Tusk

Half the songs were amazing but the other half were awful.

Certainly not another Rumours but that was always going to be difficult to follow up. Having said that, Tusk is still a great albulm. Best track probably Sara but hard to pick.

After making the *incredibly* well received, wildly successful classic that is Rumours, where could Fleetwood Mac have possibly gone? The answer is Tusk, a 75 minute long, messy, overbuget, cocaine fueled cult classic masterpiece. I will say that Tusk kind of has to get up to speed, but from Storms on, the band is in pretty rare form. There is the full spectrum of great songwriting, from the hard rockin, weirdly percussion centered, high energy title track to beautiful little cuts like Beautiful Child and Brown Eyes and even jammier stuff like Sisters Of The Moon. Even though I do think the album hits a stride later, I think The Ledge is one of the coolest songs here. It's got a raw, lo-fi sound, a weird, high energy bass guitar core, and a subtle country twang. Out of virtue of being big and weird and messy, this isn't exactly gonna end up perfect, but there is a pretty incredible consistency here for what this is. It ends up as an exploration of great, varied songs, unexpected sounds, and a raw attitude that makes this a pretty exciting listen. Honestly, I'm not even sure I've fully processed Tusk, but the more I think about it, the fonder I feel about it.

When Joseph Heller was asked why he hadn't ever written anything as good as Catch-22 since, his reply was that neither has anyone else. That pretty much sums up this album when compared to Rumours. However, the sparser arrangements make for an interesting soundscape and I particularly enjoyed the driving drums on Tusk, which makes you feel an impending sense of doom.

In my opinion this is one of the worst Fleetwood Mac albums, produced by the most popular iteration of Fleetwood Mac. This 20 song LP is a complete abandonment of their blues origins.

if you take out all of home girl’s songs but sisters of the moon (that buckingham solo rips way too hard to skip) its a muuuuuch better album.. just sayin. https://open.spotify.com/album/4XCAqkLSm0CozIX5dQRXPI?si=vTDRfUD5RruodymSNIvK1Q that said, this is buckingham’s album where my money is concerned.. its a piece of fuckin art.. rumours is good, tusk is immaculate.

Love this album already! I listened to song on it I hadn’t heard and was impressed

Good quite long 3.5 rounded up

Really fun listen, I'd say I enjoy it just as much as Rumours

Beautiful set of songs! Not quite as banger-after-banger as rumours but lovely all the same.

Didn't recognize any of these songs which was a treat. A lot of really good tracks with differing levels of pop rock to soft rock throughout. The vocal changes also help keep things interesting and fresh. There are a lot of performances that feel very personal and come from the core during writing and gives it an oomph. Its such an easy album to listen to as it just sits back with you and lets it flow around you. Highlights for me would be Tusk, Walk a Thin Line, Beautiful Child, That's All for Everyone, Sara and The Ledge.

I can’t possible give it any notes

q country suenan pensé q era de sus primeros álbumes

i liked it i guess you cant go wrong with fleetwood mac, not there best but surly not the worst

editing this from my original where i said this could probably marinate and be a 5. reader, it marinated. specifically, i listened to it a lot on a very spontaneous beach trip with a friend which is now one of my most beloved memories, as is this album.

In which Lindsey Buckingham tries desperately to be one of the cool kids and the rest of the band does their regular dull-as-dishwater shtick. Gets a point for "Sara", the beautiful chord progression and exceptional melody of which elevate it above the bland numbers and/or strained weirdness here.

This album was pretty good. I don't know a lot about Fleetwood Mac, besides the obviously amazing album that is Rumours. I went into this album thinking I was going to love it, but in the end, I thought it was just pretty good, a 4. Most of the songs sound good, a great mix of upbeat and slower songs, unlike Rumours, a lot of the songs are kinda just forgettable. However, the songs I do remember, like Beautiful Child and the title track, are really good.

Didn’t recognize any of the songs here, but it was intricate in parts. I enjoyed the Lindsey Buckinham, energetic songs. Not too bad.

Stevie. Enough said. And Storms is beautiful… but the album is missing something for me. Maybe it doesn’t feel as good as its individual parts.

Je ne le connaissais pas du tout. Pas mal, mais sans plus. Par contre j'ai adoré la chanson Sara (vraiment incroyable). Sisters of the Moon est pas mal aussi.

A few amazing songs in here, but it isn't super consistent

Dit vond ik echt heel fijn. Supergoeie achtergrondmuziek met af en toe echt even een stand-out. Wel echt een lang album, maar ook dat is juist chill. Ook bizar dat dit ná Rumours kwam. Gewoon lekker experimenteel en totaal niet ge-edit. Love it. Favoriet: Storms.

Not my favourite work by Fleetwood Mac, I wouldn’t listen to this again

Although the jams are sometimes righteous, I can feel the separation in the songwriting here. Still great!

I have such a complicated relationship with this band. Nice solid album though.

Not their best. I love rumors but this left me kinda disappointed.

This was a good album but one which suffered from having rumors expectations. Good listen but nothing jumped out at me.

No fue de mis favoritos, algunos de los lyrics están buenisimos pero el cambio de género que hay durante todo el álbum es medio pesado, es medio un descontrol; pero fleetwood no pierde su encanto

Based on what I read, this was a far cry of a follow up to Rumours. Based on my listening experience, it was definitely different from their usual sound. It was good though. Very abrasive at times but nothing bad. I do think “Sara” is slightly overrated, as Stevie just doesn’t have a good grasp of the tone and some of the vocals are so compacted to fit into the chords. Aside from that, I enjoyed my time and got a lot of liked songs from it, especially the very African influenced title track.

This band really knows how to craft catchy tunes. Off the peak of Rumors, this is still a great album.

Album #63: Tusk - Fleetwood Mac Genre (W): Pop rock, soft rock, avant-pop, new wave Singles: Tusk, Sara, Not That Funny, Think About Me, Sisters of the Moon, Angel I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: Decent album with some beautiful songs, great harmony vocals, and an overall relaxed atmosphere. A lot of the songs felt like filler to me, therefore, my rating is lowered. Favorite songs: The Ledge, Save Me a Place, Sara, Storms, That’s All for Everyone, Sisters of the Moon, Brown Eyes, Beautiful Child, Tusk

I don't think I've ever listened to Tusk in its entirety before — I didn't remember it as a double album. Not that long ago, someone asked me what my favorite non-Rumours Fleetwood Mac song was, and I came up with "Tusk." (Their best song of all is obviously "The Chain.") After listening to that song today, I wonder if what I like so much about those two is that they don't sound a lot like the standard Fleetwood Mac stuff to me. Marching band? Come on! But that makes it great. No disrespect intended to their other songs — a good upbeat Christine McVie track is always welcome, and Stevie Nicks solo or with the group is her own special brand of mystic. Most of the songs on this are fine, but just fine.

I did not particularly enjoy this album. Not to be One Of Those People, but the only songs I really liked much were the songs where Stevie’s voice stood out or was pretty solo. Sorry :(

cómo es que de todo este album solo había escuchado storms hasta ahora?? tiene muchísimos temones

Loved it

The first time I listened to this album, I was baffled by the contrast between the emotional and deeper songs that Nicks and McVie take lead on and the sillier and more experiemental songs that Buckingham does. The tone switches so quickly in between, and that’s what makes me love this album. Storms is such heart-wrenching song, and to me, Sara is on the same level as Dreams and Gypsy. It feels like a combination of the two and is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. I’m always impressed by a double album that I actually like because they don’t come often.

Fine 3.9

A ver, esta bien, no es terrible, pero tampoco es el Rumors, se rescatan un par de canciones, se escucha mas experimental. De mis favoritos no.

It's a bit bloated, but many of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs are on this album. It's just so smooth and groovy!

