Fleetwood Mac

Mirage

A Well-Executed Statement of Early 80s Rock

Review Score:

(8/10)
Most critics claim that "Mirage," Fleetwood Mac's fourth album with the Rumors-era lineup, is pleasant but unexceptional. This assessment is a bit unfair. While it is true that these songs do not possess the same level of excitement and consistency as those featured on "Fleetwood Mac," "Rumors" and (portions of) "Tusk," "Mirage" holds its own as a well-executed statement of lively pop-rock in the ever-changing landscape of early-eighties music.

Already more than a decade old, Mac's sound here is noticeably brighter and more fluid: the hard-edged guitars of "Tusk" and the forceful confessions of "Rumors" are replaced with a sweetness that is more charming than beguiling.

McVie's songs prove to be the strongest. The celebratory opening, "Love in Store" and the well-metered duet, "Hold Me," are both fine examples of consumate pop craftsmanship, each performed with gusto and confidence. They are also far-superior to most of the songsmith's material on "Tusk," showing that she had returned to a more commerically-friendly form. Elsewhere, she's no less convincing as a reflective crooner ("Only Over You") and a bittersweet songbird ("Wish You Were Here"). On every track, her voice is mature, relaxed and, as always, irresistible.

Nicks offers three tunes, one of which may be the set's best song. "Gypsy" is a pure classic that shows off the songwriter's voice and her band's musical prowess in every way. The arrangment sparkles and the meldoy itself stands up to her best material. Not true, however, with "Straight Back," a throwaway tune with self-conscious lyrics and an uninteresting backing track. This song, combined with her pleasant but generic country-tinged "That's Alright" suggest that Nicks was probably hoarding her best work for her soon-to-be-released solo record. (Interestingly enough, "That's Alright" sounds far superior in demo-form, first heard in the mid-seventies as an outake of the "Rumors" sessions.)

Once again, Buckingham's presence dominates. He contributes a mighty pool of songs, some strong, others uneven, while also marking the other writers' material with his signature producer's touch. The mid-tempo rocker, "Eyes of the World," and the clever but quieter "Book of Love" are the pick of his songs. "Oh Diane" is a clear homage to the fifties sun-sound but, though this song proved successful for Mac in England, it's a bit out of place here. The same assessment goes for "Empire State," a driving rocker that is all energy and no substance. Ironically, Buckingham had more suitably contributions that, for some bizarre reason, didn't make the final cut: the lovely ballad "Goodbye Angel" and the forceful axe-driven "Teen Beet" only come to the surface in the band's 1992 compilation of previously unreleased material, "The Chain."

Overall, "Mirage" is spotty, but even this drawback is only visible in light of the band's previous achievements, which are enormous and virtually impossible to match. The sheer intelligence of Mirage's bright and friendly song-cycle demonstrates that the Mac boasts a degree of combined talents that most rock groups could only dream of.

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