By BEVAN HANNAN
The Canberra Time
1st Oct 1992
Out of the Cradle. (Phonogram)
FOR THE time it took Lindsey Buckingham to put out this release, the cynics said it should have been called Out of the Rocking Chair rather than Out of the Cradle.
After all, it has been more than four years since Buckingham left super group Fleetwood Mac, went into hiding in his personal studio and set about recording his third solo album.
Buckingham’s insistance on doing things his way — and only his way — was to ensure his guitar playing talents took a higher profile. And if there is one lingering doubt about the whole project, it is why didn’t he do it earlier?
On Out of the Cradle, Buckingham delves into some interesting instrumentals, including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s This Nearly Was Mine from the South Pacific theatre score. This is one of the more gentle acoustic caresses, but the crisp guitar sound ventures into a pounding rhythm reminiscent of Freddie Mercury and Queen in their heyday on This is the Time.
There is still a definite Fleetwood Mac flavour, far greater than that on his previous solo efforts Law and Order and Go Insane. The “dum dum” backing harmonies and sprightly feel is mixed in here, especially on Doing What I Can and Turn It On, which could well have been lifted off any ’80s Fleetwood Mac album. And that is understandable since Big Love and Family Man, which were both on Buckingham’s last Fleetwood Mac Album, Tango In the Night, were originally written for Out of the Cradle.
Don’t Look Down, Wrong and Countdown are three exceptional opening tracks, packed with great guitar work and bounce. But Buckingham shows excellent vocal versatility as well, making great jobs of mellow tunes like All My Sorrows (a Kingston Trio number) and Soul Drifter.
This is something Buckingham has always aspired to record and he has taken an extremely personal line, which is underlined by dedicating the disc to his mother and splashing childhood pictures throughout the sleeve.
He finishes with the movie-finale style Say We’ll Meet Again, and this critic is one who hopes this lives true. (9) if you are hanging out for a Fleetwood Mac binge, otherwise an (8.5).