what classic album do you just not like? comment below!

I think Rumours is perfect in every way, it is what it is, couldn’t imagine it any other way.

Christine is truly the unsung heroine of all... loved her from the first hearing, singing in the Morning Rain.

When I was in high school, there was a girl who claimed she was dating Lindsay Buckingham. Many of us were sceptical until we saw a Ferrari pull up with Lindsay behind the wheel. He took off with the girl. There's a story you won't get anywhere else. Sleep tight.

If the record was rawer, it would never have sold a gazillion copies. It's the production blend combined with the emotional heft that sent it off into the stratosphere. Of course, there are better records, more emotional records, grittier records, but few records that balance it all as well as Rumours. It's not perfect, but it strikes an emotional chord for many, unlike few records have ever done. There are strong feelings in the lyrics here, and the production makes it go down easy for the masses.

I love every era of Fleetwood Mac. If i hadn't heard rumours, i never would have listened to their early stuff.

Here's a strange thing....even though I agree with everything you said, I actually like this album even more after hearing your review.

And actually Silver Spring is one of my favourite Macsongs. I had a lovely time in that city in 1977, and I'm a constantly heartbroken witch.

I love Rumours! When I discovered the album, I listened to The Chain probably 100 times 😄 But I don't see the problem with other people not liking it. We all have different tastes, which makes your channel that much more interesting!

I like how you can talk in all caps but you’re not really screaming.

In 1977 I was washing dishes in a restaurant on Maui. I slept in the restaurant as rent in Hawaii is insane. My boss would host visiting rockstars and often they would take up his offer to accommodate them. I met George Harrison. Half of the songs on Rumors owned the radiowaves. Fleetwood Mac (I owned a few of their earlier Peter Green albums back in the day) came to Maui to look for houses to buy and play a local concert. I snuck into the concert and left because besides the awesome rhythm section I couldn't stand watching Stevie Nick's performance - she's fine, I just don't like her performance, singing, dancing...Stevie, for a few weeks, would waft into the restaurant with her entourage of 5 or six folk. She always looked miserable, like she could barely hold an expression of indifference. I thought, this is the number one album on Earth and she's miserable. I made 2 bucks an hour and lived on leftovers and mangoes. John McVie (who I had seen in the Bluebreakers in 1969) would come in the late afternoon when there were few people about, sit in the long center table in the main dining room and he would nurse a drink for an hour, staring straight ahead, then he would leave. The employees like my music choices, I would keep the kitchen humming with Iggy Pop and Television and blues greats, all from my cassette collection.

Favorite Mac albums are definitely Bare Trees & Future Games. Danny Kirwan was incredible! Rip Danny

the video of Silver Spring is so awesome the way she sings --you'll never get away----the look in her eyes speaks voluminously

An amazing song like Silver Springs cannot be put in a drawer. 'I know I could have loved you but you would not let me' is one of Stevie's greatest lines.

I love all the apologists who just "now" decided Rumours sucks. 😆. It isn't my favorite album in the discography but it's a classic album for a reason. Solid gold

To a certain degree, I can understand the ridicule of the songs on this album being bludgeoned to death with airplay. But it’s really no different from hundreds of other classic, legendary albums out of the 70s. Tensions were obviously high between band members and they were having to depend on that Southern California “ Snowball “ scene in order to get by. However Abby, you’ve provided some deeper insights to this piece than what I already knew. This album may have been an overplayed soap opera, but all things considered, I can appreciate the valiant efforts put forth by FM in releasing one of the most treasured albums of all time. And yet I’m still a fan of the Peter Green era as well. Go figure 😆. As always Abby, an excellent review !!

I got this album as a birthday present in '77 or '78. I stayed with marijuana use and never went on to harder drugs, unlike what people were saying at the time. And I attribute that to this album, hard to believe.

There's a saying that keeps coming back to me. "Don't shit where you eat" Your comment about "don't Fuck your bandmates" is very much along the same vein, if not more direct and to the point.

I like this album, but I appreciate your take on it. It's always refreshing to get a different perspective. Keep being your amazing self. You do such a great job with your content. Thank you!

