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All Reviews for Behind The Mask
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(4.00/5.04.00/5.04.00/5.04.00/5.04.00/5.0 from 18 Reviews)

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Blues-Pop = Classic (4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0)
Review written by Joe Seerg, August 4th, 2015

Amazing album. Many great tracks. Save Georg Jensen Watches
Titus Watch
Terner Watches
Me was a big hit but they all should have been hits.

Love the cover, Save Me (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by Brian Metcalfe, December 3rd, 2014

Love all the tracks, just great music, too bad it was so under-rated. Stand on the Rock is a classic gets me fired up. Save Me my favorite track the band seemed to come together nicely on this offering on this album. Behind the Mask is also a wonderful track. Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks make a wonderlul team here.

I liked it more than I thought I would. (4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0)
Review written by Phillip Miceli from Ormond Beach, FL USA, March 22nd, 2012

I did not think very highly of this album. When I first heard that There was a fleetwood mac album without Lindsey Buckingham that didn't predate 1975, I thought how did this come into existance. but after warming up to the idea a little but, and after listening to the time album (I reviewed that one already) I thought if I could stomach some of the songs on that one, I might as well give this one a listen. and I was actually impressed with what I heard. here are my thoughts on each song.

01. Skies The Limit: (5/5) a song I first heard on the compilation: The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac. and one I liked instantly. but on the album, where it's placed, I thought it was kind of mean. Lindsey left the band, and the album after he's replaced, the very first track says " the Sky is the limit now" I'm not sure if I'm the only one who noticed this or not, I'm pretty sure this was unintentional, But it's something I thought I should point out.

02, Love is Dangerous: (4/5) Rick Vito and Stevie Nicks' Duet song. I liked it. it's one of the more underrated songs. I like the "Rockier" sound it has, for lack of a better word

03. In The Back of My Mind: (4/5) this is one of my favorites from the album. it's well written, and it's Incredably haunting. not to mention it's one I can completely relate to. the only gripe I have with it, is the 2 minute 45 second intro. there's just no real reason for that as far as i can see.

04. Do you know: (4/5) The 1st Burnette/McVie duet. their voices really compliment each other very well when they're singing in unison

05. Save Me: (5/5) The leading simgle of this album. McVie puts some of her best songs on this album. and this is no exception. this song is by far the best of the album.

06. Affairs of the heart: (5/5) I don't know what people have against this song. I love it. I escpecially like the chorus my favorite part is "well it's better to have loved and lost (ah but it's better not to lose)". I love how they just through that in there

07. When The Sun Goes Down: (4/5) I heard it a lot, but I think that's why I like it. at first I wasn't impressed at all. but later I started singing along using Vito's part, And Before long, i was hooked. this song is really catchy, and get's stuck in your head whenever you hear it.

08. Title track (Behind the Mask): (5/5) and extremely haunting ballad, very worthy to share the same name as the album.

09. Stand On The Rock: (3/5) The only track on the album that was solely written by Rick Vito. and honestly it's not that impressive. Granted, it's catchy, just the lyrics of the song not as good as some of the songs' lyrics.

10. Hard Feelings: (4/5) I hated this song the first time I heard it, but I let it grow on me and I am glad I did. if you can get passed the unusually slow (for Fleetwood Mac) tempo, it's a good song, it's a little cold hearted, but like I said, a good song.

11. Freedom: (3/5) I'm not a fan of the country sounding guitar. Fleetwood mac is not a country band, it's not even Country Rock. (and yes I am familiar with the version of "Say You love Me" from The Dance. that's more of a folky bluegrass) I like Stevie's vocals. but that fact is barely keeping it a three star rating.

12. When It Comes To Love: (4/5) the 2nd Burnette/McVie Duet. and another great song. I like this song.

13. The Second Time: (3/5) The final song. and unfortunately, it's badly placed, it would've been a lot better switched with When The Sun Goes Down. this song would've been a 4 star if it weren't the last song on the album.

Overall: (3.75/5) Good album it's better than I expected actually. but Vito, and Burnette were no replacement for Lindsey Buckingham. The album only went Gold, which is really sad. this album was worth Platinum (which thankfully it made in the UK). I just wish this lineup got more praise than what it did. Rolling stone was dead wrong , about Burnette, and Vito being the best thing to happen to Fleetwood mac. but it's still, a good lineup that should've been better praised.