Really solid album, I enjoyed it. Only gripe is it shouldn’t have been a double

Thought it was pretty good. I must have listened to Rumours a million times in my life, not do much this one. Tusk the song is great and I enjoyed some of the others, especially the Stevie Nicks vocals. 3.5 stars rounded up for the Tusk drums

One of the greatest rock bands of all time with all the edges sanded off. I don't know why you would take a band known for big arrangements, lots of harmonies, memorable hooks, and strong emotional content, and then just not do any of that. There are some decent songs on here but it's all a little forgettable - the best songs on Tusk are about on par with the worst songs on Rumours (still quite good). There aren't nearly enough good songs to justify the double album format.

Disjointed album that doesn’t flow at all and is mixed terribly. I don’t think I actually like Fleetwood Mac a whole lot unless they are at the absolute top of their game. The increased emphasis on solo songs isn’t great for the band either. Christine McVie’s vocals on their own don’t do a whole lot for me, Buckingham only works for specific kinds of songs, and Stevie Nicks (who I otherwise love) sounds understandably checked out of the entire experience Albums after the band’s explosive success are always tricky too. This one desperately needed an editor or a critical eye to cut it down and instead it’s a dual album. You already want it to be over and then you find out the first album isn’t even done yet Lindsey Buckingham‘s really getting on my nerves. This is a 2 but the same way sometimes vibes make a 3 a 4, this has me looking real closely at the 1

Yeah ok album. Bit dull

This record seems to suffer unfavourable comparison to the band’s more celebrated work. Having said that, and having thought about it carefully, I’m giving it a low score largely because I’ve never really liked Fleetwood Mac.

An hour of yawners presented in seventies headache stereo

I can't stand Fleetwood Mac so I listened to one song just to confirm it.

I’ve always really liked this album. It’s not Rumours, but it’s great in its own right.

109. v fleetwood mac

Хороший альбом, с очень мелодичными песнями. Да и в целом мне очень нравится эта группа.

Eh alright - 3

I actually really like Fleetwood Mac, but if this album was my first impression of them then I probably wouldn't. I see a lot of commentary online that this is their masterpiece album, their "White" album. Sounds like a load of garbage to me.

I broke from protocol and took a look at some of the reviews of this record. I felt like I needed to understand how this record got here on this list. Initially considered a dud, this album went on to be considered a cult classic. I found out a little bit about the history of this record. This record came out two years after Rumours. It was an exceedingly expensive record to make costing $6 million in today’s dollars. And it debuted as a double LP with an initial cost of the equivalent of $64 today. I want you to pretend streaming doesn’t exist and you just drop $64 on an album expecting something as good as Rumours. Instead, you get 75 minutes of unbelievably boring tracks. I can imagine sitting there in the late 70s flipping over LPs waiting for this thing to get good. Yes, the last two tracks are great, but not only does it not live up to Rumours, it doesn’t live up to some of the 80s heaters that Fleetwood Mac dropped. Even by today’s standards. If I had not read the pitchfork review where they gave this album a 9.3, I probably would’ve decided from the people from the 70s. This thing sucks. It’s too long. Nothing for me has driven me more nuts than a mediocre album that just will not end. Even in the streaming era, I have no reason to return to any of the tracks on this record besides Tusk or Never Forget. I’ve gotta pay respects to the creators of this record and not give it a 1, but it’s close. To drop that much money on this album, and then ask people to pay that much for it, and have it be this bad is insulting to the people of 1979.

first time listening to this album. for every song on here that feels underbaked, there's another 2-3 songs that really surprised me and opened my ears to side of Fleetwood Mac I wasn't aware of. honestly I could do without most of the tracks where Stevie Nicks takes the lead, and it's not just about her voice but a lot of those songs feel underdeveloped structurally and instrumentally. some songs here feel like precursors to entire genres down the line that I'm big into, from the jangle rock of the '80s to the lo-fi weirdness of the '90s thru to the indie rock of the 2010s. about 2/3 of this album will become part of the rotation and the other 1/3 I'd be fine never spinning again.

I liked this. I hadn’t sat down and listened to a Fleetwood Mac album until I got Rumours for this project a few months back. Given that album’s status I was pretty underwhelmed. This one benefited from lower expectations. It’s pretty chill throughout, and I like the vibes. The songs are kinda halfway there, and there’s an unfinished feel even though it was the most expensive album ever to that date. It was a pleasant hour and change. I like the Christine McVie songs the best I think.

Did not finish. This album is approximately 1 hour too long for my liking. I would not consider doing a deep dive into this catalog as a result of this album. It’s not Kid Rock level terrible, but it is definitely not for me.

I was a little bit more excited to hear that this album was Fleetwood Mac’s most experimental project than what this album actually delivered. Some really good songs, some boring, mostly just aggressively average.

over and over—good, nice sound, nice melody and pleasant to listen to the ledge—cool upbeat song; reminds me of country music. funkier and interesting song. it sounds very nice sara—stevie’s voice is such a pleasant surprise compared to lindsey’s (yuck). not my favorite, but not bad either not that funny—funky; I dig it. it sounds like an experimental, mac demarco-esqe song sisters of the moon—BEAUTIFUL whimsical stevie nicks-y song. so pretty and whimsical beautiful child—absolute standout. favorite so far. I think the vocal delivery is outstanding and i’m sure there’s a deeper meaning to the lyrics that i’m too lazy to look up, but this is absolutely amazing. beautiful instrumental as well

good

One of my favorite Bands ever

Great listen!

HOT DAMN!! Woulda preferred perhaps a different Fleetwood Mac album but I can’t be too picky. It’s still iconic and great. And great it really is. Some of the most impressive vocal performances from the band members, ESPECIALLY Stevie. Even though its intense eclecticism leads to a few straight duds (most notably the incredibly annoying “what makes you think…”), there’s a surprising amount of what I assume are new sounds to the band that actually work insanely well, even in the context of a soft rock album, including two cowpunk songs that are actually incredibly good, and a new wave song that I WILL defend fiercely. Very little filler too, even with its impressive 74 minutes of runtime. The only real filler I’d say exists here is the song “you’ll never make me cry,” and even that is pretty half-decent. The peaks of this album though (“Sara,” “Angel,” “Brown Eyes,” “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” “Tusk,” “Never Forget,” etc.) are too many and too incredible to not look at this album for what it really is: an exceptional soft rock album with some true experimental and forward-thinking tendencies. 9.2/10

idk where to even begin talkin about how good this album is. any time stevie nicks is singing i am being sent somewhere (good) and the rest of the tracks are an even split of bangers between mcvie and buckingham. i do feel like the album is overall stronger when buckingham isn't singing but his attempts to make an album totally different than rumours resulted in some really great music. i wish "that's enough for me" went on longer tho. it wasn't enough for me..... its hard to even name my favourite tracks cos the quality is so high throughout but "what makes you think you're the one", "storms", "never make me cry" and (of course) "tusk" all spring to mind. its wild that this album is over an hour long and when it ends it still has me like. damn i could listen to another hour of this. i guess thats the strength of having 3 singer/songwriters in ur band. overall: holy fuck dude. what a great album. i literally love music.

