Music review on Fleetwood Mac’s concert at The Omni Monday night.
Lindsey who?
That was the only logical response – other than resounding applause – after Fleetwood Mac’s concert at The Omni Monday night.
The long-running Anglo-American band may have found it necessary to replace Buckingham with two musicians when he quit in August, but any negative reaction to Fleetwood Mac’s performance without him was lost in the cheers of the crowd of 11,000.
The playing of guitarists Rick Vito and Billy Burnette, in fact, enabled the band to drop back in time and very satisfactorily mix blues music it recorded in the 1960s with songs from “Tango,” the current album – and one Buckingham masterminded before leaving to pursue a solo career.
The only noticeable effect stemming from Buckingham’s departure was a more prominent role visually for blond vocalist Stevie Nicks. Otherwise, the emphasis was on the music – well-crafted pop songs.
It was virtually a greatest hits performance by Burnette, Vito, Miss Nicks, keyboardist-vocalist Christine McVie, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie. Fleetwood and Ms. McVie, the only remaining original members of the band founded by Peter Green in 1967, provided a strong base that demonstrated why they’re regarded as one of the strongest rhythm sections in pop music.
The band, backed by three vocalists and a percussionist, moved fluidly through older hits such as “Say You Love Me” and “Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)” to new ones such as “Seven Wonders” and “Little Lies.” Vito, who toured with Bob Seger last year, and Burnette, son of the late rock vocalist Dorsey Burnette, adequately filled in for Buckingham on songs such as “Go Your Own Way” – and Vito distinguished himself with his soaring guitar work.
After a shaky start, Miss Nicks’ voice improved as the concert progressed, while Ms. McVie’s performance vocally and on keyboards was -as during past tours – as constant as the propulsive playing of Fleetwood and John McVie, who remains the least animated member of the band.
Caption: Photo: Vocalist Stevie Nicks
Russ Devault / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / November 10, 1987
