Tusk
by Fleetwood Mac

Rumors was an incredibly focused, accessible, and well written album. Most of Fleetwood Mac's fanbase undoubtedly came from that album for those reasons. Tusk has the misfortune of being the followup to Rumors, and was specifically designed to turn the Rumors formula on its head, while still making a great piece of art. This means that Tusk was designed to be messy, inaccessible, but still well written. I feel that a lot of the detractors that this album has are hung up on the fact that this album is long and varied, and tend to overlook the incredible innovation and incredible songwriting on this beast. I first listened to this album probably seven years ago, and I could not make it through on my first few listens. However, as I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate this album more than Rumors. If Rumors is about the deconstruction of relationships, then Tusk is about the deconstruction of the self. Here we have a band who know each other very intimately- Stevie and Lindsay were a couple, Stevie and Mick had a fling, and the McVie's recently had a divorce. Each member is dealing with the memories of their intense relationships with each other, and coping in different ways. Buckingham has devolved into a paranoid cocaine abuser, Stevie Nicks is clearly traumatized by the betrayal of her new lover Mick Fleetwood as well as her recent abortion, and Christine McVie is still processing her divorce, and the breakdown of the band. This leads to a variety of music that ranges from beautiful, to heart-wrenching, to utterly deranged. "Sara" has one of my favorite drumming performance of all time, and is an utterly beautiful song where Nicks alludes to her aborted baby, Sara, as well as her friend that Fleetwood left her for (also Sara). Fleetwood apparently put 24 hours straight of effort into making the drumming for this song as perfect as possible, and it shows. I could be reading into it to much, but the drum tone almost conveys a sense of remorse that adds to the ethereal bitter-sweetness of the song. McVie's songs aren't quite as depressing as Nicks' contributions, but they exude a similar energy. "Over and Over" is a beautiful opener that sets the tone for what the rest of the album will be, but then is quickly subverted by the bonkers "The Ledge". Buckingham had succumbed to a "blizzard of cocaine" when writing this album, and was apparently obsessed with appealing to Talking Heads fans and Beach Boys fans alike with his compositions. This leads to occasionally beautiful harmonies like those in "Save Me a Place", but usually results in paranoid, angry songs like "Not that Funny". "Tusk" is the culmination of Buckingham's paranoia, which is essentially a song about telling Nicks and Fleetwood that he knows their dirty little secret and can blackmail them whenever he wants, then forces Fleetwood to give the best damn drumming performance of his career on it.

At this point I am rambling, but that in a way is part of what Tusk is. It is rambling and unfocused, but contrary to what other commenters on here say, is devoid of filler. Filler implies that an artist wanted to reach the length of time required for a full album, but that is definitely not what is going on here. Each song has a unique soundscape and purpose that contributes to themes and sound that is Tusk. (Edited)

A double album that as great as Rumours and as fresh and varied as anything coming out at the end of the 1970's while still remaining in that pop sense of sound. The songs "Sara", "Save me a Place", "Over and Over", and all of the Lindseys song contributions are either hypnotically introspective or jarringly interesting like a cocaine driven sweat frenzy. (Edited)

An underrated record. Tusk, doesn't quite have the great songs of, rumours, but at least it sees Fleetwood Mac taking a few chances, especially on the Lyndsey Buckingham tracks. There's even a new wave feel to some of the tracks. Stevie Nicks is on form again, contributing, Sarah, and, storms, both excellent. The most famous cut is probably the odd title track, a strange little number. Tusk, is an ambitious album that sometimes fails to reach the heights that it aims for but at least it sees a band not afraid to branch out after the mega success of their last LP. Good album. (Edited)

From buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/13/2016 22:56 | #159597 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

There are a few filler tracks here, but not nearly as you'd expect by this album's reputation or its sheer number of tracks. So many great songs here, but any conversation about this album would have to begin with the great experimental title track and Stevie Nicks' composition "Sara," which is probably her best song. (Edited)

From Tamthebam TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/24/2014 14:01 | #109911 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Tusk the follow up to Rumours was a double album a 20 track bonanza - 9 tracks by Lindsey Buckingham, 6 by Christine McVie and 5 by Stevie Nicks. It was an expensive album to make and for the fan an expensive purchase. It was ahead of it's time musically and this was due to the time and effort put into the overall sound by Buckingham. It is mostly his album. It has stood the test of time and overall it is second only to Rumours in their vast catalogue. (Edited)