Comments for Fleetwood Mac, Time

This album can be rated in two ways: as a Fleetwood Mac album and as an album onto itself. As a Fleetwood Mac album, it really doesn`t live up to many of their other albums like RUMOURS, MIRAGE, and TANGO IN THE NIGHT. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have since departed, and to replace them comes Billy Burnette and Dave Mason both on guitars and vocals and Bekka Bramlett on vocals as well. You still get John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Mac`s heart and soul, Christine McVie. The album starts out to a different feel than with Lindsey/Stevie/Christine, but it seems to still feel Fleetwood Mac. But you don`t feel the same. Billy`s "Talkin` To My Heart" is a good rocker. You get a reminder that it is Fleetwood Mac when Christine`s "Hollywood" comes, a comfortable pop song. Dave takes over on the power hit "Blow By Blow". Bekka takes the light "Winds Of Change". She`s not Stevie, but has a feel of her own. Christine`s "I Do" is another reminder of Mac past, yet it is of 1995. "Nothing Without You" (Bekka vocals) is a rockin` 90s number, while the acoustic "Dreamin` The Dream" is very lovely and thoughtful. The biggest hit from the album was "Sooner Or Later" (Christine). "I Wonder Why" (Dave) was okay but a little annoying towards the end. After that, the album picks up the pace a little: "Nights In Estoril" is rock and passion woven into one, and "I Got It In..." (Bekka and Billy) is country to the bone. "All Over Again" is probably the best song on the album and a perfect reflexion: it will be classic someday. Then, it takes a different tune when Mick speaks the wiseman on "These Strange Times", a long and dark experience and very artistic. A perfect end to the album. This album onto itself is quite good, better than much of the 90s stuff of any band, although some moments are much better than others. It`s a pop rock album that does good but didn`t get quite the attention it deserves. The only things that keeps this album down is its true lacking in togetherness and feel of a band; a lot of other musicians are brought in to do some of the instruments and backing vocals, and it ends up massively over-produced. (Actually, Lindsey Buckingham himself steps in for background vocals on "Nothing Without You"; and Mick`s daughter Lucy does backgrounds with Bekka on "These Strange Times"). It`s an album that should be appreciated....and the theme of TIME works quite well with many of the songs.