Thursday, November 15, 2012

11/15/12

Certainly I'll never tire of hearing Lindsey Buckingham's magical fingers do things to strings, but his new acoustic album is certainly on my something-buy-for-myself-while-Christmas-shopping Christmas list.

He takes "Never Going Back Again" and rearranges a tiny-but-powerful Rumors cut into something soft, regretful, eerie. It's still forging ahead, with it's great resolving melody, But it's much sadder, deeper, hurt. The interlude is far more somber and what he does vocally in the refrain fuels the heart of the song to the extreme, with whispers crescendoing into a powerful, pained, but perfectly pitched peak.

A pretty damn close to perfect updated arrangement.

Guy knows how to sing, knows how to use tone, and has impeccable timing all around. Just a master. Also he really knows how to write a song -- listen to the chat between tracks at the end of the song where he reminds the audience what the famous line "looking out for love" from the next track really means.

Apparently good things can happen in Des Moines (where this album was recorded live). Still glad I didn't end up living there, though.

"She broke down and let me in
Made me see where I've been

Been down one time
Been down two times
I'm never going back again

You don't know what it means to win
Come down and see me again

Been down one time
Been down two times
I'm never going back again"

~Never Going Back Again
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, (as re-arranged and performed by Lindsey Buckingham for Lindsey Buckingham: One Man Show)

11/15/12



I have something of a penchant for songs that compare men to alcohol. It's a characteristic that lives in me somewhere next to the part that thinks dark, dingy alleys are romantic. Criticize, roll your eyes, it's true.

Don't listen to this album much anymore. Reminds me of freshman/sophomore year of college - whoa, that was awhile ago. But this hook got stuck in my head somehow this afternoon. Definitely a trendy album at the time that probably won't have much staying power as the years go on (could we say that for anything that was featured in an Apple commercial, maybe?), but it sure set a scene or two. Girl can sing. She's also Canadian.

Yeah. Those boys that are like liquor. Not a bad comparison.

"He's my Brandy Alexander, always gets me into trouble..." ~Brandy Alexander
Feist, The Reminder