Savage Distortion

FLEETWOOD MAC @ MSG

Wow. I really wasn't expecting a high energy, balls out, Rock show, but that's what Fleetwood Mac delivered on Thursday night.

As Lyndsey Buckhingham told us from the stage after the first four numbers, they were out to have a good time, and it showed.

Despite the lack of Christine McVie, and most of her material (Lyndsey and Stevie did manage a version of 'Say You Love Me'), The Mac had no trouble delivering a crowd pleasing, hit packed set.

Fleetwood Mac's career is one based on silver linings, and the mixed blessing here is that not having Christine and her songs means digging out some numbers that wouldn't otherwise have seen the light of the stage.




Stevie and Lyndsey each pulled out a solo number. The band covered Stevie's 'Stand Back', and Lyndsey's 'Go Insane', both of which I could have done without, but were very well received by the crowd.



I was rewarded with a dusting off of the ancient 'Oh Well' - a classic from the Peter Green years most Americans have no knowledge of, and the title track to their 1979 follow-up to 'Rumors', one of the most baffling records from a decade of baffling material, 'Tusk'.



Is it me, or did anyone understand 'Tusk'? All I remember was it hit the bargain bins quick, had a gorilla on the cover, and there was a video with the UCLA Marching band. None of it made any sense, or dollars. Again, that's how I remember it.



Well that song fucking ROCKS in a live situation, specially THAT live situation.



'Oh Well' followed a little later in the set, and to my chagrin it happened as I was headed to find the head, and by the time I got back to my seat they were wrapping it up. I heard it, though. It sounded like I was missing something real good.



All night long I was watching Mick and John. Stevie and Lyndsey get all the glory, and that is as it should be, ....sort of, but the thing to always remember while you're listening to or watching a performance by Fleetwood Mac is the name. FLEETWOOD MAC. John McVie (Mac), and Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood), these are the guys. It's Their band. And to their credit, they have always laid their stamp on the band. Whether during the initial Peter Green era, with Bob Welch, with Lyndsey and Stevie, or in between, those two blokes kept the groove going. It's their groove, their band, and they are THE RHYTHM SECTION.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Hey man, mister know it all Jackson, we just like the songs, y'know, like 'Rhiannon' and 'Dreams', like 'Don't Stop'."

Well I dig that. What you need to do is go listen to those songs, and listen to the RHYTHM, then look at the cover, and read the name. It will say 'Fleetwood Mac'.

Well, okay, look in the column titled 'artist'.



AND!



These guys are ancient. In their 60's. Even Stevie and Lyndsey. I swear I was routing for Mick's heart not to give out as much as for his great style and power, and rhythm. It didn't and he kept it up all night, and as the night progressed, the music got more intense, Lyndsey went insane on his cool little custom guitar, and they just started jamming the hell out of the songs. 'Don't Stop' became a directive as well as a title. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like Neil and Crazy Horse. I swear it. Big time.



Man, I was blown away.



Okay, so what have we learned? That Fleetwood Mac Rocks!



*I will say this: not as much as the 'Scorpions', but more than Iron Maiden. Yep, I said it. Fleetwood rocked harder than Maiden, not as often, but when they rocked out, well, they left Maiden behind.



Just sayin'.......



*Based upon concerts I've seen this year (footnote concept stolen from mathdude).