 Christine McVie Textbook case of "notable only for the singles." "Love Will Show Us How" and "Got a Hold On Me" are both excellent songs in the vein of Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac. The rest is, to put it mildly, highly unmemorable, if solidly enjoyable while you're listening. It's a shame, too, because Christine McVie is probably the least heralded member of Fleetwood Mac's classic lineup, and it'd be great to be able to say that on her first solo album apart from the group she really shines, a la George Harrison on All Things Must Pass. Instead, she shines more along the lines of Clarence Clemons on Hero. The production is crisp, and in fact the best thing I can say about the album is that it is one of the best sounding albums I've ever heard. Now, say you love audio, but you don't especially care about the music … It would be overstating the case to say this album is bad, but it's certainly not one that gets any play outside of tracks 1 and 6. The presence of Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton is strangely fitting, surprisingly not hurting the album, but obviously not helping matters, either. If I had to pick a highlight beyond the singles, it'd be the countrified "So Excited," but that's it. "Who's Dreaming this Dream" almost captures the Fleetwood magic with Lindsey Buckingham supplying backing vocals, but not quite. Christine's voice sounds pure and perfect as usual, but frankly her songwriting is best appreciated in single doses of pure brilliance (i.e. two or three tracks on a Fleetwood Mac album). It's really a shame Fleetwood Mac didn't make an album in 1984 … imagine an album with "Love Will Show Us How," "Got a Hold on Me," "Go Insane," "If Anyone Falls," "Stand Back," and "Enchanted." Could'a been. Consider this only at $2.99, maximum. (Sigh). Oh, 1984, you were so lame.
Review by Royboy Jubijanter |