This is a stunning vinyl upgrade of an influential rock album.
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac – Reprise Records (1975)/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDIS 2-065 (2026) Limited Edition One-Step Pressing 180-gram 45 RPM 2-LP Box Set, *****:
(Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion; John McVie – bass; Christine McVie – keyboards, synthesizer, vocals; Lindsay Buckingham – guitar, vocals; Stevie Nicks – vocals; Waddy Wachtel – rhythm guitar)
Fleetwood Mac was a fixture on the late 60’s and early 70’s British blues scene. Two John Mayall sidemen (Mick Fleetwood and John McVie) with fellow Bluesbreaker Peter Green founded the band. They became a notable recording and live act with minor hits like “Oh Well”, “Black Magic Women” and “The Green Manalishi” After Green’s departure, they began to veer into the mainstream with the addition of Bob Welch and had another single, “Hypnotized” that charted. This transition also saw the emergence of keyboardist/singer Christine McVie as a songwriter with more accessibility. But in late 1974, a seismic change happened to this band. Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac. Now there was a new trio of songwriters/lead singers and the musical dynamics reverberated, propelling them to stardom. In 1975, the self-titled 10th album was released. Singles like “Over My Head”, “Rhiannon”, “Warm Ways” and “Say You Love Me” enjoyed mass commercial appeal. Meticulous studio production helped to define the new Fleetwood Mac. The next album, Rumours transformed the band into a cultural juggernaut.
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has released a limited edition re-mastered 45 RPM 2-LP box set of Fleetwood Mac. Side A opens with a Buckingham tune, “Monday Morning”. This song adopts a jaunty pop/rock structure. Buckingham, Fleetwood and John McVie form a cohesive unit and it showcases a slide electric guitar solo. Next up is “Warm Ways”. This arrangement is mellow and features lead vocals by Christine McVie. Her glowing alto voice is surrounded by an ocean breeze tapestry of keyboard and guitar (electric and acoustic). Buckingham re-ignites the band on the lone cover “Blue Letter”. It is a country-tinged rocker with a driving beat and impeccable vocal harmony. Perhaps the breakthrough number on this album is Stevie Nick’s ode to a Welsh witch, “Rhiannon”. Her gritty delivery combines sensuality and raw emotion. Buckingham delivers an incendiary guitar solo and the band interacts seamlessly with John McVie’s forceful bass work. The songwriting is simply excellent. “Over My Head” unfolds gradually and establishes a palpable groove behind McVie’s smoky vocals. There is an understated refinement to the hook-driven music with a great chorus and interesting tempos by Fleetwood. A Stevie Nicks composition (“Crystal”) that appeared on the 1974 Buckingham Nicks album re-emerges with a gentler waltz-time cadence. These two artists harmonize lyrically and the accompanying acoustic guitar and keyboards create a spacious aural landscape.
“Say You Love Me” manages to be a feel-good romantic opus that integrates many elements of modern Fleetwood Mac. The song is catchy with soaring harmonies, overdubbed guitars, painstaking instrumentation and studio aesthetics. Christine McVie’s lead vocals are pleasant and alluring. A certain highlight is the Nicks-penned “Landslide”. Her earnest haunting vocal interpretation pairs with Buckingham’s nimble acoustic finger-picking (with some electric accents) in a scaled-down duet that is timeless. Picking up the pace, “World Turning” represents the multi-faceted complexity of Fleetwood Mac. Co-written by Buckingham and Christine McVie, they share lead vocals as the vaunted bass-drums unit never relents. Buckingham alternates between electric guitar and dobro. Out of the shadows from previous albums, Christine McVie’s “Sugar Daddy” is her 5th songwriting credit and exudes some humor. The raw, explosive finale (“I’m So Afraid”) has Buckingham cutting loose with searing lead guitar and animated vocals.
This limited edition 2-LP 45 RPM box is an impressive sonic achievement. The re-mastered sound (sourced from 1/4”/30IPS Dolby A analog master) is crisp and vibrant. There is considerable detail in the instrumentation tonality, especially the acoustic and electric guitar. Lush tracked vocals are captured with depth. Bottom-end bass and drums is steady and there is minimal surface noise.
Highest recommendation!
—Robbie Gerson
Fleetwood Mac
TrackList:
Side A: Monday Morning; Warm Ways; Blue Letter
Side B: Rhiannon; Over My Head; Crystal
Side C: Say You Love Me; Landslide
Side D: World Turning; Sugar Daddy; I’m So Afraid.
