I had the (mis)fortune of hearing Fleetwood Mac's legendary album Rumours all the way through for the first time today. Of course, I already historically knew a number of the songs, but from its legendary status and the fact it's still always in the charts 40 years since its release I expected to be literally blown away by it. But that wan't the case. I was largely weary of it after the first few tracks and found it all mostly very plain, the instruments all sound flat and the vocals are mediocre. It's basically just a jingly folk album. Even Mick Fleetwood only co-wrote one song - The Chain - which is perhaps the best song on the album - if you ignore the boring first part. And the Corrs did a better version of Dreams.

I even tried to think how I'd have felt hearing it for the first time when it was fresh in 1977 - and even then I think I'd have found it boring and would have expected a better production.

Tango In The Night > Rumours

3/10

I've heard Tusk.

Boring music for grown-ups.

Ooh, it seems the UK singles-buying public agreed with me at the time - the famous Go Your Own Way and Don't Stop only reached numbers 38 and 32 in the charts respectively, Dreams number 24.

All 10 reviews listed on Wikipedia give the album 10/10, 5/5 or an A!


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumours_(album)#Critical_reception

I'm going to add my 3/10 score for it to the list.

I did a running commentary on Rumours on the old forum. We can find it right here: http://hallofthewendigo.informe.com/forum/the-music-room-f40/the-album-running-commentary-thread-t4775-756.html#p70944

Now to look back at that thread and see what I made of it.

I seemed to agree with Buttertubs.

Oh yes, so you did.

I missed the castanets.

Did Mick Fleetwood, as the resident percussionist, play them too?

Quote :

it all lacks a certain oomph!

Sums it up very well.

Butterfield wrote:

Did Mick Fleetwood, as the resident percussionist, play them too?

Is that what's dangling from his middlebits?

Photoshoot outtakes!!!!!

It has to be said that Mick Fleetwood is best photographed from the side than the front.

I'm parking this here for later use.

Butterfield wrote:

I would propose that for an NHOTW Get Together Pic entry, but the interpersonal dynamics are wrong (unless things are going on behind the scenes here on the NHOTW that I'm unaware of).

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:

Now to look back at that thread and see what I made of it.

Call_of_the_Wendigo wrote:

It is weird how this band seems to be named after its two least important members

Call_of_the_Wendigo wrote:

Here they are, stood at the back while the important people play:

'A band is the bass and drums, the rest is ornamentation' - Nick Mason of Pink Floyd

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:

I'm parking this here for later use.

I'm in!

Is this on at the right speed?

This is terrible! He's just listing Beatles songs! and it's so plodding Nick Mason would find it drab

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:

I'm parking this here for later use.

I'm in too.