Now we are getting into the meat of the list and into the meat of popular music as we now know it. Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Led Zeppelin, U2 and Joni Mitchell... really, it can't get any better. Each one of these albums could be my favorite album of all time depending on my mood (and which one was playing at the the time) with the possible exception of Joshua Tree. More on that later.
Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is their swan song and a nearly perfect record. Every track, every note, every little nuance and inflection is shear bliss. Knowing the back story certainly enhances the experience. If you are unfamiliar with the soap opera escapades that unfolded here, look it up. You certainly don't need to know anything about all of that stuff to appreciate the record. It is as listenable and excessable as anything on the planet. The only downside here is the amount of airplay that it has received. If you haven't listened to it in a while , I strongly recommend going back to it and listening to it again with fresh ears. Try to forget that you know every note and what is coming next. We tend to take recordings like this for granted and don't appreciate them as much as we should.
Who's Next, Zep I and this album all share that very rare element, the perfect marrage of players, material, production and time. The sum is greater that any of the parts and that's saying a lot because the parts are great. Imagine this album without Stevie's raspy, whisky soaked voice or Mick's orchestral drum style or Lindsey's totally unique way of approaching rock guitar not to mention John's intellegent, totally supportive bass lines and the pop sensibility and warmth the Chistine brings to the album. Fleetwood Mac made other great albums, but not quite as perfect as this one.
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