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When I was making the list of classic, iconic albums that I knew had to be part of this project, Rumours was one of the first albums that came to mind. Between seeing my mom's reaction to Stevie Nicks' dress from the album cover at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland over the summer and the number of times I've seen this album referenced in pop culture, it felt like a no-brainer.
To put it plainly, Rumours wasn't what I expected.
I don't plan on doing this for this whole 500-album project, but I actually listened to Rumours twice. I know this album is considered iconic, but I was honestly so caught off guard by this album considering it was so different from what I expected it to be. After the first listen, I felt like I had missed something, especially knowing that Daisy Jones & The Six is thought to be loosely based on Fleetwood Mac during this era. There are some really really well-written and performed songs on this album, but the whole thing wasn't quite as cohesive and powerful as I thought it would be.
I feel like the power of this album lingers in the sound of its best tracks ("Dreams," "Go Your Own Way," "Songbird," "The Chain," "Oh Daddy") and the sheer performance quality that you can hear on every single song. These songs made me feel like I had been plopped on stage with the band based on the vibrancy of each instrument and vocal track.
But, I wanted so badly for this album to tell a compelling story, maybe one of the darkness and mystery and intimacy and power of rumors. But instead, I felt like Rumours told those stories in each individual song rather than across the whole album. That's not a bad thing, it just wasn't what I expected from a collection of songs that, together, made up the third-best-selling album of an entire decade.
Stand out track: "The Chain"
My favorites: "Dreams" " Go Your Own Way" "Gold Dust Woman"
Coming off the album opener "Second Hand News," "Dreams" is a unique, moody breath of fresh air that truly sets the tone for the rest of the album. Honestly, I wish "Dreams" had been the album opener-- it illustrates the tone of the album well and has a beautiful opening instrumental. Speaking of instrumentals, the instrumental section of "Go Your Own Way" is enough to convince me of why Rumours is the classic rock album that it is. "Songbird" is the epitome of what I expected from this album-- beautiful, haunting, with sleek instrumentals. "The Chain" is "Songbird"'s edgier, more jaded sister; it's darker, more intense, and lyrically and instrumentally charged. "Oh Daddy" was the only track that felt produced beyond live instruments and vocals, which I liked leading into the confident, instrumentally-pared finale of "Gold Dust Woman."
I have respect for the cultural impact of this album, the incredible performance quality of Fleetwood Mac as a band, and I definitely have songs that will be landing on my playlists in the future, but I can't honestly say I would be enthusiastic about listening to Rumours as a cohesive album again.
AM I OBSESSED?
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