Fleetwood Mac
With the "classic" Fleetwood Mac and departed guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer a fading memory, namesakes and rhythm section Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass), along with second generation survivor Christine McVie (vocals, keyboards), let go of their British blues heritage and linked with a failed Californian pop-rock duo, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. That move, born of desperation, yields this 1975 classic: unveiling a taut, well-oiled pop rock band boasting three distinctive singers and songwriters in Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie; Buckingham's extraordinary arrangements and versatile acoustic and electric guitars; and the undeniable horsepower of the founding fathers' rock-solid rhythm work. Buckingham's rave-ups, Nicks's sultry rock ballads, and Christine McVie's soulful, sunny pop form the template forRumours, which would follow two years later.--Sam Sutherland