Over & over - 4/5 The ledge - 2/5 Think about me - 3/5 Save me a place - 2/5 Sara - 4/5 What makes you think you're the one - 3/5 Storms - 3/5 Thats all for everyone - 2/5 Not that funny - 2/5 Sisters of the moon - 3/5 Angel - 3/5 Thats enough for me - 2/5 Brown eyes - 4/5 Never make me cry - 3/5 I know I'm not wrong - 3/5 Honey hi - 2/5 Beautiful child - 4/5 Walk a thin line - 2/5 Tusk - 1/5 Never forget - 2/5

por qué las mejores siempre las cantan ellas? preguntas que te hacen reflexionar

6/10 I’ve got to be honest and admit that I found this a pretty tough listen. Coming off the back of Rumours was always going to be an uphill battle, but it feels like they kind of crumbled under the pressure, with the disintegrating personal relationships in the aftermath of that previous record also having an impact on its makeup. The strangest thing about this record is that, to me, it feels very much like the bonus content from a deluxe version of a much more coherent album. Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks’ work feels well produced and stylistically consistent, even if it does feel a little underdeveloped, but Lindsey Buckingham’s tracks feel, for the most part, like poorly recorded demo tracks, rather than polished pieces of the (at the time) most expensive album ever produced. Apparently he was obsessed with the Beach Boys’ Smile sessions at the time and had managed to get hold of the master tapes, which he listened to relentlessly during the making of this record. Unfortunately, his takeaway from that experience seems to have been to experiment endlessly with production, which evidently isn’t his strength, rather than focusing on the songwriting, which Rumours suggests actually is. That’s not to say this is a bad record. There’s some great stuff in there, and some hints that, with the right focus, a lot of this stuff could have been massaged into something more coherent. But I do get the feeling that, rather than pounding out each songwriter’s contributions as a band, bouncing off one another to sculpt something magnificent out of each others starting points, they kind of accepted each song as it came and didn’t do the final band refinement of the material that would have elevated it. In terms of the songs themselves, they often feel like like they lack any of the urgency and power of Rumours, and even some of the better songs feel like album tracks that could have been chopped from that album because they didn’t add anything. Stylistically, we jump between crisp and clear productions and stuff that sounded like it was recorded on a dictaphone in a toilet cubicle, which doesn’t help at all with the album flow. It’s also way, way too long. You could easily have made a 10-12 track album out of this material which would have been tighter, more consistent and way easier to parse as a listener. The biggest shame for me is that you can hear where this could have gone, but it never really gets there. Over & Over - It’s a pretty, fairly easy listening start. There are moments where it starts to build into the sort of sound that they had reached with Rumours, but it’s generally a bit more sparse and not as melodically strong as anything from that album. That’s not to say there aren’t some lovely moments, and it’s an enjoyable track, but it feels a little bit drifty and lacking in significant amounts of power or focus. The Ledge - For an album that cost a million dollars to produce in 1979, the recording quality of this track is terrible. There’s a good bit of zip and pace to this, but it feels like an interesting demo track recorded in a bathroom that probably needs a bit more refining and working before it’s ready to be recorded for the album proper. Think About Me - And to emphasise the recording deficiencies of the last track, here’s a well produced, crisp and clear song. It’s got great playing, particularly from the rhythm section. It’s got a nice central hook, it’s well developed and some of the vocal harmonies are lovely. Great stuff. Save Me A Place - Apparently for some of his tracks, Lindsey Buckingham recorded drums that he played at home on a Kleenex box and then asked Mick Fleetwood to overdub them later. This is another Buckingham song that sounds poorly produced and while there’s a core idea there that’s not bad, it again feels a little aimless and underdeveloped. There’s potential in there, but ultimately it’s just a bit too dull and repetitive. Sara - It’s a Stevie track now, and we’re back to some decent production standards. It’s quite pretty and there are some more really decent moments in here, but it does feel overly long and a little bit too persistent with a rhythmic base that stays very dynamically flat and static throughout. It also never really finds its melodic moment that grabs you and won’t let go like the best of their work as a band. It’s really well performed and sounds great though, with John McVie’s bass sounding particularly smooth and well delivered. What Makes You Think You're The One - Lindsey Buckingham has no respect for the drums does he? Another one where the drums sound really sloppily recorded (apparently on a boombox that Buckingham brought into the studio) and not only that but Fleetwood goes on to massively overplay the drum part. Again, this sounds like an underdeveloped demo rather than a final song. They’re obviously good songwriters, but at this point it feels like they’re more focused on trying to work on being ‘experimental’ with the studio, rather than refining the actual compositions, which is a real shame, because the whole of this sounds shoddy, over compressed and overplayed. Storms - Back to another clear and airy track, although the lead guitar is oddly loud. The harmonies are lovely and there are some gorgeous choices of rhythm for the chord changes. It rolls and pulses along calmly, but there feels like there’s a slight undercurrent of disquiet behind it too. The central melodic hook of the chorus is nice. It’s not the most ear worming of melodic lines, but it works well with this kind of subtle song. That's All For Everyone - Lindsey was reportedly obsessed with the Beach Boys Smile at the time of recording this, and there’s big echoes of that work on this track, particularly in the production. The backing vocals are excellent and subtle and it has a satisfying rolling groove to it. It’s very dreamlike, the melodies are great and the vibe is excellent. This is his most coherent and well produced track on the album thus far, let’s hope it continues in this vein. Not That Funny - Alas, no. This is another track that has promise, but feels more like a demo than a fully realised track. The recording is gritty, but the album is very inconsistent on that front, so it sounds patchy and unintended. This doesn’t offer a great deal of variation or development, the mix is muddy and while you can hear the quality of the performances and musicianship, it just feels a little under baked and shoddily mixed. Sisters Of The Moon - This is much more like it. It’s a slow build with a great pulsing groove to it and moments where it picks up and drives. It’s harmonically rich and engaging, cleanly produced with a little bit of grit and bite around the edges and it’s got a solid central hook that they dance around brilliantly. The guitar solo work is great here and the rhythm section is really impactful. A really solid effort. Angel - Another that harks back to the clean and clear sound with a tiny bit of bite that was the hallmark of Rumours. The rhythm section is on point here, it’s got so much feel and grove between Fleetwood and Mac. Quality melodic lines and those doubled up harmonies between Stevie and Christine that always connect. When they’re on, they’re really on and they drift to and from the hooks in a really satisfying way. It feels like we’re back in the swing of this now. That's Enough For Me - Yeah, we’re definitely on a roll now, even Buckingham’s getting out of his own way. It’s still a bit on the gritty side, but there’s enough recording quality in there to keep it tonally in sync with the last couple of tracks. It’s got pace, a great groove, and the vocal is solid. Good stuff Brown Eyes - This is decent too. It’s subtle and delicate, but the tonal washes from the shimmering guitar and floating vocal harmonies are nice and the boys in the rhythm section give it a pleasing back beat, with the bass strolling around injecting a tiny bit of urgency and Mick adding a few fills here and there to keep things interesting. It’s perhaps a touch on the long side, but it’s very pretty. Never Make Me Cry - This is pretty enough, but it’s also fairly dull. It’s a basic composition, with a fairly stripped back orchestration and while the production is great and the vocal performance is solid, it doesn’t really offer a vast amount of inetrest. I Know I'm Not Wrong - There’s a bit more of that Rumours lilt to this, but it doesn’t manage to land on anything quite as hooky or engaging as the actual Rumours tracks. The harmonica part here is crap too. I quite like the guitar solo though. There’s not a lot of dynamic or rhythmic range here and the awful drum sound from some of the earlier Lindsey compositions carries through. It seems that Lindsey played every part on this track, which is probably why it sounds a bit unrefined and more like a demo than a final track. Honey Hi - Christine McVie comes back in with another pretty little track that, while pleasant enough, feels like an album filler track. Again, the scattergun nature of the production across this album is pretty baffling. Beautiful Child - Good lord, this album feels long. Much like the previous track, this is pretty, it has a good melodic hook at the centre of it, but n this case, it drags on for way too long. It’s a very sparse production and it has some lovely moments, particularly some of the vocal harmonies here and there, but it feels a little underdeveloped and dynamically and rhythmically monotonous, especially for a song of this length. Walk A Thin Line - God, this is plodding and pretty dull. It doesn’t really offer much in the way of development or range, the overdone drum fills sound so sloppy and it’s incredibly repetitive. Tusk - This is actually quite an interesting track, even though stylistically it is nothing at all like the rest of the record that bears its name. It’s got a great groove and some playful and engaging production work. It’s not exactly the kind of sound you’d be expecting from Fleetwood Mac, and it was a very odd choice as the lead single for the album, but it’s at least got a bit of something about it. Never Forget - Closing with another solid Christine track. It’s got some good rhythmic delivery of the vocal against the rhythm section which creates a nice lilt to the groove. There are some decent melodic moments and vocal harmonies in there too. It’s not the most interesting composition, but it’s still pretty decent and it builds nicely as it runs along.

Many fillers but all the songs with Stevie are absolute delight

It sounds good, but it also sounds uninspired and a little bit lazy in a lot of ways. Then take that average attitude and double the number of tracks. Yeah, it's not bad by any means, but they've done so much better work than this.

