Fleetwood Mac Tusk cropped album cover
Home » Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, The Eagles’ The Long Run

Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, The Eagles’ The Long Run

LONG AND EAGERLY AWAITED, Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk comes as the most spectacular event in records since Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. Less of an event is the release of The Long Run by the Eagles, who have delivered a workmanlike disc full of neither disappointments nor surprises. Tusk stretches the limits of the recording medium. The Long Run stays safely within them.

Fleetwood MacLONG AND EAGERLY AWAITED, Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk comes as the most spectacular event in records since Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. Less of an event is the release of The Long Run by the Eagles, who have delivered a workmanlike disc full of neither disappointments nor surprises. Tusk stretches the limits of the recording medium. The Long Run stays safely within them.

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, released almost three years ago, sold 14 million copies, and the record industry’s anticipation of Tusk has been somewhat more intense than waiting for ketchup out of a bottle. One of the maxims of the industry is that a big hit brings people into the stores. Except for its double-disc price of $15.98, Tusk ought to leave Rumours in the dust, conferring a new regality on Fleetwood Mac.

Tusk ought to do for Fleetwood Mac what Sgt. Pepper did for the Beatles, which was to wrench recognition from the adult establishment, not just for commercial success for esthetics but because the thrust of the music finally bridged the generation gap. But Tusk is not as tight as Sgt. Pepper. It’s more reminiscent of the Beatles’ double-disc White Album because it has more room to express the sharp musical differences between the three songwriters of the group, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks.

Certainly Tusk ought to skyrocket Fleetwood Mac out of the strictly teeny-bopper category that last year made the Capital Centre think it could present the group so appallingly, with general-admission tickets and no seats on the floor so that you had to stand in the crush as if you were watching the correct from a cattle car.

The surprises on Tusk are provided mainly by Buckingham, who sheds his pretty-boy image with this album to emerge as an intense John Lennon-like genius, with a studio in his house where he experiments with sounds and syncopation, and lyrics so cutting they don’t even leave scars.

Buckingham would record tapes at home and bring them into the studio for the other in the group to hear. They began to understand what he was trying to do and got behind it, contributing fills, rhythms and harmonies, sometimes in nonsensical whispers, that track enigmatically through both discs.

The most mysterious song is the title cut, “Tusk,” for which drummer manager Mike Fleetwood provided the drum track and then rented Dodger Stadium for overdubs by the horns of the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band. Released as a single with a background of unintelligible crowd noises, and acid lyrics, Tusk will probably be the first hit off the album.

The album emerges as a personal triumph for Buckingham, with the credit on the sleeve reading, “Produced by Fleetwood Mac (Special Thanks To Lindsey Buckingham).” But there are other surprises. When Stevie Nicks sings “Sara,” a tune that could easily be criticized as a construction of ’50ish schlock with the same melody as Love Unlimited’s “Love’s There,” she sings her fragile lyrics so beautifully you just might find tears running down your cheeks.

Tusk leaves you at a loss to compare Fleetwood Mac with any other group except the Beatles, largely because of the depth on its songwriting bench. If Buckingham is Lennon, then Stevie Nicks is Paul McCartney. She knows enough about what delights the ear to end up the big moneymaker.

Still there is a difference, and that difference is women. As others have already pointed out, Fleetwood Mac is the first group of the Beatles’ caliber to integrate women so successfully.

When Tusk will not surprise you is in the unmistakable Fleetwood Mac sound that you remember from “You Make Loving Fun.” It’s as haunting as ever but embarrassingly predicted, with bassist John McVie favoring pedal tones in eighth notes like a rotor, while Buckingham’s guitar contributes bluesy licks in a two chord vamp.

But the magic is in the interaction of the group, in the performances and in the feel, and especially in the psychic communication that goes on among them. Fleetwood Mac pumps you full of energy, romantic and mellow, without dulling the edge you need to cut your way through reality.

The only anxiety you get from Tusk is wondering how much longer this cartel of talent, featuring two pairs of ex-lovers, can keep their egos, tempers and band intact.

As for the Eagles, The Long Run is far from a disaster. It’s just another Eagles album. There is experimentation throughout the disc and even at their worst, the Eagles are nothing short of great, but there are no cuts on The Long Run that achieve the brilliance of “Lyin’ Eyes” or “Hotel California” or even “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Eagles fans will be well satisfied with this album, which is already No. 1 on the pop charts. “Heartache Tonight,” the first single off the album, is also a hit. “I Can’t Tell You Why,” sung by the group’s new bass player, Timothy Schmit, formerly with Poco, promises to be another. “In the City,” featuring Joe Walsh, could be still one more. But whether any of these cuts will grow on us the way previous Eagles hits did is still questionable. These are all more solid than inspired.

To experience the Eagles’ sound is always a job. The Eagles are also storytellers, and their stories are superlatively told. In The Long Run, the Eagles maintain their quality, but they don’t reach any further.

