Home » Reunited, reinvigorated Fleetwood Mac has `Will' to succeed

Reunited, reinvigorated Fleetwood Mac has `Will' to succeed

By Sarah Rodman
Boston Herald
Tuesday, May 27, 2003

Mick Fleetwood was browsing in a Philadelphia Tower Records store last week when he was pleased to find Fleetwood Mac’s new album, “Say You Will,” prominently displayed among the store’s top sellers. It now sits in the top 15 of the Billboard albums chart and is quickly on its way to gold status after a month in release.

Also, the band’s tour is playing to packed houses and glowing notices across the country. The current incarnation of Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood, bassist John McVie, singer Stevie Nicks and singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham – comes to the Worcester Centrum Centre tonight and tomorrow.

“It’s certainly really gratifying,” says the towering drummer on the phone from the City of Brotherly Love. “There we are (on the racks) with a whole myriad of people that quite frankly I haven’t heard of who are vastly successful, rappers and God knows what else, and there’s Fleetwood Mac. So it’s doing extraordinarily well.”

Although the 55-year-old Brit has some experience with doing extraordinarily well – the band’s 1977 album “Rumours” is the fifth best-selling album of all time, with more than 18 million copies sold in the United States alone – his expectations were not high for an album of all-new material after the band had spent several years out of the spotlight.

“You always live in hope that things are going to go well but this is a very different climate. The reality is, we’re not 18 years old anymore and the people who go out and buy records are certainly a very different demographic, and radio is hard to get and we don’t get MTV, so with what’s happening it is fairly extraordinary.”

What might be even more amazing is that “Say You Will” is a solid and respectable return to peak form for a band that has taken many turns, and made many personnel shifts, in its 36-year history.

The album began as a Buckingham solo record until Warner Brothers showed more interest in a Fleetwood Mac release. Buckingham, who plays guitar like a monster throughout, contributed nine songs. The best of these, including “Miranda” and “What’s the World Coming To,” combine acoustic and electric textures and great pop hooks. Nicks comes through with the other nine songs, including several ethereal keepers sung in her deepening, yet still compelling, rasp. The lilting “Peacekeeper” already has become a radio hit.

The (overlong) album is by no means a retread of “Rumours” or “Tusk,” but the more organic, laid-back tone of “Say You Will” does evoke the late-’70s work more than the likable but synth-heavy pop radio singles from the late ’80s and early ’90s releases.

“It’s the best of the `Tusk’ sensibilities meeting where we were with `Rumours’ in terms of an awareness that this is the style of the band and the style of the writing. I think that’s where we ended up with this album, which is not a bad place to be,” says Fleetwood, who is the only member other than McVie to be with the band from the beginning.

The latest lineup change comes with the departure of singer-keyboardist-songwriter Christine McVie, John’s ex. She had been with the band since 1970 and contributed such hits as “You Make Loving Fun” and “Don’t Stop.” Her willowy alto and sweet pop sensibilities are missed on the new album, but Fleetwood says it was surprisingly easy to soldier on without her.

“It really wasn’t too traumatic, to tell you the truth,” Fleetwood says of Christine McVie’s departure after the 1997 “The Dance” tour. He compares the band to “a good regiment. We just closed ranks and this is what we came up with. Her legacy is so affirmed in our history, and it’s an important one that will never go away.”

Fleetwood misses McVie on the road, but understands her wariness of the show-biz machine. “She made it very clear that it was not for her anymore, doing what we do – running around, having to be available all the time, she didn’t enjoy flying – she’d just had enough.”

The other members have yet to reach their limits, however. And with the soap-opera story lines of fractured intraband romances, copious drug abuse and ego-driven transgressions behind them, Fleetwood thinks there might be a future for the foursome beyond this tour.

“We’re basically committed to doing all of that stuff as long as we’re all happy doing it,” says Fleetwood of potential recordings and tours. “I would love to think that we’re going to make more music, and I think all of us are open to that. It’s going to be a very long tour and at the end of it, if we’re all still smiling, we’ll say, `Why the hell not?’ ”

One thing working in their favor is that fights among band members – and they are still numerous, says Fleetwood – are conducted in a healthier fashion.

“It is different because we get a resolve out of it, nothing gets shoved under the carpet,” says Fleetwood of creative differences over everything from the set list to album sequencing. “In the old days, we were all on such a roll and doing our own thing, and things weren’t really spoken about.

“And to be blunt, we’re not doing things that are mind-altering in any way anymore,” he says with a laugh, “so it has greatly changed.”

Luckily, the quality of the songs remains the same.

Fleetwood Mac plays the Worcester Centrum Centre tonight and tomorrow. Tickets: $49.50-$125. Call 617-508-931-2000.

stevienicks

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