Is 'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac severely overrated?

It's not overrated in that I haven't seen too many people say it compares to the most influential albums of that decade. Yes, it sold really, really well which was a combination of its accessibility, consistency and production. The least good songs on Rumours are still just insubstantial, not BAD. And it has at least four great tracks - Dreams, Chain, Oh Daddy and Gold Dust Woman. I prefer the live cut of Go Your Own Way which is more rocking.

Personally, I prefer Future Dreams. But Rumours was clearly about a band trying to score a hit without really going THAT commercial (compared to say ABBA or disco). And it achieved that goal splendidly. While it is not a patch on the classic Pink Floyd albums, what it does have in common with them is an edge, a mystery that comes through on tracks like Chains. It's not all sweet candy. It rocks and has a soul.

After hearing songs from the album played relentlessly on the radio during the first summer of its release, I can say today that Rumours would be a much better record if "Go Your Own Way" and "Don't Stop" were replaced with "Silver Springs", the Stevie Nicks song that was relegated to a B-side. (And I say this as someone who tolerates Nicks and considers Lindsey Buckingham a true songwriting genius.) 

Yes...Weston was really nothing to rave about...a mediocre replacement imho.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: I just read this interesting article about Fleetwood Mac on KOOL.FM today..... "If you go back to their beginnings, they were a blues band, with the legendary Peter Green on guitar and vocals.  But there's a middle period of time when Fleetwood Mac sounded more like a 'progressive rock' band." "You may have seen some press in the past week or so about the death of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Weston at the age of 64.  And you probably thought, WHO?  Weston is the inventive guitarist who replaced Peter Green.  His licks are definitely spacey and progressive in sound."   On that basis, I've decided to add Fleetwood Mac to my Prog Britannia YouTube channel.

I have tried, but I can't really get into the in-between period with Bob Welch. It remains a mystery to me.

How can a gem possibly be overrated?



We're talking about this!

Psychedelic Paul wrote: Cristi wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: ^ I think it would be cool to have Fleetwood Mac on my prog channel though, even though they're not prog. are you promoting your youtube channel? Not cool man, not cool.  Deja Vu? Call me uncool then for shamelessly promoting my prog channel with your help.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: ^ I think it would be cool to have Fleetwood Mac on my prog channel though, even though they're not prog.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: A Crimson Mellotron wrote: dr wu23 wrote: Ya know...I'm a bit disappointed that the 'proggers' here are discussing Rumours.....does anyone know if Progressive Ears are accepting new members...? It ain't disappointing at all, proggers are the ones who should be discussing this. In that case, maybe I'll include Fleetwood Mac on my Prog Britannia YT channel.   Besides which, I'm already running out of prog artists beginning with the letter "F"

Cristi wrote: Catcher10 wrote: Cristi wrote: Catcher10 wrote: dougmcauliffe wrote: What's polarizing about it? I think 99% of people agree its a classic album with relatively strong pop rock songs front to back. I agree, I spin it more than any other album of that era and genre, Eagles Hotel California comes in close 2nd.  Rumours is a brilliant album with amazing song writing by the whole band, and showed how talented they all are especially Stevie Nicks back in '77, what was she like 16yrs old or something . Nicks is born in 1948, do the math.  In 1977, I could careless when she was born, I was 12.......Friggin smokin HOT!!  well, she was not 16.