1995 effort has some high moments without Buckingham and Nicks
Throughout the history of rock ‘n’ roll no band has known more incarnations than Fleetwood Mac.
The group’s beginnings were as a raw British blues band fronted by Peter Green and Danny Kirwan. Later, Christine Perfect (later known as Christine McVie) joined and married bass player John McVie.
Then came the Bob Welch era where the band was undergoing its transition from straight-ahead raw blues to a pop and more commercially accessible and radio group.
That transition became complete when vocalist Stevie Nicks and guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham joined and became a hit-making machine that composed hits from the mid-1970’s to late 1980’s.
Buckingham left and Nicks followed but the band (formed by John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood) soldiered on.
In 1995, Mick, John and Christine joined forces with former Traffic co-founder Dave Mason, Billy Burnette (who was one of the replacements for Buckingham on guitar, circa 1987) and Bekkah Bramlett (daughter of blues legends Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett). The result was Time, a country-pop effort with some good moments.
Christine’s work was (as always) admirable. Mason’s “I Wonder Why” was a gem that featured his vocals at their best.
Bramlett and Burnette have some great tunes. The album’s overall tone is jovial and creative.
Buckingham and Nicks are, of course, sorely missed.
This work would probably be considered a washout by Fleetwood Mac purists, but thanks to Mason, Bramlett and Christine, there are some songs that get high marks.
For the first time, Mick Fleetwood sings the album’s finale. “These Strange Times” is a bizarre tune that lasts over seven minutes. It is a tune for masochists and is forgettable to say the least.
Christine’s “Hollywood (Or Some Other Town)” is the only tune here that echoes the pop lineup’s work from the 1970s and 1980s.
This album has its moments and may be worth a listen. But to truly enjoy it, Fleetwood Mac fans from any era will have to have an open mind. And while it has its moments of greatness, it went largely unnoticed, and probably for good reason, unless you’re a Christine McVie or Dave Mason fan.
Fleetwood Mac goes country with Burnette’s work, which is intriguing and Bramlett adds a down-to-earth element. But this work is in no way comparable to Rumours, Tusk or even Tango in the Night, or Say You Will. This was released in 2003 and features Buckingham who contributes some background vocals on Time. And Nicks has Christine listed only as a guest artist contributing additional keyboard work.
