Reviews (page 9 of 14)
A challenge! Not sure why this needed to be a double alby=um
TL;DL
I was kind of dreading this because its a double album, but it turned out quite nice. Doesn't seem to have an overarching theme but there are a lot of good classic rock and pop tracks on here. Every song feels like it could have been a hit single, Tusk the track is one of the weirder tracks in that regard.
music white people go rabid for
Really Boring
Good album, quite long tho
YAYY TUSK!! what makes you think you're the one!! sisters of the moon!!
As you'd expect from a 20 track album, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but most songs are on the good side. A couple were a little goofy, but nothing that really turned me off. It's Fleetwood Mac, the songwriting and performances are bound to be great. I think i've just spoiled myself with so many listens of Rumours.
Slower songs were good. Didn't care for the poppier songs.
next time tell the producer that an album can actually cut out the filler songs
Some great sounds on this double album!
The music that Fleetwood Mac put out is so intriguing to me. There was so much going on in the personal relationships between the members of the band that was turbulent and explosive but they managed to channel all of that into some incredible music. For me, the beauty of the music is that it stretches across seemingly conflicting emotions. Love/hate, pleasure/pain, joy/sorrow... All of it gets captured so well that you can experience listening to the same song and get different things out of it each time. The lyrics, vocals, and musicianship are all amazing. These same songs played by different people who did not share the intricate personal histories just wouldn't sound the same. 5/5 for me.
I feel like I'm too sober to listen to this.
Sounded like a not-as-good version of Rumours, haha.
Side three was my favorite, and all of Stevie Nicks's songs were clearly the best tracks.
This was good. Kind of washed over me as generic Fleetwood Mac goodness. Wasn't brilliant and gripping. Just a steady hour and a quarter of pleasant sounds filling the room.
Fine.
It is better than given credit but far short of a classic....
Always great
The percussion on “Tusk” is entertaining, and there are some good vocal harmonies here and there on the other tracks. But for the most part, this is pretty blah late 70s pop. The title track is the only thing keeping me from rounding down from a 2.5.
Fine, but nothing stood out to me.
Not bad, but it feels uninspired, particularly when compared to Rumours. Tusk is the sole standout for me. And that spazzy drum solo in the middle always makes me chuckle. 3.5*.
No one would have blamed Fleetwood Mac for once again thumbing through the pages of the rulebook that made Rumours such a sensation upon its release. Instead, they fell off the deep end and offered up the eclectic, batshit, unwieldy, wonderful Tusk. Twenty songs filled to the brim with coked up wonder, genuine belief and sheer chutzpah, this is where rock mythology takes an abstract turn and somehow, some way becomes even better because of it. Lindsay Buckingham's questionable handle on his sanity, Stevie Nicks' metamorphosis as a balladeer and Christine McVie's compositional brilliance are all on display and, as foundational as the previous album was, those things makes Tusk the superior one. Of course, things like this cannot last forever but at least it happened and we're better off as music fans (and fans of Fleetwood Mac) because of it.
Not bad but kinda feels weak when Rumours and Tango in the Night as better Fleetwood Mac albums exist.
Bit of a boring one
Ok, but not my favorite Fleedwood Mac
LOVE them but not this album - Sara is a massive hit, so dreamy and beautiful never gets old and Tusk is a fun track.. + a few other Christine McV slower tracks but that is it - F Mac for me peaked w Rumours this album not so much
Sara connects. The rest of the album... not so much. It blended into the background.
If Rumors was the murky discord beneath - sheathed in beauty. Tusk is truth laid bare. Other than Sara - the essence of ethereal - songs that are in a similar vein as the preceding album have a different intensity. More pain and anger (and cocaine) than lust and confusion. Brown Eyes - the insistent drums - high and dry in the mix - and the parade of sha la la sha la la la las - unflinching. Sisters of the Moon feel like quintessential Fleetwood Mac- where previously if would have built towards some transcendence - this song instead is moved off its steady gait by the abrupt arrival of Lindsey's fractured guitar. It Rumors was the fraying this is the fractured. Five people /two couples moving in opposite directions but stuck in the same room.
I thought I was kinda over Fleetwood Mac, turns out I was just sick of Rumors. These songs were all new to me (save a couple) and most of them were bangers. Like Plastic Ono Band you get one really beautiful song by Stevie or Christine and then some fuzzy experimental stuff from Lindsey. But even those were pretty decent.
Rumors is one of my all-time favorite albums. A sheer masterpiece of music. Despite this, I have admittedly never listened to Fleetwood Mac's follow-up Tusk. I was immediately taken aback by the opening track "Over and Over". It was slow and melancholic and beautiful, yet crescendoed with layers of vocals and guitar, drums and bass. It wasn't my typical opening track type tune but my god it was good. The thing is, though, this slow yet beautiful motif was pretty much prevalent throughout the entire album. So much so that I got pretty bored of it! Of course, not every song follows that formula but enough of it does that I'm practically falling asleep during a second listen. In typical Fleetwood Mac fashion, there are some truly incredible tracks...some I could see fitting right in on Rumors. But, overall I was just sort of "eh" about this album. Probably due in no small part that it's just too long of an album. Clocking in at 75 minutes, it needs more diversity to hold my interest. The tracks I love have already been added to playlists and will be revisited time and again but as a whole, I don't think I'll be returning to Tusk.
More doesn't mean better, but this is still okay as a double album. The slow songs wander, the fast ones are frantic. "That's Enough For Me" is my take and also one of the better songs.
Cool album cover. Makes it look like this is a punk or new wave album and I guess for Fleetwood Mac it is. Nice drums on this one.
Favorite tracks: Save Me A Place, Sara, What Makes You Think You're The One, Storms, Not That Funny, Angel, Tusk, Never Forget I love the risks they took on this, especially the Buckingham songs, which feel very wild and innovative and rockin'. (My toxic thought while listening to this: "Oh, okay, I can see why Stevie loved him.") I debated five stars, but ultimately I think there are a few songs that are just "good" instead of "great." So, 4.5 stars.
