The musician Lindsey Buckingham called “a big hero of mine”
Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has always admired musicians who embrace change and avoid staying confined to a single genre. If it had been entirely up to him, Fleetwood Mac would have been even more dynamic than they already demonstrated on their records, despite the significant musical dexterity they showcased.
Few bands have undergone as extensive a makeover quite like Fleetwood Mac. They began as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, making their name in the British blues scene. However, after Green’s untimely departure, the band found themselves in an uncomfortable position and realised that to continue, they would have to reinvent themselves and explore a new musical direction.
Ultimately, as their initial moniker suggested, Green was the band’s heartbeat, and replacing him with a like-for-like talent was impossible. Although they experienced more changes before Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were eventually brought into the fold in 1974, their acquisition proved pivotal, taking Fleetwood Mac to new heights.
At the height of their fame, following the monumental success of Rumours, Fleetwood Mac could have taken the easier route of attempting to recreate that same album until the end of time and given audiences a rehash of a tried-and-tested formula. Instead, Buckingham took the creative reigns on the follow-up record, Tusk, spearing the band in a new direction.
For Buckingham, the album was a statement that represented putting artistic integrity above all else and a refusal to be confined to a singular box, telling Forbes that “the whole impulse was to make sure that you didn’t succumb to the external expectations”. The guitarist also said that it’s perceived that audiences “want you to sort of formulise and stick to for the rest of your life, which is tantamount to painting yourself into a corner creatively.”
Instead, Buckingham was focused on the long-term picture, and whether Tusk outsold Rumours was not even considered when making the record. In the same interview, he used Elvis Presley as an example of an artist who went the other way rather than evolving, claiming that “he did become sort of a caricature of himself,” which he wanted to avoid at all costs.
Rather than following the Elvis path, Buckingham looked at The Beatles and Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys, acts that he considered to be the masters of reinvention. Although the Fab Four’s lifespan was short, he noted, “The evolution that went with that and how they took, not only the music community but the world, along with them, that’s a fine example of making good choices. Brian Wilson did the same thing, and obviously, he’s a big hero of mine.”
Buckingham has an unusual relationship with Wilson as a fan. While Pet Sounds is revered as a masterpiece and undoubtedly altered the direction of music, it wasn’t love at first listen for Buckingham. However, once he found fame with Fleetwood Mac, the guitarist understood Wilson’s decision in a whole new light and had the utmost respect for the bold album.
Wilson’s website boasts the following quote from Buckingham, “The first time I heard Pet Sounds, I have to admit that I did a little bit of knee-jerk in the same way probably the record company and some other people did because it wasn’t as accessible as Brian’s songwriting approach had been up to that time. I’m not sure I fully appreciated that until years later (when) I started making records myself.”
Although Buckingham was one of the many Wilson turned off with the ambitious Pet Sounds, the short-term sacrifice was worth the long-term payoff. Art can take decades to be fully appreciated, and many records never receive the deserved amount of love, but thankfully, those, including Buckingham, later swallowed their pride and admitted the album was the sound of a genius at work.
