Saturday, April 22, 2017

new old good

get down, pop pickers


i suspect it would be fair to say that this year, whilst not bereft of moment, has been neither as prolific nor dramatic as last year was with the vibes, or if you like new music releases. 2016 was remarkable, with both hello to music and goodbye to those who made it existing in the same, i suppose quantum, space.

moments in music still come along this year, of course, and not all of them are the decidedly background yet in your face sounds of Ed Sheeran. once again, though, the parts which are striking me the most as being the best are those trusted hands who have been making music for many, many years.

like, for instance. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie. yes, them two off of Fleetwood Mac.



in the absence of (ahem) rumours and reports as to what Fleetwood Mac might be getting up to i was quite surprised to spot a story on the news of this 40% of the best known line up of that band doing a record together.actually, make that 40% in name, yet 80% in recording, for i am led to believe that Mick Fleetwood and John McVie both appear on the album. leaving Stevie Nicks out of it, for reasons at this stage being unknown and untold.

the important stuff first, or if you like the business end. the album credited to Mr Buckingham and Ms McVie is called In My World. that just so happens to be the name of the lead single from the record. yes, indeed i did purchase this single in its digital form.

what is the single like? brilliant. there is no point avoiding the comparison, in melody and tune it sounds like the classic line up of Fleetwood Mac at their best. and yet it also sounds, perhaps surprisingly so, fresh and quite new. not modern in any sense of the noise generated today. there's just a revived, refreshed and vibrant feel to it. it's a really, really good song.

good enough to go on one of the better Fleetwood Mac albums made? perhaps even their very best work, and one which has a genuine claim to the title of greatest album of all time? possibly.



the fact that this song is so good can lead one away, or if you like since it would seem to be a preferred word of mine at the moment distract, from the questions this record poses. like, why are Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham making a record together? so far as i know the two of them, whilst no doubt friend and bonded with the years together, were of the few (ahem) personal pairings not experimented with during the recording of Rumours. from what i recall Christine McVie was also quite reluctant to once again join the band or throw herself into the toils and demands of making music.

in considering 80% of the band are reported to feature on the record, there's a question to ask about why not just have Stevie involved in it too and release as a Fleetwood Mac album. such a release would, to be honest, line their bank accounts a very great deal. asking such a question is quite dangerous ground to stand on. with the dynamics and politics of the band being what they have always been, who knows what's the deal with relationships (ahem) between them all now.

also, there's the problem of the last time Lindsey Buckingham "gave" an album to Fleetwood Mac. briefly and broadly, Lindsey was sat on gold with a solo record, but Fleetwood Mac were falling apart. he sacrificed the solo record to give the songs to the band, and thus Tango In The Night came in being. a move that saved the band but caused resentment. and that led to Lindsey leaving, only to come back at the explicit request of Bill Clinton, no less.



a most wonderful thing would be if the album, if not this single too, goes on to be quite a big hit. that relies pretty much on the rest of the album being up to the quality of the song In My World. there is no reason to think it will not be, for surely these two are in a position where they only need to release what they believe to be good.

no, sorry, no video clip for the few of you who can play them here, and no links either. i am sure you would not have much in the way of trouble in finding the song online. hopefully to purchase, but if the band and label are making it free to play somewhere then that's up to them.

this perhaps goes without saying, but bring on the album, then, and let us see what other old new good music gets a release this year.



be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




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