Best Cuts: Save Me, Behind the Mask, Affairs of The Heart, Skies The Limit.

Worst Cuts: Stand on The Rock, Freedom. (Both these songs are still worth listening too.)

Superb Album (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by Anonymous from Liverpool, England, September 8th, 2010

This was an exceptionally good album, however, unfortunately Rick Vito was not given the opportunity to profile his talents as one of the world's leading blues/rock guitar players. If you have any doubts in this regard listen to his subsequent solo releases, look at his live concerts during this tenure with the Mac and also purchase the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band album which was nominated for a GRAMMY earlier this year.

Musical cohesion without the inner excitement... (3/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.0)
Review written by Jon the Moonspinner from redlands, ca, February 17th, 2010

A bland sameness coats this Buckingham-less Fleetwood Mac project from the get-go, and although Stevie Nicks is definitely (and, perhaps, surprisingly) up to the challenge, new members Billy Burnette (guitar, vocals) and Rick Vito (lead guitar, vocals) are like kid-guests at the party. Welcomed, at least initially, but not essential to the mix. Christine McVie has finally exhausted her bag of winsome, wistful tricks, which usually pull the band out from the fringe; her "Skies the Limit" starts the album off with mellow grace, but--although it means well--it's such an airy and innocuous confection, it can easily be skipped over in future playbacks. Elsewhere, Christine's "Save Me" (a terrible choice for the first single) and "Behind the Mask" (with help from Lindsey!) are equally drowsy. Her best moment comes with help from co-writer Burnette on "Do You Know", one of the record's distinct highlights. Not that it's a bluesy number with soul, far from it. Christine has lost her blues instinct and now writes middle-of-the-road pap for mellowing fans; however, "Do You Know" has conviction and is prettily sung. Nicks comes through with a few winners ("The Second Time", "Affairs of the Heart"), and Vito & Burnette contribute a nice country-rocker ("When the Sun Goes Down"), a song everybody gets involved in, but the overall results of "Mask" are awfully staid. And what's with that cover shot? We don't need mysterious models or quasi-art portraits to sell us on the music. Just give us better music.

cd+g (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by Gregory from Northern Ireland,uk, August 11th, 2007

actually the disc also contains the word along side the pictures, not sure if it would show the graphics on a windows media player application but the album realy is a gem to listen to and is there best album so far.

Underated - A gem of an album (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by trinidex@yahoo.com from St.Vincent & The Grenadines, W.I., November 5th, 2006

I absolutley love this album, I cam across it at a time of change in my life, and it seemed to fit so well.

Something that I've not seen mentioned is the CD+G part of the CD, CD+G (Compact Disc Audio + Graphics). Each track had it's own graphics like a basic music video.

Many PCs can now play CD+G discs through software players, along with Karaoke machines which use CD+G. I encourage all owners of the CD to check it out.

Later publications of the CD did not include the CD+G portion, I have 2 copies of the CD, 1 with and 1 without the CD+G content.

Deserves listening! (4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0)
Review written by Donnie Swinton from South Carolina, February 9th, 2006

The first full album of new songs with Billy Burnette and Rick Vito as the guitarists of FM. Despite Lindsey's absence, they did a wonderful job throughout the album, especially on "In the Back of My Mind", "Save Me", and "Freedom." Their back-and-forth vocals on "When the Sun Goes Down" are awesome, and I love all the drum work on here. "Hard Feelings" and "Do You Know" are not the best love songs ever made by FM, but they did the album justice. Some of Stevie's best vocals are on here with "Freedom" and "Affairs of the Heart", while Christine really shows her stuff on the title track and "Save Me." Quite a good one.

