Music Nerd Confessional #2

Forgive me music geeks, for I have sinned. I has been 3 days since my last confession. My confession today is... I love Fleetwood Mac.

My love for Fleetwood Mac began when I saw their reunion concert on PBS, of all places. In particular, this performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZZp76M4NGc

Lindsey Buckingham playing Big Love on acoustic guitar. Unbelievable. I love his picking style, in that he doesn't use a guitar pick. That's all finger picking goodness there.

If that's not enough to sway you, how about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsLykJ17Oxc

Stevie Nicks and ex-husband Lindsey Buckingham playing Landslide together. To me, this is a hauntingly beautiful song. And Smashing Pumpkins, Dixie Chicks, etc. have NOTHING on the original. Imagine singing a song about a relationship gone bad, with the person you used to love standing on stage right next to you. That's not something you can just copy. Stevie Nicks' voice is perfect here. A little raspy, time worn, but absolutely beautiful.

It may not be very rock and roll, but the Fleetwood Mac story is. Stevie and Lindsey were a couple. John McVie and Christine McVie were married. Then they all had messy breakups, slept with each other, did mountains of cocaine, and somehow recorded one of the best selling albums of all time. And despite all of that torrid history, they're still playing together today.

And I just really admire that. Most people don't find that kind of peace in their past relationships in everyday life, let alone in the wake of fame and the entertainment industry. If Fleetwood Mac can pull it together and let bygones be bygones, there's really no good excuse for any band to split up, save the death of a key member. Are you listening, Axl Rose?

So why the guilt? Mostly just because my Fleetwood Mac albums sit next to my Flipper, Flogging Molly, and Fugazi albums. Given my penchant for metal and punk rock, I have to claim Fleetwood Mac as a guilty pleasure, because they are decidedly not punk rock or metal. And frankly, they are responsible for some horribly generic songs, like Don't Stop. They actually brought out a marching band to play that song with them on the reunion show. It didn't make the song any less crappy. And though I consider Lindsey Buckingham a guitar master, he did also write Holiday Road from National Lampoon's European Vacation. And that song is just about as generic as you can get. Also, ticket prices to see Fleetwood Mac are astronomical these days. Maybe the band doesn't have much control over that, but it's really inexcusable to me.

But you can't help but smile watching Mick Fleetwood's facial expressions as he bangs away at his drum kit. He's having such a good time up there. And I can't help but feel like a child wrapped in a warm blanket when Stevie Nicks sings Landslide. And when Lindsey Buckingham rips into Big Love and My Little Demon... forgetaboutit.

So for now, I'll have to listen to my copy of The Dance when no body's looking. And keep the fact that Stevie Nicks still looks hot to me, even at 62 years old, to myself...