Remarkably had never gotten around to listening to this album! Really respect the adventurousness and experimentation after the huge success of Rumours and really digging the vibe. I remember an interview with Buckingham where he discussed that there was no way they were going to repeat the success of Rumours, even if they made Rumours 2, so why bother? So much good stuff to digest here.

Enjoyed this but it's still not as accomplished as Rumours.

It was always going to be a tricky proposition following Rumours, and for me Tusk fell well short. For a start, there’s far too much of it. Twenty tracks are a lot to process, and much of the album feels directionless and a bit dull. Though not all bad. The two big singles, “Sara” and the title track are obvious highlights. The former sounds like the classic Mac of the two previous records. The latter is the most strikingly different track on the album (though “The Ledge” gives it a run for its money); percussion heavy and sacrificing melody for pure drive. It’s joyous and bonkers, with an excellent accompanying video - if that’s your thing. 6/10

It’s good. But it’s no rumours

Troppo lungo e discontinuo come qualità dei brani

Kinda schizophrenic album, it's really all over the place with the songs from the 3 different vocalists. I quite like some of the McVie and Nicks songs, most of the Buckingham ones seem to stick out like a sore thumb, but they do have their appeal. Can't really rate this any higher than a 3, on account of lack of any killer tracks and 20 tracks without much to say.

2026.03.21

Gammelt bekjentskap. Jeg digger Fleetwood Macs pop rock. Dette albumet er dog rimelig inkonsistent. Top 3: Think About Me, The Ledge, Storms

Too mellow

This sure was an album. It began and ended. There was music split across several tracks. There were vocals, drums, maybe even guitars. One of the albums ever made.

No el mejor Fleetwood Mac pero un gran Fleetwood Mac

Not sure why this was on the list

its ok, didn't really do much for me, I can see , not that funny is a standout

I really enjoyed this album, its a classic FLWM take on soft rock music. It had some songs that I will be adding to my playlist, and I will listen to it again someday!

Over and Over I like Thats All For Everyone is ok, some of the rest just feel like album filler. Maybe this is the benefit of hindsight!

Niet hun beste album naar mijn idee maar nog steeds heerlijk om naar te luisteren

More a great throwback for me than anything else

Classic Fleetwood Mac sound familiar to Dreams era. Pleasant songs, light pop rock. Slightly boring and no stand out tracks. 5.5/10

Good...not great.

This was fine to listen to but also didn’t hold my attention as well as I expected from a pretty beloved group. No big complaints but nothing specific that I loved either. Middle of the road 3/5 for me

Mwoa beetje traag, beetje lang, maar heeft prima stukkies (ik noem een gitaarsolo aan het eind van sisters of the moon), title track is ook nice

Calling this the "least interesting Fleetwood Mac album I've heard" is one hell of a compliment. That being said: this is the least interesting Fleetwood Mac album I've heard.

mja. niet echt offensive of zo maar beetje disjointed en chaotisch. af en toe stukjes FM magie maar meestal niet. titelnummer wel leuk!

ja het is ook niet makkelijk om na rumours nog een album te moeten maken, maar ik denk dat dit een hele schappelijke poging is

Loved this album more than I expected. Have yet to really dive into FM's discography.

The biggest thing going against this album is it’s not Rumors.

After hearing Rumors I expected to like this a lot more than I did. Not one song stood out to me as memorable. It isn't bad, it just isn't Rumors.

Not bad but borin. 2.4

Не мій жанр

Woof. Did not like it…..

It was ok. I didn't love it

i've listened to rumours so many times but had never ventured outside that album for fleetwood mac so this was fun to get!!! notable faves: storms, beautiful child and tusk. (i do generally prefer the ones where stevie nicks is the main one singing...) loved this

3.5

3.5

I wonder if I'd even know Fleetwood Mac if not for Stevie Nicks

Seems to be trying to recapture the magic of rumours but never seems to quite land 2.5*

An interesting album, liked tne Lindsay Buckingham contributions most, could have been condensed into a single album, but at the likely at the expense of some of the weirdness and variety that is this album’s appeal.

I wish I could give 3.5! I loooove the song Tusk and Sara, and I enjoyed listening to the rest.

A very good album! One of my favorite bands.

Enjoyed listening to this one! Stevie Nicks is the best - I think I added almost every song she sang

You just can’t really follow up a perfect album with something this long and rambling and random and not Stevie focused enough. Love Tusk and That’s All For Everyone tho a LOT

The follow-up to Rumours is either loved or hated by many. I love the experimental elements, but you often wander what the fuss was about. It is a solid album, but nothing more, nothing less. Imho the band feels a lot fractured over here and that's not the best.

Many good songs

Seems a steep drop from Rumors. A slow start, some solid tracks, none blew me away. 3.5 if I could.

Really soft opener. Prety good but ould get boring if all the songs are like this. Wtf is this 2nd song. Dont tell me this is a bad white album kind of double disk. I was half asleep and this album did not helped. Painfully boring. One of the hardest listen I had in a while.

This album is too long. I like some songs and others are meh, but even some of the ones that I like reach a point where I am like okay wrap it up. Sonically the vocals and instrumentals sound good. Some songs just stand out more than others.

Some bright spots in here but I don’t see myself returning to this one as an album really. 3 stars

Another masterpiece

The album contains the song Sara which is an amazing song but overall the album is good but does not come close to Rumors.

Ahhhh Tusk. This has an incredibly high reputation in certain circles as the "weird" Fleetwood Mac album. Let's give it a go. - Ok. This album was considered very strange at the time of its release - contemporary critics harped on the experimentation and unorthodox recording methods. But I'll be honest - it just sounds like prime Fleetwood Mac to me. Not that I'm complaining - I really enjoy these songs. But when digging into the background on this album, people (including Lindsay Buckingham) kept throwing around the words "punk," and "post punk," and I just don't hear it. That being said, this set of songs is really strong, and while the individual moments of brilliance don't live up to those found on "Rumours," it works just as well as a whole piece. Which is saying something, as there are twice as many songs here. I really enjoyed this and will be firing it up more often. FOUR STARS

I was wondering when I'd hit Fleetwood Mac, but was a bit surprised this was the first album that I was assigned - I was not familiar with anything on this album. I kept on going back and forth between giving it a 3 and 4 rating throughout. There were some songs that I really liked (Sara, Storms, Angels) and others that I really did not (Over & Over - whining right out of the gate - instant skip, also Walk a Thin Line). I appreciated the variety of tracks on this album, but some of them felt unfinished (Brown Eyes) and why were there several not as good versions of Second Hand News (That's Enough for Me)? Ultimately, too many songs that were just meh for me so (3).

Toe-tapping fun. Decent vocals. Not the biggest Fleetwood Mac fan but this album was perfectly fine!

2.25 - I haven't listen to a lot of Fleetwood Mac, but I love Rumours. I'm disappointed that I didn't like this more.

love the vibe

love them

This album gets a lot of flack. For me, it’s another 2-disc album that feels not good enough to be a great album but if it was whittled down to 45 minutes there would be too many good songs on the cutting room floor.

Enjoyed this quite a lot, gone onto my listen later list.

The reference point for romantic songs. Good variety and arrangements.

This isn't a double album, this is three albums wearing a trench coat trying to get into masquerade as a coherent album. Every songwriter on this album creates completely different songs with different levels of skill. All the Stevie Nicks songs are pretty or really good, Christie McVie are in general good, and Lindsey Buckingham's are either fantastic (see the title-track) or not very good. Overall, this album lacks coherence in anyway, saved largely by the band's skills as instrumentalists and songwriters, though the latter is a lot lore dependent. In terms of an album, it's a mess. As a collection of songs it's alright, but I probably won't come back to it again. Highlights are Storms, Sisters of the Moon, and Tusk.

Decent, not as great as I was expecting.

4.5/5

prima, niet spectaculair

I enjoyed listening through this one, as I wasn't super familiar with the songs on the album. It's a good album and fun to listen through, but it is pretty long.

