The one musician who has always remained an inspiration for Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac at a crucial time for both parties, bringing a new level of creativity to a band that desperately needed fresh minds.
These changes were clear across the band’s self-titled album in 1975, but where their talents truly shone was on the legendary follow-up, Rumours. In 1976, during an interview with the BBC beside his fellow bandmate, Mick Fleetwood, Buckingham captured the magic of the entire record in a way that almost seems laughable now, saying: “It’s got more of a general vibe to it than the last one.”
Now, it’s obvious that the “general vibe” stemmed from the broader messiness of working together, as opposed to songs and ideas that were written independently, as Fleetwood Mac had been. Rumours, by comparison, was a patchwork of explosive thoughts and feelings, a clusterfuck of complete and utter brilliance that shouldn’t have worked but somehow did.
As Buckingham implied in the same interview, “This group of songs are more interrelated to each other, and so I think the whole thing comes across more as a unit of songs that are presenting a whole idea.”
What he’s essentially saying there is that Rumours saw the band pouring their personal struggles and issues with one another into self-written lyrics paired with seamless rock arrangements and timeless melodies. Nicks brought her own unique whimsy to the record with songs like ‘Dreams’ and ‘Gold Dust Woman’, while Buckingham brought the raw, rocky grit with songs like ‘Go Your Own Way’ and ‘Never Going Back Again’.
Understanding the challenges each member faced during the album’s creation, you’d probably think that each song works better as a standalone rather than as part of a broader project. But that’s also part of the reason why Buckingham described it as a “unit”: because although each song has its own unique perspective, the entire record fits together seamlessly, simultaneously spotlighting each musician’s strengths while taking you on a cohesive journey through the highs and lows of love and heartache.
It takes a lot of skill to be able to do this sort of thing, both as a solo musician and as part of a group. After all, most groups – especially those that emerged during the same era – eventually dissolved or fell apart due to internal fallouts and disagreements. And while the inner workings of Fleetwood Mac centred around the same issues, they played them to their advantage, letting it inform and guide the music rather than allowing it to tear them apart.
But when it came to their respective talents, each one had something different to offer that ensured everything remained tight-knit. Buckingham, for one, was already schooled in the art of progressions and melodies, something he learned from one of his ultimate heroes: Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf.
When Buckingham first discovered Stevens, he described it as a “revelation”. Stevens’ ability to blend smooth progressions with deeply emotive words and melodies is something that inspired Buckingham to push himself to the next level, taking his skills as a well-established guitar player and blending them with the art of storytelling.
“I’d already been playing guitar for about fifteen years, but I’d not yet started to write,” said Buckingham. “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.”
