Fleetwood Mac released Mirage

First posted 9/17/2020.

Mirage Fleetwood Mac

Released: June 18, 1982 Peak: 15 US, 5 UK, 2 CN, 4 AU Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.3 UK, 6.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Love in Store (C. McVie/Jim Recor) [3:14] (10/82, 22 US, 11 AC, 96 AU) Can’t Go Back (Buckingham) [2:42] (4/83, 22 US, 83 UK) That’s Alright (Nicks) [3:09] Book of Love (Buckingham/Richard Dashut) [3:21] Gypsy (Nicks) [4:24] (7/24/82, 12 US, 4 AR, 9 AC, 46 UK, 16 CN, 17 AU, airplay: 2 million) Only Over You (C. McVie) [4:08] Empre State (Buckingham/Dashut) [2:51] Straight Back (Nicks) [4:17] Hold Me (C. McVie/Robbie Patton) [3:44] (6/19/82, 4 US, 3 AR, 7 AC, 94 UK, 9 CN, 12 AU, airplay: 2 million) Oh Diane (Buckingham/Dashut) [2:36] (12/12/82, 35 AC, 9 UK) Eyes of the World (Buckingham) [3:44] Wish You Were Here (C. McVie/Colin Allen) [4:45] Total Running Time: 42:52 The Players: Lindsey Buckingham (vocals, guitar, et al) Stevie Nicks (vocals, tambourine) Christine McVie (vocals, keyboards) John McVie (bass) Mick Fleetwood (drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.471 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings)

About the Album: Fleetwood Mac formed in 1967 as a British blues band, but their fortunes changed when Americans Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the group for their 1975 self-titled release. The album went to #1 in the U.S. on the strength of three top-20 hits and was followed up by the monstrously successful Rumours in 1977. That album set a bar no band could match with 40 million in sales worldwide, 31 weeks atop the Billboard album chart, and four top-10 singles. For their next outing, the Mac responded in the only way they could – a sprawling, double album with a weirder vibe that seemed to intentionally challenge the group’s large pop following. Even so, the album was still a multi-platinum, top-5 release which sent two songs into the top 10 in the U.S. Not sure what to do next, fans could be understandably forgiven for thinking the band might be done when Nicks and Buckingham both released solo efforts. Nicks especially looked ready to fully embrace a solo career with her chart-topping Bella Donna album which ws fueled by two top-10 hits. Nonetheless, the quartet reunited in 1982 for this chart-topping album. However, it sports neither the pop savviness of Fleetwood Mac or Rumours nor “the insular strangeness of Tusk.” AMG “Rumours had raw emotion to give it a core, and Tusk had Lindsey Buckingham’s runaway ambition…Mirage sounds as if its sole goal is to sustain Fleetwood Mac’s popularity.” AMG To be fair, it does accomplish commercial success, most notably with the catchy-as-hell Chrstine McVie/Lindsey Buckingham gem in the top-5 hit Hold Me. Then there’s Stevie Nicks’ Gypsy, which offered up an inevitable title for the singer who’d crafted an image of herself as a fairly-like figured who floated along in her flowing robes. Both songs were top-5 hits on the album rock chart. This is “straightforward pop songcraft” AMG with “a glossy, friendly production.” AMG While “ that makes even the lesser numbers pleasant and ingratiating, Mirage nonetheless suffers from a lack of substance.” AMG “There are “a handful of terrific songs – notably the hit singles…it simply isn’t as compelling as the group's previous three albums.” AMG Notes: In 2016, a deluxe edition was released with alternate versions of the songs on a second disc, and a third disc of 1982 live performances.

Resources and Related Links: Fleetwood Mac’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine