Lindsey Buckingham – Lindsey Buckingham

 

Lindsey Buckingham – Lindsey Buckingham

By

Jesse E. Mullen

You’ve co-led a massively successful group on and off for 43 years. You’ve written numerous hit songs, spearheaded a change in sound for your group, and have helped influence modern production techniques, while also surviving personal turmoil within your band. But what happens when that turmoil finally catches up with you?

As was the story of Lindsey Buckingham leading into 2018. The guitarist and songwriter was as famous for his chops on his instrument and studio prowess as he was for his breakup with Fleetwood Mac bandmate Stevie Nicks. That breakup inspired the timeless 1977 album Rumours, but it also left a lot of lingering tension.

This tension eventually led to Buckingham leaving the group for 10 years in 1987 but appears to have boiled over in a more permanent fashion in 2018. According to Buckingham, Nicks informed him – via Fleetwood Mac’s manager – that she “never [wanted] to share the stage” with Buckingham again.

This (allegedly) led to an ultimatum – either Fleetwood Mac fire Buckingham or Nicks would depart. The group apparently chose the former. Whatever truth to this there is, the result was the same. Buckingham was out of Fleetwood Mac.

With time to spare – following a solo tour and an excellent greatest hits box set entitled Solo Anthology – Buckingham put the finishing touches on a solo record which he intended to release in either 2019 or 2020. But a pair of issues put the brakes on his plans.

Buckingham underwent emergency open heart surgery in February 2019, which put him out of commission for the better part of a year. Further complications arose when it was revealed that one of Buckingham’s vocal cords was damaged when he was intubated during the procedure, leading to questions about the future of his singing voice.

2020 led to another complication in the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the release of the album further. One must be asking: could anything else go wrong for Buckingham from 2018 onwards? On a more personal level, the answer was sadly “yes.”

Buckingham’s wife filed for divorce in June of 2021. However, it was later reported that the couple were working on their marriage. Personal anecdotes aside, it would be easy to assume that the next Lindsey Buckingham album would be a dour affair. But then again, this was also an artist famous for finding dry humor in his relationship woes – see: “Second Hand News” and “Big Love.”

Buckingham’s new album, the self-titled Lindsey Buckingham was finally released in September 2021. The album artwork certainly would support the theory of a dour affair, with a po-faced Buckingham mugging for the camera in a black and white image – in line with the sepia-toned Gift Of Screws cover from 2008.

The resulting music resembles that album, at least on a surface level. Screws featured Buckingham at his most pastoral to date on “Time Precious Time,” as well as his most chugging melody since “Trouble” from 1981’s Law and Order in “Did You Miss Me.”

Conversely, Lindsey Buckingham also features many of the production techniques which made Tango In The Night a classic. Varispeed (pitch shifted) backing vocals, sequenced keyboards, drum machines, and “uhh-ahh(s)” are all reprised to great success. But Buckingham proves he is willing to update his sound for modern times.

“Swan Song” features syncopated techno beats and staccato vocals looped into infinity, while Buckingham shreds away on one of his glorious, fingerpicked guitar solos. Interestingly, this track originated from a session Buckingham was producing for Medicine’s Brad Laner. Laner – who primarily works within the shoegazing genre – handed Buckingham a copy of demos he had recorded, with hopes that Buckingham would find them interesting – and possibly cover one.

One of those songs intrigued Buckingham enough that he did just that – partially. “Mind’s Eye” was a song from those sessions which formed the basis for the chorus of “Swan Song.” Consequently, Laner has a co-writing credit and a share of all royalties earned. (Life lesson – sometimes it really helps to put yourself out there.)

“Power Down” mixes baggy beats with the new wave pop Buckingham has pursued in his solo career to great success. Buckingham plays the part of a lover left behind, saying he “called your name but no one was listening.” It’s one of a few hints that not all was right in his life at the time.

The other, “Santa Rosa,” deals with distance between a couple, with Buckingham warning his lover “that world is gonna close you” if she leaves. That Buckingham marries his lyrics to a major-key acoustic country groove makes it one of the melodic highlights of the album, even if it is one of the more solemn moments here.

