BY DEBBI CALTON
Mainlinetoday
Q: What do Stevie Nicks, Dave Mason, Bekka Bramlett (daughter of Delaney and Bonnie) and Springfield native Rick Vito all have in common?
A: They each have Fleetwood Mac on their resume, as do at least 12 others. Yet it’s Stevie Nicks from the aforementioned who has been the most visible face of the band over the years, and she remains as one of the four core members, alongside band namesakes Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, and her once-upon-a-time duo partner, Lindsey Buckingham. In one incarnation or another, Fleetwood Mac has been a musical entity since their blues-rock early days in 1967. Evolving over the years into a rock/pop band, particularly with the addition of Buckingham/Nicks in 1975, they continue to play sold out shows decades later.
Fleetwood Mac will kick off their 48-date North American tour April 4 in Ohio and play Philly’s Wells Fargo Center as the second stop on the tour April 6 in a sold-out show. However, tickets are often freed up at the last minute, so make sure you listen to 102.9 MGK!
Although this is the first tour since 2009’s Unleashed, that’s not to say the band has been idle. Nicks has spent the last several years touring to promote her solo release In Your Dreams, which was accompanied by a video documentary. Buckingham has also been touring in support of his solo effort from a couple of years back, Seeds We Sow. Mick Fleetwood recently opened a restaurant in Maui called Fleetwood's On Front Street, is also now a vintner with more than 20 varietals of wine and his Mick Fleetwood Blues Band continues to play and garner Grammy nods. John McVie has also been living the "Aloha!" life in Oahu, spending the past three years with his family boating and such. Christine McVie parted ways with the band in the early '90s, and although she’s always been welcome to return, it is highly unlikely.
Three-quarters of the band was ready to tour as Fleetwood Mac a year ago, but Nicks wanted more time to promote her record. However, there is new Fleetwood Mac music in the form of two songs: "Sad Angel" and "Miss Fantasy" are set for digital release prior to the tour. These songs were recorded in early 2012 with Stevie overdubbing her parts in the studio as she was grieving the 2011 death of her beloved mother. Expect these songs to show up on the tour and, depending on how they are received, it could lead to a new album.
The Fleetwood Mac 2013 Reunion Tour also marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the Rumours album, undeniably one of the most successful albums in recorded history. In fact, earlier this year, a deluxe multi-disc version of the record was released that includes rare and live tracks. Although material from Rumours is always generously peppered throughout their live sets, expect more attention to be paid to them on this tour.
Stevie Nicks feels that 2013 will be the year of Fleetwood Mac, and the band wants everyone to know that Fleetwood Mac has taken a few breaks over the years, the band never breaks up.
SHOW INFO
April 6: 7 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., Philadelphia. Tickets: Sold out.
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Rolling Stone
Fleetwood Mac are a few weeks away from launching their massive 2013 world tour. They don't have a new album to support, so the show will be centered around their deep catalog of hits. They're also promising a few surprises, including the Tusk deep cut "Sisters of the Moon," which hasn't been played in about 30 years.
Now we have a question for you: what is your favorite Fleetwood Mac song? There's a ton to pick from. The group started as a blues-rock band in 1967. Led by Peter Green, they scored UK hits with "Black Magic Woman," "Man of the World" and "Oh Well." After many lineup changes, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined the group in 1975 and the band became a hit machine. "Rhiannon," "Dreams," "Don't Stop" and "Go Your Own Way" are just a few songs they scored on radio in the mid-1970s. Many hardcore fans, however, prefer the more obscure songs, particularly the material on 1979's Tusk. Vote for whatever song you want, but please only vote once and only for a single song.
You can vote at Rolling Stone in the comments, on facebook.com/rollingstone or on Twitter using the #weekendrock hashtag.
Lindsey Buckingham on Stevie Nicks: 'There's a Subtext of Love Between Us'
Fleetwood Mac guitarist opens up about working and touring with his famous ex
Rolling Stone
Just in time for Fleetwood Mac's upcoming world tour, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has opened up about both his romantic and working relationship with frontwoman Stevie Nicks.
"There's a subtext of love between us, and it would be hard to deny that much of what we've accomplished had something to do with trying to prove something to each other," Buckingham told Men's Journal. "Maybe that's fucked up, but this is someone I've known since I was 16, and I think on some weird level we're still trying to work some things out. There will never be romance there, but there are other kinds of love to be had."
The couple famously split while recording their landmark album Rumours and continued to work and tour together for years, often under tense circumstances. "You get used to it," Buckingham added of working with an ex. "And for me, getting married and having children was a positive outcome. I wonder sometimes how Stevie feels about the choices she made, because she doesn't really have a relationship – she has her career."
With Buckingham noting "there are a few chapters to be written in the Stevie-Lindsey legacy," the two are reuniting not just for Fleetwood's world tour but also to support an extensive Rumours reissue. The album celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
Buckingham also discussed his most recent solo album, Seeds We Sow, which was received warmly by critics but failed to sell. "There's a disconnect between the preconceptions that go with being the age I am and what the music is," Buckingham said. "I sent the album to Daniel Glass, who runs [the label] Glassnote, and he loved it. Then he played it for his staff, guys in their twenties, and they said, 'Well, what are we going to do with it?'"