Essential 5 - Fleetwood Mac

Its been a while since I've done an Essential 5 post so when choosing I was surprised that in the short months this blog has been up and running I have not mentioned one of my all time favorite bands, Fleetwood Mac. 

I remember being 8 or 9 and finding a black cassette entitled 1982. Being a curious young lad, I quickly made my way towards my dad's stereo and pressed play. What came out was a primal scream that shook me to my core. It was Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train. I had never heard anything like it. Randy Rhodes' shredding guitar solo, Ozzy screaming bout mental instability. It was quite an experience, but thats a story for another post. 

After regaining my wits I paid attention to the next song. It was the exact antithesis of what had just discombobulated  my senses. Instead this was a brooding rhythm with lyrics that required future reinterpretations. Of course I did not get all this at the time and quickly hit rewind to listen to Crazy Train again.

About ten years later, when I was about to leave for college for my freshman year, I rediscovered the same weathered   cassette. I frantically searched for a cassette player that worked. None did so I got in my car and went to my grandparents house ( you know, because old people have old, obsolete gadgets like a beta max and a cassette player just lying around). Pressing play brought back so many memories of that day ten years ago. 

This time around I heard the second song with pause and contemplation and there it was, in all its low-fi glory, one of the greatest songs to have gone from pen to paper, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac from their epic 1977 album Rumours. 

After that I was sold, and some years later I even got to see them live. Let me tell you, they blew me away. Buckingham, Nicks, McVie and Mick are all way into their 60's and rocked as hard as anyone I've seen.

As I assembled this list, more than five songs came to mind so its safe to say that there will be a hefty honorable mentions list. 

Welcome back to the Velvet my friends and enjoy.
Essential 5 after the jump!!!

5. The Chain - Rumours (1977)

4. Dreams - Rumours (1977)



3. Never Going Back Again - Rumours (1977)



2. Everywhere - Tango In The Night (1987)



1. Silver Springs - Single (1976)



Honorable Mentions :


Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac (1975)
Don't Stop - Rumours (1977)
Go Your Own Way - Rumours (1977)
Little Lies - Tango In The Night (1987)
Hold Me - Mirage (1982)
Gypsy - Mirage (1982)
You Make Loving Fun - Rumours (1977)
Say You Love Me - Fleetwood Mac (1975)
Big Love - Tango In The Night (1987)
Second Hand News - Rumours (1977)
Songbird - Rumours (1977)
Gold Dust Woman - B- Side Rumours (1977)