Always great to listen to Tusk (the song), and I was happy to hear some other songs I wasn't familiar with. For example, Sisters of the Moon is a banger.

this project felt incomplete. vocals were missing, or something. not their best showing Would I listen again: to try and understand it more, i guess Deserves to be on this list: no 3.1

Did not need to be a double album.

After Rumours this was an album on release that I thought I should get. I even went to my local WH Smith’s or maybe Boots to get it. It was being played when I got there as it was one of the major releases that year. This was fortunate because had I not heard these few tracks I would have bought it on the strength of Rumours (remember no streaming try before you buy in those days) This would have been a big mistake as it sounded and still does like an half baked attempt in reproducing Rumours in haste. As a double album at twice the price I would have been even more disappointed if I had got it home. As I would have had the money burning a hole in my pocket I would have bought another album in its place but cannot remember which. Just checked other releases at the time and the only likely candidate would have been Regatta De Blanc which is a fine album head and shoulders above this one. Tusk does have its limited moments. Sara in particular but can’t help feeling I dodged a bullet and still don’t feel compelled to add it to my collection even when others in the know say it is a significant album. 2/5 7/3/26

Excellent, an album recently recommended to me in r/1001AlbumsGenerator. Weird that I've listened to Rumours so many times (playing through from start to finish) but never touched Tusk - weird but consistent with my whole "one album is enough to focus on" phenomenon. Quick look at Wikipedia - can I really credit that this album was influenced by post-punk, when it was released in 1979?? I would have said new wave was still in full swing at that time, I would have thought some way before post-punk. But TIL Gang of Four's Entertainment! was released in September 1979 - it's my listening taste that lagged a little. Wikipedia article says Lindsay Buckingham was "infatuated with bands such as Talking Heads"?? Anyway, back to Fleetwood Mac. Track 1 is nice. But production quickly goes sparse, and then musical inspiration and judgement go AWOL. By the second half of side 2, it's dragging ... (Some of the tracks are not unpleasant ....) In summary, it's a Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10.

It is too long, no need for a double album. Cut some of the BS "experimental" filler and this could have been a killer album. The rest of the band wrote some good classic Fleetwood Mac songs and they sound great. I understand not wanting to make Rumours II but it feels like the Buckingham songs could have been more developed, maybe use the rest of the band to tighten up the ideas.

Good album! A bit different from rumours but good.

Apart from a couple of good songs, the rest go from mediocre at best to weird and not in a good way. Buckingham just sounds like a man trying too hard and screams of desperation

The pinnacle of soft rock. I could see a soft rock fanatic ascending to the dulcet tunes of Sara or Think About Me. It kinda has the sounds of dream pop but without the exaggerated dreaminess that I love.

Favorite Track: Sisters of the Moon

Realmente estoy disfrutando este álbum, tiene algo que me llama la atención. Tiene buenos ritmos, diría que algo nostálgicos.

Cool

Its pretty good but around half way through i found it pretty repetitive. The songs all blended together

Following up one of the best albums of all time is an unfortunately difficult feat for Tusk. While I think trimming some fat on the album could vault it to being an all-time great, I’m sure I’ll come back to the high points of this one just as much as my favorites from Rumours.

Sara and Sisters of the Moon are two songs I hadn’t heard before but really liked.

- Always kæmpe fan af Fleetwood Mac

Some tracks were instant classics and others were …. Debating between a strong 3 or weak 4. Stevie Nicks’s songs were my favorites. I think she had one of the best voices in the business. I added “Sara” to my Generator playlist.

So so. A mix of melodic song along with other more interesting. I prefer Peter Green's Fleetwod Mac

Listening session: march 2nd, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: Fleetwood Mac is always nice to listen to but I’d only put on this specific album in the background because this didn’t wow me Favourite tracks: Sara & Storms

7/10

not bad

Just a really good album.

This album had a lot going on. Some songs were sounding so good it felt like they were actually touching my brain. Some of if was boring.

Märkligt relation till Fleetwood Mac. T ex trodde jag de var amerikaner och har uppfattat det som Americana. Konstigt! Det är ju bra. Bra låtar. Bra arr. Duktiga sångare. Bra insatserpå instrumenten. Osv. Men det fattas något. Jag blir inte engagerad. Jag minns inget om låtarna eller människorna. Så då får det blir en trea. Synd, för de är värda mer.

My bored to tears rating system comes into play here. Made it to Never Make Me Cry.

I had misremembered the sequencing of this album, so much so that by the time Tusk finally played I had thought I had missed it during the first hour. This is really a much more solid album than I remember and it is probably still only my fourth or fifth favorite from Fleetwood Mac. Solid member of the catalog. Maybe it will move up the rankings.

The first few tracks of this are most middlest of the middle of the road soft rock, before it eventually evolves into something passably interesting. But aside from a few solid tracks in the middle, it never really gets anywhere and feels sprawling, incoherent and bland. There's a passable one-record album that could be culled from this double.

I've heard a lot about this infamous album but have never given it a listen. After repeat listens all day it isn't the train wreck I thought it might be. Good for them for going in a newish direction and not running back what worked on Rumours. The Stevie Nicks songs stand out.

It's no "Rumours" but it was decent.

2.5

Não tenho a memória de quando escutei este álbum pela primeira vez, entretanto é um disco muito bom. Também não tenho a lembrança de pessoas comentarem sobre ele, meio que parece "subestimado". Também sinto que é o disco que com um tempo de audição ele se torne um dos meus favoritos.

Parece loucura falar isso, mas foi a primeira vez que escutei o Tusk completo. Obviamente eu já tinha escutado algumas das músicas do álbum, mas nunca fui fã de Fleetwood Mac o suficiente a ponto de escutar todos os álbuns. Fiquei bastante encantado com ele - não é o meu favorito entre os que escutamos até aqui, mas é muito bom. Storm, Sisters of the Moon e Sara são simplesmente perfeitas!!!!! confesso que estava com um 4 cravado, mas a parte final do álbum foi abaixo pra mim (tirando por Tusk, que é também maravilhosa)! 3,5!

god

Total classic. Their best work, in my opinion. Obviously some of the singles from Rumours and the self-titled are amazing, but I find this record to be more rewarding for repeated listens. Sisters of the Moon is the only skip for me, which is unreal for a 20-song double album.

Damn this was really boring and wayyyyy too long. Stoner rock with not much meat on the bone. Sorry not sorry 4.5/10

Temp

Great drum voicing on Sara. Sisters of the Moon was great. The title track has always been a favorite and generally the back of the album clicked a lot for me. It’s no Rumors but I found some new things I liked.

There’s some great shit on this record. The band was clearly just throwing everything at the wall. A brilliant result. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💿

Experimental, good lyrics, a bit of a mess

Not bad, definitely lots of talent on display, but quite a bit slower and more whining than some of their others. Probably won't be enjoying this album again

kommt schwer an "Rumours" ran, aber ..... ok

My college girlfriend loved this one, but I always preferred Rumours Funny to see that not changed over the years I'd probably also put Tango In the Night above Tusk Its ok

i love the cover above anything else

дуже вімсікал, fav songs: sara, storms, sisters of the moon, beautiful child

pretty nice

okay

Not GREAT, not BAD love the dog, gets +1 point 4/5

A double album is a little excessive but hey man Fleetwood Mac can do no wrong. Sara is their 2nd best song IMO (after Silver Springs) so just for that I gotta give this album a good rating.

This was somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me. I think I liked it enough to listen to the whole thing again, so will give it a 4

Fucking hell, is it long. Not quite Rumors but not bad at all Eleinte kicsit untatott😔 De a végére egész megkedveltem

The usual excellent songwriting with absolutely unexpected delivery. It might be their best album.

