After Fleetwood Mac

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 16

After Fleetwood Mac

MICK FLEETWOOD’S ZOO “It’s Not Me” (RCAVictor ALP 1.4652). Mick Fleetwood joins the rest of Fleetwood Mac in releasing solo albums after the demise of the supergroup. Only John McVie has shown any sense not to try such a project yet. The strains of being in the group showed strongly in the final album, “Tusk,” a much underrated album, with its strength, and, paradoxically, its weakness coming from the individuality of the members. “It’s Not Me” is played

straight by Fleetwood’s Zoo. There is none of the L.A. sessionmen here and for that reason it raises the album a notch. The band includes Billy Burnette on guitar, and his “Tear It Up,” is the rock ‘n’ roll track on the album. Occasionally Zoo sound like the Eagles, especially on “You Might Need Somebody” and “Tonight” The opening track “Angel Come Home,” cowritten by Carl Wilson, of the Beach Boys, is quite strong, but delicate in style. Interestingly, the additional members listed on the sleeve include Christine McVie and Lindsay Buckingham, both former members of Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham contributes one song, “I Want You Back,” and it sounds typically Fleetwood Mac in the drum style with which it is played. The most interesting track is ‘1 Give,” a simple ballad, virtually featuring only a piano, showing what variation can do for an album.

But, nothing really stands

out on Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo album. Although professional it is not moving. CHRISTINE McVIE “Christine McVie” (Warner Bros 25059-1). Christine McVie first came to the public’s attention when she was the 1960 s blues group, Chicken Shack. Known then as Christine Perfect, before her marriage to Fleetwood Mac bass player, John McVie, her interpretation of the Etta James’ R. and B. classic, “I’d Rather Go Blind,” in 1969 carried Chicken Shack into the charts. Her voice, along with Stevie Nicks’, also carried Fleetwood Mac to a resurgence in fame in the late 70s. Like the other members of the troubled fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie has now gone her own way. This debut solo album still uses the haunting vocal technique that made Fleetwood Mac popular, and McVie has also managed to avoid the L.A. MOR sessioawork that

has characterised Stevie Nicks’ two solo albums. Like Mick Fleetwood, McVie has managed to keep the music tight with a small band. “The Challenge” comes closest to a Fleetwood Mac song in vocals, but some of the other songs like “Got A Hold On Me” tend to meander. One of the most effective tracks is “Ask Anybody.” Not because of the vocals, but the way in which McVie uses the piano to make the song interesting. The opening of “The Smile I Live For” is similar, and it makes you wish she perhaps had tried out the album concentrating on the keyboards. The MOR quality of the album stays when there are songs like “I’m The One,” a strong track, but with the guitarist, Todd Sharp, faithfully treading the ground of American album-oriented rock. This album seems to confirm that the whole of Fleetwood Mac was better than its parts. —NEVIN TOPP