy wasn't as big a hit. But Rhiannon would seem to be pretty radio-friendly all these years on.

when I hear classic rock radio, I hear a lot of Dreams and Rhiannon, a little Gypsy. Not too many of the CMcV songs, but I used to hear them a lot. Not too many of the LB songs either.

FM radio has gotten so bad!!!

Efan said:

Cloudbuster said:

Yeah, the tour was already booked before Lindsey pulled out. Shame we never got to hear the title track played live.

I guess I'm just disappointed that they wouldn't consider doing an album with Chris unless she agreed to tour.

Stevie lives a much more lavish lifestyle than Chris, tho'.

Also, Stevie's solo material didn't sell quite as well outside of the US, whereas FM songs are radio staples to this day across the globe.

And most of them are Christine's tracks. Dreams is the only FM hit by Stevie that I hear on heavy rotation, unfortunately.

I was all set to see the Tango in the Night tour...had my tickets and everything, and they canceled the show just hours before, as I recall. What a shame. I was very disappointed.

I wonder how they break up the royalties from all those songs. I guess the songwriter would get the bulk of royalties from the singles, while the band would split album sales equally? I have no idea.

Rhiannon, Sara, and Gypsy weren't big hits elsewhere? I think Sara is too long for most radio stations to play now, and maybe Gypsy wasn't as big a hit. But Rhiannon would seem to be pretty radio-friendly all these years on.

Crap that they cancelled the gig. Having said that, I didn't much care for Lindsey's replacements.

Yeah, the writers get most of the royalties for their hit songs. Dunno how they'd split album royalties, though.

Maybe Stevie loses out there as well because she always had fewer tracks on an album than either Lindsey or Chris.

Dreams was Stevie's biggest hit with FM in the UK, it reached #24.

I'll hear Rhiannon occasionally but that's pretty much it.

Christine's Don't Stop, Songbird, Little Lies, You Make Loving Fun, Hold Me, Everywhere, Over My head, Say You Love Me etc... are played endlessly. To the point of annoyance, actually.

Especially as the only Lindsey track that gets regular airplay is Go Your Own Way. It's as if Tusk, Big Love and Oh Diane don't exist.

Yes, Oh Diane was a hit in the UK.

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/RQCY8.jpg?8469[/img:$uid]

Lindsey Buckingham:
Seeds We Sow
(Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Rating:

Album Review

In a year when longtime Fleetwood Mac mystic (and his former flame) Stevie Nicks released some of her worst songs to date (the underwhelming In Your Dreams), there’s something especially comforting about the ornate fingerpicking that opens Seeds We Sow, Lindsey Buckingham’s sixth solo album. “Had a dream that you reached for me in the night, touched me soft and slow,” he nearly whispers, his paper-light voice shrouded in homespun reverb. “Everything was wrong, but everything was right.”

It’s a moment of astounding, nostalgic beauty, alarming in its quiet and even more so in its blinding emotion. As great of a pop songsmith as Buckinghams’ always been, something even more mesmerizing always happens when he strips back the excess, trimming the mix to his acoustic and vocals.

The album version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love” now sounds dated and restrained; Buckingham’s now legendary solo performances of the track are transcendent, often featuring the singer screaming himself hoarse over his windmilled spirals of fingerpicked color.

“Seeds We Sow” is yet another moment of sparkling clarity. Elsewhere, Buckingham’s at his best where he so obviously feels most comfortable: strapped to that acoustic, armed with nothing else but his fingers and that journeyman’s tenor. The electronic-spattered “In Our Own Time” climaxes in a torrent of head-rush arpeggios. His hypnotic, double-tracked assault on “Stars Are Crazy” is jaw-dropping, wrangling out his trademark alien noises from only a six-string and a capo.

Buckingham’s no stranger to the recording process, but Seeds We Sow is his most DIY moment yet. He wrote, played, produced, and mixed every inch of this batch, which he is also self-releasing.

There’s a rough, intimate charm throughout—as if you’re listening in on basement warm-ups rather than final takes. Buckingham’s voice is breathy and intimate, typically coated in trebly reverb, even when he soars to his usual beefy choruses (“In Our Own Time”); and the emotions are expansive and fully-bloomed, even when the music is dated. (“When She Comes Down” sounds like a bad Steve Winwood B-side as heard on the soundtrack to a direct-to-video ’80s rom-com—but it somehow gets by on its own craftiness.)

Ultimately, the most “song-like” tracks here (like the rowdy, half-baked rocker “One Take”) are also the least interesting. Those moments feel stifled and awkward. Ironically, the more pop details Buckingham adds, the less impact he achieves; at times, you can’t help but wish for a Mick Fleetwood drum fill or John McVie’s liquid bass pulse.

But Buckingham knows his true strengths. Seeds We Sow waves goodbye, just as it began: with quiet meditation. “She Smiled Sweetly” is nothing more than folky plucks and ocean breeze whisper, evaporating gracefully into the fog of a half-gone dream.

http://www.americansongwr...ds-we-sow/