Really just not as good as Rumors tbh. 6/10

pretty good, but not quite rumours

I kinda hate when it's not Stevie Nicks singing

Divertido

Bom bom bom

Honestinho, longe do melhor deles

This is all over the place. A bit like the band at the time I guess. It’s like a bunch of solo projects were thrown together to make an album. Stevie Nicks is the standout songwriter and vocalist, Lindsey Buckingham so wants to be David Byrne at times and Christine McVie is kind of forgettable here. Not great. 2.5

Всі вже написали, що це не найкращий їх альбом, але він норм. Є декілька композицій, які сподобались, але жодна сильно не зачепила

It's Fleetwood Mac so its going to be good but not something I would put on myself, still has some good songs

Mediocre. More hype than substance.

Mooi, wat rustiger dan Rumours (die ik wel goed ken). Wel net zo'n fijn geluid. Highlights: Sara, Sisters of the Moon

Identity crisis: The Album

There is an otherworldly texture that Fleetwood Mac is privy to that defies all sense. Songs like Sara achieve that quality. They are haunting and incredibly compelling. Others are not. Mostly everything that Lyndsey Buckingham takes lead vocal on has an unfortunate stink I’d call boogie-woogie and we’re the poorer for it.

My first Fleetwood Mac album. Not bad. Some tracks seemed out of place. I may try to listen to this again someday.

It’s more modern I like

Great Songs: Think About Me, Sara, I Know I'm Not Wrong Good Songs: Over & Over, The Ledge, Save Me a Place, What Makes You Think You're the One, Storms, Not That Funny, Sisters of the Moon, Angel, That's Enough For Me, Never Make Me Cry, Honey Hi, Beautiful Child, Tusk, Never Forget Mid Songs: That's All for Everyone, Brown Eyes, Walk a Thin Line Bad Songs:

Didn’t actually know any of these songs (expect I might have heard the title track before). It’s no rumours but I quite enjoyed it, it is Fleetwood Mac after all and even at their most dysfunctional they’re still amazingly good musicians.

Ok

Incoherent and lacking any central idea that makes it worth a listen. Never really been a Fleetwood Mac person so that’s definitely a contributing factor.

Some songs I liked but it wasn’t stevie enough for me, of course I still like Fleetwood Mac

chaotic but also not that interesting

Always have loved Fleetwood Mac, so this album was right up my street. Storms was my song of the album and fav first listen with Sara and Over & Over being my other highlights of the album

Overly long and quite incoherent

A product of needing to follow up on one of the biggest albums ever, while not being able to agree on anything, and also having access to a mountain of cocaine; Tusk sprawls, but only in 3 distinct directions. The three songwriters each submit a slate of songs that seem to have little influence from the rest of the band. Christine writes some delicate ballads, Lindsey writes some experimental stompers, and Stevie writes the hits. It's not exactly cohesive, and it's definitely a product of drug-fueled excess (no sober person has ever thought a double album was a good idea) but it still hits more than it misses. Thus is the strength of these songwriters even if Buckingham is starting to lose it.

Sara is really good. But too country for meh.

On reputation alone, I expected this to be far crazier, experimental, and stupid than it was. The title track was, but to be honest, it otherwise felt like a pretty run-of-the-mill Fleetwood Mac album, lacking the real standouts of your great ones. The solo on "Sisters of the Moon" absolutely ripped.

bueno

With the exception of the song “Tusk” (which is much better live!) this album is a real snoozefest. This is elevator music with the exception of Stevie Nick’s voice on the tracks when she sings. Fleetwood Mac has made some really good stuff, but this album isn’t that. Absolutely boring.

Don’t think I’ve heard any songs from Tusk before (at least none that I remember) despite having heard basically the entirety of Rumours just out and about in the world. Yeah it’s not as good as Rumours (but what is?), but this was still a very good listen

Imagine intentionally following up Rumors w this nonsense.

Sounds pretty enough, well produced, just a little boring? Did not need to be 75 minutes long

Good album, I enjoyed. 7.1/10

Pretty much a defining moment for the band

Would relisten. Not that innovative despite trying to be “post-rock” supposedly.

The album was fine, but not their best as I preferred "Rumors".

Owned. Better than it's reputation

"Did I ever tell you about my father?" "No..." "Well, he thought he was Mick Fleetwood. We would have taken him to the hospital, but we needed a driving rhythm section!" That was a joke my father would repeat constantly growing up. It's terribly unfunny, and culturally lost on an 8 year old. That being said, this album is one continuous unremarkable sound for a little over an hour. The songs bleed one into another, and I just kept waiting for it to end. Look, it's not a bad sound, it's just... bland, and uninteresting. Left with no tracks, as nothing was worth saving.

Really enjoyed most of Buckingham's songs and interesting album to read about. I enjoy the cover as well. I ended up saving around half the songs so three stars feel fair even though the more experimental aspect makes me want to raise it a star. Rating: 3.5

Probably could be a single album. Starts feeling a bit long and tedious at the end until tusk, which though is awesome. Sara too is a standout. Feels like there is soon much anger and tension with the lyrics, but they pull together to make great songs. Stevie Nicks writing is excellent. Quite a few of Buckinghams songs feel like they could have been polished to be gems, but he was just focused on getting stuff off his chest. Anything after rumours, was probably going to be a letdown, but this is pretty solid and I feel has aged well.

Great album, reeling you in with rhythm, melody and captivated singing. Some strong ballads, some more energetic song. Sisters of the Moon is phenomenal.

I couldn’t decide between 4 and 5, not even sure why. I vibe with this.

While Fleetwood Mac are clearly a legend, including their aldum "Tusk" on this list is debatable. Wikipedia says this was a more experimental album (which is not wrong) but my main impression when listening to it was inconsistence. Some of the songs follow very different approaches and not all of them suit Fleetwood Mac well. On the other hand, there are some great songs here, including "Sisters of the Moon" and large parts of disk two. All together, this record leaves me mith some nice ideas and mixed feelings - similar to the Beatles' White Album and thus rated accordingly.

There's not a single song (of 20?!) that would break the top 5 of "Rumors." This seems indulgent and like a set of single-artist songs. Still, Stevie Nicks is great.

Admittedly tough to follow up Rumours, but a bloated 2LP is not the way

Fave tracks: the ledge, what makes you think you’re the one, beautiful child, and never forget

Love but didn’t have time to listen to it all

no skips

no me gusta esto ni la banda

its ok just not my vibe

Im pretty indifferent towards Fleetwood Mac. Just sounds pleasant and inoffensive. 5/10 Favourite track: Tusk

Nothing wrong with it nothing spectacular. Fav song: beautiful child

Tusk is an ambitious but uneven follow-up to Rumours, trading that album’s dreamy cohesion for a more fragmented, experimental approach. While its risk-taking and variety are admirable, the stripped-back production and stylistic shifts disrupt the emotional flow, making it feel less immersive and less unified. There are strong moments, but as a whole it lacks the atmosphere and consistency that made Rumours so compelling 3/5

I mean es fleetwood mac pero no lo sé, como han hecho cosas tan top esto se siente mid y todo como muy en la misma nota, pero igual cool

Es como su white álbum and I Am here for it

El único 'problema' es que viene después de Fleetwood Mac y Rumours, pero también es un discazo. Mi Lindsey arriesgó y triunfó. Stevie y Christine aportando temazos como siempre. No es una secuela predecible del Rumours y se agradece.

amm lowkey me gusta más que rumours??? no es esa ruptura perfecta sino lo que viene después, más largo, más tranquilo, más oscuro, más dispar, más discernible cada parte, menos reconocibles entre sí

This is a great album. Every single song is good

Bland, utterly bland. 5/10

I like EARLY Fleetwood Mac

This one is fine. Not my favorite FMac album. 3 stars

First listen

Awesome. Didn’t know they had such variety.

Coming off Rumours, Fleetwood Mac went in a strange direction. This album, considered the most expensive record at the time of its release, suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. It wants to continue the traditional Fleetwood Mac sound while also leaning into a poppier direction and experimenting with elements of new wave here and there. It tries to be too many things at once, and that shows in its length. It's not a hard listen, but it's hardly a consistent one. Most of the tracks are lyrically bland, circling around the same themes, and while they sound good and are well produced, the album becomes tiring without enough interesting turns to build momentum. There are still some good tracks, and it's not bad at all - it's just a bit exhausting. The tracks I enjoyed most were "Tusk", "Brown Eyes", and maybe "Over and Over".

i like fleetwood mac as much as the next person. i only know a few of their songs and i always thought i should try listening to more of their stuff. there wasn't really anything i didnt expect - nothing really stood out to me, but nice album nonetheless

Nice sound overall. A few songs got me grooving.