However, not all is doom and gloom. “I Don’t Mind” shares the wisdom of an older man in a relationship – it deals with an aging couple accepting each other’s flaws. It might be the most Fleetwood Mac-like song on the album – Buckingham’s varispeed harmonies even sound a bit like Christine McVie. Layers of acoustic guitars and Buckingham’s drum machine programming add further color to the sonic landscape of the track.

“Scream” features a rising and falling vocal melody and chord progression that manages to recall “Go Your Own Way,” while some of the vocal production resembles the simulated female backing vocals from “Caroline.” It’s chorus of “I love you when you scream” is open to interpretation, as it could either have a sexual connotation or a sexual one – or both.

Elsewhere, “On The Wrong Side” bolsters a tune that is catchy, singable, and melodic while also featuring a bit of a bard lyric. Buckingham sings that he’s “out of pity” and “out of time.” Could this be directed at his wife? Or at Nicks and his impending removal from Fleetwood Mac? Only Buckingham knows for sure.

Given Lindsey Buckingham’s troubles over the past few years, it’s hard not to read the lyrical tea leaves on these songs. However, their actual meaning doesn’t at all affect the quality of the material. With Lindsey Buckingham, Buckingham (the artist) has delivered some of the finest moments of his solo career.

Reprise/2021

 

 

Gorman Bechard - Where Are You, Jay Bennett?

 

Gorman Bechard - Where Are You, Jay Bennett?

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

I normally use this blog to write about albums which are – in my opinion – not properly appreciated by fans and critics alike. But today I would like to draw attention to a new film which does the same thing. A film which tells the story of a misunderstood genius who died far too young.

Gorman Bechard has directed a fabulous documentary about the life of late multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. Utilizing audio recordings of an interview with Bennett, combined with new animations to go along with the discussions, it truly makes it feel like Jay is in the room with the viewer. This is often contrasted with interviews with Bennett’s mother, reminding us that he is no longer here.

Musical friends and collaborators also frequently pop up, and there is a healthy use of archival concert footage. But one of the great surprises is the footage of Bennett working on his beloved Toyota and talking about the glory days of his former band.

Or the little clips of Bennett harmonizing with a college friend on an apartment fire escape. Bechard masterfully weaves these elements into the patchwork of the overriding narrative – that Bennett was an ordinary man with extraordinary talents.

He was someone who would have so many ideas in his head for a song that he would often leave it in an unfinished state, only to move onto another song and repeat the process. This overflow of ideas was a treat for his fans but didn’t always make for easy collaboration.

It once took two different studios to sort through all of his multitrack recordings to finish mixing an album. (Bennett was known for playing most of the instruments on his solo records, adding a myriad of overdubs.) His kitchen sink approach didn’t just affect his solo work, however.

Bennett is most famous as a member of Wilco, contributing heavily to classic works such as Being There, Mermaid Avenue, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. His work with the group is the heart of the film, culminating with his dramatic exit in August of 2001.

While a previous documentary about the band – 2002’s I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco – dramatized that event in a way which made Bennett appear to be the villain, this film makes it clear that Jeff Tweedy played an equal role in the end of the relationship. The big takeaway, the underlying goal of the film, is that there just wasn’t room for two geniuses in Wilco.

Bennett was the experimental mastermind, while Tweedy understood the commercial side of things. It was a great marriage while it lasted – something Bennett himself says in the film via audio interview. But it couldn’t go on forever.

The other major misconception about Bennett is that because he died of drug-related causes, that it was because of addiction. In reality, it was because of a pain patch which leaked, administering a lethal dose. Yet as recently as last week on Pitchfork.com, the prevailing narrative still states that he died of a fentanyl overdose and nothing more.

In the end, Bennett was always a misunderstood genius. A man who could play more instruments than the human hands can count. But thanks to this documentary, he can now be recognized for his incredible talents and lasting contributions to the rock music sonic landscape.

What Were We Thinking Films/2022