In 1977, the rock band Fleetwood Mac released their 11th studio album, entitled “Rumours,” which instantly received both worldwide acclaim and harsh criticism. Robert Christgau with The Village Voice described the album as “More consistent and more eccentric” than its predecessor, adding that the album “jumps right out of the speakers at you,” said Christgau.
However, publications such as the Los Angeles Times pointed out its inconsistency, with one of their writers, Robert Hilburn, calling the album “frustratingly uneven.” Nevertheless, “Rumours” continues to be a record that stands the test of time and is still as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.
Whether you hear Fleetwood Mac’s music while in a coffee shop, on the radio, or even when scrolling social media, the impact of their album is inescapable.
Each one of the tracks on “Rumours” is arguably a work of art in its own right, though there are a few specific songs that outshine the rest in terms of vocals, meaning, and impact.
“You Make Loving Fun,” the 7th track on the record, is a soulful and passionate song, highlighted by singer Christine McVie’s rhythmic, contralto voice. McVie’s affair inspired the song with Curry Grant, Fleetwood Mac’s lighting director. McVie later said that “to avoid flare-ups,” she told fellow band member and her then-husband, John McVie, that the song was about her dog. Lyrics such as,
“Sweet, wonderful you, you make me happy with the things you do,” show the song’s loving and unassuming, yet impassioned nature, something that is highlighted by the song’s use of descending seconds within chord progression, moving from a higher pitch to a lower pitch, balancing an intense, but sugary feeling.
“Gold Dust Woman” is the 11th track on the album. A melodic and peaceful symphony paired with harsh and striking lyrics, the song reads as both melancholy and empowering. The track was written both near the end of lead singer Steve Nicks’ and bandmate Lindsey Buckingham’s relationship, and during Nicks’ struggle with substance abuse, leading many to assume the song is based on such. Nicks later said in an interview with On Stage Magazine that the song was about “a woman who is dealing with the pressures of the music business, and who is trying to keep up her strength and not let herself get beaten down by it.”
The song radiates feelings of liberation and independence, being simultaneously amplified and juxtaposed by the soft and quiet nature of the song. The soothing manner of Nick’s voice should contradict the subject matter of the song, but her tone truly makes it all the more powerful, as if to say that real strength comes from an ability to be calm despite your circumstances, a very dignified message.
“Silver Springs,” though not originally on “Rumours,” is a song that cannot go without praise or recognition when discussing this album, as the band had originally intended for Silver Springs to be included on “Rumours.” In the book entitled “Making Rumours,” producer of the album, Ken Caillat, described “Silver Springs” as “a masterpiece,” adding, “there was only one problem: I knew the song was too long to fit on the album,” hence why it was not. However, the band came together to release the track as a single in 1997, “I never thought that ‘Silver Springs’ would ever be performed onstage [again],” Nicks said during a 1997 MTV interview, “My beautiful song just disappeared. For it to come back around, as this has really been special to me.”
Not only was “Silver Springs” a song Nicks herself held near and dear, but it’s a track that many fans have claimed to be their heartbreak anthem. The song is believed to be about Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham’s complex, romantic relationship during the height of the band’s fame. The song’s use of both loud and soft melodies perfectly captures the complex relationship between emotions of rage and longing when experiencing romantic loss. “Silver Springs” is the kind of song your recently divorced aunt plays in the car, a track you listen to while driving down a winding road, screaming the chorus at the very top of your lungs, windows rolled all the way down. The lyrics both comfort and haunt, with Nicks’ one moment softly singing, “I would be your only dream, your shining autumn, ocean crashing,” and the next moment belting, “Time casts a spell on you but you won’t forget me, I know I could have loved you but you would not let me,” emphasizing the contradicting nature of feelings revolving romantic anguish.
All in all, the band continues to be one with great impact and influence, with gorgeous melodies and intricate lyrics, their music, despite its age, lives on in the hearts of many.
