The artist who inspired Lindsey Buckingham to write his own music: “One of my favourites”
Lindsey Buckingham might have started as a singular guitar player, but he truly came into his own when he found his voice as a songwriter.
Establishing a name for himself alongside the inherent storytelling talents of Stevie Nicks meant that he probably could have continued with a sole focus on his beloved instrument and nothing else. However, switching gears and applying a more holistic approach when it came to enhancing his offering ultimately ensured a more influential position as a well-rounded musician.
Initially, Buckingham gravitated towards the guitar after admiring traditional rock ‘n’ roll greats like Elvis Presley and guitar heroes like Chet Atkins and Django Reinhardt, and when he met Nicks, they forged a songwriting partnership that utilised both of their strengths to their advantage, by which point Buckingham started to reach deeper into his own mind and feelings to channel something deeper into his music.
However, it wasn’t just the need to progress and develop as a musician that beckoned a more advanced approach on Buckingham’s part. He probably would have followed that path anyway, as is inevitable for any type of musician who starts to gain traction as part of a duo or bigger, more established rock group.
But doing so meant that Buckingham had to exercise a good balance between learning from the best and figuring out what it is that he had to offer himself. And of course, many of those he looked up to that ended up informing and shaping his style as a writer came from the folk and counterculture circles, whose stories often revolved around personal navigation in times of immense societal upheaval.
Within that lie seeds of other themes, like someone’s upbringing and experiences in their family, as well as how all of those impact the way they see and experience the world around them, and of course, many names come to mind when you think of this, from Joni Mitchell to James Taylor, but the one person who left a major mark on Buckingham, especially, was the master of spiritual philosophy himself, Cat Stevens.
For Buckingham, Stevens wasn’t just an exceptional storyteller, he was also the blueprint when it came to all facets of musical expression, a storyteller who didn’t just mirror the world around, but shared his own views, thoughts, and emotions through a myriad of different styles and influences, and for someone like Buckingham, this was like stumbling across stardust, as he’d also needed a shake-up that brought together all of his cherished favourites in a new and exciting way.
As he reflected to NME, “When I first heard Yusuf’s music, it was a revelation. I’d already been playing guitar for about 15 years, but I’d not yet started to write. Yusuf’s folk, rock and classical influences were similar to mine, and his breathtaking vocal performances, combined with his sublime melodies and rhythmic sensibility, were inspirational and exemplary in helping me find my own way as writer and artist. Yusuf was and has remained an inspiration; one of my favourites of all time.”
Buckingham wasn’t the only guitarist whose style was forever changed by Stevens. Many of them had the same epiphany upon listening to his music that made them realise the true artistic value of it. John Frusciante, for instance, had a similar experience, saying that it was “the first moment I realised that music is something which exists living within me; not just something which exists in the outside world.”