I love the format of including albums you don’t love! Good stuff

I'm obsessed with your kaleidoscope/austin powers transitions. You really nailed a great aesthetic with these

Despite all the problems with the production of this album ,it still wound up selling 40 million copies worldwide making it the 6th best selling album of the 1970s and 9th all time . Lindsey was a perfectionist and a damn good song writer. Their intent was stated up front to make it a pop album and they made it one of the greatest of all time. I know Fleetwood Mac was not everyone's cup of tea but they put out some classic hits that millions of people loved .That can't be denied

Thanks for all you do; great job on this one!

A Ghirlandaio reference??? Abby, I hope you have a long life with your channel. You are must-watch viewing every week, and you get better and better.

those balls are older than this LP, he is wearing them in the "rattlesnake shake" video here on you tube. that video has Peter Green on vocals. Silver springs was played here in my area, so we knew it because Stevie got the Idea for the title when she saw a town in my state on the sign, which was "Silver Spring" MD.

"she's not like most girls" ...... This is why Im an Abby Lifer... thank you for being honest and thorough... keep on being you ...

Great video!! I can't wait to see more! It is important to keep the artform of Music Albums alive. I like how well you expressed your mixed feelings about this record, it is a thorny record to love. You just earned a new subscriber, and I am looking forward to seeing more of these deep dives!

I heard a rumor you don’t like rumors 🤓

This was great, Abby. Your analysis is spot on. Can’t to hear you take on Tusk with Buckingham’s further madness, the USC marching band and further alchemical stimulation. 😂

Very interesting and thought-provoking perspective, thank you for that! It is fascinating how Rumors has consistently been widespread over so many decades and there is something about the artists' emotion and talent that will undoubtedly keep the album beloved by many. Personally, I love the album but also agree with your perspective and it has made me see the album in a new way, I need to listen to the alternate version to compare the mixing/feel of the work.

I saw them live during this time and they were a great live band!

Also, I enjoy how much of a clever person you are with these lyrical insights. I think you’re usually very much dead on.

Oh Abby, you may have ruffled some feathers on this one girl. I was 20 when this one hit. Every girl loved it, and their boyfriends better have the 8-track or cassette for the car. The radio wore it out!! I never had it, but I thought it was very good for what it was. I see why it sold. The album before, 'Fleetwood Mac' was more for me. It's the first with Stevie and Lindsey in the band. I love it. Watch your back, I've heard "Rumors" of the Fleetwood Mac Fan Club putting out "hits" on people who've done much less. Abigail, we've all grown too fond of you to lose you now. Don't go out unescorted at night, young lady! 🤠

They were an example of why the Ramones were needed.

Hi Abigail, We got to see Stevie in concert last year, and the version of Gold Dust Woman was amazing the way the band stretched out. What a backing band! I am looking forward to the live Rumours record. Always look forward to your videos, thanks!

You did a fantastic job featuring Rumors! I first heard Rumors when I was around 3 years old remembering hearing The Chain and You Make Loving Fun with my mom. I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan and collector ever since. Thank You.

Very cerebral review, and your perspective, 46 years after it was released, is fascinating. I was a SoCal teenager when this LP hit, and the place this music lived was on FM radio. It's produced to sound good in a car or at the beach, not to be listened to too critically, and to sell gazillions. On those terms it was a total success. So it's interesting to hear how this comes off to a smart young listener in 2023.

My favorites: 1. Then Played On (the best Fleetwood Mac album) followed by 2. Future Games 3. Bare Trees and 4. Kiln House…the rest I don’t care for. What is in common? Danny Kirwan

Being a young person you’re able to be objective. I find that most of my favorite albums from the 70s fall into 2 categories. Albums that are genuinely amazing and albums that are amazing because I associate them with fond memories.

Great video Abby! You went in-depth on every track. I was in 5th grade when Rumors came out. I can remember it as yesterday coming home with the dreams 45rpm single and playing it several times. The recording production of you make loving fun is really good.

When I first saw the title I immediately sang it in my head to the tune of "I Don't Like Mondays" lmao. Great video, nice to finally see someone else who doesn't really get all the hype around this album.

