EPISODE 01
Now Here You Go Again
FLEETWOOD MAC | RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021
Rose
Welcome, Jake, to my home, to this little nook here where our podcast is gonna live.
Jake
Thanks for havin’ me.
Rose
And welcome to everyone joining us for this adventure. This is our first show, first dive. So, should we introduce ourselves and what we’re doing here?
Jake
Probably. Though I’ve got a hunch that, y’know, the three people listening to this already know who we are and what we’re doing here.
Rose
Hi mom and dad! And Theo. He promised to listen as soon as it drops in exchange for a shoutout. Okay so, I’m Rose and this is my lovely co-host Jake. And what are we doing here? We’re listening to some tunes.
Jake
And drinking caffeine, for everyone’s sake. We’ll try to keep the mouth sounds to a minimum.
Rose
Oh yeah. Kindly turn away when you sip, please. So the idea is that you’re probably going to know the bands but we’re going to try to go a little deeper and find some songs you might not know or ones we particularly love. So yeah. That’s it. That covers it, yeah?
Jake
Yep, exactly. Staying away from singles, number ones, the more well-known shit-- oh, fuck, wait, are we trying to keep this family friendly? What’s this podcast even rated?
Rose
[laughs] If we are, you’re making a lot of editing work for me here. But hmm. I don’t think we necessarily need to be? Neither of us are that vulgar? Are there a lot of delicate ears that are going to be listening?
Jake
Yeah, I guess the under-13 crowd isn’t exactly our target audience. Though it’s never too early to start learning about good music -- anyway, point is, B-sides. The lesser known tracks. ...I think my first one might be kind of a cheat, but ah well. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Rose
Well. Hard to say. This is the stuff I’ve always listened to. But you never know. And we make the rules here. So you only have me to answer to. But now I’m curious. So let’s dive in. Me first right?
Jake
Yep, you’re up. Dive away.
Rose
Okay. Let me first explain my line of thinking. We decided on three songs. And so I decided to pick one pre Stevie song, one classic song and one sorta recent. So first pick is Oh Well. Part I technically. Do you know this one? Let’s cue it up and we can talk some trivia.
Jake
Oh damn, we’re going way back. God, Peter Green, hold on-- This riff is pure 1969, Jesus. Throw in some cowbell-- yep. ...yeah, I haven’t heard this in ages. So why’d this one make the cut?
Rose
Okay! Ah! I love that you said that because Peter actually called it a “throwaway riff” and he intended this to be the b-side to the part that ended up as part two. But it ended up a single. So that’s my cheat one since it’s technically a single but it wasn’t supposed to be. But it’s such a good song right? I picked it simply because I like it and it’s not one people ever mention in the Fleetwood Mac conversation anymore. Even though they did used to play it live a lot.
Jake
The Peter Green era, I think it gets largely overlooked because it just...sounds different. You’ve still got the backbone in there, Mick on drums, John holding it down on bass, but most people think Fleetwood Mac, they think Stevie Nicks. Like you said, this song and likely all the songs from this time don’t get thrown into the conversation so much nowadays. Except maybe The Green Manalishi, which is still an obscure as hell throwback.
Rose
That’s the thing! It’s almost like an entirely different band. And yeah, on one hand, you have a band that’s been playing on and off for 50 years, their sound is going to change and evolve. But there’s such a difference between this band and the band that Stevie is in. I like it because you can really have people who are looking for different things in their classic rock listening session who can still come together for a mixed Fleetwood Mac sesh. Not that I’ve heard many people say they don’t like the Mac. But maybe we’ll give you more to love.
Jake
...shit, listening to this now, I feel like I should’ve grabbed a joint instead of this coffee.
Rose
Don’t tempt me… Thirteen year olds, cover your ears. All you have to do is say the word.
Jake
Future spin-off, right there. B-Sides & Cannabis. Each episode is four hours long.
Rose
[laughs] That’s exactly what would happen. We’d be canceled before we started. Okay. You’re up!
Jake
Alright, so this one’s my semi-cheat. Technically a single, originally a B-side: I’m So Afraid. It’s kind of a callback to that Peter Green era we just talked about, harder than what we usually hear in the classic Fleetwood sound. And the best version, by far, is off the The Dance album -- yeah, there it goes. Lyrically, it’s nothing special, but...seven minutes of Lindsey Buckingham on guitar? That’ll leave you feelin’ some kinda way.
Rose
Oh yes . I am in those feelings right now. This is one of those songs that doesn’t feel like it’s going to end but in the best way. I don’t want it to end. This is the kind of song you lose track of time in.
Jake
Exactly, it’s so f--...it’s immersive. And how the hell does he play like that? Like he’s got ten fingers on each damn hand. Y’know, it was a toss-up between this and any live solo version of Big Love. But I figured this one was a little less well-known. Either way, my, y’know, my line of thinking was a lot less organized than yours. I wanted to find three songs that catch the essence of Fleetwood Mac, and first pick had to be something like this. Lindsey going goddamn ham.