Fleetwood Mac son unos de los grupos esenciales de la música, con enorme influencia y éxito sobre todo en USA. Este doble álbum (otro doble como el que publicaron ese mismo 79 The Clash) suponía enfrentarse al reto de continuar su carrera después del megaéxito de Rumours, uno de los discos más exitosos, tanot de crítica como de ventas, de la historia. Muchos consideran este su White Album, por contenido, variedad estilística y también por calidad. Lejos de anquilosarse y captando las nuevas tendencias (New Wave, Punk...) supieron asimilarlas y dar otra lección magistral en forma de disco. es uno de los preferidos por ultitud de bandas alternativas sobre todo americanas. Su legado es inmejorable. Otros discos del 79, el año del "Disco sucks" : Unknown Pleasures de Joy Division, The Police-Reggatta De Blanc, THE CLASH - London calling, VAN MORRISON - Into the music, NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE - Rust never sleeps y Live Rust, AC/DC - Highway to hell, PAUL COLLINS BEAT - The Beat, THE CURE - Three imaginary boys, The Undertones- The Undertones, THE B-52'S - The B-52's, GRAHAM PARKER - Squeezing out sparks, THE KNACK - Get the knack, The wall de Pink Floyd, Armed Forces de Elvis Costello & The Attractions, We Are Family de Sister Sledge, Look Sharp! de Joe Jackson, Spirits Having Flown de Bee Gees, Breakfast in America de Supertramp, Y de The Pop Group, Voulez-Vous de ABBA , Bad Girls de Donna Summer, Lodger de David Bowie, Discovery Electric Light Orchestra, Exposed y Platinum de Mike Oldfield, Fear of Music Talking Heads, Off the Wall de Michael Jackson, Quadrophenia deThe Who, Reggatta de Blanc de The Police, Prince de Prince, Damn the Torpedoes de Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers , One Step Beyond... de Madness, The Specials de The Specials, Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants\" de Stevie Wonder, Metal Box de Public Image Ltd., Risque de Chic, Real to Real Cacophony y Life in a day de Simple Minds
I know the band lore behind this album, that the disjointedness of it all reflects their interpersonal problems. And I'm definitely a Stevie fan, when it comes down to it. That said: it really feels like Lindsey Buckingham was onto something with his songs on Tusk. I kinda wish everyone else would've just gotten out of his way and let him cook.
There are several songs I like here, but there are also a few that I don't. Overall 4 stars or B for me.
Yeah, I really didn’t care for this one
It’s very good but would have been better if they trimmed it down. Too much filler.
Great
Bandet høres jo veldig bra ut, mange flotte øyeblikk. Men blir for usammenhengende og kaotisk her
The music isn't bad, which is about as much of a complement as I can give this record. The songs feel unedited (constant repetition) and incomplete (the repetition leads nowhere). Additionally, The production is rough, lending to that feeling of incompleteness (a remarkable feat for an album well over an hour long). If FM had cut 7 or 8 songs, and edited or re-produced the rest, this album has great potential. As it stands, however, this is a bit of a mess.
Sometimes you get so many bad or weird albums in a row. Thankfully there are albums like this that come along and restore your faith in this project.
Honestly, I had such high hopes for this album. I love Fleetwood Mac. But with all due respect, leave the singing to Stevie. I found myself wanting to skip the songs. They did nothing for me, except a few.
Not as good as Rumours but still damn good.
This was alright. I feel there are better album a and better Fleetwood Mac albums
An album, like my grandparents' home furnishings. Unmistakably out of time, lots of brown, some supposed “treasures” that should have been got rid of. Nevertheless, somehow cozy. You can stand it for grandma's sake.
I thought I was going to enjoy this - I mean it sold 4 million copies - But I didn’t. 10 months in the studio one would think they could have come up with something better than this
I prefer the hits Fleetwood Mac to the avant garde Fleetwood Mac.
This album seemed about 17 songs too long. The boring ones all sound the same, which is to say they sound like Fleetwood Mac and are highly annoying. The song Sara is the stand out obviously.
I mean, its fine, I guess. This little snippet was inferesting: Though the album sold four million copies worldwide, and earned a Grammy nomination in 1981 for its art design in the category "Best Album Package", the band's record label deemed the project a failure, laying the blame squarely with Buckingham (considering the comparatively huge sales of Rumours and the album's unprecedented recording expense).
Love that this album was generated for today! Can’t listen to Tusk without hearing UCLA Sucks ✌🏼
Not sure what Buckingham is doing half the time, but McVie and Nicks are killing it
There's the odd track with signs of like to keep this above 1* but this is pretty boring
2/5. I don't have any true feelings about this album. I skipped it because on my first listen I got nothing from it, it felt like just sound. I love other Fleetwood Mac material but this was nothing. I let it sit for like a year and now reviewing it again and... it's about the same. Nicks songs were the best part about this record, and a lot of the other songs were just fumbles. Sure, some of the songs are simple and fun but that enjoyment goes away by the end of the song and I forget what I just listened to. Again, it wasn't terrible but this was the not great overall. Best Song: Storms, Sisters Of The Moon, What Makes You Think You're the One
Decent
That wasn't so bad.
How can you improve on Runours? You can’t. But very good effort from the Mac’s before the classic lineup broke up properly.
If anything, this long record reinforces wgat an immense talent Stevie Nicks's voice is. Sara and Storms rise above the mediocre because of it and, in many places, we see Lindsey Buckingham struggling. The rhythm section, however, is immense and there is a fabulous single album in here.
An absolute masterpiece
These are skilled musicians and they deserve to be on a list such as this. However, when an album has 20 tracks and I enjoyed maybe three of them, I cannot rightfully rate this very high. Without further context about why this specific Fleetwood Mac album is on the list, I'm going to make an assumption: it was when everyone confirmed their vocals should just be left to Stevie Nicks.
I was kinda excited for our first Fleetwood Mac album on here, but this one didn't do much for me. A few songs worked fairly well, but those ended up being the exceptions on a long album. 2.8
In the ears of this listener, when you have a perfect record anything else, however good, can never top the best.
loved it.
Hmm mediocre other albums are more enjoyable
It's a good album. Great to put on in the background.
Most expensive rock album, prefer rumours
This is all over the place but when it's good, it's good
Con mis problemas atencionales, me cuesta escuchar álbumes largos. Tiendo a desconcentrarme a la mitad de los LPs dobles que suelen durar 1 o más horas. Sin embargo, eso no me pasó con "Tusk". Siguiendo su legendario (y polémico) álbum "Rumours", Fleetwood Mac nos entrega una colección de canciones inconexas, extrañas y con diferentes métodos de producción experimental (para la época). Sin embargo, ya a pesar de todos los conflictos interpersonales entre los miembros de la banda, nunca se deja de lado lo que caracteriza tanto a los norteamericanos: El pop. Sumamente recomendable de principio a fin. The Ledge, Brown Eyes y Never Forget son grandes momentos del disco, al menos para mi.
An uneven and un-memorable follow up to a classic. Not experimental enough to challenge and one of the most bloated albums I’ve heard so far with about half the tracks feeling like musical wallpaper. The were some moments that I enjoyed, particularly around the middle of the album, but this is no one’s favorite Fleetwood Mac album.
