Say You Will
Given their overarching history, Fleetwood Mac's 15-years-after studio reunion seems as unlikely as their initial, era-defining nova of success. Even cynics leery it's just another geezerfest payday should find this stripped-down edition ofle Mac Classique(singer/songwriter/keyboardistChristine McVieopted out) bristling with a wealth of fresh, ambitious musical ideas. The responsibility for that creative renaissance rests squarely on the delicate shoulders ofLindsey Buckingham, more involved and motivated than he's been in any Mac project since the monumentalTusk. His crypto-folk structures and adventurous,Brian Wilson-inspired sonic textures are anything but predictable, illuminating "Miranda," "Red Rover," "Come," and even the mildly pedantic harangue "Murrow Turning Over in His Grave." With Christine McVie's poignant pop sense out of the mix, Stevie Nicks steps up with solid songcraft that rises beyond "Ilume"'s expected folk-mysticism to encompass other melancholy, age-defying feats like "Silver Girl," "Smile at You," "Goodbye Baby," and the title track. That duet with Buckingham argues that their vaunted creative axis may have lost its personal friction only to spin ever freer. And, like firm ground beneath the feet, it's too easy to take for granted the legendary Mick Fleetwood/John McVie rhythm section that gave the band its very name. Cut to its core dozen tracks, it's an album that easily stands comparison to their mega-platinum past.--Jerry McCulley