Rose
That’s why it’s so good that it’s the both of us. Because while I do think that it will be fun to see if we ever pick the same ones, I think we’re more often than not going to be drawn in to different ones when we’re given no guidelines just a free for all. AH! See Big Love is so good. This is the---and I’ll say “problem” very loosely--when you have so many songs to pick from that are so good and you don’t want to leave anything out. But, I do think that most people tuning in for the Fleetwood Mac episode are going to know Big Love. If you don’t then stop this right now and go listen. We’ll wait. We’ll be here when you get back. And ask yourself how you missed that green greatest hits album. You know what this reminds me of, when you talk about how good of a musician Lindsey is…?
Jake
Your...second pick?
Rose
Oh man. Now I don’t want to ruin that perfect segue. I was just going to talk about the impossible question that you asked me about my dream band. And when you stop to look at the musicianship, you could really just pick this entire band. Okay. So, you might call me out on this one because it might be a bit of a cheat again. But I really feel that it’s not one you hear on the radio and unless people are trying, you could miss this one. So, from the classic era, borderline classic era, I’m gonna go ahead and pick Paper Doll. Let’s start it. You tell me your thoughts and then I want to tell you some fun facts and why I chose this one.
Jake
Here’s something about Fleetwood Mac that I don’t think is true of many other bands that’ve been around as long. They really capture the time that they’re in. I mean, you hear this right from the start -- the percussion, that Paul Simon “Graceland”-esque bassline -- and you know, you know you’re in the 80’s. Late 80’s, it’s just--...yeah, you know what I mean? All that said, it’s not one I’d seek out myself. But, tell us, what got it on the Linley List?
Rose
I had that same thought process about the sound. I love when you reiterate what’s in my head. And I knew that this one wasn’t going to make it on your list but for me , I really wanted to give it a mention. It is actually the lyrics on this one for me. And maybe it’s because I can relate to that beginning of the end of a relationship where you’re not ready to let go but you’re not all in, either. Yesterday I was fascinated by somebody else. It’s interesting to me to delve into that thought process and to recognize the feelings behind that. And You’d prefer to be just a little bit in and out of love with me. Those stick. I mean, you can tell it’s a song written by Stevie. I also think it’s interesting that it’s a song that Mick wasn’t exactly sure of. And I also wanted to point out, specifically for you Jake, that when it was released, The Chain was it’s B-Side.
Jake
Alright, I can respect that. What Lindsey does with guitar, Stevie does with words. ...and speaking of things that taste good…
Rose
[singing to tune of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac] Now here you go again, you want some dinner. I know a place you should check out. It’s only right that you should support your local businesses. So visit Jacques & Gus and …. [singing ends with laughter] aand… why am I having trouble tying it up here?
Jake
[random drumming pauses as she laughs] So visit Jacques & Gus. And. And--...and eat their food? That could work.
Rose
This is the part where everyone is going to question if we actually got out the edibles or not.
Jake
Check the runtime on this one, y’all. If it’s four hours, well…
Rose
Pat yourselves on the back for sticking it out. But we do want to make sure that you know about Jacques & Gus which is a farm to table restaurant that just opened last month. And it is, honestly,it’s amazing. Let me just… Jacques & Gus is a farm to table restaurant highlighting independent farmers in New England, with special focus on Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont. The restaurant's mission is to produce great quality food directly from the source and serve it in an environment that's as cozy and inviting as sitting in your own kitchen. So that’s what they’re about. But honestly, if you haven’t already, you need to get yourself in there. And really, we do appreciate the company and any listeners who we can share this stuff with. Because as you can see, we can nerd out on this stuff all day. So, keep us moving along here. What’s next, Jake?
Jake
Well, Rose, we’re gonna venture over to my favorite Fleetwood album, Tusk. And we’re gonna pull out a track from the very end of the album, Never Forget -- g’head, press play. Yeah, so, I’ve already fanboyed the everlasting outta Lindsey Buckingham, but now I need to take some time to show my love for Christine Mc-fuckin’-Vie. You’ve got Lindsey and Stevie out here, way out in the stratosphere with their angst and drama and it’s so good, but then Christine brings us back down to earth. Lyrically and musically, she’s got this way of, just--...she’s got this very pragmatic optimism about her songs, gets right down to the root of things, and this track does just this. It’s simple, steady, sort of...palate-cleansing in the midst of everything else.
Rose
Yes! Palate-cleansing. Honestly, I was just about to say exactly that. But I don’t want to say that and waterdown her talent. Because you’re so right. A lot of people have asked me, who do I prefer--Stevie or Christine? And I don’t think the band would be what it is without either of them. Which sounds like a cop out. But especially if you’re going to look at it as a listening experience. And, as far as relating-- I don’t want to be a Stevie all of the time. Or a Christine. I want to tap into what each of them make me feel. You know, this is a really good album so I’m glad you did choose this song. I really listened to this one a lot in the last few days wondering if I should back away from my first pick… second pick, just to give this one more love. Is it the album with the least singles?
