By Sharon Lacey
April 19th, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham has been fired from Fleetwood Mac. Again. Well, technically he left in 1987 but he was essentially told he had to leave after he refused to tour. This time too it’s said to be disagreements over the forthcoming tour but in many ways, this has been a long time coming.

Let’s not get into the blame game here because who knows what was said behind the scenes but there has been obvious tensions in the band for quite a while evidenced by Stevie Nicks’s reluctance to tour and even record with the band (last year’s Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie album was started as the next Mac record but was eventually released as a duo album after Nicks refused to contribute.)

This high drama was always been a huge part of the Mac and their appeal but to actually fire one of the key members of their most successful line-up is a huge move and, to many fans, a terrible mistake.

Buckingham wasn’t just the third voice and songwriter or guitar god of the band, he was the arranger and producer, the visionary, the man who helped bring out the brilliance in all of their songs. Fleetwood Mac carried on without Buckingham back in the late ’80s and early ’90s but there is no doubt a big part of the magic was gone. It’s hard to imagine, although the new members are both hugely talented, that they can recapture that special chemistry with new members Mike Campbell and Neil Finn so late in the game.

Of course, the Mac has had a revolving line-up over the years with some amazing talents (in particular the legendary Peter Green but also, the often forgotten but wonderful Bob Welch), but the impact of Rumours overshadows it all. Buckingham’s massive contribution to that is not only undeniable but an important part of why Fleetwood Mac still mean so much to people decades after they first formed and it could be argued, why they are still around at all.

Buckingham, after all, gave up plans for solo albums on at least two occasions to keep the Mac going. Fleetwood usually gets all the credit for the Mac soldiering on but there are times when it was Buckingham who actually made it happen. His enthusiasm meant we were just one voice away from getting that final Rumours line-up album that every fan has been dreaming about but at the very least his parting gift to the Mac is the rather lovely Buckingham McVie record. Continue reading Deep Tracks: Lindsey Buckingham →