There's a surprising roughness here, a step into something less polished and more experimental. It’s almost like Talking Heads took over, with an offbeat rhythm and a restless energy. Every song feels a bit like a risk, playing with dissonance and harmony in a way that feels natural but unpredictable. It doesn’t aim to be pleasing – it’s brave, a little jagged, but totally absorbing.
They should have just made "Rumours II". There, I said that. Because it's still that same band with those same three singers, the music from Rumours shines through, often, but in their goal to not make Rumours, it's often a lesser version after all? The self-indulgence of it being a double album isn't helping. Nor is the pandering to post punk mannerisms like the vocals on "Not That Funny" or whatever that instrument on "I Know I'm Not Wrong" is. There absolutely are songs that would create a decent album in here, even as a progression from their previous one (don't want to say "RUMOURS!" again), but this here collection of 20 tracks ain't that. [...] On the other hand, the "[...]" above indicates some more time spent. I still think it's a mess, but "Tusk" doesn't not work, somehow. Also, I saved four songs I think I'll be glad to hear again when Shuffle picks them. Maybe the whole thing is better than I thought.
Another one of those albums where you had to be there. While I'm not a massive fan, Rumours was pretty good. This one has its moments but doesn't hold them. Title track is great, and Sisters of the Moon is good too, but otherwise the album didn't grab me
I was talking to my dad about Fleetwood Mac the other day, about how you suddenly just get them. I think I'm getting there? This album drags on a bit, but there are some really good tunes. I think the most impressive thing is their ability to steal from lots of different genres and merge them into something distinctive.
It's good.
P good
Pretty good, not as good as rumours, but might listen to it more and form a better opinion, 7.5/10.
yes
As follow up acts go, this really came under the bar.
One of those acclaimed bands I never put the effort into listening to. Don't think I recognise any track titles but a little wary of it being a double album Not a huge fan really. Nothing particularly grabbed me and I caught myself checking when it would be over a couple of times, though to be fair I only managed a couple or listens. Maybe needs a few more listens Highlights: Sara, Sisters of the Moon
Nice.
On Rumours, the band were able to use their emotional and personal dysfunction as artistic fuel. Here, the exhaustion of the supernova shows. Tusk would have been better as a shorter record, they could have channeled their efforts. The standouts are there, Sara is still one of my favorite FM tracks. Not a bad record, but I don’t feel it deserves a spot on the list - leave it as a footnote to Rumours.
Overblown, overegged, totally self indulgent, too much, too long, but in a *good* way. In a really good way in fact.
It was okay, I’d probably have to be in the right mood for it.
Anxious to read why this one made it. I am looking for the hits, but none in sight.
A bit too long but you can't go wrong with fleetwood mac
Great music on this album, but only a few hold up as classic songs. I'm a Rumors fan, but it is more Stevie and that is what I really love about the band.
Not a good Fleetwood Mac album.
Subpar for Fleetwood Mac. I feel like they haven't matured or evolved beyond where they were 30 years ago and it shows.
That's way more Christine McVie than I expected.
3.5★. A little long and soft but still lots to like here.
I'm rounding this one up, because it's really more like a 3.5 instead of a 4. A lot of the songs feel like they were ALMOST good songs (except two of them were like, REALLY bad). They just couldn't quite get there, quite push them to the heights of Dreams or something like that.
I love Fleetwood Mac...they are so calming, beautiful and deep. I would also say they blur the lines of folk, rock and a little of their own. Even when they were young they were still mature and deep. Stevie is wonderful and deserves the praise, but Christine and Lindsey are also amazing (and don't get enough credit). They have such depth and range and this album was a beautiful example of that.
Great album! Lots to sink my ears into. This might not have that many "hits" on it but there are so many great songs that I never even heard before. It's a gem. Great song writing. Very emotional and poetic. Tusk might be my new favorite Fleetwood Mac song. Storm is a great Stevie Nicks song. So many other good ones.
I love Fleetwood Mac. There’s something so comforting about them. I didn’t know most of the songs on this album, and it probably isn’t top-tier Fleetwood Mac, but they can kind of do no wrong in my eyes. It was all very beautiful to me. I love Stevie’s voice so much, and Christine and Lindsey have incredible vocals too. They are such a special and absolutely one of a kind band.
Not for me!
I like Fleetwood Mac. This album might be a little too chill for me.
Really fun. bit mellow for my taste but really enjoyable
There‘s probably a great album hidden in there somewhere, but I am not digging.
I never really warmed up to Fleetwood Mac except for a few songs here and there, so I wasn't surprised that I wasn't swept off my feet, especially at this length. Who would have thought the last few songs, just when my patience was wearing thin, would be this nice? Beautiful Child is particularly wonderful.
It runs a little too long and lags a bit in the latter half but it's pretty solid otherwise
Er staat echt wel genoeg goeds op, maar dit had van mij echt geen dubbelalbum hoeven zijn. Het is daardoor nu te lang en eentonig/langdradig voor mij. Er zijn niet genoeg hoogtepunten, dus na een half uur heb ik het voor mijn gevoel eigenlijk wel gezien. Alsnog prima album om op te zetten hoor, maar mijn aandacht houdt het niet vast.
good album but blends together
Good vibe but doesn’t have the juice
An overreach by the Mac at the height of their massive popularity. Maybe their 3rd or 4th best album. Still some good work here
A great solid record by Fleetwood Mac.
Strange record this. Every other song is really good, the rest borders MOR. The songs I enjoyed I enjoyed more than most off Rumours, The Ledge, What Makes You Think You’re The One, Thats all for Everyone, Not Thay Funny. Really good. But there is a lot of meh that drags it down a bit
Think this famously the underwhelming follow up to rumours and it definitely lived up to that. The Fleetwood Mac magic pops up here and there but it seems to be intentionally understated that is just a bit dull for an album this long. Looking back at the tracklisting, storms was good, as was tusk, and there were a few others that I can't recall. Compared to rumours where half the album is instantly recognisable, I think tusk's reputation is warranted. Still actually enjoyed it but unlikely to return.
It is a shame this came directly after Rumours as it is a decent record. A lot more sparse than what I had expected, although still with the same layered sound. Sara, What Makes You Think You're the One, and Storms are the strongest songs. Tusk is alright too, of course, but totally against the run of play, and is mainly notable for the brass section. I read this was a bit more experimental to placate Lindsay Buckingham, but his version of experimental is plodding.
