How are the tenders, Johnny?

Continuing my trip back through the 1979 album charts.

02/12/79 : Tusk - Fleetwood Mac

I don't think I've ever heard this - it's supposed to be OK, isn't it? It does get somewhat overshadowed by its predecessor though..

Hmmm - it's not dreadful, but it's definitely no Rumours. Whereas no one track stands out on Rumours because they're all so good, no one track stands out here because they're all not quite so good - if I had to pick one I'd go for the title track because it's a bit different at least. The album's got some interesting sounds on it though and some beautifully clear sound in places - but it's just trying too hard not to be Rumours, I feel. Also, some of the tracks are too long and I really didn't need a 73 minute double album so overall I think it was an interesting listen, but no more that that for me.

We're at #15 in the charts this week on their seventh week of a 21 week run, with it peaking at #1 in its third week and it's actually managed another four runs over the years, one in '80, two in '88 and one in '15. The top five this week were Rod Stewart and ABBA best-ofs, Pink Floyd (a new entry), a Diana Ross best-of and The Police and the next highest new entry was Metal Box by Public Image Ltd (#19) which I seem to recall is a pretty decent album (and I totally would have had PIL down as an 80s band)

Wikpedia has a reasonable amount on the album (172 milliPeppers) that tells us this is the twelfth album (although their line-up here is very different from their original line-up) and it's so different from Rumours because Lindsey Buckingham wanted to make a "post-punk" album. Apparently the production costs ran to $1.4 million (which was quite a bit of money back then) making it, at the time, the most expensive rock album recorded - Michael Jackson's Invincible holds the record now at $30-$40 million, which is mad enough even before you realise it was made in '01. 

Part of the reason for the expense is that the band had a custom studio built, which they then decided to rent at an exorbitant rate but often didn't use - apparently they rarely got together, with the photographer claiming it was like herding cats trying to get a picture. Critically, the reviews were somewhat mixed and commercially it was viewed as a bit of failure when compared to Rumours, but it still did OK, getting to #1 in New Zealand, #2 in Australia, #3 in Germany and The Netherlands and #4 in the US. 

If you want a copy, it'll set you back about four quid - although, if you want to, you could spend £270.51 with no obvious reason for the massive cost - apparently there's a "lovely lustre to the vinyl" but paraphrasing Vincent Vega "we'd have to be talkin' about one charming motherfuckin' lustre" for that money. I'm pleased I listened to this and I imagine those that love it, absolutely love it - but I think there's absolutely no danger of me revisiting it. 

25/11/79 - A load of fun
09/12/79 - Another enjoyable album

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