Buckingham plays almost all of the music on the record, and there are some great moments. The opener, Bwana, is fast-rocking pop that's full of funny noises and Buckingham's unnaturally high voice (sped up tape, maybe?). The single, Trouble, follows, and it could have been a big hit for Fleetwood Mac if it wasn't the hit single from this record. On the strength of Trouble, this became Buckingham's best selling solo work. It's a beautiful mid-tempo falling-in-love ballad.
There are other moments that have redeeming qualities. The Beach Boys styled vocal arrangements on Mary Lee Jones, September Song and Shadow Of The West keep some of the slower material interesting. I'll Tell You Now recalls both carousel music and Todd Rundgren, both in good ways. That's How We Do It In L.A. and Love From Here, Love From There at least offer some humor with their light pop-rock.
The pitiful attempt at country on A Satisfied Mind (both musically and lyrically banal), the hollow rock of Johnny Stew, and the shallow doo-wop of It Was I detract from an otherwise interesting project.
Buckingham would return with a more fully realized version of his experimental side with Go Insane in 1984, and with the unified, near-perfect pop-rock statement of 1992's Out Of The Cradle. You could hear much of that potential right here.
No comments:
Post a Comment