Ah the difficult twelfth album after the huge eleventh hey! It's miles off rumours, but it honestly isn't bad, it's just very difficult not to compare it to rumours, when that is my only other real exposure to Fleetwood Mac. Kinda unfair I suppose by there you go. I liked "storms" the best. Still a pretty good pop record 3.5
if every song was equally as good as Sara or Tusk this would be one of the best records of all time
This feels like the big, ugly, complicated older brother of Rumours. It's not as immediately accessible or timelessly catchy but it goes to some fascinating places and tries some really interesting things. There are flashes of real beauty and I listened to it repeatedly through the day, having never given it a chance before. There's somehow both the feeling of dense overproduction and too many ideas, while also seeming to be stripped back to its bare parts. I actually really enjoyed it and glad I've given it the time of day. There's loads to like here and it requires patience. While the gold is buried in a lot of 'stuff', it's largely good stuff that is worth wading through. A couple of minor things that bothered me though are a) it's too slow for too long. Some lovely songwriting but the tempo hovers at a very pedestrian level. And b) why oh why must you fade out so much?! A good song deserves an ending. I imagine some of this was based on time constraints, but surely that's a question of deciding what to take out of the song, or which songs to cut, not just turning the volume down slowly every time you pass the 4 minute mark.
Having never listened to a full Fleetwood Mac album before, this was a more than pleasant experience. While the Nicks / McVie tracks excel in "radio-pop", Buckingham is kinda brave for putting those silly little quirky songs of his in the middle. I liked the whole thing, but at least 10 songs stand out on their own so you can still cut some of the filler and enjoy it as a whole album. Surprised of the lack of JoJo-fans here. But a welcome one. 8/10.
Creates a good vibe that maintains a specific pleasant atmosphere for bunches of 10 minutes or so, mostly when it’s Stevie knicks singing. I’m always impressed at how Fleetwood Mac found the sweet spot for letting instruments and vocals breathe, giving everything its proper room in the mix/recording. Still, nothing on here makes me jump out of my seat
Mid album
It's too long and has too many mediocre songs
Just okay. Nothing special. Nothing awful.
10/21/24. Interesting album! Not up there with Rumors or Self-Titled, but still a very good album and engaging with the changes in lead vocals and sounds.
Ok, not terrible but not a masterpiece.
Lemppari: Storms :)
Didn't love it. What makes you think you were the one and That's all for everyone were my standouts. Will revisit since my partner has the record but I don't see myself going out of my way to listen to this alone again.
Really wish zero stars was an option
Hell yeah brother
i liked it
Not a bad album. Didn't do much for me though.
A mixed bag. I'd give Tusk 3.5 if I could, but I might stick with 3. Sisters of the Moon is one example of a fantastic song from Tusk, but I honestly don't know what to feel about a lot of the songs. Some feel almost like boring filler.
It's *vibey*. Moreso than other Fleetwood Mac albums, I would say. The album doesn't have any of their hits that I immediately recognize, but it still has a lot of really great hits. Besides the end of the album, it's a very high floor album with a lower ceiling. The last couple of songs start falling off a bit for me, held up only by their excellent musicianship and vocals. It doesn't blow me out of the water, but I'll be damned if it isn't a great album. Will definitely save it for another re-listen later. Favorite Song(s): Over & Over, Save Me a Place, That's All for Everyone, Sisters of the Moon
Honestly kinda boring? A couple bangers but lots of filler.
I enjoyed that album, not my favorite, but I enjoyed it
Didn't like this much - I can see why their later albums were more successful.
I like
Very good album, some classics in there. Lindsay Buckingham starring as always. Highlights; Sara Sisters of the Moon Tusk
Don’t get the hype
This is the sound you get when you think of 70's rock. I know it's kind of like if Fleetwood Mac had tried to do 'Rumours 2' but it doesn't quite get there. Brilliant album.
This album didn't ever feel special or unique, and I was feeling less-than-middling on it until the last three tracks, where I finally said "Eh, these songs are alright."
I love me some Fleetwood Mac. I am not a super fan, but this is definitely an album that I would have playing in the background while I clean house, do homework, work, chill with friends/family, etc.
Geht so
I am used to way better from Fleetwood Mac. These are just some demos as far as I'm concerned. I don't know why this album is on this list.
3/5
All the hippie chicks in my high school wanted to look like Stevie Nicks. I dated a girl, an aspiring singer, who spent her junior year as a Nicks devote. Senior year, she went with Nancy Wilson. Whatever… she was cute either way. Monster group of the 70’s. My mom turned righteous hippy early in that decade and spun these guys often. I was never a huge fan, certainly never spent good money on their albums. But I enjoy them in small doses, and reminisce about that sweet girl in high school.
Not my thing, just a bit too mellow and more songs simply fade out than is necessary. Not bad background music, but not an amazing album that I'll go back to
Great Album, very nice to listen to it again. Especially Tusk moves me every time, and Sara is of course a classic.
mid 2
Came to appreciate post-Peter Green Fleetwood Mac much later but into other music at the time
A good album, but a bit disapointing from thier previous two
6/10 A very mixed bag, this. A slow starter and unfortunately a lot of it was boring. Noted as an experimental album but seemed very straight rock, MOR, American rock. The Stevie Nicks stuff was what I liked most Best: Tusk
Not my favorite album of theirs. I like Rumors more. But this is still a good listen. Tha drums get a little repetitive to me. But overall cool
Just classic sounding Fleetwood Mac Not their best though I have to say!
Man, Fleetwood Mac are good. Tusk is a bit bloated and unfocused compared to Rumours, but it’s kinda unfair to compare.
I found this album to be extremely dull and boring. There were some good songs, with "Tusk" probably being the best, in my opinion. However, most of the album felt forgettable and basically unnecessary, especially at the length the album is. I don't think the music is actively bad, but it is just so dull that I can't imagine listening to it again in its entirety.
Not all songs are equally good, but this album does show the greatness of Fleetwood Mac!
Not bad but doesn't do a lot for me
Nice
Fleetwood Mac as a post punk band isn't something I ever knew existed. Well ok, they're not quite post punk here despite Lindsey Buckingham citing the Talking Heads influence. But it's certainly more experimental than 'Rumours'. It's the frequent question for successful bands, how do you follow up your masterpiece? You typically either try to recreate the same success (to the excitement of record label execs) or you do something totally different. Either way is a gamble but I have a real soft spot for the ones who risk a totally new direction and 'Tusk' may be the thing that makes me a fan (though I already respected them as musicians). It's a double album which is an added challenge and really this one has required multiple listens to fully absorb it all. Many tracks do seem to stop abruptly which will put some listeners off. Comparisons with demo collections are common. I can't quite give it a 5, though I'm tempted to. Despite this, 'Tusk' is an excellent record and really shows what else they were capable of.
