Tango In The Night

Artist: Fleetwood Mac

Released: April 1987

Length: 43m 37s

My review:

Initially intended to be solo release for Lindsey Buckingham, this record morphed into a Fleetwood Mac venture after most of the band were reunited to work on a different project by record producer Richard Dashut who had previously worked on Rumours, Tusk and Mirage. Perhaps it was more than just a bit of luck that caused the creation ofTango In The Night, whatever it was I am just glad that they managed to come together again to produce a final album worthy and fitting for a proper send off.

This was the fifth and sadly the final album with the 'classic' and most successful line up of Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks. After the Mirage Tour in 1982 many members chose to follow solo projects and as a band they were in a state of disarray. Although Rumours is hands down the most famous of the bunch and usually the go to for the top spot, I feel thatTango In The Night came at a time when they had all managed to gain some much needed breathing space from one another and as such came back with a refreshed outlook and certain maturity that is felt in the music. This record plays to both Lindsey's and Christine's strengths both as lyricists and as music producers, sharing the roles and even collaborating on a few songs together, remarked by McVie in an interview as 'being far more of a collaboration than had existed in the past' when talking about working with Buckingham on this record. There is also the subtle introduction of a digital synthesiser by Lindsey which I think evolves and develops their sound slightly further and affirms its place in the latter half of the 80's, in keeping with the progression of pop music to include more electronic and synthesised sounds.

I was first introduced to Fleetwood Mac by my godfather who would burn CD's for me to play on my portable CD player and then later download onto my MP3 player, yes I was a victim of both of these short lived and bizarre fashions in the early 2000's, before everyone had a smart phone and a music streaming membership. Rumours was actually the first record I received and Fleetwood Mac have been a constant soundtrack throughout my life ever since their introduction to me. I have vivid memories of leaving the hospital after my Grandad died and choosing to listen to them, their songs have always been full of emotion and tied to big events in my life.

Big Love was one of the tunes written by Lindsey that was nearly completed and destined for use on his solo album before it was used as the opener for this album. I do like this track here but after seeing him play it live by himself, it makes sense that it was written as a solo song, here he showcases just how talented a guitarist he really is and his unaccompanied version will always be my favourite. I have included the video of him playing it live in the 'Other useful links' section below if you fancy checking it out. Next up is Seven Wonders, one of tunes that showcases Stevie on vocals, she was absent for a lot of the recording of this album due to rehab but impacts and lifts this song for sure. Everywhere follows and is my stand out song which I go into more detail below. Caroline and the title trackTango In The Night are both written by Lindsey again and are more geared to his style with a Classic or Hard Rock vibe, especially the latter with its powerful drums and emphasis on the electric guitar solo. Things are slowed down for the end of the first side as we hear Mystified the first collaboration of Lindsey and Christine, a mellow and delicate number that juxtaposes the previous song perfectly providing a calm and tender conclusion. Flipping the record we have Little Lies another highlight of the album and again it is written by Christine with genuine and impassioned lyrics that convey emotions that everyone can recognise and relate to. Family Man sees us back in Lindsey's corner for the credits with a fun, fingerpicking guitar laden track before Welcome To The Room... Sara, which was written by Stevie while in rehab. Isn't It Midnight is the second collab between Lyndsey and Christine and magnificently brings both their unique styles together with fantastic vocals/lyrics and heavily distorted electric guitar solos. Stevie provides the music and lyrics for When I See You Again which brings the mood down again for an emotive ballad allowing time for reflection. Last up is You And I, Part II the final collab between Lindsey and Christine and a jubilant and upbeat resolution to the record musically, I think it is important for them to leave on a positive note and this song does exactly that.

The reason I think this album works so well is because you have each band member that brings their own unique style while also allowing them to interweave and work together, most notably with the collaborative efforts from Buckingham and McVie. This provides them the scope to touch on so many different styles and genres while retaining that sense of cohesion in the album, Stevie brings the slower and slightly more bleak elements, but these are balanced well with the other songs and are an integral addition while not governing the overall sound of the album too strongly. I love this record and feel like this is the best Fleetwood Mac album due in part to the unbeatable line up, but most importantly their ability to combine and coordinate together so effectively and efficiently as a complete band, something that I feel was lacking in their previous albums.

Stand out song: Everywhere

Again this was such a difficult task to single out just one song, this record is jam packed with hits and you could make a decent case for over half of the tunes on this record. Alas I have chosen Everywhere, one of the most successful singles taken from the album and the highest climbing release in the UK charts, peaking at no. 4 and making it onto many 'best of 80's' compilations since then. This song will always hold a special place in my heart and brings back memories of festivals and friendships old, specifically the Psychemagik Summer of love edit that was doing the rounds across all the festivals when I was still a teenager. The original is a beautifully simple piece with deep heartfelt lyrics with a warm, reassuring undercurrent that produces a timeless pop classic. I am a particular fan of the iconic intro that perfectly introduces the song and never fails to trigger the release of dopamine when I hear it. It comprises of both acoustic and electric guitar and like much of the album, this song was also recorded at half speed and then later sped up to normal, shifting the harmonics and producing the open an airy characteristics that you can hear so wonderfully. At the time of recording that was the only way to create these sound effects, which meant that each song was painstakingly played for around 10 minutes to eventually get what you hear on the album now. A masterful example of how music can transcend generations and languages to be appreciated all around the world almost 40 years later, and one which I am sure will still be appreciated 40 years from now, even if it is only me still listening!

When to listen:

There is never a bad time for Fleetwood Mac but I feel that this album, as with many more of their releases, is overflowing with raw emotion, I cant help but tap into that while listening and feel a mix of nostalgia and melancholy simultaneously for what once was. I like to listen to this album when I get those urges to revisit the past and reflect on where and who I was and how I got to where and who I am today, constantly trying to learn, evolve and grow as a person. I feel it is important to acknowledge the past because those experiences helped shape who you are today, but it is equally as important to return to the present and try to keep an eye occasionally on the future.

Spotify: Listen here

Vinyl:

The cover design is actually a painting by Brett-Livingston Strong that was hanging in Lindsey's house, where a lot of the recording sessions took place. It is titled Homage á Henri Rousseau and emulates the colourful jungle scenes that Rousseau is best known. For me it fits the music perfectly, offering a dreamy and romantic outlook with the glistening sparkles adding a mystical air, a vibrant and fond farewell to this era of the bands line up. Again this was an original record from 1987 that I purchased second hand and it plays as such, it is a quiet but crisp sounding pressing with the odd crackles and pops as you might expect from a long and well used life on the turnable. - Discogs link

A.D.R.E.W.

A Different Record Every Week

Tango In The Night

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A.D.R.E.W.

A Different Record Every Week