Having first really listened to this album via the 5.1 surrond DVD-Audio some 20 years ago, what I heard was spellbinding. I'm not the type to dig into the lyrics until later. So while I'm not disregarding their importance, this album for me is first and foremost a frankly wondrous creation of melody and harmony and expert songwriting and musicianship. Whether that or the production then turns out to be in the best service of the "breakup album" emotional/lyrical content is subjective, for sure. Stevie described "Dreams" as an "open and hopeful" response to "Go Your Own Way," personally I always heard it as a sort of darkly beguiling but resigned "just-you-wait-and-see." I think depending on how you hold that song and her delivery up to the light, the production can be considered quite lovely. But maybe the band would have agreed with you about too pretty, restrained, and reserved because at first they found it too boring to include. It sounds like you might have a crummy pressing; here's how one person described Dreams on a good pressing, "Ideally the bass is very prominent on this track. It should be way up in the mix, loud, tight and note-like, with the guitar and kick drum clearly separated. It absolutely drives the song; the copies that got the bass right on this track really came to life." A.k.a., not thin. The best pressings are considered demo-your way-too-expensive-system-for-your-friends quality. Anyway, great video as always, brave; mad respect.

Oh thank God someone who feels the same way I do about the album. This is pop music for cokeheads still stuck in the late 70s. Makes me so thankful that punk rock came along to kick it in the ass.

As a high-schooler in the late 70s, Rumors was inescapable. It was everywhere on the radio, so I didn't bother buying the album until much later. A local DJ, here in Austin, would play "Silver Spring" on the radio now and then and I thought it was amazing. When they came out with the boxed set, it mystified me why it wasn't included. Now I know why!

You do really great album reviews!

A great and very informative review, I learned a lot about the making of Rumours. I love Rumours because it is so polished, but I did not realize just how far they went in perfecting the sound of this album. Once again, Patty Boyd, the muse of all great albums, is somehow connected to the making of this album. Thanks for all your great work!

well done Abigail, good job of story telling and i like your analysis of the record, maybe what you said about the song being overwhelmed by the production sums it up well. cheers

Love your video more than the record. This came out when I was just starting to work my way through college by doing radio airshifts at night, so I heard all the singles a million times. I thought they were okay; good pop songs, but I never had any strong feelings about them one way or the other. I was more into Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson at the time. I do recall that when "Tusk" came out, my partner George and I were doing a college morning show. The PD got the advance single, rushed in and told us to play it. George asked, "Have you listened to it?" He said no. George said, "I'm not playing a record that nobody's even heard yet. What if it stinks?" The PD insisted that we had to play it just because it was Fleetwood Mac's followup to "Rumours," but George didn't care. It was the first thing played after our show ended. It eventually stalled out at #8 on the charts so I think his refusal to let bands coast on past successes was correct. PS - In that photo of Lindsay where you said he's your type, he looks a bit like Cliff Campbell from the group Fair To Midland, who is my cousin.

I wonder if the silver spoon reference was about the subject being born into wealth? It just hit me after all these years.

My parents used to crank this on the Pinto when we headed to Malibu to hang out with Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards. I've known a lot of interesting people.

Love the album 🎉 Your knowledge about the in's and out's of the events backstage, onstage and band politics are very impressive 🎉

this is the first time i've listened to an album specifically for vinyl monday

Fun fact, You Make Loving Fun is about Dennis Wilson. He and Christine were dating at the time, and that opened up the chance for Lindsay Buckingham getting his hands on some Smile tapes that inspired the songs on Tusk

1978 was the year the 60s were officially dead and the success of Rumours being officially categorized as "soft rock" helped herald in that tragedy. All it needed was some guitar feedback somewhere. Rock and roll could've been saved!

Hmmmmm- being I graduated in 1976- You got me. " The Night Chicago Died" single comes to mind.

That was beautiful Abigail thank you😅

I’m fairly ambivalent about Rumours, it’s an album I have to be in the mood to listen to. I can certainly understand why it has achieved classic status. The songs are, in the main okay which paint a picture of the LA/West Coast scene at the time, and break ups always seem to get the creative juices flowing. If I recall correctly, it was a slow burner here in the UK and only in later years was its cultural relevance taken on board…but I might be mistaken about that as it was a long time ago. Congratulations, another really cool deep dive.

I’ll never forget watching Fleetwood Mac perform Go Your Own Way on The Midnight Special in 1977 with a group of Jr High friends. Stevie Nicks looked so beautiful and mysterious singing backup in that black top hat.

Happy Monday

I had to back into Fleetwood Mac. They were so big in the 70s that you were almost required to get their albums just because they were so big. And I didn't really start buying albums until around '80 or 81 in my high school years. I loved Stevie's first solo album, and then went back and dug into the Fleetwood Mac albums. It's only much more recently that I started digging into the earlier pre-Buckingham Nicks albums. And the Buckingham Nicks album itself, before they joined Fleetwood Mac. I really like the 70-74 period, because you can clearly see a band in in development, and going through changes. You can see, album by album, Christine coming into her own as a songwriter, and feel the pain and regret that they didn't have more success with Bob Welch in the band.

