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“Tusk” is a punk record, did you know? Yes, because according to Mick Fleetwood, renowned rock dinosaur, in 1978 Lindsey Buckingham was completely enamored with those abrasive sounds and was head over heels for the Clash (tu quoque!) and their direct and streetwise approach. In reality, Lindsey had a particularly keen ear and surely loved the classic American rock, roots, and blues. However, he was fascinated by the very wave sounds of the Talking Heads, Devo, and Laurie Anderson. And he absolutely wanted to follow that music or rather, that attitude. The real problem was the other members of the Mac, lying on the edges of their swimming pools in Beverly Hills enjoying the phantasmagoric proceeds of the all-time million seller, “Rumours.” But Buckingham, now the recognized leader of the millionaire band and the true architect of their fortunes, cared little about the others knowing that his choices would be the guiding ones. Thus, locked in the bathroom (yes, in the bathroom!) with a thousand ideas and all his contraptions, he began strumming on improbable keyboards and hitting boxes of Kleenex in search of “that” sound. The lo-fi demos that emerged would become the backbone of “Tusk,” and if this isn’t true DIY, then it’s pretty close! In a couple of months, Lindsey recorded several homemade tapes in a sort of creative ecstasy. Then he called the others to gather and confined them in that gilded prison of Studio D in Los Angeles for almost a year. Among velvet cushions and tapestries on the walls, champagne flowing, and naturally cocaine as if it were snowing in Trentino, the double album took shape. What can be called "the creation of a creative process" had its startup in the most informal way possible.
The album that progressively takes shape is controversial, partly disorienting, and ambiguous. On one side, Lindsey and his “Brian Wilson-like” sonic research, on the other, the lush and epically scaled production of Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie’s songs. In between, the record label, with its balls in a spin over the pharaonic daily recording expenses, still always confident in the smash-hit single. Stubbornly determined to differentiate “Tusk’s” musical identity from that of “Rumours,” Buckingham’s adventurousness, however, proves to be far-sighted. The low-fidelity arrangements, jagged refrains, almost faded vocal performances, muffled percussion, and answering machine choir still make the album highly enjoyable and ever so current today. And in this, I feel like comparing it, with absolute and due respect for the Bible of rock, to the Beatles' White Album.
Beyond this slightly bizarre approach, what, in my opinion, makes “Tusk” a great album are the songs that compose it and the melodic inspiration of all the members, who reaffirm themselves in a state of grace. Firstly, Lindsey’s songs are magnificent. “That’s all for everyone” harmonious and enticing, “The Ledge” compact and thumping, the lively "I Know I'm Not Wrong”, the sweet “Walk a thin line” and the exuberant "What Makes You Think You're One" which becomes a daring jam session in live performances. Then there's “Tusk.” The title track constitutes a separate chapter and is the embodiment of the spirit of the whole album as Buckingham had conceived it. Guided by the hammering percussion of Mick Fleetwood, juxtaposed with the repetitiveness of the refrain, it transforms from a subdued murmur to a frenzied spiritual mantra, in a belligerent final chorus, almost gospel-like. It is a piece far removed from everything the band had recorded until then, a daring mix of rhythm and vocal explosions, a single contrary to the radio-friendly. And yet paradoxically, it’s a memorable piece and critics even more than the public recognize it immediately. In short, if one of the group members was having fun with indulgence during the creation of “Tusk,” it was undoubtedly Lindsey Buckingham.
In pure composition, freed from the experimentalism of the curly-headed visionary guitarist, Christine Mc Vie is no less. Her songs are fluid, relaxed, and also explorative. The laid-back and mellifluous "Over & Over,” the airy groove with vocal dubbing of "Brown Eyes,” embellished by the uncredited guitar work of Peter Green, the simple and convincing ”Never Forget” and the pop-tinged third single "Think About Me" which faintly recalls “You make loving fun.” Exercises in style and melodic balance, excellent material.
I left Stevie Nicks’ compositions for last, certainly not because they are secondary in the album’s economy, quite the contrary. Of “Sara,” everything has already been said and written, it is a ballad that should never end, emotionally devastating in its beauty. And how can one remain impassive before the enigmatic magic of “Sisters of the Moon” and its crescendo partly reminiscent of “Rhiannon.” Stevie is in the fullness of her compositional maturity, very instinctive and emotional. Evidently, the sensational daily snorts, which will soon force her to redo her nasal passages, do not compromise her crystal-clear talent as a composer and performer. And her ballads remain memorable. Like the moving "Storms,” dark and solitary, where her voice loses, breaks, and recomposes itself. Or like the tender “Beautiful Child” or even the lively and captivating rock-blues of “Angel,” the true “missed single of the record.”
Beyond the initial provocations, it would be objectively difficult to call all these songs “punk” per se. In truth, they overflow with Buckingham’s folk & blues background, and after all, they were recorded with a budget with which, at those times, one could almost plan a trip to Mars. But they retain the affinity, simplicity, and conciseness of punk. In many ways, they sound exactly like they are: punk rock reflected through the mirror of a millionaire band.