Classic Mac, but criminally underrated! (4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0)
Review written by Jim Collins from Kansas, USA, September 23rd, 2005

Embarrassingly underrated and overly abused by (mostly American) fans, this is the last truly great Mac album. The European fans got it right, making this album a huge success in the UK and on the Continent. Rightly so, because it's a very good album. Most of the criticism seems to come from the Society of Buckingham Stalwarts (SOBS), who believe that without him, there can be no Mac. This album proves them wrong. The dual guitars/vocals of Vito and Burnette, as well as the songs they supplied make for a well balanced album. In Rick Vito, the band found an excellent lead player, bluesy,vibrant and capable of a myriad of styles. His tone and feel hearken back to the Peter Green days more than Buckingham's. The songs run the gamut from bluesy to country rock, with more than a dash of pop thrown in as well. In a way, this album gives one an excellent overview of all the band had accomplished over it's prior 22+ year history. This album is eclectic in the way Tusk tried to be, but more successful than that effort. Sure, there are some songs that aren't quite as good as others, but the overall result is a very consistent and cohesive effort. Too bad the band couldn't have stayed together a little longer and done another album or two with this line-up. The one consistent factor in Mac history has been the ability of Mick Fleetwood to find quality guitar players. This album and line-up is no exception to that legacy. There was a Mac before Lindsey and there will be a Mac after Lindsey. This album proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt. The Tango In The Night Live video is a great example of how good they were in concert. If you are a Mac fan, you owe it to yourself to check this out. If you aren't a Mac fine, you should check it out anyway.

New organization still lives up to past greatness (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by Bruzer51 (nk5w@yahoo.com), August 17th, 2004

My wife and I, along with several friends, saw the band in person at the World Music Theater in Tinley Park, IL. just after the album came out (July 1990). As I suspected, going into the theater, the concert was sold-out, and...for a very good reason! Words alone cannot describe the intensity of Stevie's, Billy's, and Christine's vocals on each and every song! We were only 25 ft from the front of the stage, and I could see clearly each and every one of them as they worked the front of the stage during their vocals. Passion, yes.... soul, yes.. intensity, double-yes! Two hours was not even close to experiencing the excitement of The Mac! Billy, Rick, Stevie, and Christine certainly made up for the missing Buckingham (Lindsey, who?). While I am happy and relieved he later rejoined the band, Rick and Billy certainly held their own.
Think about how it would be to be standing 25 ft. away... then play the album (cd) again- all the way through- with your eyes closed! THAT's why I give it 5 stars...6 if they'd let me!

No Lindsey, But Come On (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by Anonymous, August 17th, 2004

Okay, Lindsey's not in this album, and I am the biggest Stevie-Lindsey era, but even I have to say this album was great. Save Me, is one of my overall Chris songs, Behind The Mask, another Chris song, it's excellent, Love Is Dangerous, I love this song, stevie's vocals are AWSOME. Freedom is such a neat song, Stevie sings this differently than most songs, and it's unlike most of her usual material. In The Back Of My Mind, is another instant like, the harmonies are mind blowing, The Sky Is The Limit- I like this song great, too, but I hate the intro, it sounds like a child's song. The rest of the album is a little too country, but, I give it five stars because these amazing songs make up for it. A must buy.

LACKS LINDSEY,S INTENSITY BUT NOT BAD. (3/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.0)
Review written by NICK from FAREHAM,HANTS,ENGLAND, August 17th, 2004

IN THE WAKE OF TANGO,THIS ALBUM WAS QUITE POORLY RECIEVED BUT ITS NOT TOO BAD,BUT THEY SOUND LIKE A PARODY OF FLEETWOOD MAC,THE TIME ALBUM WAS BETTER THAN THIS.

A good Album even without Lindsey (4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0)
Review written by Scott Jackson (knightsjacks2000@msn.com) from Garden City, Michigan, August 17th, 2004

I was Listening to this album last fall 2002 while driving down some county roads. I heard the album all the way through and like most song on this album. It let me see what kind of skills Rick Vito and Billy Burnette have with there guitar work. They both did a very good job on vocals/background vocals on Christines and Stevies song. Also as well as there own songs. This album with Rick Vito and Billy Burnette I now want to listen to there own solo works.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING! (5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0)
Review written by MDOG from USA, August 17th, 2004

I have seen so many bad reviews on this album so I had to post a good one. Even without Lindsey, the band shines on this release. Christine opens with an upbeat, poppy Skies The Limit which I enjoyed both lyrically and for the bass line( not to mention Stevie's background vocals). Save Me is a classic gem with Burnette and Vito providing stellar axe work. Behind The Mask is a haunting masterpiece that only the Mac can deliver. Lindsey even joins for that number. Stevie contributes my all time favorite Mac song, The Second Time as well as Affairs of The Heart and Freedom which are good for getting through rough times. As a rookie, Rick Vito co writes several songs including The Second Time as well as Stand On The Rock which was rather straight forward. Billy Burnette gives us In The Back of My Mind which is one of the best songs here with all members playing and singing, not to mention the two minute intro and Christine's powerful, nostalgic(in a good way) bridge. This album is a gem in the Fleetwood Mac collection. With Lindsey, this would have been a classic.