Now I've got Silver Springs in my mind. Thanks for excellent thoughts on Rumours.

Yay contrary views! I've always considered this to be a covertly semi-psychedelic album. I think that keyboard at the top of "Don't Stop" that sounds stringy is the ARP String Ensemble - found in lots of 1970s-80s recordings such as Elton's Someone Saved My Life Tonight or Zebra: Who's Behind The Door. You just showed us that you can do a great overview even for albums you don't like. Just think of that door swinging wide open! :) Great job. - G

I just wanna say that I am a big fan of Fantano moments.

You explained your point very well Abigail. I was Leary to hear someone sh*t on this 😂… but I totally get your point. Basically, it’s just not gritty enough to reflect the time the band was having outside the studio. Interesting take. Appreciate it. Also. Love your take on gold dust woman. It’s my fav track.

Skiing 😂 Abigail humour at its best 😅

This used to be my favorite Fleetwood Mac album…until I listened to “Then Play On”. That album blew my mind immediately! Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac slaps way harder than the other Fleetwood Mac

Rumours was the backdrop soundtrack, of my youth. What played on the FM during long 12 hour shifts during my lackadaisical boring summer job, deep frying food and mopping up messy leftovers from the previous careless patron. A throwaway part time summer job, before my next year in high school. Pop music that seemingly was as pedestrian as the one hit wonders of the day. It turned out, to my amusement, that it was the biggest charting album of that summer. I only found out about this 30 years later, while searching on the web. In retrospect, some of the best tunes produced out of California, during that era.

Rumours does future the awesome track ..The Chain ⛓️ ..Love The Bass 🔊

Their fan base felt let down when they changed from a blues rock band to a pop rock band.

this girl i've been dating for a few months knows i collect records andd she gifted me rumours by fleetwood mac i'm grateful of course but i didn't have the courage to tell her i've never got the rumours hype and i think it's really meh, thanks abby for making me feel seen

All people remember is the final album They have absolutely no idea how stressful the whole process can be Particularly if you're brilliant guitar solo gets erased!🤯😭 And this happened all the time That irreplaceable moment was lost to carelessness in the studio.

I love Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" album 😁💖🎶 Magik from beginning to end

Excellent review as always. Rumors came out when I was10 but I didn't buy it until a couple years later. Since then it's been in my top 10 (ok, maybe 20). I still love it but you definitely opened my eyes to some of its flaws.

Best video thumbnail ever 🤣

I've been a Fleetwood Mac fan throughout all the evolutions. For a rare glimpse into what eventually became Rumours I recommend a live album from 1975, a radio broadcast recorded in Passaic, NJ shortly after the Fleetwood Mac (with Buckingham/Nicks) album was released but before anyone knew if it would take off called Life Becomes A Landslide. They included Station Man 'n Hypnotized in the playlist as well as tracks from the recent album. Here's the "new" Fleetwood Mac givin' an excellent performance but unsure what the future would hold. Great stuff!

I am trying to listen to more music than just the beatles, bob dlyan, and pink floyd. So from now on i will be listening to whatever album is covered weekly.

Some people say they like analog tape because of its "warmer" sound. Well, I guess if you play it enough, it gets to be a lot like a down comforter. Or maybe oatmeal with brown sugar.

thats ok i grew up with it i remember buying it when it came out. i love it.

Never be afraid to speak your mind. Good show. 🖖🚀

For many years, their song Morning Rain was my fave. It's weird that I've never noticed Mick's hacky sack on the cover until you pointed them out. Now I can't unsee them. Blech!

Ok I’m gonna be honest, I was more terrified to hear what you had to say about “The Chain”. Im glad we both agree how hard that song goes.

I think you've nailed the shortcomings of this record.