Al Aronowitz / Washington Post / November 14, 1979

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LIVE IN CONCERT (2024)

Stevie Nicks

MAY 3, 2024 – MAY 5, 2024
Lovin’ Life Fest
Charlotte, NC
TICKETS

MAY 7, 2024
Enterprise Center
St Louis, MO
TICKETS

MAY 10, 2024
WinStar World Casino & Resort
Thackerville, OK
TICKETS

MAY 14, 2024
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, TN
TICKETS

MAY 18, 2024
Frost Bank Center
San Antonio, TX
TICKETS

MAY 21, 2024
Yaamava’ Resort & Casino – Yaamava’ Theater
Highland, CA
TICKETS

MAY 24, 2024
BottleRock Napa Valley
Napa, CA
TICKETS

MAY 27, 2024
Delta Center
Salt Lake City, UT
TICKETS

MAY 30, 2024
Ball Arena
Denver, CO
TICKETS

JUN 4
Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
TICKETS

JUN 9 
Mohegan Sun Casino
Uncasville, CT
TICKETS

JUN 12
MVP Arena
Albany, NY
TICKETS

JUN 15
Hersheypark Stadium
Hershey, PA
TICKETS

JUN 18
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, MI
TICKETS

JUN 21, 2024 (with Billy Joel)
Soldier Field
Chicago, IL
TICKETS

JUL 12, 2024
BST Hyde Park
London, England
TICKETS

^ Non-Live Nation show


Previous 2023 dates

March 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Los Angeles, CA
SoFi Stadium

March 15, 2023
Seattle, WA
Climate Pledge Arena

March 18, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
T-Mobile Arena

May 12, 2023
Raleigh, NC
PNC Arena

May 16, 2023
Knoxville, TN
Thompson-Boling Arena

May 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Nashville, TN
Nissan Stadium

May 22, 2023
Atlanta, GA
State Farm Arena

May 25, 2023
Orlando, FL
Amway Center

June 16, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Philadelphia, PA
Lincoln Financial Field

June 20, 2023
Toronto, ON (Canada)
Scotiabank Arena

June 23, 2023
Chicago, IL
United Center

June 27, 2023
Louisville, KY
KFC Yum! Center

August 5, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Columbus, OH
Ohio Stadium

August 8, 2023
Milwaukee, WI
Fiserv Forum

August 12, 2023
Houston, TX
Toyota Center

August 15, 2023
Austin, TX
Moody Center

August 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Kansas City, MO
Arrowhead Stadium

September 23, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Foxborough, MA
Gillette Stadium

September 27, 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
PPG Paints Arena

October 1, 2023
New York, NY
Madison Square Garden

October 4, 2023
Buffalo, NY
KeyBank Center

October 7, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Baltimore, MD 
M&T Bank Stadium

October 28, 2023
Memphis, TN
FedEx Forum

November 1, 2023
Savannah, GA
Enmarket Arena

November 4, 2023
Allentown, PA
PPL Center

November 7, 2023
Detroit, MI
Little Caesars Arena

November 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Minneapolis, MN
U.S. Bank Stadium

November 29, 2023
San Diego, CA
Viejas Arena

December 2, 2023
Inglewood, CA
The Kia Forum

December 5, 2023
Palm Desert, CA
Acisure Arena

December  8, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Phoenix, AZ
Chase Field

December 12, 2023
Sacramento, CA
Golden 1 Center

December 15, 2023
San Francisco, CA
Chase Center

FEB 10, 2024
Mark G Etess Arena
Atlantic City, NJ

FEB 14, 2024
UBS Arena
Belmont Park, NY

FEB 17, 2024
CFG Bank Arena
Baltimore, MD

FEB 21, 2024
Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Greenville, SC

FEB 24, 2024
Hard Rock Live
Hollywood, FL

FEB 28, 2024
Smoothie King Center
New Orleans, LA

MAR 3, 2024
CHI Health Center
Omaha, NE

MAR 6, 2024
Simmons Bank Arena
North Little Rock, AR

MAR 9, 2024
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX
Billy Joel

 



2022 Tour

Stevie Nicks

Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass, CO
Labor Day 2022

Ravinia Festival
Highland Park, IL
September 8, 2022
September 10, 2022

Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI
September 13, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sea Hear Now Festival
Asbury, NJ
September 17, 2022

Xfinity Center
Mansfield, MA
September 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Maine Savings Amphitheatre
Bangor, ME
September 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sound on Sound Festival
Bridgeport, CT
September 24-25, 2022

Ohana Festival
Dana Point, CA
September 30, 2022

Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, CA
October 3, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Ak-Chin Pavilion

Phoenix, AZ
October 6, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

The Woodlands, TX
October 9, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Alpharetta, GA
October 12, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ascend Amphitheater
Nashville, TN
October 16, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Credit One Stadium
Charleston, SC
October 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

PNC Music Pavilion
Charlotte, NC
October 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL
October 25, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
October 28, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Orion Amphitheatre
Huntsville, AL
October 31, 2022

RESCHEDULED SHOWS

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Woodlands, TX
November 2, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ak-Chin Pavilion
Phoenix, AZ
November 5, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton