Tusk

More than any other Fleetwood Mac album, Tusk is born of a particular time and place -- it could only have been created in the aftermath of Rumours, which shattered sales records, which in turn gave the group a blank check for its next album. But if they were falling apart during the making of Rumours, they were officially broken and shattered during the making of Tusk, and that disconnect between bandmembers resulted in a sprawling, incoherent, and utterly brilliant 20-track double album. At the time of its release, it was a flop, never reaching the top of the charts and never spawning a true hit single, despite two well-received Top Ten hits. Coming after the monumental Rumours, this was a huge disappointment, but the truth of the matter is that Fleetwood Mac couldn't top that success no matter how hard they tried, so it was better for them to indulge themselves and come up with something as unique as Tusk. Lindsey Buckingham directed both Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, but he dominates here, composing nearly half the album, and giving Christine McVie's and Stevie Nicks' songs an ethereal, floating quality that turns them into welcome respites from the seriously twisted immersions into Buckingham's id. This is the ultimate cocaine album -- it's mellow for long stretches, and then bursts wide open in manic, frantic explosions, such as the mounting tension on "The Ledge" or the rampaging "That's Enough for Me," or the marching band-driven paranoia of the title track, all of which are relieved by smooth, reflective work from all three songwriters. While McVie and Nicks contribute some excellent songs, Buckingham owns this record with his nervous energy and obsessive production, winding up with a fussily detailed yet wildly messy record unlike any other. This is mainstream madness, crazier than Buckingham's idol Brian Wilson and weirder than any number of cult classics. Of course, that's why it bombed upon its original release, but Tusk is a bracing, weirdly affecting work that may not be as universal or immediate as Rumours, but is every bit as classic. As a piece of pop art, it's peerless.

The 'live, laugh, love' of music.

I think this album is great. It really took me by surprise when I first heard it and it gave me newfound respect for them - particularly Lindsey Buckingham, who is the mad genius behind the more manic bursts on the album (the ones I enjoy the most). This is an amazingly brave album to make as the follow up to a pop masterpiece smash hit. They still pull off the pristine pop songcraft while also unleashing their inner weirdo. It's a win-win. A bit schizophrenic but I think in this case it's all the better for it. A wooden rollercoaster ride and probably a good reflection of their own states of mind at the time.

There's a reason people gush over Rumors and not Tusk. This whole album feels like a really long demo tape. And I'm listening to a 2015 remastered version. And still, the album is full of rough ideas, unfinished thoughts, sketchy instrumentation, and half-assed lyrics. I get that, among a certain generation of music critics, Fleetwood Mac is one of those darling bands but I cannot understand why THIS album is on the list. I'm not a FM fan and even I know that they have better albums than this one.

A rotten record..I heard a remaster, which still sounds as tho it were recorded in a fridge freezer.. Drumming sounds like someone building a shed .Vocals all over the place..Peter Green's FM, Band Played on and Kiln are much better records..

I can hear in this album why some people appreciate this band so much. I don't have much history with them, other than being familiar with the hits. I like the driving beat that permeates many of the songs, it makes me feel like I'm on a journey, looking out the window of the Amtrak at the mountains or something. I also like that they become unhinged (for them) at certain moments, and showcase some messiness alongside the otherwise unobjectionable prettiness. The mix of vocalists works for me too because there is not one that I object to. All in all, a good album that I would listen to again.

mmm, that's a ten!

Rumours can never be matched because it just holds your attention through the whole album in this really unique way that few albums can do, but Tusk is like the cooler older sibling to Rumours. More chilled out, more suave, easier listening. More diversity between tracks. I'm in love.

Not a fan of this. Nothing which is particularly bad, but nothing which I particularly enjoyed either. Sisters of the Moon, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Never Forget and especially the title track were exceptions, but four songs out of 20 isn't a great turnout

I expected to like this one a lot more than I did.

It’s so cold and claustrophobic and incredible.

How to follow up 'Rumours'? With a double album of course! A real mixed back of lush songs and lo-fi ones next to each other. Still great tunes all throughout the album though. Not a duff track in sight. Best tracks: (Disc 1) The Ledge, What Makes You Think You're The One, Sisters of the Moon (Disc 2) That's Enough For Me, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Walk a Thin Line

I'm so excited, my first Fleetwood Mac album on here. This is the album you didn’t really hear about too much for years, but over time listeners have come to appreciate it. I think it’s because people didn’t know what to make of Tusk. It was eternally in the shadow of what came before it, big and ambitious as the band may have tried to make it. After Rumours, Tusk was considered a failure as an album, but I don’t think they could have made a better album under those circumstances. The band was a crazy success, and they were also on the verge of falling apart. The double album was risky, and boy do they go big with the risk. They bring in the USC marching band to play on the title track, for Pete's sake. Stylistically it’s kind of a mess from the outset. It starts out all soft and sweet with Christine McVie on “Over & Over,” then throws you headfirst into the frenetic wackiness of Buckingham’s “The Edge.” Then! They throw on the brakes for McVie again in “Think About Me.” That drove me crazy the first time I sat through this album, the way the mood and the flow of the album is all over the place, but if you just lean into the disarray and stop expecting it to go in a particular direction, you will enjoy this album so much more. Lindsey Buckingham's guitar work is beautiful, as always. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie hold up the backbone as tightly as ever, and all three vocalists are in top form. The arrangements are solid, utilizing a lot of layered vocals and instrumentation. Buckingham is the dominant force on the album, but the more cool and restrained energy of Christine McVie really helps to temper his wackadoo brilliance. Stevie Nicks is a force of nature, bringing warmth and heart to the table as well as some incredibly personal songwriting. It really takes all these artists working together to pull off some special magic that, honestly, none of them have ever captured in their solo work. For all of its perceived (and real) flaws, I'm still happy to just give this album the full five stars. Other bands wish they could be so disorganized and still end up sounding so great. Fave Songs: Sara, Tusk, Think About Me, Sisters of the Moon, Beautiful Child

Love Tusk. Perfect blend of calm, melancholic, and frantic

Lots going on here, much of it great. Contains my favorite Stevie song "Sara" and many weird and wonderful others. Works hard for that 5*

Lindsey Buckinghams tracks really stood out to me.

Not to everyone's taste but for my money the most interesting album from this era of FM.

What a quirky album, mostly in the best ways. A little all over the place, like the White Album. Definitely not as good as its predecessor, begging the question of great art is best created in the storm of chaos as opposed to its settled aftermath…🤷🏽🤷🏽🤷🏽

Bra, lite ojämmn platta

Fleetwood Mac are my favourite radio band. If one of their songs comes on the radio, I will always turn it up and sing along. Love 'em. But I never choose to put their records on the turntable, with the exception of the Tusk 7”, which I love for its weirdness and the nostalgic memory of the ABC playing the video on a pretty regular basis in the 5 minute break between the Goodies and the 7pm news. I know the reputation of this album; willfully weird, overblown, expensive and coked out. This was Lindsay Buckingham’s reaction to the incredible success of Rumours and the rise of post-punk. He wanted to forge his own thing, and this was it. It amazes me that he spent a million bucks recording an album that sounds this badly recorded. Never before, and likely never again. Is this Fleetwood Mac’s White Album? There are some superficial similarities (double album, studio weirdness, clearly identifiable songs from different songwriters, arguably better as a single LP, but no one will agree on what tracks would be on it). There is probably a pretty good follow-up to Rumours here if you compiled the Stevie Nicks and Christine MacVie songs, with the fresher production take preventing it from being just Rumours 2.0. And the production on these songs is not that weird. This would a total radio favourite and solid 3.5 star album. And then there is also an album of Lindsay Buckingham songs, especially The Ledge, Walk a Thin line and Tusk. They are idiosyncratically recorded (although now quite contemporary sounding). They are strong songs, but with quite an unusual approach for the time, which has been quite influential in the 2000s. I can see why the hipsters picked up on this record. I am considering playlisting just his songs for an Abbreviated Tusk, which would be an interesting listen for me, and something I would play regularly. More to my taste, and 4 stars. But, as it stands, this is a three star album. Like it, a few standout tracks, but needs a big edit and I would never deliberately choose to put it on the turntable. Except for the title track, on 7".