Jake
You know what, I don’t think so. I think it had about the same amount as the others, but the fewest hits, maybe. Or one of the ones with the fewest hits. It’s such a weird album -- Lindsey really wanted it to be as different as possible from Rumours. From what I understand, it was a sort of ‘fuck you’ to the industry, the producers who wanted the band to keep cranking out the same, marketable thing. And thus, Tusk was born. But hey, going back a moment to what you were saying about comparing Stevie and Christine, you just can’t. Like you said, you need both. You need Landslide and you need Songbird. You need Gold Dust Woman and you need Everywhere.
Rose
That makes sense. I don’t think we need to explain why doing the same thing over and over sucks for any kind of artist---or anyone, actually. Can you imagine if either all of Christine’s or all of Stevie’s songs were just gone? No! Don’t make me. Or even if the other sang them. Because like you said, Chrstine’s voice conveys different things. Would their songs have hit the same, been as relatable if the other one had been on them? Maybe in that AU we wouldn’t know any different. But here, we do. I also like that they were individuals and that’s something that isn’t hard to hear and they were allowed to be. All of those songs. They’re too good. [sighs] This is absolutely why we need our structure of sticking with the B-sides. I will not talk about any of those songs you just mentioned. Even though I really want to. Okay. Are you ready for my last pick? Any guesses? Any guesses what album it’s from?
Jake
Hm. ...well, you did say you’d pick a pre-Stevie, a classic, and something more recent, so. ...is it from Say You Will?
Rose
It is. After all this talk about needing both women, I’m going to pick a song off an album that excludes Christine. But you know, it’s part of the band’s history. So here we are. It’s a song that Stevie wrote about Lindsey. Shocking everyone, I know. I think she said she wrote it in ‘97 and tried to record it on one of her solo albums and it didn’t feel right. So he jumped on it and was like, ‘you know what this song needs? A riff right in the middle of it.’ So, without further ado, let’s jump into Thrown Down.
Jake
I don’t think I’ve listened to this song all the way through since I first listened to the album. Which...huh, probably wasn’t 2003 when it came out, but sometime after that. Why this track in particular?
Rose
To me, it sounds most like old Fleetwood Mac. Instead of the way some songs and albums can sound when bands try to recapture what they once had after a long hiatus.
Jake
Yeah. ...yeah, I get what you mean. I can hear it. It’s a rare thing, this late in the game, but I can hear it.
Rose
So that’s my pick for that reason. And that is my Fleetwood Mac B-side ish timeline. How are you closing us out? This is important. This is our lasting impression.
Jake
Oh, but no pressure. No big deal.
Rose
Oh there’s pressure. I never promised no pressure.
Jake
Audience of three, don’t bail on us now. Alright, you ready? Got any guesses before I press play on our closer?
Rose
I am ready. My guess is that you’re keeping it pre-90s. Even pre-Tango. But I can’t narrow down what I think it might be… Don’t leave me in suspense. Especially since I’m long out of tea.
Jake
Uh oh, teacher out of caffeine on a school night. Okay, okay, let’s wrap this up, here we go. Started with Lindsey, spent some time with Christine, and we’re gonna end with Miss Nicks -- Planets of the Universe. This song was never actually released as a Fleetwood Mac song until the Rumours re-release in 2004, and even that was just a demo. Which is the version we’re listening to now, but she released it as a studio track with her solo album, Trouble in Shangri-La, which is the first time I ever heard it. One of those songs that gets stuck in your head -- or at least, got stuck in my head. I didn’t even necessarily like it, but. There it was. It happens. When I heard this version, however, I changed my mind. It’s bare bones, and it’s fucking beautiful.
Rose
[there is a pause and Rose begins again with a softer voice] I.. yeah, no, it is fucking beautiful. What else can I say? I’ll admit, I don’t own every record. I don’t listen to every release and compilation album thoroughly. And her version on her album wasn’t one that stuck with me. So, I’ve never actually heard this version…
Jake
It’s. ...hm. It’s one of those songs that feels more like a moment than a product. Which I guess is the point of releasing demos, right, you get that stolen experience, but they don’t always come out like this. This one’s like stepping directly into the studio, stepping back in time-- no, not so much even that, because this, unlike so many other songs we talked about today, doesn’t actually sound like the time it was recorded in. Or not as obviously, y’know? So there’s this...unfettered timelessness about it. Stevie’s voice, the rest of the band fitting perfectly around her and those damn words--...yeah, fuck it, go get the weed or shut this down, or else I really am gonna go on for another three hours.
Rose
See, it feels like something so second nature and so pure that I don’t imagine a studio at all. Or time. It’s almost the way you just… I wouldn’t say that I hear songs as I’m experiencing life. Not like a soundtrack. But it feels out of body. Timeless. Yes. I could put this on and be in my feelings for hours. It is the words but it’s all of it. Just listen to the recorded version. It’s a completely different song. It makes sense though-- demos are special. And what a great way to end the dive. So there you go. That’s our show. I hope it was as fun for you as it was for us and maybe we turned you on to a Fleetwood Mac song that wasn’t already in your regular rotation. Alright, see you back here next week.... What can I say, you can guess our next artist until your heart’s content. But if someone tells you before next week, well, that wasn’t me.
Jake
It was me. Sorry.
Rose
Safe to say, if there’s any question, it was Jake. It’s always Jake.
Jake
You’re welcome, and goodbye.