Pretty nice, sounds surprisingly modern. Needs a relisten though, a lot of the songs kind of blended together.
Recording sessions were described as a 'cocaine blizzard' lol Maybe I'm too basic, but I prefer Rumours any day of the week. I appreciate they were going for experimental, but not all experiments work out.
3☆/5 10.01.2024
Once I got over my brain screaming that this wasn’t the greatest hits album, it’s was pretty good.
Every time I revisit Tusk I find myself repeating the same thing, “This album sounds so fucking good.” The mix on this album just blows me away. I always hear about how engineers used to tune studios to Dark Side of The Moon or Aja, I bet this album has been on that list at some point too. It doesn’t hurt that these are some incredible songs too. This album gives me more appreciation for Lindsey Buckinghams vocals. As for most people, Stevie Nicks is my favorite singer of the band but, yet it’s easy to hear how Lindsey paved the way for some great singers. Bands like Modest Mouse, Yeasayer and Animal Collective have benefited from his stylings. This album feels a bit overstuffed and has a couple weaker songs but overall I still enjoy this one.
This is a Fleetwood Mac album. I'm neither a fan, nor detractor. They make some cool music, but I've never been able to sit down and be enthusiastic about listening to them. Not a bad album, but not groundbreaking. I do like That's All for Everyone. Middle of the road album here, so 3.
I only have the Greatest Hits and Rumours, but have been meaning to follow up my interest in Fleetwood Mac with Tusk, so this is perfect. Though each member brings their own talents to the band, Stevie Nicks' contributions are always my favorite. Mostly a slow to mid-tempo album, Tusk is easy listening, but I don't feel we get close to the quality we have come to expect from Fleetwood Mac until the heartbreaking "Sara" comes on. "What Makes You Think You're The One" seems to be inspired by Bowie's chorus of "Changes" in instrumentation, phrasing, and chord structure of its verses. The harmonies were always a highlight of having three singers in the band, but I don't believe I've heard them more on display than on "That's All For Everyone." "Not That Funny" is not that good and trying too hard; it could have been left off the album. Lindsey Buckingham's best work on this album is "That's Enough For Me" which finally cranks the album tempo up to a fast skiffle, a late 12 tracks in. Though a consistently slower album, it does have this groove to it. I can see getting more out of it in future listenings but don't expect to ever fall in love with it. The title song took to some experimentation, and it would be nice if the album took a less safe approach in general, but at least the smooth ride is a nice one. As always, the musicianship and vocals are top-notch.
Interesting album. I'm a fan of the band, but I never listened to this before, although I was familiar with the live version of Tusk from their awesome 1997 live concert/album "The Dance," performed with the USC Trojans marching band. This album's original version could not top that! I could definitely hear the three distinctly different styles of Christine, Lindsay, and Stevie, and maybe moreso than on their other albums, this one felt kind of disjointed with the differing styles. Some of Lindsay's songs here struck me as kind of wild and wacky, but I didn't mind it. I'm sure I'll revisit this one. 3.5
In the past I have not been the biggest Fleetwood Mac fan, but everytime I listen to them they always give me something very solid musically. This was my first full listen through of a Fleetwood Mac album and I thought it was pretty solid. The impression I get is of 5 people (they are a band of 5 right?) coming from different musical backgrounds and probably having to do a lot of hashing out song ideas. There's a lot going on in the way they sound. I always got the impression that Stevie Nicks was a center piece of the band, however Lindsay Buckingham and Christine Mcvie are the standouts for me. I hardly see Buckingham make many best guitarist lists, but maybe he should. I enjoy his playing and I feel like a show with just him would be pretty interesting. The tone of Lindsay's voice when he sings makes me think of Les Claypool if Les were to be more serious and less of a goofball about his singing. Christine's voice is great. On the deepish side with a huskiness to it. This is definitely a unique band and listening through the album there was a feeling of 'I wonder what the next song is going to sound like'. I'm somewhere between 3.5 to 4 stars.
I wont be too coarse. But I don't see the appeal. Rumors was special sure. But, referencing it in the lineage doesn't add much value to the content or conversation. This is certified Target Mom junk music. There's something to appreciate somewhere within it. But, its mostly simple instruments and non complicated vocals with pretty simple song structures. Like a 8th grader could write something equal.
la segunda cancion vale corneta, mid af
This was nice. It’s not Rumors, but it’s still good. There’s some pretty stuff. There’s too much wacky Buckingham and an unnecessary Casio keyboard. But Sara is still great. And it’s always nice to hear Christine McVie. 3/5
I'm very "take it or leave it" when it comes to Fleetwood Mac. I've never had to stop listening to one of their tracks, and (even when it comes to their biggest hits) never wanted to re listen. They are the epitome of beige to me. This album didn't change that at all. As such, 3 stars is the perfect rating.
Such a vivid audible landscape, I felt like I was in the desert, rain wind and homes all at once
Tusk is an album I've heard of but never listened to. I only knew one or two tracks on here, including one I only knew because of a Tame Impala cover-- Thats All for Everyone which was one of my faves. Nice display of all the various singers in this band and some strange and interesting styles. My biggest complaint: needs more Stevie! Would listen again 3.9/5 Listening nots: The Ledge - ok I've heard this one Really interesting tracks on here Wait "that's all for everyone" is them?? this is great. Tame Impala has a cover I had no idea was a cover. gosh Beautiful Child is.. beautiful. devastating. there really should be way more Stevie on this album!!! No singles at all on this album, just 20 easy listening tracks showing off all the various band members. though sadly I've never been a fan of Christine songs.. and there's not enough Stevie on here.
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.
Awesome percussion, so many unique things going on, fantastic album with emotional lyrics and great songs. Not quite a 5 because some of the songs are a little forgetable
On the first listen, I figured three stars would be generous for this album. But just to be sure, I spent the weekend with it in my headphones, and surprise to say, it did grow on me, so despite not being a big Fleetwood Mac fan, I'm going to give it four.
Was unfamiliar with much of this. Some amazing tunes, like Sara and a few others. And some really mediocre stuff that sounds like it’s trying to copy the Beatles or Billy Joel in places.
This was night and day from Rumors. No cohesion, no chemistry in the members. The songs were universally uninteresting. And to top it off it is >70min. Christine McVie put on as bad/sleepy a performance as ever and was far more prevalent. Bad listen and shouldn't be on this list. 1/5
I suppose this answers a question that if a band is incredibly talented, can they really produce a bad album? of course they can, this isnt bad, per se, just really mediocre for long stretches. I get that its my unfamiliarity with this entry, but there is definitely a good album among the chaff in here.
