“Prudish”: The Fleetwood Mac album named after Mick Fleetwood’s manhood
There are several reasons why 1977’s Rumours by Fleetwood Mac was such a worldwide success and resonated so deeply with listeners. A key one is that it was a triumph in the face of darkness, a masterpiece crafted by a group who were falling apart at the seams, with their inner-band romances ending, complex trysts emerging, and hard drug use taking its toll.
In one of the most remarkable turnarounds in music history, the quintet used their turmoil to fuel the record, making it arguably the greatest break-up album of all time. From Lindsey Buckingham writing ‘Go Your Own Way’ in a stream of consciousness about his ex-partner Stevie Nicks and including some pretty hurtful jabs at her in the lyrics – making it the song of the band’s she hates the most – to Christine McVie penning ‘Don’t Stop’ about her feelings after splitting from bassist John McVie, the throughline of the album is heartbreak.
Such a profound personal connection to the songwriters is what gives Rumours that special essence that makes it stand out in their oeuvre. It’s also what meant that following it up would be tough. However, instead of leaning once more into the full-frontal soft rock that characterised the previous album, the band bravely placed Buckingham’s sparse arrangements at the forefront of the record, which were inspired by the contemporary developments in post-punk. From the more minimalistic compositions to the African-inspired grooves, the influence of one of the era’s most innovative groups, Talking Heads, can be heard throughout.
While the double album that became 1979’s Tusk is one of the finest Fleetwood Mac efforts, with it painting the band in a different light from Rumours and showing their experimental prowess, it was actually considered a commercial failure and “only” sold 4million copies in comparison to its predecessor’s 10million. This blow to the label’s coffers was heightened by the fact that it is the most expensive album ever recorded.
However, the album proved that Fleetwood Mac were not just the Rumours band, and there are many delights to be found across its 20 songs. One of which is the title track, which features the heady sounds of the University of Southern California’s Trojan Marching Band, strange sound effects, and an African-inspired rhythm from drummer Mick Fleetwood, which is the beating heart of the entire song.
Not only did the song typify Tusk as a musical departure, but the title that it gave to the album also matched its meaning. “Tusk” is slang for penis, a joking, overtly sexual term that saw the band move into an untapped area. Nicks hated the connotations so much that she objected to the album being called it, but as Fleetwood really wanted to use it, he ignored her until she eventually gave up protesting.
For Nicks, who concedes that she’s “prudish”, the title has always been another point of discomfort for her in the band’s story. She told Mojo in 2015: “I didn’t understand the title, there was nothing beautiful or elegant about the word ‘tusk.’ It really bought to mind those people stealing ivory. Even then, in 1979 you just thought, the rhinos are being poached and that tusks are being stolen and the elephants are being slaughtered and ivory is being sold on the black market.”
She continued: “I don’t recall it being (Mick’s slang term for the male member), that went right over my prudish little head. I wasn’t told that until quite a while after the record was done, and when I did find out I liked the title even less!”
It’s a little-known fact that the entirety of Tusk comes back to Mick Fleetwood’s member. While learning this changes the dimension of the record entirely, the almost Frank Zappa-esque title fits in perfectly with the experimental, sometimes lighthearted nature of the contents, which have always been the antidote to the romantic heartbreak of Rumours.
