Yes, Stevie, You Won

Two months ago I was introduced to Fleetwood Mac's records during the band's apex in the mid-1970s and am all the better for it. Perhaps their stature diminished when Bill Clinton used "Don't Stop" as his 1992 campaign's theme song, turning them into old-people rock just as I began listening to music, but I sorely overlooked them. Every song is a love letter to production values, where the drums are crisp, the bass notes are distinguishable and well formed, the harmonies are supportive, and the parts mixed so that every instrument falls into place as it should. Even when "Don't Stop" and "Go Your Own Way," from "Rumours," kick in, they sound exponentially better and fresher than you would expect from two of the most popular rock songs of the past 35 years.

The best song, though, is "Rhiannon," from the self-titled album. I haven't figured out yet what Stevie Nicks is singing about -- she introduces the song in the above video as one about a witch -- but they way her vocals change speeds and tones so effortlessly, as Lindsey Buckingham's guitar slinks along behind her, is captivating. I've had it stuck in my head for weeks. My band is structured somewhat similarly as Fleetwood Mac was, with two couples. We only lack the infidelity and the drug binges, which were essentially the defining non-musical characteristics of Fleetwood Mac during this period, so we're not at all similar to Fleetwood Mac after all. Though maybe we'd sell more records if we were?