I dislike almost all double albums. There’s usually a 5 star album buried in there but there’s so many bland songs that they all end up as 3 star albums (with a few exceptions). This album is no different. There’s some great songs on here (That’s All for Everyone, Tusk) and just as many uninteresting ones. Oh well!
One of my all time favs, Tusk and Rumors are undefeated
It was alright. Wasnt too in the mood but it was good.
Some great songs, some bad songs, mostly average songs
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…
I love Fleetwood Mac
Like 3 good songs, generously.
Boring. Very plain
Stevie Nicks is the best part of this record. But overall, I enjoyed it.
Maybe not quite the quality of Rumors but still a very good album. Highlights are Over & Over, Beautiful Child, and Tusk
While this record does not quite reach the zenith that "Rumors" does in terms of flawlessness, I still found myself quite enjoying most of this album. The album is lengthy enough that there's a sound somewhere on it for almost anyone, but in my opinion they sacrificed quality over quantity because of that. Again, still grade-A work, but knowing Fleetwood Mac is capable of more, it's not their best. Notable Tracks: - Over & Over - Think About Me - Sara - Sisters of the Moon - awesome build-up and amazing guitar solo - Tusk - insane drum part 8/10
Great album, although sometimes it does feel like a high quality demo. Some of the songs could've been left as b-sides. Overall performance and sleeve" great
We bought this as a CD, mainly for the song Tusk. I didn't remember most of the rest, and after listening today, I can see why. Of the 20 songs, there may be three that I would listen to again. Sarah, Sisters of the moon and Tusk. The rest ... IDK ... but the last song is Never Forget. But I will.
Two stand out tracks Sara and Tusk.
Distinctive sound and loads of tracks, but nothing grabbing me and telling me to listen to it over and over. Sadly forgettable.
Great album. Easy listening. Although none of my favorite tunes from them were on this album, I nevertheless enjoyed those tunes.
I liked this way more than expected. Some songs were really surprising. This is going on my regular playlist
There's some good songs on this album. Unfortunately they're buried among the chaff. This would have been much better pruned down to a single album, getting rid of the weak songs and working on some of the others a little more.
6/10
Listened to this for the first time years ago and I remember not liking it much. Listening again, I thought it was much better than I remembered and is a really solid album. Not as good as Rumours but not many albums are. Fav tracks: Not That Funny, The Ledge, Tusk
Some great tracks on this album, but overall it is too long and disjointed 3/5
Ive never really got Fleetwood Mac. True, Rumours had a lot of excellent pop hits on it that makes it an undeniably great album but its spectacular rating was always alien to me. Tusk seemed to be all of the run of the mill bits of the band without the pop hits. I dont know where this comes in their discography but it sounded like them post-Rumours furiously trying to create another hit record but having to substitute good songs for endeavour and throwing as many ideas as possible at a record in the hot that some stick. 2 listens through and i can only really recall the weird production on maybe track 2 that was all bass and really low vocals
Really unremarkable for a Fleetwood Mac album. Doesn't contain any of my favorite songs. 2.5/5
I'm just not a fleetwood mac kind of gal.
I don't think I recognized any of these songs, but it was sort tight the whole way through. I can't believe it was an hour and 14 minutes long. It didn't feel like it. It didn't have the make of the anthemic bangers that I associate with Fleetwood Mac. But the vocals, guitar work, and songwriting were all there in peak form.
This album has some phenomenal songs and seems like the kind of album that grows and grows on you over each listen. It was very eclectic, experimenting with different styles that leaned from glam to country to pop, but it all felt authentic and cohesive.
5/5
Stevie's songs are good, Christine's are ok and Lindsay's are terrible, except "Tusk"
Not their best albums
It's no Rumours
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.
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
I mean… it’s not rumours but it’s still so, so, so good. These guys really know how to weave a whole album together. I dunno why I loved The Ledge so much. 4.5
Great album.I love the vocals of both Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie.
it’s a mess, quantity over quality, with some gleaming gems among the clumsy and the clichéd.
I really don't wanna point out what 'tusk' might mean as it could be inappropriate, but I could be wrong. Anyways, I like the creative album and the lyrics, as they are simple and relatable to some people
I don't like it her voice is bad, and I just plain don't like the songs.
The songs are okay, the lead singer is good, the guitar player is good. But there are better songs out there than those songs.
I think the song name Sara was a lil good it had a good beat I can relate to the lyrics.I think the song name storms is so good I love the lyrics the beat the payments of guitar the lyrics were so relatable if you are going thru a break up,really like this song her voice is so beautiful.i think the song tusk is like a sentimental break up the beat was so calm and slow just to relax.
I really don't wanna point about what the 'tusk' is as it could be inappropriate, but I could be wrong :skull: Anyways, I like that the lyrics are simple, and I also like the album.
I like all the songs but the beat is bad. So I give this a 5/10
is this a joke? this album isnt terrible, but on a scale of buckingham to mic fleetwood this is a christine mcvie
I’ve heard a bunch of these songs from their Best Of albums, but I’ve never ACTUALLY heard Tusk. Fantastic listen all the way through.
This album really needs a few listens to reveal itself, especially if the only exposure to Fleetwood Mac is Rumors or a compilation. To be fair were talking about the Lindsay songs, since there biggest departure, wasn't too keen on them at first listen but now I love them. Great album if you give it some time and really listen to it.
After the perfection of Rumours it’s hard to judge Tusk. It’s a good record, it’s just not special.
There's a lot on this album. Some of it was good and some of it was skip able. I don't see me listening to this whole album again.
Fleetwood Mac has several albums that I enjoy a lot, 4 and 5 star albums. Tusk isn't one of them. It seems like it's a double album of unfinished songs, and it's just off putting. There's obviously good things here, but it's not an album I'll listen to in full anytime soon.
Not bad, kind of enjoyed it, but no tracks really stood out to me.
Good album.
Imagine singing breakup songs about your ex that were written by your ex and then performed with your ex. Haven’t heard much Fleetwood Mac like this, but I haven’t heard much Fleetwood Mac.
Bonkers. So camp and I really loved some of the songs. Cocaine and label pressure can really make weird music come out of a band. Loved it.
Almost done with it. Unfortunately not quite rumours level stuff here. Perhaps a bit too polished?
it's fleetwood mac i don't think they're capable of making bad music, but i like other albums of them more
Eh it's expansive. Which is its weakness.
