Tonight my good friend Big Jim is attending a Lindsey Buckingham show in Houston as we speak. To rub it in, he sent me a photo of his tickets on my phone. Bastard. It reminded me that I meant to review his latest release, Seeds We Sow. Most of you probably know that Buckingham was/is the creative force behind Fleetwood Mac's most successful period. With all due respect to Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie fans, it was always Lindsay producing and arranging the songs, no matter who "wrote" them or sang on them.
Most of you probably have not followed his rather fascinating, under the radar solo career. His solo records are places where Lindsey indulges in what is necessarily somewhat restrained on the more commercial Fleetwood Mac records. Production genius? Lindsey makes overproduction an artform on his solo records (some may, and do, complain about his overproduction in his solo work, but that is almost silly. I mean, that is part of the point with Lindsey Buckingham). Neurotic and quirky songwriting? He saves his most bizarre tunes for his solo records. Great guitar? His best guitar playing is reserved for his solo records where he can really let loose. His last few solo records, including this one, are truly solo affairs. He records them at home, plays virtually every instrument, and really holes up and isolates himself from the world. These are insular records.
Seeds We Sow does not disappoint. In fact, it may be his most consistent solo effort, at least in league with the excellent Under the Skin and Gift of Screws. His outstanding acoustic fingerpicking style is all over this record, so there is plenty for guitar afficiados to enjoy here. But the songwriting is a step up from the usual here. "Rock Away Blind" and "End of Time" sound like they could easily fit on a blockbuster Fleetwood Mac release, while "One Take" rocks hard with real fire and anger. For me, "In Our Own Time" is really where the great (over)production, guitar playing, lyrics, vocals and quirky songwriting all come together best. If you are new to Buckingham's solo work, Live at the Bass Performance Hall is still the place to start, but Seeds We Sow stands alongside his best solo studio work.
ABOVE: Here's a live clip of him playing "In Our Own Time." Check out that guitar work. (Sorry for the ad you have to watch up front. It's worth it, though.)
***1/2 out of *****
3 comments:
Time you stopped chugging the LB Kool Aid. Your placing of quote-marks around the word 'wrote' in respect of SN and CM's songwriting credits is something LB himself would shrink from doing, even at his most egomaniacal.
Come on. Stevie Nicks herself is on record saying that she depended on Buckingham for arranging her Fleetwood Mac songs. He was behind their arrangements and production.
It is a really neat record, yes Mr. Anonymous- LB himself would shrink from claiming that, but it's true that he is another level above the girls, not to take anything away from them. it's just a fact, and that's all
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