Lindsey Buckingham is sticking close to talking points during press interviews, these days Rolling Stone reported this week. Surely some of that must have to do with the much-anticipated reunion of Fleetwood Mac, which he and one-time love Stevie Nicks are credited with turning into a bigger-than-life supergroup, long before that term was handed out as freely as toothpicks in a restaurant. As exciting as that reunion will be for many fans, it truly is a double-edged sword, perhaps even for Buckingham.
“There have been times, especially with solo work, that I liken it to the painting process,” Buckingham, who was not available for an interview at press time, told the Baltimore Examiner during a past talk. “As a solo artist you don’t have to present a fully fleshed out song. Like a painter, you can go where the canvas takes you.”
| ONSTAGE |
| Lindsey Buckingham |
| » When: 8 p.m. Friday |
| » Where: Kraushaar Auditorium, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson |
| » Info: $55 to $65; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
That’s something that Buckingham, who is now touring behind his solo album “Seeds We Sow,” longed for even when he was playing with Mac. Sure, he and his bandmates make top-notch radio-friendly hits together, but many critics find Buckingham’s own work more creative and genuine than the music of Mac. When last we spoke, Buckingham said his stable family life, including marriage and the birth of his three children, had given him a different worldview that naturally translated into all aspects of his music.
“He is an amazing songwriter and guitar player,” said musician Devon Allman, who fronts Devon Allman’s Honeytribe and is the son of the legendary Gregg. “Anybody in my [thirtysomething] age group and up could play you his guitar solos, they are so memorable. I can only hope to be able to achieve part of what he has.”
A critic from the New York Times who attended a recent Buckingham concert concurred, raving about the guitarist’s virtuoso playing and passion.
Not that it came easily. When Buckingham and Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974, Buckingham had to change the “fingerpicking” playing style so he could produce the rock sound of Mac. Now he plays both styles and then some to create his solo work.
“Maybe it’s a level of maturity, but I know now what I am talking about [in music],” he said. “It is all very clear to me.”
Let’s hope that his new dual musical duties don’t muddy those instincts.