Meh
TUSK
Both fortunately and unfortunately for Fleetwood Mac, all of their albums are compared to their Rumours masterpiece. Try as I might to hold Tusk on its own legs, I can't help myself. I'm happy to report that even though Tusk isn't an album revealing two iconic breakups, it holds a lot of emotions inside. Songs like "Storms" or "Over & Over" or "Never Forget" have so much vulnerability on display. Fleetwood Mac did not come to play. Stevie Nicks is a gem, and her vocals and songwriting are amazing on this album. Christine McVie is too often overlooked in favor of Nicks, which is a shame because there's something special about her songs. Her voice is lovely but without overpowering the listener. Her lyrics are beautiful and emotional. I can't say enough wonderful things about her songs! Tusk's biggest sin is probably its length. I wouldn't characterize any songs as bad or undeserving of its place, but the truth is double albums tend to go on for too long. But I've said this before about other double albums--Fleetwood Mac is far from the only sinner. Regardless of the length, Tusk remains an easy, breezy listen. So my complaining doesn't stand for much. Also, Lindsey Buckingham's whining on "Not That Funny"? Bruh, get over your ex because you sound pathetic complaining about her popularity. 4.5, knocked down because of Buckingham.
I couldn't remember if I had ever heard the Tusk album in full before or not. At first, I wasn't sure how it could be that I either hadn't and/or didn't remember having done it. After listening, it all makes more sense. This album is pretty eclectic and while I can appreciate what is here, it is incredibly lacking on cohesion. This is very reflective of the rocky state of the group at the time. Personally, my favorite track on the album is "Sisters of the Moon"; it's maybe one of the more Rumours-reminiscent tracks on the album, but still forward-thinking. I would not have been mad if the entire album was more like this song. In general, out of all the competing "vibes" on this album from Lindsey, Christine, and Stevie, I think I dig Stevie's vibe the most. This album is enjoyable to me, but I do have to wonder if it would be as well regarded if it had been released in more of a vacuum -- in other words, if it had not been the follow-up to one of the greatest albums of all time, Rumours. All that said, I still generally enjoy this album quite a bit, and thus feel comfortable giving it a 4 without further scrutiny.
Fleetwood Mac's weakest album, in my opinion. Still an enjoyable listen. The title track is a standout for me.
Classic album from a classic band. Quite laid back. No mistaking the distinctive vocals of Stevie Nicks and Lyndsey Buckingham. Sometimes Buckingham reminds me of the vocalist in Reo Speedwagon, random thought that occurred to me whilst listening and REM also. Overall a good listen
Musicalmente me mueve buco, esta bien perro este album pero no tiene certified classics como Rumours. strong 7/10.
9/10
Pretty solid album. I'm not a huge FM fan so I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this album more than I thought I would.
Wow wow wow. I’ll be honest, I knew this album would be good but I never expected to like it as much as I did. The talent that is fleetwood Mac never goes unappreciated by me. Would so have this in a playlist
Didn't really like it surprisingly.
It was in offensive. Fleetwood Mac is exceptionally talented, just nothing that wowed me on the album
A group I know and am familiar with their music.
Faded a bit into the background but I liked the sound overall
It's not a bad album but, I got Rumours 3 weeks ago and this does not even compare.
Is this album too long? And I have to wait so long to hear “Tusk”? Hm. I think I like “Rumors” more but I do like this! “That’s Enough for Me” is fun. “Tusk” takes the cake though it’s just so cool.
Disappointing, honestly. Having to follow up your absolutely amazing previous album is difficult for sure, but I still expected more. Many of the sings felt hollow and passion-less, like they didn’t even want to try. Still Fleetwood, so the music is still good, but the lack of heart really showed itself to me.
Really fun album
Some really great songs on this album, but also some rambling nonsense. Overall, I'd listen again, but it's not an everyday listening album.
It was a lot of Fleetwood with none of the great songs. Not sure I will be coming back to this one anytime soon.
decent
Not nearly as bad as everyont makes fun of...
When Fleetwood Mac released the follow-up to Rumours, I was underwhelmed by the double-album, Tusk. At the time, I felt the record was stretched out too far and was more quantity than quality. I admit, I wasn't exactly a fan of Mac to begin with, as I identified the group as another example of corporate-radio-friendly-rock, music to fill the pockets of the execs from Warner-Bros. Tusk re-enforced all my doubts, with production costs running 1.4 million (5.88 mil in 2023 money), it was the most expensive rock album ever made and the result was an overindulgent, way too-long mess, that honestly turned me off the band forever. A lot of reviews claim, it was a difficult listen, but if you re-listen to it multiple times, you will be rewarded with one of their best records, though Rumours was a tough act to follow. I finally listened to the whole thing and it was a bit better than I remember, peoples tasted change and aging gives you a different perspective, but it's still not the classic many make it out to be. There are a couple of great songs (thanks Stevie Nicks), but overall it could have been dwindled down to a single album, though Lindsey would surely disagree.
Fleetwood Mac is a legendary band. Their songwriting was renowned, their musicality was first rate, and the Rumours of the internal drama was the 1970s equivalent of Love Island. According to Wikipedia, this was one of the most expensive albums ever, and became a commercial failure. I kind of get it. The first few songs are …mmmmeeeeh… until you Storms. I respect the experimentation. For me, a lot of this album feels overproduced and disjointed. There are some gems in there, though admittedly I find myself leaning into the Stevie Nicks tracks. Storms and Sisters are my standouts. As a whole I’m torn about this album….
I wanted to love this one but it felt like some real homework to listen to it. I can now see why people were so disappointed after Rumours. Tusk, the song, is an all-time banger featuring the sounds of the USC Marching Band. Props to all the band geeks out there. The other interesting tidbit from this one is that it was the most expensive album to be created at the the time with an estimated value of $3.4m in today's money. WOW! The record lable did not get a great return on investment. Anyway, I'm sure there are some gems in here if you put in the time with this. Someday, maybe.
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 really, really like Fleetwood Mac, however, this is not their strongest album. This even more apparent since Rumors was my record of the day 3 days ago. Some enjoyable songs, but overall not my favorite. This could have easily been a single album. Some of the songs sound so far removed from their premier material.
Sure it doesn't compare to Rumors, but it is still an absolutely fantastic album. It has to be hard to write this good of an album, and still have it be the third best album you've put out. Great album! And the obligatory mention that I own it on vinyl of course.
Pretty long but also some pretty good songs in it
Not as good as ‘Rumors’ but still a good listen. I enjoyed ‘Sara’.