I expected so much more.... It was fine

the infamous double album after "Rumors". Considered a commercial failure at the time. also, it was the most expensive album to produce ever. they even rented out Dodger Stadium and paid the USC Marching band to record their performance to the title track. to me, it's OK, but i am the wrong person to ask. I do like the song "Never Forget" and "Sara".

I was UNBELIEVABLY excited when I saw this album pop up because this is a top 5 album that I've been wanting to listen to some time that I never did. I knew I would be disappointed, and I was. None of the songs pop. I blame Buckingham since he wanted a simple stripped down sound, compared to his unbelievably talented artistry he did as a producer on Rumors with the layers, textures, etc. It just makes all the songs sound incomplete, uninspired, and half-assed. I like complex pop rock Fleetwood Mac, not this simplistic almost country Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham's songs are the worst, but really McVie's and Nicks' aren't all that much better. The album feels like a collection of solo songs thrown together. But what's ironic is they all released a solo album after this, and the songs on all THREE solo records are better than what they contributed here! Check out Buckingham's "Trouble", Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen" and McVie's "Got a Hold On Me". All 10/10. All in all though, even the worst of Fleetwood Mac is better than most music haha, so still give it a 3 star.

An above average alblum. But I can't give it a five if I like the Fleetwood Mac and Rumors alblums better. It sounds silly but the "hits" carry the alblum

So, I like Fleetwood, but this album is a bold follow-up to "Rumors" and IMO not such a good one. Some songs are good, others mediocre. It's an eclectic mix of experimental tracks.

Some absolute bangers on here!! Took me a while to get into it but mannnnn I love Fleetwood Mac. Sisters of the Moon scratches my SOUL and has suchhhhh epic guitar work omg. Having listened twice I can confirm this is INFINITELY listenable always xoxo

3.75

I liked it more than Rumors, which I thought it was impossible.

Fleety Mac are considered pop rock legends for a reason, and I see why this is grouped together with their 2 preceeding albums as a golden trio. Nicks and Christie McVie have beautiful voices. Buckingham, while I'm not *too* hot on his singing voice, also joins the previous two to round out a very consistently strong singer-songwritiner trio. Fleetwood and John McVie provide a strong rhythm section, being the ever present but silent namesakes of the band. It's pretty rare for more than 3/4ths of a double LP to not feel like padding/filler, which is a big accomplishment. I wish the title track had been the closer over "Never Forget". 8.5/10

Not sure what I expected but this was really above and beyond it. There's a lot of folk but it manages to feel unique from track to track. Favourite track: Sisters of the Moon

9/10

At least as monumental as Rumours. Stunning album by a band in god mode.

This is a sprawling album with moments of brilliance, but it lacks cohesion. It feels disconnected and jumbled, possibly because the band was falling apart at the time. I easily connected with all of the Stevie Nicks songs, especially “Sisters of the Moon.” The rest of the album was very much hit or miss. I think this is an album that needs multiple listens to truly appreciate.

Say 178 The problem with this album is that it’s impossible not to compare it to Rumours which is kinda like thinking Michaelangelo is shit for not painting anything as good as the Sistine Chapel. Highlights Sara Not that Funny

Not Rumors but definitely can stand on it's own two feet

Very good

Save Me a Place // Sara // What Makes You Think You’re the One // Storms // Beautiful Child // Walk a Thin Line // 4.5/5

I love FM, but I'll be the first to say that you probably don't need to hear this one before you die. But it's a fascinating record. Lindsay set out to do anything but replicate the previous two albums, which sold a collective billion records, give or take. The White Album is the usual reference but I don't think it's apt. Yes you have several songwriters throwing out a lot of different songs that don't flow together all that well. But there's little in the way of experimentation. It’s mainly Lindsay, Stevie, and Christine engaging in an exercise of how not to write like themselves. And it weirdly works. That is, if you already love those three as songwriters

a poor followup to 'Rumours. Most of it is unlistenable

I found this a little bit too relaxing, and had to fight to stay awake and focused on it. It's all very lovely and peaceful and wistful. I mean, it's no Rumours, but then what is. I could have done with a bit more life in this one.

A few enjoyable tracks but others seem dated. Not bad.

Can't say that this really stayed with me at all. Seemed less arresting than Rumours, a bit more settled perhaps?

Really good album. I was only familiar with the title track before hand but really enjoyed it, stand out track was Sarah. Very dense record, will need multiple listens

Fleetwood Mac never misses!

Amazing!

Weakest album by Fleetwood Mac on this list. Outright boring and way too long.

BEST SONGS: - Think About Me - Storms - That's All for Everyone

Banger album

Great album to just put on and relax.

Didn’t have as much crack in it as their first two albums as Rumours and their self-titled but still very good

I adore Fleetwood Mac

where are the bangers?

"Tusk. In its entirety. With the pauses. As Lindsey Buckingham intended it to be heard." - Tony Harrison

Very good very nice

Nice listen. Great start, the middle is a bit bloated, but everything picks right up towards a very great end.

Really want a condensed version of this. Some excellent songs and then so much nonsense that sounded like MIDI versions of instruments off an Encarta '97 cd-rom. 2.5

as an album there's a lot you can breeze past, but when i was a kid i liked tusk so much my dad made me tape of tusk on repeat so it's getting an extra star for that.

This was kind of strange compared to what I expected, not necessarily in a bad way, just a readjustment. I enjoyed a lot of it but it was So Much - I think I'd love the version of this album that is 35 minutes of my highlights.

This album is huge, and by that I mean long. Not sure I like the sound of it all together, and it all feels disconnected and all over the place. Like any 20 song album I always feel like you could cut it close to 10 and be better off, it's like multiple albums layered together. I don't know if I love it, and there's a huge diversity in the songs. I do think from time to time it clicks but it may be few and far between, and there's a lot of rough stuff in the between. That all being said, the times it clicks sounds like some of the best we've come to expect from Fleetwood Mac.

My Fleetwood Mac journey began one evening, captivated by their heavenly sounds at dinner with my in-laws. Tusk stands out as a classic that still resonates today, its timeless magic that captivates me. As the album plays, I envision cozy moments spent on a sofa with a loved one or joyful picnics under the sun with family. Each track whisks me away to a happy place, stirring a kaleidoscope of emotions that reflect on the past while inspiring hope for what lies ahead. Tusk is nothing short of mesmerizing. A genuine masterpiece that lingers long after the last note fades. One of the few albums I love completely.

All a bit one note

Less interesting than I hoped

It's alright, got a bit boring after a while but it's still alright. Favorite track: The Ledge

Horn.

Wasn’t as taken by rumours as much as I expected but feel as though I’m preferring the start of this one much more. How the hell does an album cost $1 million to make?! And at that time too 🤯 Yeh, much prefer this rumours. Maybe more depth and experimentation. Pleasant listening with a few surprises along the way too. Feels more varied and accomplished somehow. Pleasantly surprised by this landing much better than I expected. A bit of a long one, but like what I’ve heard and felt a really nice variety of styles and compositions.

Ich kanntegenau ein Lied von diesem Album, obwohl es nach zwei absoluten Hit-Alben herausgekommen ist. Vermutlich Resteverwertung. Wiedermal zu lang. Eingekürzt auf 35min wäre das vermutlich großartig. Jetzt auch nicht unangenehm anzuhören also wenn man mal wieder garnichts mit seinem Leben vor hat kann man sich das schon geben. Gegen Ende wird es deutlich stärker. Wenn ich das als LP hätte würde ich nur die D-Seite hören.

