Lindsey Buckingham has two careers. The first one is the steam roller known as Fleetwood Mac. The band that took over the world in the 70s and 80s was ready to collapse when Mick Fleetwood heard the Buckingham/Nicks record and asked the guitarist to join up. Buckingham refused–unless his partner and girlfriend Stevie Nicks could come too. Together they provided just the right boost to save Fleetwood Mac and conquer album-oriented rock. Buckingham calls his second career “the Small Machine”. It’s still finely maintained, well-oiled, and features his own songs, guitar and voice, but it’s different. Quieter . . . sometimes. Gentler . . . sometimes. It’s this machine that is the focus of a new performance video called Songs from the Small Machine: Live in L.A..
Buckingham gave the world notice long ago that he wasn’t interested in just writing hits and pop songs for Fleetwood Mac. He turned Tusk into an experimental journey through rhythm, rhyme and harmony when everyone was expecting another Rumours. His solo recordings continued the experimentation. His heroes were Brian Wilson and John Stewart, and his vocal arrangements and guitar playing echoed that. This DVD contains a career retrospective, songs from the steam roller and from the solo records, played by the man who wrote them.
He begins with a solo acoustic set which showcases his fine fingerstyle guitar work and flexible vocal cords. He has worked with luthier Rick Turner to build electric guitars which capture the sound of acoustics. The acoustic tracks begin with a new song, a track from his most recent album, Shut Me Down, and then goes back to his second solo album for “Go Insane” followed by his first solo single “Trouble” before he gets to the Fleetwood Mac songbook. He gives us stunning solo renditions of “Never Going Back Again” and “Big Love” before the band comes out.
The band is small: Brett Tuggle on keyboards and bass, Walfredo Reyes, Jr. on drums and second guitarist Neale Heywood. Everyone sings. And their harmonies are delicious. I saw Lindsey Buckingham live a couple of years ago when he toured the Gift of Screws album, and it was one of the best concerts I have ever attended. There was not a big crowd, nothing like a Fleetwood Mac crowd, lots of empty seats, but Buckingham and band poured it on for over two hours. The interplay between instruments and voices was extraordinary. This aspect is captured perfectly on video. I had to turn up the volume to really appreciate how good they sound.
After the gentleness and quiet of the acoustic tracks, you discover that he is not afraid to rock out with loud screaming solos either. This video is a guitar-lover’s paradise. The re-arranged “Tusk” is a highlight, and the audience loves hearing “Go Your Own Way”! The show ends with the title track from the new CD, Seeds We Sow, but the DVD continues with a bonus interview of Buckingham talking about the songs.
Songs From the Small Machine: Live in L.A. is available in a number of formats: DVD, DVD+CD and BluRay. It was filmed in High-definition with DTS Surround-Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1, and Dolby Digital Stereo, at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills in April 2011. The DVD I reviewed looked and sounded fabulous. A fine addition to Buckingham’s ouevre, and to anyone’s collection.
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