I usually keep my strong opinions on albums to myself but I really hate this album. No wonder punk seemed so cool when I turned 13 in 1979. I'd spent two years listening to an 8 track tape of this coke nosebleed from the backseat of my dad's girlfriend's Celica. Mitch seemed very close to rejecting it. Is there an appeal process? Just joking of course. Always enjoy the posts, if not always the subject!
We have a joke in our household that no matter WHAT artist you pick as a starting point, the Pandora algorithm will eventually reach Fleetwood Mac. We've tested it with a wide range and it appears to hold up.
Agree about Stevie's lyrics, but wow to the melodies she creates. As a songwriter, I'm in awe of the cadence and complexity. I always thought that Christine's melodies were less ambitious yet more "pop ready," which is more of a compliment than it appears now that I'm reading it back.
Is there any safer take in rock & roll than to say one likes "Rumours?" Even people that list a different favorite always manage to sidestep saying anything bad. It's always something like "I really like Mirage," never, "Mirage is the band's best album" (which it totally is, btw).
It's not that "Rumours" is bad, it's just that it's been such a large part of our lives for so long that it no longer elicits a reaction. It's just always...there.
In the car, at the store, at a wedding on Martha's Vineyard.
"Don't Stop" is forever stuck in 1992 and associated with pantsuits. "I Don't want To Know" is probably the best track on the record, and certainly my favorite. "Dreams" charted again after 40 some odd years because a guy swilling Ocean Spray on a skateboard went viral. The universe is wild. But this record is anything but.
And while it may warrant a place in the hall, I don't know that it deserves a top shelf spot.
agree with mitch: rumours is boring, and fleetwood mac is the all-time poster child band for self-indulgence.
i was 11 when it came out, my sister bought it immediately, and my strongest memory of this album was wondering about the brass balls on the cover, hanging down from his crotch. was that intentional? how could it have been a mistake? were they supposed to be what they appeared to be? were they part of that silly knickers costume? were they anatomically correct for size or length? how is it even possible they were allowed to do that? so many questions for a young mind...
‘Rumours’ may be a thematically pure album (which is usually a good thing), but it’s just a pity the theme here is self serving self indulgence.
I really couldn’t care less which band member was sh***ing which other band member (only perhaps to stop and consider how surprising it is any of them actually noticed anybody else existed) and I certainly don’t need to hear about it ad infinitum.
Yes there’s some great melodies, yes Stevie Nicks can sing like an angel (albeit a vain one), but if that’s your cup of tea do yourself a favour and listen to Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs instead.
PS That last Merchant/Nicks comparison is lifted from the latest chapter of my musical maverick themed novel, serialised on Substack, give it a try at https://challenge69.substack.com
I usually keep my strong opinions on albums to myself but I really hate this album. No wonder punk seemed so cool when I turned 13 in 1979. I'd spent two years listening to an 8 track tape of this coke nosebleed from the backseat of my dad's girlfriend's Celica. Mitch seemed very close to rejecting it. Is there an appeal process? Just joking of course. Always enjoy the posts, if not always the subject!
I was very close to rejecting it, but upon further consideration it just seemed like a bridge too far, even for a professional troll like myself.
We do have an informal appeal process at EONS:
1) I write a response trashing someone, but then go soft and let them in
2) CJ texts and says "you fucking hate Billy Joel why did you let him in?"
3) I change my vote
4) Ken gets mad at me
5) CJ laughs, as yet another soul is corrupted for his dark metal master
It works pretty well.
That's all pretty much true
+1 for the Celica reference!
We have a joke in our household that no matter WHAT artist you pick as a starting point, the Pandora algorithm will eventually reach Fleetwood Mac. We've tested it with a wide range and it appears to hold up.
Agree about Stevie's lyrics, but wow to the melodies she creates. As a songwriter, I'm in awe of the cadence and complexity. I always thought that Christine's melodies were less ambitious yet more "pop ready," which is more of a compliment than it appears now that I'm reading it back.
I’m a Spotify guy, and for me the algorithm always lands on “Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne
Is there any safer take in rock & roll than to say one likes "Rumours?" Even people that list a different favorite always manage to sidestep saying anything bad. It's always something like "I really like Mirage," never, "Mirage is the band's best album" (which it totally is, btw).
It's not that "Rumours" is bad, it's just that it's been such a large part of our lives for so long that it no longer elicits a reaction. It's just always...there.
In the car, at the store, at a wedding on Martha's Vineyard.
"Don't Stop" is forever stuck in 1992 and associated with pantsuits. "I Don't want To Know" is probably the best track on the record, and certainly my favorite. "Dreams" charted again after 40 some odd years because a guy swilling Ocean Spray on a skateboard went viral. The universe is wild. But this record is anything but.
And while it may warrant a place in the hall, I don't know that it deserves a top shelf spot.
agree with mitch: rumours is boring, and fleetwood mac is the all-time poster child band for self-indulgence.
i was 11 when it came out, my sister bought it immediately, and my strongest memory of this album was wondering about the brass balls on the cover, hanging down from his crotch. was that intentional? how could it have been a mistake? were they supposed to be what they appeared to be? were they part of that silly knickers costume? were they anatomically correct for size or length? how is it even possible they were allowed to do that? so many questions for a young mind...
So I’m with Mitch on this one.
‘Rumours’ may be a thematically pure album (which is usually a good thing), but it’s just a pity the theme here is self serving self indulgence.
I really couldn’t care less which band member was sh***ing which other band member (only perhaps to stop and consider how surprising it is any of them actually noticed anybody else existed) and I certainly don’t need to hear about it ad infinitum.
Yes there’s some great melodies, yes Stevie Nicks can sing like an angel (albeit a vain one), but if that’s your cup of tea do yourself a favour and listen to Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs instead.
PS That last Merchant/Nicks comparison is lifted from the latest chapter of my musical maverick themed novel, serialised on Substack, give it a try at https://challenge69.substack.com