I said it about Rumours and I’ll say it again about this record: No one would give half a fuck about this band if they weren’t an absolute trainwreck of cocaine and affairs. That the album covers of their most successful records are beige is fitting because they are exceptionally inoffensive and middle of the road. You want a Fleetwood Mac record you should actually hear before you die? Go listen to Bare Trees.

Edgeless boring uninteresting dreck

Better than rumors, and probably the most consistent double album ive heard (rumors has better highs though)

Loved every minute of it!

NEED LSD WITH THIS ALBUM

The only knock against this album is that it isn’t Rumours, which is also true of every other album.

This is a record you could spend a lot of time in: riches sequenced into a lopsided, mesmerising flow that has me thinking of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - the out-and-out bangers are surrounded by slow burners and curiosities. Sisters of the Moon

Good album but a bit long and slow in parts

Tusk is Fleetwood Mac's 12th studio album, and the one that came directly after the phenomenal record "Rumours". Bearing that in mind, the same kind of thing happened to Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (it directly followed a stellar album, and paled in comparison, because it was held to the same lofty standards as its predecessor). Going into the recording of Tusk, the band decided that they wanted this record to sound in no way like its predecessor. They didn't want to get stick in a rut of just regurgitating similar ideas for easy sales. They also decided they wanted Tusk to be a double album. Lindsey Buckingham, the bands lead guitarist and co-singer was in love with the post punk movement that was taking place at the time, especially with bands like Talking Heads. He wanted Fleetwood Mac to stay current in the music world, so pushed the band to experiment more with these types of sounds and styles. What this all led to was a VERY different sounding Fleetwood Mac. I think that caught a lot of people off guard, and led to the album flopping, but if you can listen to this album, and forget all your preconceived notions of what Fleetwood Mac should sound like, you can certainly see a few "diamonds in the rough" so to speak on this record. I think the song Tusk is the weirdest of the bunch, with the inclusion of a marching band as background music. Overall, a great record today. Don't get me wrong, Rumours is Fleetwood Mac's golden album, but this is still an excellent record all the same. Will definately listen again. Favourite songs: Sisters of the Moon, Angel, Think About Me, That's Enough For Me, Storms, What Makes You Think You're the One, Sara, The Ledge, Over & Over, Tusk Least favourite songs: Brown Eyes, Walk a Thin Line, Not That Funny 4/5

A bit odd as an album. Its a bit of a grower but Soo padded out, it They have 18 studio albums to choose from. Sensing this might not be here to to its peerless perfection, I look it up. Could it be the important "transitional piece". Turns out it was a recording so long and expensive as to have caused debates with lawyers on whether it would be best to build or buy or rent a studio? That was before they ended up spending 10 months to incubate 20 tracks. At the cost of $1.4M. in 1979. Two or three good songs ("Sarah' has the signature sounds, that epic cinematic sweeping warmth of this band ), some really sleepy heated waterbed version of country music. Sleepy enough. Some oddities. Track 6 is rotten. And then we get to the Celtic / Saxon drumming on Tusk. It's mysterious ... And grows like a Tubular Bells does, but blending with some rock opera. I guess at this time everything was a concept album. I have a few other goes at the album. Headphones. Warm 80s speakers. I detect more artefacts and breadcrumbs. This artists with no limits no budget and no deadlines. And no editor. A slow grower for me, a bit of curiosity. They were quite prolific weren't they? Hard to mark down to a 3. Not my kind of 5.

A few songs I liked, but generally a little too slow and samey.