“Tusk” was greeted with some coldness and achieved “only” four million copies sold, an impressive quantity by today’s standards, but well below the haul of “Rumours.” The Warner Bros. executives and industry experts considered it a half disappointment, but the record showed that Fleetwood Mac hadn’t stopped in 1976, and for the moment, wouldn’t be mimicking themselves. The world tour that followed “Tusk,” leaving aside the sentimental disputes, the betrayals among the band members, and the daily withdrawal crises from cocaine, was probably the best ever. The pieces, live, gained greater vigor and quickly became classics. Thus, the album has grown considerably over time, to be recognized by many as Fleetwood Mac’s true “masterpiece.” I consider it such, an album out of time, where Buckingham’s propensity for creative excess in conceiving and realizing his “Smile,” ultimately sublimates the band's stylistic and musical identity, without taking anything away from the magic of that sound created just a few years earlier. As far as I am concerned, “Tusk” remains an engaging and fascinating listen even today, imperative for an understanding and appreciation of the band's musical history and all California rock of the seventies. Loving Fleetwood Mac is also this, marveling still, after 40 years, at the absurd and fantastic alchemy that these five people managed to create back in 1979.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 The Ledge (02:08)
Countin' on my fingers
Countin' on my toes
Slippin' through your fingers
Watchin' how it grows
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
Someone oughta tell you what it's really all about
Do you ever wonder
Do you ever hate
Six feet under
Someone who can wait
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
Someone oughta, someone oughta tell you what it's really all about
You're never gonna make it baby
Oohh you're never gonna make me crazy
Oohh you're never gonna
Make it babe
Make it babe
Make it baby
Countin' on my fingers
Countin' on my toes
Slippin' through your fingers
Watchin' how it goes
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
Someone oughta tell you what it's really all about
Buy another fixture
Tell another lie
Paint another picture
See who's surprised
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
Someone oughta, someone oughta tell you what it's really all about
You're never gonna make it baby
Oohh you're never gonna make me crazy
Oohh you're never gonna
Make it babe
Make it babe
Make it baby
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
Someone oughta tell you what it's really all about
Someone oughta, someone oughta
Someone oughta, someone oughta
[really, really]
Someone oughta, someone oughta
[really, really]
Someone oughta, someone oughta
[really, really]
You can love me baby but you can't walk out
Someone oughta, someone oughta tell you what it's really, what it's really, what it's really all about
03 Think About Me (02:44)
All it took was a special look,
And I felt I knew you before,
I didn't mean to love you,
didn't think it would work out,
but I knew we would be together,
and I couldn't wait for more,
What can they say it's not against the law,
I don't hold you down, and maybe thats why your around,
but if I'm the one you love, think about me.
I beleive that you really want me,
but it's not easy just to give in,
So let yourself go and let love begin,
I don't hold you down, and maybe thats why your around,
but if I'm the one you love, think about me,
I don't hold you down, and maybe thats your around,
but if I'm the one you love, think about me,
Baby once in a while, think about me,
Baby once in a while, think about me...(repeat until fades)
04 Save Me a Place (02:42)
Don't know why I have to work
Don't know why I can't play
Turn me off turn me out
But don't turn me away
Save me a place
I'll come running if you love me today
Don't know why I have to go
Don't know why I can't stay
Guess I want to be alone
And I guess I need to be amazed
Save me a place
I'll come running if you love me today
I'll come running if you love me today.
07 Storms (05:31)
Every night that goes between
I feel a little less
As you slowly go away from me
This is only another test
Every night you do not come
Your softness fades away
Did I ever really care that much
Is there anything left to say
Every hour of fear I spend
My body tries to cry
Living through each empty night
A deadly call inside
I haven't felt this way I feel
Since many a year ago
But in those years and the lifetimes past
I did not deal with the road
And I did not deal with you, I know
Though the love has always been
So I search to find an answer there
So I can truly win
Every hour of fear I spend
My body tries to cry
Living through each empty night
A deadly call inside
So I try to say goodbye my friend
I'd like to leave you with something warm
But never have I been a blue calm sea
I have always been a storm
Always been a storm
Ooh, always been a storm
I have always been a storm
We were frail
She said, "Every night he will break your heart"
I should have known from the first I'd be the broken hearted
I loved you from the start
Save us
And not all the prayers in the world could save us
09 Not That Funny (03:11)
It's not that funny is it
When you don't know what it is
But you can't get enough of it
It's not that funny is it?
Don't blame me!
Please, please, please!
I didn't wanna bleed so
I didn't wanna be this late
So don't make me wait!
It's not that funny is it
No one to turn you on
All your hope is gone
It's not that funny is it?
Don't blame me!
Please, please, please!
You're here cause I say so
Didn't wanna be this late
So don't make me
Don't make me wait!