Bei guter Produktion wäre es halb so lang und doppelt so gut

En naturlig videreutvikling av soundet til Rumours som spriker i minst tre forskjellige retninger. Første gangen jeg hørte skiva var det kun en liten håndfull låter jeg virkelig likte og en annen håndfull jeg ikke likte noe så godt. Hver gang jeg tenkte jeg skulle skrive om skiva, har jeg satt på den igjen og bare latt den gå uten å ta noen notater. Nå har den to håndfuller med låter jeg virkelig liker, og bare én de godt kunne droppa (Never Make Me Cry). Et White Album-type album med andre ord. Buckingham går drithardt til verks med å pushe soundet i en hardere & mer experimentell retning og fremstår som totalt based (soft rock har aldri vært så kult som her); Stevie Nicks protoyper Edge of Seventeen (og kommer jævlig nære med Sisters of the Moon) og er mao. også based; ex fru McVie holder seg nærmere hjemme, men det er et solid fundament, så det funker (for det meste).

Jeg skjønner godt hvorfor Tusk blir sammenlignet med White Album. Plata har en del spor som er knallsterke, og innimellom blir helheten ødelagt av rare innfall og gjøglerier. Hvor digg hadde det ikke vært å gå rett fra "Sara" til "Storms"? Fra "That's All For Everyone" til "Sisters of the Moon" eller fra "Angel" til "Brown Eyes"? Ja, alle de problematiske låtene i mellom er skrevet av Buckingham, så jeg er vel team Nicks? Men er svak for "That's All For Everyone". Kanskje Buckingham burde fått sine låter på side D, om de absolutt måtte vært med? Jeg vet at normen har vært bonusspor for gjenutgivelser, men jeg slår et slag for færre spor istedet. Springsteen fikk det til på gjenutgivelsen av The River feks, så muligheten er der. Syns ikke Tusk er så kontroversiell som folk skal ha den til å være. Greit, så er den ikke Rumours, og den er et knepp ned (basert på hvordan jeg husker Rumours), men det er fortsatt en god plate godt over middels.

Great stuff, if maybe a little dated in sound. Highlight tracks: The Ledge, Sara, Not that funny, Honey Hi, Beautiful Child & Tusk. Title track not long enough!

Eh.

Pretty good tuff but not as good as Rumours, half of the songs here are kinda boring though it's still pretty good

**Fleetwood Mac – *Tusk* (1979)** An in-depth review: lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, and a clear-eyed list of pros & cons. --- ### 1. **Context & Ambition** After 1977’s *Rumours*—26 million sold, Grammy crowned, cultural lightning rod—Fleetwood Mac could have issued *Rumours 2* and cashed in. Instead they built their own Village Recorder studio, budgeted like a film (≈ $1.4 M, 1979 dollars), and let Lindsey Buckingham drag them into art-rock, post-punk and musique-concrète territory. The result: a 20-track, 74-minute double LP that Warner Bros. feared and critics mis-read. --- ### 2. **Lyrics – Three Autobiographies in Parallel** | Songwriter | Dominant Tone | Key Motifs | Spotlight Tracks | |------------|---------------|------------|------------------| | **Stevie Nicks** | Mystic nostalgia, romantic ruin | Time, ships, angels, cocaine fatigue | *Sara*, *Storms*, *Sisters of the Moon* | | **Christine McVie** | Comfort vs. restlessness | Domestic warmth, departure, loyalty | *Over & Over*, *Think About Me*, *Never Make Me Cry* | | **Lindsey Buckingham** | Neurotic rupture, studio-as-weapon | Self-sabotage, control, media glare | *The Ledge*, *Not That Funny*, *Tusk* | **Thread:** All three chronicle the same mansion—different rooms of break-ups, burnout and identity crisis—without ever writing a concept album. Nicks’ *Sara* is both a lost child and a lost lover; Buckingham’s *That’s Enough for Me* is 90 seconds of frantic bluegrass-as-panic-attack; McVie’s *Never Make Me Cry* is the tender resignation holding the two fire-starters in orbit. --- ### 3. **Music – Pop Skeleton, Experimental Flesh** - **Genre collage:** folk-pop, art-rock, proto-lo-fi, marching-band minimalism, doo-wop, reggae hints, punk speed. - **Buckingham’s sonic rule-book:** detuned guitars, gated snares, kitchen-sink percussion (kleenex boxes, chair legs), slap-back vocals recorded while doing push-ups. - **Rhythm section re-imagined:** Mick Fleetwood muffles toms with towels, plays cardboard boxes; John McVie’s bass is dry, sometimes DI’d—no glossy *Rumours* cushion. - **Vocal layering:** Stevie’s triple-tracked rasps become choirs; Lindsey’s falsetto is sped up or varispeeded until androgynous. **Signature moment:** the title track—48-track tape loop of the USC Trojan Marching Band, overlaid with a single snarling guitar riff and whispered “don’t say that you love me.” Nothing like it on 1979 radio. --- ### 4. **Production – The First “Expensive Lo-Fi” Record** Engineers Ken Caillat & Richard Dashut: | Technique | Purpose | Outcome | |-----------|---------|---------| | Record basic tracks in small rehearsal room | Capture bleed & claustrophobia | Hypnotic mid-range, little sparkle | | Sub-mix to ¼-inch tape, re-record through PA | Artificial ambience | Muffled, “fridge-freezer” drum sound beloved/hated by listeners | | Cut master tapes by hand for segues | Collage aesthetic | Dream-logic flow between songs | | No studio deadline | Endless overdubs | 1.4 M cost, label panic, mythic “most expensive album ever” | **Result:** High-fidelity equipment used to produce *intentional* imperfection—years before indie’s lo-fi revival. --- ### 5. **Themes – What the Double Album is *Really* About** 1. **Refusal of Commerce** – Buckingham’s stance: “I’d rather alienate 10 million people than repeat ourselves.” 2. **Cocaine Paranoia** – hear it in *The Ledge*’s staccato mix, *Not That Funny*’s hyperventilation. 3. **Gendered Creativity Battles** – Nicks’ mysticism vs. Buckingham’s control; McVie as emotional mediator encoded in song order. 4. **California as Crucible** – sunny on surface, cracked underneath; *Tusk* is the first major L.A. album to sound *claustrophobic*. --- ### 6. **Influence & Legacy** - **Immediate:** Only 4 M sales (vs *Rumours* 26 M); Warner stock dipped; press called it “self-indulgent.” - **Long-tail:** Cited by **R.E.M.,** **Camper Van Beethoven** (who covered the whole LP), **St. Vincent,** **Tame Impala,** **The War on Drugs**—essentially anyone merging pop instinct with studio-as-instrument risk. - **Music-video milestone:** *Tusk*’s Dodger-Stadium clip predates MTV, helped birth the mini-movie promo era. - **Re-appraisal:** 2015 deluxe reissue = 4-star Rolling Stone, 9.2 Pitchfork; now staple of “greatest double albums” lists. --- ### 7. **Pros & Cons (Unvarnished)** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Fearlessly experimental yet melodically tuneful—rare combo | Length: 74 min; filler like *Brown Eyes* or *Beautiful Child* drags momentum | | Three distinct songwriters = kaleidoscope of moods | Buckingham’s lo-fi cuts can feel half-finished on first listen | | Production innovations (marching band, gated drums, tape loops) still sound fresh | Muffled drum tone & narrow soundstage alienates fans of glossy *Rumours* | | Lyrically raw—cocaine fallout & heartbreak unfiltered | No obvious radio-ready sequence after *Tusk* single; commercial suicide at the time | | Influenced alt-rock, indie, dream-pop for decades | Double-album price in 1979 = sticker shock; initial reviews savage | --- ### 8. **Verdict** *Tusk* is the moment Fleetwood Mac risked empire for art and—after a 40-year lag—convinced the world the gamble was worth it. It is messy, contradictory, occasionally impenetrable, but also the clearest window into three songwriters pushing each other past comfort. Accept its sprawl and *Tusk* reveals itself as pop’s great experimental double album: *The White Album* of the West Coast, cut with cocaine, bruised egos, and brilliant microphones. Put on headphones, surrender to the muffled chaos, and you’ll hear why Lindsey Buckingham calls it “the most honest thing we ever did.”