Unfortunately as bland as the album cover art. I’m never a fan of a “double album” like this. Like come on, cut it down to just down to essential tracks. Lindsey buckingham christie mcvie and Stevie nicks vocals are still timeless but not enough to make this shine. I was surprised to read in the little “wiki” section that this was supposed to be an experimental album, as it feels very weak and almost intentional to not be like rumors

What a frustrating album - it could have been a great album as a single record but they decided to over-indulge and do away with the self-editing. Most of the not-ready-for-primetime tracks come from Lindsey Buckingham. I am a huge Lindsey fan but most of these tracks should have been farmed out to a solo album. I want to give it a higher score - but it's just too darn uneven and somewhat unlistenable.

Listened Before? N Not terrible. That's kinda how I feel about this one. It feels very experimental, and like it came from a band who was internally strained. Late Beatles-esque. Not musically, but as a feel. Not sure that makes sense but it's what comes to mind. Still love Stevie, though. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sara

Find this a bit tricky to rate. They were certainly doing some interesting things and it was brave to make a more experimental record, when the temptation to follow Rumors with something equally poppy must have been present. I found the lyrics interesting with each of songwriter bringing their own thoughts, moving between themes of melancholy retrospect and reflection, as well as looking forward. Lindsey's songs in particular bring some intriguing elements, weird tunings and whatnot. Great melodies and lyrics come so naturally to FM that even a more experimental album is still tuneful. One final thought - no chance this would be at 3.45 on this site if it wasn't Fleetwood Mac My rating is between a 3 and 4 but I normally use "do I want to listen to it again straight away" as the criteria between them and the answer is not really, so 3

This was... fine. It didn't have any of the iconic songs I know them for, and most of them sounded samey to me. It's easy, but forgettable listening for me. 'Sara' and 'Storms' were the only notable ones for me, and barely.

What a bonkers album. FM's musical genius shines through the experimental mêlée at times like beams of pure golden light. Many risky songs live here but only "Tusk" was a hit. And even that one is bananas.

Not enough quality for a single album put into a double album. Not my favourite you may guess.

This album started out with me hopeful it would get better as it went on, but it ended with me bored. Parts I liked, but most of it dragged, and the inflated length didn't help. Not bad, but is this really an all important album? Is Fleetwood Mac an all important band, for that matter?

6/20 songs added to playlist Best song: Never Forget

With Tusk, Fleetwood Mac released a bloated and repetitive album. There are some highlights, but it does not at all stand near their other work. The best songs tend to focus on Stevie Nicks and have limited vocal input from everyone else. Best Songs: Sara, Beautiful Child, Tusk Worst Songs: Not That Funny, That's Enough for Me, Never Make Me Cry, Walk a Thin Line

I didn't like it, I gave up half way through at the song Storms.

Fuck this SUCKED. What a chore to sit through. Didn't even have the annoying catchiness of Rumours. I genuinely hated every moment, and it went for av LONG time. 1/5.

After years now of spotting hipsters walking around Newtown with a vinyl copy of Rumours under their arms so we can appreciate their taste, you might wonder if the same fellows will cart copies of Tusk around? I doubt it. This was one of those releases that gave double albums a bad name. As soon as we saw the film clip for the title track, which was released the month before the album, we knew the band were way too full of themselves. From a single album that hardly had a dud track on it, they came out with a double album that barely had a great track on it. As it turned out, when we eventually heard the album, Tusk was one of the few interesting tracks on it. Then maybe Sara. But after that - not much. How they squeezed another 4 singles out of it is beyond me. And I was a fan. I saw them at the Sydney Showground in 1977. They were great. This album is not.

Over and Over is the most nothing song imaginable. The Ledge is at both amazing and horrible, love the energy, but why does it sound so awful. How is this the most expensive album up through 1979, it sounds like shit what the hell happened. I usually don’t notice production weirdness but even this remaster sounds tinny, it sounds like it was recorded on a weird child’s Casio sometimes, there are times this wall of treble just overwhelms everything, it’s like being in a forest of cicadas. Jesus. Ugh god when we’re not doing weird up tempo folk nightmares we’re doing generic power ballads like Sara, the DRUMS are mixed SO BADLY HOW DID THEY SPEND A MILLION ON THIS WHATS HAPPENING. Are all of you rating this highly because you like Rumours so much? Are you scared of hurting Fleetwood Mac’s feelings? Because you shouldn’t be. This is very bad. What Makes You Think is so loud in all the wrong spots I don’t understand Storms? More like Snores! This is the biggest mood killer I’ve heard. I don’t know what’s worse these shitty ass 70s nothing happening ballads or the bafflingly terrible production on the other songs. At least those are interesting. That’s all for everyone just blasting in with a weird vocal effect is so funny. It’s also one of the most unnecessary songs on any album, did you know you can skip it and miss nothing. Because you can. Not That Funny is hilarious. I actually kinda love it. The goofy synth, the fun beat. This is my favorite song so far lmao. Sisters of the Moon feels like a parody of a Stevie Nicks song, which is very funny. Vaguely witchy lyrics? Sure. It’s at least the first song on the album that doesn’t sound awful which is good for a change. Angel has AWFUL lyrics. It starts with a non sequitur. Blegh. I love when these albums become long spite listens like this. This albums a one if you couldn’t tell by now. Unless the song tusk blows my mind and even then it’s too little too late. That’s Enough for Me is so fucking stupid. Again compared to the previous nothing it actually brings a genuine smile. Like hey remember the parts of this album that suck in the unique way! Brown Eye’s starts and immediately fucking sucks, so let’s talk about the album cover. Dirty recycled paper. Barely visible title. Little terrier biting a pant leg. That little dog is a metaphor for the bad production. It’s so bad. This is just a baffling album all over. Cry sucks. Next The whiplash I’m getting from the ballads to the shitty keyboard will never not make me laugh. It’s amazing. I Know I’m Not Wrong? I know this album is wrong. Fuck it they didn’t put any effort in neither will I. I just skipped to Tusk, I didn’t miss anything I can assure you, looking at the lyrics and the first few seconds. Tusk is…uh…well it’s interesting at least. OH MY GOD THAT SOLO, that reminds me of the drum solo in Paralyzed by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Go listen to that instead! It’s better! It’s so much better than this whole album. This is a rare thing among albums. It’s almost so bad it’s good. Almost. It just sucks so bad my god…

Så många sköna låtar.

didn't listen to but great

great

what makes you think you're the one?

J’adore fleetwoodmac et c’est dans leur top 5. 5*

Another gem from the mac

LOVE

10/10 one if their best albums favorite song: sara, storms

Bua muy molón

Beautiful album, as expected by Fleetwood

Not as good as Rumours but good in its own way

Saved this for Sunday morning. Such a great background track to my long drive.. Loved it

Very good album I enjoyed it

Great 👍

Now I get Fleetwood Mac.

A lot of variety in this album. Enjoyed the different vocals of the 3 singers. Quite long but never got fed up

Daa da da daa da da da da da da daa dun dun dun tusk

Never heard Tusk before this. Loved it.

Great sounds. A very excellent first album on my journey through 1000

Very chill. like to listen to more their songs

Crazy - hadn’t heard this. Love the kick off track and “Sara”. Not a big Buckingham fan (who leads the charge here) but credit where credit is due.

I had listened to this before and didn’t get it but this time I LOVED it. TUSK!

Fresh

Finally, Fleetwood Cheese Perfect amount of song diversity

Not their very best, but still fantastic. Actually prefer the Nicks and McVie contributions to the Buckingham ones.

