Rumours, released in 1977, is one of the most successful albums of all time, with over 50 million copies sold to date. It’s a rock classic. But not because it’s filled with heavy guitar riffing and bombastic drumming, but because of the emotion and passion that mixes with the simplistic and hearty nature of the entire album. It’s a complete story; it’s a journey.
Background
It’s the story of troubles in relationships and bad breakups, which in fact, the band members were going through. Christine (vocals and piano) and John McVie (bass) were going through a divorce while Lindsay Buckingham (vocals and guitar) and Stevie Nicks (vocals) were going through a break up. But because of the success of their previous album, the self titled Fleetwood Mac, they had to follow up with Rumours, with all that intense drama happening behind the scenes. This was basically the winning formula for the album and its success.
Songs
One of the things that stand out about the album is that one song is a reply to another song. For instance Lindsay’s song, “Go Your Own Way” is a reply to Stevie’s song “Dreams”. There are standout songs for Christine as well, such as “You Make Loving Fun” and “Songbird”. Then there are songs where all three singers sing and are more hopeful about their relationships in “The Chain” and “Don’t Stop”.
Sound
As far as the sound goes, the album relies heavily on the layering of different instruments, especially the guitar work of Lindsay Buckingham in “Gold Dust Woman”. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, the namesakes of the band, do a fantastic job with the drums and bass throughout the album. These two instruments stand out, not because they are heavily featured in the songs but because of the minimalistic sound where you can easily hear each instrument clearly.
Overview
Rumours is an album that will cater to the needs of not only rock music lovers but also lovers of pop, country and even blues. It is an album that still has its songs played on mainstream media and also covered. If you haven’t heard of Fleetwood Mac, well Rumours should help you fall in love with them. If you’re having trouble in your relationship, this album has all the songs to help you express your feelings. You can either listen to the album from the first song to the last one – as a whole – or just listen to the songs mentioned and then decide if you will listen to the entire album. For me, it’s an album I can listen to all day, anytime, on any occasion!
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5 stars