A shot in the dark (2/5.02/5.02/5.02/5.02/5.0)
Review written by Anonymous, August 17th, 2004

Well, without Buckingham the band nearly falls apart barely holding together on the tracks here. McVie turns in some charming songs like "Skies the Limit" and "Save Me." Other than that she's as bland as she was on her '84 solo release. NIcks pulls it together but just barely. "Freedom" is a nice hard rock song, while "Affairs of the Heart" has some nice harmonies. She closes the album with a beatiful trip down memory lane. Rick Vito and Billy Burnette add nothing to the band. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie provide ample support but the album suffers from Buckingham's departure. His guitar work could have improved this album a great deal.

not a bad effort without Lindsey (2/5.02/5.02/5.02/5.02/5.0)
Review written by Anonymous, August 17th, 2004

With the departure of Lindsey Buckingham the band takes a hit. Stevie's songs lack the mystical enchantment and Christine succumbs to her full blown pop aspirations. The two ladies own the album. Christine's best cuts are "Save Me," an enjoyable pop song, and "Skies The Limit." Stevie seems distant on this album without her creative partner. "Freedom" is a fast paced rocker--perhaps the best on the whole album. Her closing track is very moving as well and takes listeners down a nostalgic road of the past. "Stand On The Rock" is a nice rock song but this album lacks the heat and musical ability to rank next to their previous albums. A failed attempt but a good admirable try.

The Mac minus Lindsey Buckingham equals disappointment (3/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.03/5.0)
Review written by Ian Jones from Atlanta, GA, August 17th, 2004

Well the only reason I give this album 3 stars is because of Christine McVie. She really shines on this album, with songs like Save Me, Skies the Limit, and the odd (but intriguing) Behind the Mask.

This album in no way compares to the previous album, Tango in the Night, or to Mirage even. Stevie did't seem to contribute any worthwhile songs, nor does the new guitar duo of Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. While Vito & Burnette are excellent guitar players, they lack the emotional style of Lindsey's guitar work.

It's also noted that this was the only album from 1975-1989 that Fleetwood Mac released that didn't go platinum. I attribute this to Lindsey leaving the band. He was really the creative force behind the records, and any work that came after he quit the band suffered because of it. And while platinum sales don't guarantee an album is worthwhile, thus is the case here.

A mixed bag but good enough to get for the good ones (4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0)
Review written by John Fitzgerald from Peabody, MA, USA, August 17th, 2004

The first full Mac album to feature Billy & Rick features memorable and not so memorable moments from each writer. Stevie's best moments to me are "Freedom" a surprisingly hard rocker which displays an urgency not heard in her Mac recordings in some years while in contrast "The second time" is a sensitive acoustic ballad that closes the album. Christine's best moments are the eerily dark title track which has a surprising guest appearance from former Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and the opener "Skies the limit" which is classic Christine pop and still the song I listen to most and is my favorite
song on the album. One gets the feeling Billy Burnette needed to make a stunning impact for his debut starring performance on the disc and it happens in epic fashion with "In the back of my mind" Pounding drums similar to the opening you may hear on a Pink Floyd song such as "Yet another movie" gives way to a heavy rock dirge which is shockingly different to those familiar with his previous recordings but it works, very haunting and atmospheric. "Hard feelings" reminds one of something John Lennon may have come up
with had he lived but it's emotional, heart wrenching stuff and grows on you when you get past the musical comparisons. Meanwhile, Rick Vito has a song called "Stand on the rock" which is rather stripped down in contrast to the other songs on the record which, although refreshing, I felt it worked much better in concert and his other writing credits are as collaborations with Nicks so it's hard to tell how his writing style would have affected the
band although one of the co-credits was on "The second time" which, as I mentioned was a highlight for me. I know many people prefer the songs I have not mentioned as their highlights and I would certainly not say those are bad songs, so although I don't think one will be blown away by this long player, there's sure to be enough one will like to merit buying it.

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