Four stars and a half. An all-time classic, and an album which still holds its own many years after it was released. Of course, it's a double album, so it's sprawling and lacking cohesion somehow. But the association of Lindsey Buckingham's sonic experimentations with Stevie Nicks or Christine McVie's pop stunners is an irresistible ticket, and one of Fleetwood Mac's most interesting records, right after the incredible artistic and commercial success that *Rumours* was. It's a little odd to think this album was released in the same years punk was proving its influence would have to be taken into account from now on (even as they were a hit machine, Fleetwood Mac was also a little anachronistic in their heyday). But in a way, it *also* makes sense that *Tusk* should be released in the same year as The Clash's *London Calling*, for instance. The relationships between the band members had become notoriously chaotic and strained, drugs and booze were a significant part of the album's budget, and Buckingham's songs proved he wanted to explore a more *abrasive* side of things. As a result of this particular "energy", this record goes over all the place, like the needle of a compass maniacally turning on itself. *Tusk* might not be a punk album sonically speaking. But its "spirit" is not so far off that mark. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. *Tusk* is just a timeless gem for anyone who has even a remote interest in Fleetwood Mac. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. if you haven't already. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 968 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 13 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 7 Albums from the list I will *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 10

I think this album sometimes gets hidden behind Rumours, but it's really fantastic and triumphant. One of the best listening experiences I've had in a while.

Different and slower, but an amazing follow-up to "Rumours."

Amazing

chicks rock. I knew right away this was a 5-star album: this record starts great and doesn’t cease until the end of the last song. Lucious, diverse, joyful, passionate; it’s like if the Beach Boys made Pet Sounds in 1979.

My new favorite Fleetwood Mac album. Can’t believe I’ve never heard this.

Tusk is the result of obsessive behavior in the studio, a deep desire not to make Rumours 2, having access to the Beach Boy’s aborted Smile sessions, and a healthy interest in new wave/post-punk. Largely driven by Lindsay Buckingham, this sprawling album really does cover it all. Some songs have a more new wave like frenetic pop energy, while others are more thoughtful meandering songs that make up some of the best of Fleetwood Mac’s catalogue. This album has some undeniably gorgeous moments but I do think it suffers some from the grandiosity of Buckingham’s vision and need for control. Overall, I think I still have to give it a full five stars because while it’s not perfect, it is still a deeply textured and beautiful album.

I don't think I've really ever been "disappointed" by a Fleetwood Mac album yet. This album wasn't as familiar to me as Rumours, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Still very much a pop record, but with some pretty creative decisions being made. All welcome to my ears. I can see this becoming one of my favorites.

This album is slightly more experimental than its predecessor, but it is equally accessible and just as good. Like any other great Fleetwood Mac album (FM, Rumours, this one, Mirage, Tango in the Night, all 5 stars) each of the songs is immediately recognizable as a CMcV/LB/SN song... ..yet you get the feeling that although these songs would still be good, they would be quite a bit less good if they had appeared on any of their solo albums.

My favorite album by my favorite band

Im sure when it came out, this album was received awfully because of its sense of chaos. But listening to it in 2022, it sounds like a Fleetwood Mac tribute playlist on shuffle. I loved everything about it.

Storms <3 . Never Forget muito boa também.

Excellent start to finish!!!

SLAYYYY thank you stevie and christine.

Awesome sauce

Rumours is one of my top 3 records of all time, and while Tusk doesnt come nearly as close to the top, I still absolutely adore it. So many wild choices were made with Tusk to set itself apart from Rumours' shadow, and while it misses the mark pretty often it is still brimming with creativity and a strong double album of 8/10's is still so respectable I consider Rumours to be the front end store, the smaller curated selection of the best songs, and Tusk is like the warehouse behind it. Once you get hooked on Rumours and want to explore the sound further, you can wonder into this double album and look through all of their different ideas that wouldnt see the light of day in the same way that The Chain or You Can Go Your Own Way did. It's more work, less immediately rewarding, but Think About Me, Sara, Walk a Thin Line, and so many other tracks slowly unfold for the patient listener and have their own treasures to reveal. 5 stars, fleetwood mac continue to deserve their place in history

Good I liked them before and this album slaps

Adorabile.

