The Return of the Mac

Fleetwood Mac will always hold a special place in my life. Rumours came out right around the time I first got into music and in 1977 you could just not escape it. It dominated radio and crafted the soundscape for the year, if not the decade. Of course, at that time, I had no clue what the album was about; no idea that it was about breakups and drugs; anger and hope. Once I realized the underlying themes, it just added to the allure of the band; the idea that they could craft such a gem when they were barely speaking to each other. The fact that this album did not destroy them but only made them stronger adds to the mystique. So, since their return with The Dance in 1997, I have seen them on every tour. Tonight I saw them on the Unleashed tour which serves as a greatest-hits extravaganza. And they really give their fans their money's worth. Not only do they play all the hits: The Chain, Dreams, Rhiannon, Sara, Tusk, Second Hand News, Go Your Own Way, and Don't Stop they add in gems like Landslide, Silver Springs, Big Love, Gold Dust Woman and more. And the love between Stevie and Lindsey continues to grow although Lindsey is now married I believe. But their love now is more of a "soul mate" love symbolized by Stevie putting her head on Lindsey's shoulder at the end of Sara, and the two holding hands at the start of the first encore. The band remains incredibly tight; Lindsey is still a guitar virtuoso (and the only member to stay on stage the entire concert), Mick and John are still one of the best rhythm sections in the history of rock, and Stevie is still mystical and magical and looks incredible. It is hard to imagine that she is 60. The band played for nearly three hours and what a stroll down a musical memory lane it was.