Here comes the nighttime looking for a little more
Waiting on the right time somebody outside the door
10 Sisters of the Moon (04:43)
Intense silence
As she walked in the room
Her black robes trailing
Sister of the moon
And a black widow spider makes
More sound than she
And black moons in those eyes of hers
Made more sense to me
Heavy persuasion
It was hard to breathe
She was dark at the top of the stairs
And she called to me
And so I followed
As friends often do
I cared not for love, nor money
I think she knew
Well, the people they still love her
And still they are the most cruel
She asked me
Be my sister, sister, sister of the moon
Some call her sister of the moon
Some say illusions are her game
They like to wrap her in velvet
Does anyone, ooo...know her name
11 Angel (04:54)
Sometimes the most beautiful things
The most innocent things
And many of those dreams pass us by
Keep passing me by
You feel good
I said it's funny that you understood
I knew you would
When you were good
You were very, very good
So I close my eyes softly
'Til i become that part of the wind
That we all long for sometime
Yeah
And to those that I love
Like a ghost through a fog
Like a charmed hour and a haunted song
And the angel of my dreams
Angel of my dreams
(You said) you feel good
I said it's funny that you understood
I knew you would
When you were good, baby
Mmm, you were very good
I still look up
When you walk in the room
I've the same wide eyes
Now they tell a story
I try not to reach out
When you turn around
You say hello
And we both pretend
No great pretender
So I close my eyes softly
'Til i become that part of the wind
That we all long for sometime
And to those that I love
Like a ghost through a fog
Like a charmed hour and a haunted song
And the angel
Angel of my dreams
Angel of my dreams
I still look up
I try hard not to look up
Ooh, yeah
That girl was me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Track a ghost through the fog
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
A charmed hour and a haunted song
Track a ghost through the fog, baby
Ooh, you try hard
But you'll never catch me
Yeah
16 Honey Hi (02:41)
Honey, honey, honey
Who could be sweeter than you
Honey, honey, honey
Bittersweet, but what can I do
Lord, it's good to talk to you
Even sweeter than wine
Don't take the love light away
'Cause I'm far away from home
Daddy, all I'm trying to tell you
Lord, I really love you, love you, love you
Honey, honey, honey hi
Honey, honey, honey hi
Honey, honey, honey hi
17 Beautiful Child (05:21)
Beautiful child
Beautiful child
You are a beautiful child
And I am a fool once more
You fell in love when I was only ten
The years disappeared
Much has gone by since then
I bite my lip, can you send me away
You touch
I have no choice
I have to stay
Ooh, I had to stay
Ooh, I had to stay
Sleepless child
There is so little time
Your eyes say yes
But you don't say yes
I wish that you were mine
I wish that you were mine
You say it will be harder in the morning
I wait for you to say, just go
Your hands, held mine so few hours
And I'm not a child anymore
I'm not a child anymore
I'm tall enough
To reach for the stars
I'm old enough
To love you from afar
Too trusting, yes
But then women usually are
(I'm not a child anymore)
I'm not a child, oh no
(I'm tall enough to reach for the stars)
I will do as I'm told
(I'm old enough to love you from afar)
Even if I never hold you again
(Too trusting yes, but then women usually are)
Hold you again
(Hold you again)
Sleepless child
There is so little time
(I will do as I am told)
Your eyes say yes
But you don't say yes
(Even if I never hold you again)
I wish that you were mine
(Hold you again)
I wish that you were mine
(Even if I never hold you again)
Well I wish you were mine
(Hold you again)
18 Walk a Thin Line (03:47)
I've seen so many things that made me wonder
But sometimes it's hard to tell
I said
"Take your time"
But no one was listening
I walk a thin line
They told me that I never would recover
Still some say they knew me well
I said
"Stay by my side"
But no one said nothin'
I walk a thin line
I said
"Please toe the line"
But no one was listening
I walk a thin line
I said
"Fate takes time"
But no one was listening
I walk a thin line.
19 Tusk (03:36)
Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if he's going away?
Why don't you tell me what's going on?
Why don't you tell me who's on the phone?
Why don't you ask him what's going on?
Why don't you ask him who's the latest on his throne?
Don't say that you love me!
Just tell me that you want me!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk! Tusk! Tusk! Tusk!
Tusk!
20 Never Forget (03:34)
Come on baby, could you ever be
Just a little close to me
Ooh ooh ooh
Could we ever forget tonight
Come on baby, let's take a stroll
You're feelin' warm so don't be cold
Ooh ooh ooh
We'll never forget tonight
What a wonderful night to be
The stars must be my friends
To shine for me
Come on baby, now don't you be cold
Just remember that love is gold
Ooh ooh ooh
We will never forget tonight
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Other reviews
By charles
"Storms, written by Nicks, is by far the best track among the 20 minutes contained... that leave you speechless every time you listen to it."
"This album... manages to combine all the characteristics that had previously distinguished the band... adding a pinch of healthy psychedelia here and there."
