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Friday, January 27th, 2012 - 9:30pm - Mercy Lounge
The Long Players perform Fleetwood Mac's FLEETWOOD MAC
ABOUT FLEETWOOD MAC
It's unfair to say that Fleetwood Mac had no pop pretensions prior to the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the lineup in 1975. When they were led by Bob Welch they often flirted with pop, even recording the first version of the unabashedly smooth and sappy "Sentimental Lady," which would later be one of the defining soft rock hits of the late '70s. Still, there's no denying that 1975's Fleetwood Mac represents not just the rebirth of the band, but in effect a second debut for the group -- the introduction of a band that would dominate the sound of American and British mainstream pop for the next seven years. In fact, in retrospect, it's rather stunning how thoroughly Buckingham and Nicks, who had previously recorded as a duo and were romantically entangled in the past, overtook the British blues band. As soon as the Californian duo came onboard,Fleetwood Macturned into a West Coast pop/rock band, transforming the very identity of the band and pushing the band's other songwriter, keyboardist Christine McVie, to a kindred soft rock sound. It could have all been too mellow if it weren't for the nervy, restless spirit of Buckingham, whose insistent opener, "Monday Morning," sets the tone for the rest of the album, as well the next few years of the group's career.
Surging with a pushily melodic chorus and a breezy Californian feel, the song has little to do with anythingthe Machad done before this, and it is a positively brilliant slice of pop songwriting, simultaneously urgent and timeless. After that barnstorming opener,Buckinghamlies back a bit, contributing only two other songs -- a cover ofRichard Curtis' "Blue Letter," the second best up-tempo song here, and the closer, "I'm So Afraid" -- while the rest of the album is given over to the wily spirits ofNicksandMcVie, whose singles "Rhiannon," "Say You Love Me," and "Over My Head" deservedly made this into a blockbuster. But a bandmember's contribution can never be reduced to his own tracks, andBuckinghamnot only gives the production depth, he motivates the rest of the band, particularlyNicksandMcVie, to do great work, not just on the hit singles but the album tracks that give this record depth. It was diverse without being forced, percolating with innovative ideas, all filtered through an accessible yet sophisticated sensibility. WhileRumourshad more hits andTuskwas an inspired work of mad genius,Fleetwood Macwrote the blueprint for Californian soft rock of the late '70s and was the standard the rest were judged by.
ABOUT THE LONG PLAYERS
In 2004, The Long Players began packing Nashville clubs and theaters with faithful front-to-back renditions of classic albums. The combination of The Long Players as "house band" with the amazing variety of guest artists they have enlisted over the last six years to bring these classic LP's to life has become a staple of Nashville's local music scene and has garnered national attention with feature news stories from NPR'sAll Things Considered, theAP Wire ServiceandReuters / Billboard Magazine.
Despite ever-changing musical styles, The Long Players have proven adept at recreating the sound and feel of these classic records while their guest singers add their own spin to the songs. Every show becomes a new experience with the performance of a different record and with different guest vocalists. You won’t see the same show twice! Please join us for the next album we celebrate!!
At each of the band’s public shows, The Long Players have chosen to take a portion of the proceeds and donate it to charity. On more than a few occasions, the money has gone directly to musicians to supplement health care expenses when insurance wasn’t enough. At other times the money has been donated to organizations like Music Cares, The Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Alive Hospice and others.