I always find double albums interesting. When a band challenges themselves to pour their material across two discs for a studio release it usually goes one of two ways. It's either going to be a magnum opus, or it's going to be a slog to get through. Some of my favourites happen to be double LP's (the absolutely crazy Beatles' 'White Album', and the masterful Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'). While others I find to be a struggle and musically stretched very thin (The Who's 'Tommy' or the Chilli Peppers' 'Stadium Arcadium'). Where does Fleetwood Mac's huge follow up to 'Rumours' stand? Somewhere in the middle. It is a good record overall, However it also struggles to keep its own momentum going. I keep seeing 'Tusk' compared to other punk albums around the time. But Fleetwood Mac's sound and lyricism is far too polished and light to compare, in my opinion. It works in their favour when it's a tight record like 'Rumours', where the tracklist can somewhat flow nicely. Not so much here on 'Tusk', where they're throwing different ideas at the wall and everything feels much more loose. It feels like they took more inspiration from the Beach Boys' 'Smiley Smile' moreso than punk albums at the time, where it's more a collage of ideas rather than a whole piece of work. Putting all of that aside, though, there is some gems in the 20 songs on offer, particularly the ballads. Over & Over, Sara, Storms, Never Make Me Cry, Beautiful Child are phenomenal tracks and well worth listening to on their own - vocals, melodies, and lyrics are absolutely on point. While on the other end most of the faster rock/pop songs are good, even if a lot of them are largely forgettable; although some of the experimentation should be appreciated. I know this album has some acclaim to it. To me, though, had they condensed the tracklist down and focused on tidying some things up production-wise, this probably would have been (personally) ranked among the band's best work. As it is, 'Tusk' is simply a 'good' album, lacking some focus, with some percentage of it having standouts.
Holy crap, what a dud after Rumours. Tusk is the only song semi-worthwhile and outside of it reminding me of The Americans it never did much for me either. The rest of the songs are completely forgettable.
Very disjointed album. Some songs work and others not so much. Love the title track, always have.
Relaxing album with solid songs. Nothing too catchy like Dreams had.
stevie nicks starts singing and my eyes turn into hearts
guys hear me out, what if we do a LOT of coke and then split off into corners of the studio so we don't have to talk to each other and then we'll regroup and BOOM album! SURELY...that would produce a cohesive and listenable album! 2.5-3/5
Not anywhere near as good as rumors
Meh. I'm clearly not a big fan of Fleetwood Mac. I was looking forward to learning about a different album by them, but was left with little to say about it.
I remember listening to this when it first came out - stoned, sitting in a girlfriend's basement, thinking about how damned good this music was. I must have been *really* stoned.
Couldn't even listen to this whole thing. How can they have Rumors and have this also?
Slow parts and it’s no rumors but it’s still Fleetwood Mac.
Tusk is the best track on here; it's just unhinged enough to bring some interest to an otherwise fairly subtle album.
I was an easy listen. Not my go to, but reminded me of relaxing poolside back at my childhood home
I didn't like this album at all. I'm not really a fan of the 70s-far-away-from-the-microphone singing style anyway. The only song(s) I thought were passable were the ones where Stevie was singing.
This one didn’t grab me, especially having heard Rumors recently where every song’s a certified hit. If I was in the mood for Fleetwood Mac I’d always reach for that one instead.
This is, at least for me, the best of the Buckingham nicks Fleetwood Mac albums. The bloat is used better and the songs are a bit more interesting. The title track should fail but succeeds with the best of them. The mixed down hooga huggas and other verbal noises just add to the bizarre atmosphere. Sara is a great song too. Mick Fleetwood said that this album was driven by Buckingham but, in my view, as usual the best songs tend to be Christine mcvie’s. It sold 4 million - 2/3 of the population of Sydney for a bit of perspective but they were such a sales juggernaut that it’s a commercial flop. Had you asked me before I’d have firmly planted this at 1982. But it’s 1979. A bit ahead of its time I think. A better album than rumours, I guess I’ll have to give it five.
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.
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.
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".
Not as strong as Rumors but definitely solid. Mostly the same type of song (not much variety), very mellow.
This is fine 3/5
Boring album. I can feel some of the "Rumours" sound slowly coming together, but still didn't click with this one. Also, the length of the record lowers my score.
Probably could benefit from repeated listening, but hard not to compare it to Rumours.
I enjoy Fleetwood Mac but this one doesn't feel like their best work. There were a handful of songs on this album that just didn't really resonate with me
Not in the same league as Rumors
Rating: 8.5/10 This is the equivalent of the Beatle's White Album in terms of experimentation and diversity of sound from the band. A lot of great songs and very fun to listen to, although a bit too long. Favorite song: Think About Me. Least favorite song: Honey Hi.
August 9, 2024 Not first listen, though it’s been awhile (I seem more familiar with the 1st half than the 2nd) One of those albums I like more than when I first heard it the first time (see also: Ok Computer, The Wall, Prefab Sprout’s Steve McQueen) A lot of people on this site (understandably) prefer Rumours’s illusion of a band united; however, I appreciate how in Tusk, each of the creative forces get away with doing their own thing. Part of me believes that Lindsay doing his own drums on some of his songs instead of Mick is arrogance; the other part feels that it probably was the quickest way to reach his idea of modern/punk music. Sara, Storms, Brown Eyes, The Ledge, Not that Funny, Save Me a Place, Beautiful Child, the TITLE TRACK 🎺 I friggin love this
Great Fleetwood Mac album; contains some very strong songs.
An ok album. I've now gotten over my childhood hatred of Fleetwood and seen the light, but this album just wasn't for me. You can definitely hear that there's a lack of cohesion with where the band wanted to go. 3/5, because it's definitely not bad, but I won't listen again.
Not a big fan,know their hits but this is what I imagined a Fleetwood album to sound like predictable pip
Better than I expected. I like the weirder tracks. They should have leaned in to weirder.
There’s a couple of decent tracks on here but overall it’s pretty weak. Why is it even on this list?
As a Fleetwood Mac album it was decent. As a follow-up to Rumours, it was disappointing.
Class album, read somewhere that it gets loads of shite but I can’t see why
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
Not my jam, but I didn't find myself constantly looking to see when it would be over. Just a few times.
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.
Some really good songs throughout
Not my favourite work by them - the title track is a favourite but the rest of the album blurred into one for me.
While I prefer most Fleetwood Mac albums to many other comparable bands, TUSK, is one of my least favorite Fleetwood Mac albums. The Flawed masterpiece from Fleetwood Mac that deserves to be on this list is TANGO IN THE NIGHT. Far more interesting sonically and definitely far better produced than TUSK which honestly does not deserve a place on this list. Favorite tracks from TUSK: "Think About Me" and "Brown Eyes".
Wow. Though it does not reach the level of FM's Opus, this album sure was a treat to listen to several times today! And I will play it several more times in the coming weeks. A solid 4**** bordering on 5...