Time ()

Time is a very confusing album. Cohesive it isn't. The most frustrating thing that I find about this album is the lack of a real 'band'. Not all the tracks are performed by the same people. None of Christine's tracks feature Billy or Dave playing guitar. Likewise, only the tracks that were written by Christine feature Christine.

Dispite this, there are some notible tracks. "Talkin' To My Heart" was an excellent choice for an opener and nods back to the Mac of "Penguin". "Blow By Blow" and "I Wonder Why" are grean Dave Mason tracks and fit within the context of Fleetwood Mac fairly well. Christine's "Sooner or Later" reminds me of "Brown Eyes" only more glossy. However, her "Nights In Estoril" reminds me of "Save Me" only LESS glossy. "Winds of Change" is a nod to "Dreams", but lacks the intensity.

I would have liked to see this Fleetwood Mac lineup do more. I know that they toured without Christine before the album was released. I often wonder if that is what affected this album. It seems to me that Christine's tracks were thrown in to 'save the album from doom' instead of working them over with the group so it could be a 'group' record. Nonetheless, I do think that it is a good album, but I don't recommend that anyone start their collection here.

Say You Will ()

Tusk is my favorite Fleetwood Mac album, and my second favorite is Then Play On. I have listened to Say You Will 3 or 4 times all the way through now, and I feel strongly that this new album is just as innovative as those two albums. Simply brilliant! Lindsey and Stevie have written fresh material that does not play off of the old as much as one may expect. The material that was intended to be part of Lindsey's next solo record blends easily with the new material from Stevie.

I've read a few reviews that compare this record to the Buckingham Nicks album, but I don't hear that so much. Say You Will should appeal to fans of Tusk, Mirage, Tango in the Night, Out of the Cradle or Trouble in Shangri-La. There are no Rumours styled songs here.

Having some input from Christine McVie may have disrupted the delicate balance that makes Say You Will work as well as it does. Having said that, though, I do miss McVie's presence. Her voice added a lot to the harmonies of Fleetwood Mac. This is more evident since she is not there for most of the tracks. She can be heard on "Bleed to Love Her" which was worked on before The Dance was recorded.

Overall, this is a great record for anyone who isn't expecting a blast from the past. High points: "What's the World Coming To", "Thrown Down", "Miranda", "Peacekeeper", "Say You Will", "Steal Your Heart Away", "Bleed to Love Her" and "Goodbye Baby".