Say You Will

Say You Will

by Fleetwood Mac
Say You Will

Say You Will

by Fleetwood Mac

Vinyl LP(Long Playing Record)

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Overview

Lindsey Buckingham hadn't recorded a studio album with Fleetwood Mac in 16 years when Say You Will was released in April 2003. His partner, Stevie Nicks, had been missing in action from the group since 1990, and while both joined the reunited group in 1997 for a tour and live album (The Dance), not to mention Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration, it had been a long, long time since the two made new music for the Mac. They were lured back into the fold for...well, the specifics -- whether money, prestige, status, publicity, or creativity -- don't really matter, since the end result is the same, it's that Buckingham and Nicks have come home. This doesn't qualify as a full-fledged Fleetwood reunion, since Christine McVie isn't here, choosing to opt out of this high-profile return to the breach (although her playing is occasionally heard on the album). This results in a record that never quite sounds like Fleetwood Mac. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie are so grateful to have the two superstars back in the group that they cede ground to Buckingham and Nicks, who never collaborate as much as share space. Each singer/songwriter is given nine songs apiece, a move which, in itself, would not necessarily be a problem, but over the course of this lengthy, lengthy album, the evenhandedness starts to give the impression that this is two solo albums presented as a group effort. An assessment that's a little harsh, since the group can still conjure echoes of their classic sound, but the division of work is so deliberate and their work so dissimilar, it can't help but feel like two separate pieces pushed together to make the whole. Which is where Christine McVie becomes a critical factor. While never a star like Nicks, nor possessing the mad genius of Buckingham, McVie was a strong, likeable songwriter whose gently melodic works balanced the extremities of her bandmates while also forcing them to choose the best material to fit the record. Add to this that Fleetwood Mac have decided to run wild with the length of a CD, producing a record that is significantly longer than the messy, chaotic Tusk, but without its inspired insanity or depth of sound and character. Here, even if most songs are in the four-minute ballpark, they all feel longer, partially because the album clocks in at nearly 80 minutes and the sequencing flows as it was designed by committee. So, Say You Will winds up occupying a strange middle ground, often feeling as if it was Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks' albums bouncing around on shuffle play, but also occasionally flashing moments that are purely, satisfyingly Fleetwood Mac. Although there are occasional misguided attempts to modernize the songs -- most notably drum loops on some of Nicks' songs -- none of the songs sound as if the band were forcing themselves to sound contemporary. Sure, it sounds commercial, but that's the band's idiom -- what's important is that it never sounds compromised, it sounds as if the band is at once trying too hard while being unwilling to sacrifice individual moments for the greater good. So, Say You Will straddles many lines at once. Nicks' material is better-realized than many of her recent albums, but Buckingham's always sounds as if it should be wilder than it is (it should all sound as unrestrained as his guitar, which is continually surprising throughout the record). It never sounds like classic Fleetwood Mac, nor does it sound modern. It often sounds like solo albums, but without the freedom that allows. Most of these problems derive merely from the length. Cut out half of the record -- have it weigh in at nine or ten songs and run no longer than 45 minutes -- and it would have been a good, solid comeback, perhaps even eclipsing the uneven Tango in the Night. But there are too many songs, simply too much to make Say You Will work, even if there is enough to admire to make you wish it did. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 10/12/2018
Label: Rhino / Warner Bros.
UPC: 0603497856817
Rank: 20890

Tracks

Disc 1

  1. What's the World Coming To
  2. Murrow Turning Over in His Grave
  3. Illume (9-11)
  4. Thrown Down
  5. Miranda
  6. Red Rover
  7. Say You Will
  8. Peacekeeper

Disc 2

  1. Come
  2. Smile at You
  3. Running Through the Garden
  4. Silver Girl
  5. Steal Your Heart Away
  6. Bleed to Love Her
  7. Everybody Finds Out
  8. Destiny Rules
  9. Say Goodbye
  10. Goodbye Baby

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Fleetwood Mac   Primary Artist
Dave Palmer   Guest Artist,Piano
Christine McVie   Guest Artist,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond)
Sheryl Crow   Guest Artist,Vocals,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
John McVie   Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
John Pierce   Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
John Shanks   Guitar,Keyboards
Lindsey Buckingham   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion
Mick Fleetwood   Drums,Percussion
Jamie Muhoberac   Organ (Hammond)
Stevie Nicks   Vocals,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Bernie Grundman   Engineer,Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Ken Koroshetz   Engineer,Recording
Sheryl Crow   Musician,Performer
Mike Fasano   Band Technician
John McVie   Composer
Christine McVie   Musician,Performer
Gary Nicholson   Composer
John Pierce   Musician,Performer
Rob Cavallo   A&R,Producer
John Shanks   Musician,Producer,Performer
Lindsey Buckingham   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Mark Needham   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Rick Nowels   Composer
Julian Raymond   Composer
Ray Kennedy   Composer
Ken Allardyce   Engineer,Recording
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Jamie Muhoberac   Musician,Performer
Stevie Nicks   Composer
Dave Palmer   Musician
Neale Heywood   Composer
Bruce Jacoby   Band Technician
Herbert Worthington III   Photography
Stephen Walker   Art Direction
Neal Preston   Photography
Karen Williams Johnston   Photography
Joe Bozzi   Engineer,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Ray Lindsey   Engineer,Recording
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