After the white album i bought this record as soon as it came out it was played alot on the radio as a stevie lover luv her and chris songs when i listened to the album over and over then i went to the concert the rumors tour and that changed everything for me and it made luv the album i know it has its flaws but jus ta great breakup album silver springs i did buy the single it became my favorite from this album the video of it is so wonderful

My memory of this record is fused with the previous one. Back in '76 there was a live clip of the band doing Rhiannon which had this brilliant frenzied outro with Nicks screaming her lungs out. It got my attention but I didn't get the LP. Then in what seems about two minutes later this one came out. My brother and I were in adjacent rooms which, in form with old North Queensland standards featured walls that stopped short of the ceiling to enhance airflow. So, when Stephen, whose musical tastes were entirely determined by what other kids at school preferred, got a friend to tape both he listened to the cassette in a portable from the '60s with a scratchy speaker. And then he listened to it more. And more. When he wasn't listening to that he was waking me up with short wave radio casts of the cricket when Australia was playing in England (in U.K. time, of course). He was more violent than I was so I really had to let him and those who are allowed do. And he did. I was long on the path with punk by then so this was already sounding like old people's music to me (see also Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan and I'm already exhausted from writing those names) so hearing Rumors like this was like witnessing the Hindenberg disaster every night until even Stephen got sick of it. Later, mixing with other musos who had taken the record up as a kind of indy rock template (no, they wouldn't be informed), I gave it another listen. Gave it a few minutes before visions of The Hindenberg returned in massive fiery torment. So, I dislike it for different reasons. Great video though. For which, thanks.

I get it - you like what you like. Certain groups just have a collective pull be it nostalgia, marketing/promotion (Dreams has long since been worn out being still over-played yet to this day ad nausium on the radio), and touring frequency. I did see them live a few years back with the full group including Christine. They were flawless. Your comments regarding Lindsay Buckingham being a d*ckhead are probably warranted, however I will say that seeing him live gave me an appreciation of his contribution to the band, his incredible talent and musical flexibility. Talent of that level can unfortunately aspire to an other-than-worldly opinion of themselves. I’ve heard this is also true of Joe Walsh, whom I’ve also seen live, who is also an amazing talent and incredibly gifted, very demanding and settles for nothing but perfection. Also Rogers Waters as you so eloquently pointed out in your review of The Wall album. Awesome channel! Cheers!

I don't love everything on Rumours but I think Second Hand News and I Don't Want To Know are exceptional tracks on it. If I heard the other songs from it on the radio I'd probably change the channel out of indifference.

I was prepared for the worst... and it turns out you like it more than I do!

I have to agree Abbi, I like the songs, I hate the lack of cohesiveness and the "rumours" package. Subjective because it's one of the most popular albums of the 70s. Just good to hear from you what I've been thinking for years. Excellent review.

There are a great many highly overrated albums out there, but I passionately believe that “Rumours” is not one of them. It deserves every bit of praise that it has gotten over the years, but different strokes for different folks and all. However, might I suggest trying out the 2-LP 45 RPM cut that was released a few years back? It was repressed recently and it’s an absolute revelation. It truly makes you hear and appreciate the music and all of its wondrous layers in a completely new way. It’s full of the depth and richness that I’ve never heard the album have before prior to this particular remaster… I’m rarely completely blown away by a vinyl remaster/reissue but this one had my jaw on the floor. At around $50, it’s a bit pricey yes, but worth absolutely every penny. Though I’m not sure how willing you’d be to drop that kind of cash on an album you don’t care for just to try it out in a new way, haha. Maybe a friend will have a copy that you can give a spin some day.

Everyone’s entitled to their opinions and bad reviews of albums can be really fun to write and read.

YEEAHH! I thought I was the only one!

I've heard that Christine McVie wrote Songbird in like 15 minutes. I dont know if that's true, but i can believe it. Pianists are generally great writers, and her talent is undeniable.

Whether it's Peter Green era Mac or Buckingham Nicks era I like my Mac in small doses. The greatest hits albums for both eras are my go tos.

Thank You! Glad I'm not the only one who holds this opinion

1977 many young males were saying thank god for Punk Rock.

The part where you say “I am a child of divorce!” Is funny because I’m also a child of divorce. There, I said it. Feel better now. 😆😂

Early Fleet was groovy. "Tusk" is kinda cool. Peace on earth.

Songbird is a Christine earth exit n the vocalist contrast that captured the fading light 😂❤

I like the solar ad 20 seconds in

I think live performances of the songs are actually better than the record . The chain on the dance for example is killer always brings chills for me when it does that bass break down into a unhinged Lindsey Buckingham screaming his ass off and playing the guitar like a mad man 22:29