THE 4th February 1977 marks the day Fleetwood Mac brought Rumours into the world. An album that has since become recognised as one of the best pop records of all time and its influence still continuing to reverberate forty years on from its release.
Built on the shaky foundations of romance and heartbreak, the album wasn’t just about the music but the surrounding drama that came with it. Rumours became the vehicle which Fleetwood Mac turned their private turmoil into an epic piece of public art. Recorded during a time when the band’s two couples were splitting up, Christine and John McVie had recently divorced while Stevie Nicks and Lynsey Buckingham had also decided to end their famously tempestuous relationship. Rumours was a record that effortlessly swayed between deep-rooted frustration and gleaming euphoria.
Interestingly though, its very success stemmed from the unbelievable musical chemistry that existed between the band. From Lynsey Buckingham’s detailed guitar-work to Christine McVie’s warm and expressive delivery to the powerfully elusive aura of Stevie Nicks, it was a singular, shining moment for the band; all held together by the subtle yet incredibly taut rhythm section provided by John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. It was a solid framework that allowed for the guitars and vocals to expand throughout the album for optimum impact. It is perhaps fair to say that Rumours had an extraordinary ensemble feel to it that was lacking in later records.
If anything could set the tone though, it would be the album’s very opening line; “I know there’s nothing to say / Someone has taken my place,” Buckingham sings on ‘Second Hand News’ over its poppy riffs.
Bursting with drama, playful energy and lust from the outset, they are themes that remain prevalent from start to finish. Where Christine McVie seems more optimistic on the sunny and uplifting ‘Dreams’ and ‘You Make Loving Fun’, Lynsey Buckingham chooses to unleash his frustration on the highly-charged ‘Go Your Own Way’.
His intense relationship with Stevie Nicks lies at the heart of the album; their inseparable yet stormy chemistry evoking some of the album’s finest moments. If anything could encapsulate the emotional cycle of Rumours, it would be ‘The Chain’ though; the group-composed anthem about betrayal. Starting with McVie’s familiar driving bass line, it develops into a dramatic tug of war between Nicks and Buckingham before peaking at the end with its chanting finale (“Chain keep us together!”).
It has to be said that Rumours is much more than a breakup album; there’s a hippie-like optimism that lies there too, making itself known throw the many soaring melodies and poppy hooks. Like an old friend, it’s a record that has a unique ability to offer something different everytime you listen to it. Where Fleetwood Mac (1975) had set the wheels in motion two years earlier, Rumours was the album to confirm their shift from blues-rock band to ultimate pop giants.
Somehow hugely anthemic while fiercely intimate at the same time, it feels just as relevant when heard through personal headphones as it does in a crowd full of people. Forty years on, it continues to stand the test of time.