The album opens slow and beautiful with over and over, a very good track but not a song that I would open an album with ( kinda disappointing seeing that rumours is like the best sequenced album of all time) still a great track though! The ledge is a very energetic with amazing bass work but without the vocals I wouldn’t know it was a fleetwood Mac song it’s so different to anything I’ve herd from them. Think about me just screams fleetwood mac single to me it has the groove of you make loving fun or Rhiannon but the pop rockiness of go your own way yeah this one’s great. Save me a place kinda feels like fleetwood filler but it’s still rather nice sounding and I really like the drumming. Sara is an amazing closer to side one, it’s very obviously Stevie Nicks track right from the first second which is great ; one of the best so far in an album i’am really liking! What makes me think you’re the one is a great track but I think the drums are slightly too high in the mix if I were to be really nit picky but it’s really hard to complain about this album. Storms (like sara) is an amazing (very Stevie Nicks) track it’s absolutely amazing! That’s all for everyone is this amazingly droany sounding piece of pop music I especially love Buckingham’s vocals on this one. I don’t hate not that funny (it’s a good single) but I think in comparison to the other tracks this is just a bit dumb. Sisters of the moon is absolutely perfect dark yet beautiful (this is really Stevie Nicks album so far)! Angel is good, a brilliant start to side two especially love the guitar work. That’s enough for me is a rocky folk track it’s really short though so it honestly didn’t leave a big impression on me. Brown eyes is cool I really like the simple drum and bass blend with some guitars (played by original member peter green) quietly featuring in the background. Never make you cry (like brown eyes) is another Christine McVie track this one is also quite simple but effective being a rather short track with a simple slow pulsating guitar flowing all of the way through. Side 3 ends on I know i’am not wrong a super upbeat track that i’am very surprised wasn’t released as a single it’s brilliant (especially for its guitar work). The instrumentation on honey hi is so sublime (I know it always is but this in particular is spectacular). Beautiful child is beautiful Stevie Nicks final blow on the album and well all her songs have been so masterful on this album! The vocal harmonies on walk the thin line are stellar it’s an amazing late album banger. Tusk is the only song I’ve herd before and that’s only because my grandad kept on moaning about how it’s all drum no substance… well I disagree by a country mile but I think it sounds more like an album opener than a penultimate track in a double album (but that’s just silly sequencing preferences). Never forget ( on an instrumental level) made me think of a happy version of gold dust woman, both of which are 10/10 closers. It’s a really,really good album all the way through no song is bad, which I was very surprised by, but I still have a white album like temptation to try shorten the tracklist that’s not a bad thing for me though I just like fiddling with albums. 5/5 was blown away it’s almost as good as Rumours and especially an essential if you’re really into fleetwood mac!

I'm well familiar with this album as it was my boyfriend's favorite and I always think of driving around in his green Talon in the late 90s/early 00s as he stuck this in the CD player. Of course Rumors was seared in my mind and I knew a few Tusk songs but was far from familiar with the album back then. I LOVE that the first song is a Christine McVie. This album really shows off the beauty of Fleetwood Mac and I mean that from a musical and equitable social view. How many bands from this era shared the spotlight equally among the women and men members? I love that they waited till track 5 to hear Stevie's magic 'cause when she kicks in it hits hard. Odd to me that this album was not well received. I guess after Rumors anything they put out would suffer a poor reception. Combined with the stories around the cost of this album, I can understand. However, I hope time has done its job and pushed this one up into one of the greats. It is on this list so I guess time is working! I wish someone could explain the album cover to me. I did a search and read that Tusk is a euphemism for penis. That pissed off Stevie and she threatened to leave but Mick was adamant. ok...whatevs but what the heck is the dog all about? If you google original album art for Tusk it looked much cooler than this.

No shit! I wondered if this would be the album of the day as I was getting dressed this morning. On the short list for my all-time favorite album period. It's not perfect, but it's a five. Twice. When I bought this on vinyl back in 1979, I felt almost a mystical connection to this album. Listening to it now is taking me back. Great headphone listen. At the time of its release (as a 12 year old) I was not thinking about what a wild departure this was from Rumours, the album that preceded it, the biggest-selling record in its day. But in retrospect, that album's success had monumental influence on what Fleetwood Mac would do next. I LOVE that the band, and most specifically Linsdsey Buckingham, went full-on White Album and produced the strangest follow-up possible. Double album, sprawling in scope, sonically a massive departure... it's the album where (IMO) Buckingham found himself as a producer. And to have the exceptional combination of talent to work with gives this album such beautiful depth. All of Christine McVie's songs on this album are fantastic. I love the opener, "Over And Over," and the swell of ghostly harmonies totally lets you know early on that we're not in Rumoursville any more. "Think About Me," "Honey Hi," "Never Forget," and "Brown Eyes" are gems, and even at her sappiest ("Never Make Me Cry") there's an honesty that just works. Buckingham, beyond the freaking magnificent production and arrangements throughout, pens some of the oddest pop songs on this album, and I love them all. "I Know I'm Not Wrong" is just magic, and "Walk A Thin Line" is equally excellent and odd. The fact that "Tusk" is the most enduring song on the album tells you something. Any other pop tunes feature jungle rhythms and a marching band? Not many. "Sara" may be Stevie's finest tune — hard to say, she's got a lot of great tunes — but what a mood she sets (again, Buckingham and the band have lots to do with that). But this is where my "not a perfect album" comment comes in. "Sara" apparently had 14 verses and a running time of 14 minutes when first written. Every one of Stevie's songs on this album tends toward excess in regard to sheer length. Each song on its own is pretty excellent, but an album (or two) full of Stevie in long-form gets a little tired. Still, "Storms" and "Beautiful Child" are both marvelous and sad and are reasons I was among the millions who fell in love with Stevie. Like, seriously. Mick Fleetwood is an underappreciated drummer. He always serves the song, and has an uncanny knack for accenting beats other drummers wouldn't think of. On this album, it sounds like he recorded more tracks in a closet with a snare drum and a turkey leg than behind a full kit. And so be it. That's the aesthetic of this oddball record. And John McVie is another unsung hero — player of myriad memorable bass lines — "Brown Eyes" is a great example of his ability to sneak a sweet bass line into a rhythm track and make a song better. I could go on, but you get it. I bought the 1001 Albums book soon after we began this adventure, and this was the first album I checked in on to see if it was included. So happy it was. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Utterly fabulous. Stevie Nicks in particular is epic on this album. Buckingham's stuff at its best with the slow grooves - Walk A Thin Line - rather than the jittery stuff that peppers the rest of the album, although that does break stuff up and successfully keeps me engaged. Exception that proves the rule however is Tusk itself which is wonderful.

"Storms" have made me cry so many times it's not even funny anymore. 5

most people think that “rumours” is fleetwood mac’s best album, i think it’s tusk. this album is so wonderful in every way. it was ahead of its time.

Love anything by Fleetwood Mac.

Bare klasse, melodier holder stadig, stemningsfyldt, vanvittig vokal og lyrik

This is a great album, deftly balancing differing styles of pop music, from Country - rock to contemporary pop to americana to indie-style rock to straight-up rock all with a deftness, subtlty and skill that would make you wonder if they are one of the best bands at each of the above genres. It doesn't have as many straight ahead rockers or classic songs as its predecesser; Rumours but it is full of really great lesser known tunes. In fact this is the rare double album with almost no filler. After spending the time to get to know it I feel like its among the great double albums of all time, up there with London Calling, Exile on Maine Street and The Beatles. Bravo! 5 stars

Another FM masterpiece

An incredible turning point in the long and storied career of Fleetwood Mac. Just like Bob Welch had done years before, Lindsey Buckingham took over and made the band in his own image, if just for a while.

I really love Tusk. We had it in our household when it came out since we had been a big Rumours household. I don’t think it was ever quite as popular on our turntable as Rumours, but it had several really memorable parts that have followed me. The title track is weird and wonderful, and I love Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks’ contributions. Sara is one of my favorite Stevie Nicks songs and it is just wonderful to bask in the full 6:31 album version. I love that Fleetwood Mac gave us the perfect jewel that is Rumours then followed up with something so experimental and wonderful. An incredible one-two punch from an incredible band!