Music

So IM sitting in the studios of the KTSM AM control room listening to some music we have in inventory when my boss walks in with a brand new CD. It's the sampler CD that record companies issue to radio stations that let them know which songs are scheduled for release from the album. The cover shows a person who I hadn't seen as a solo artist in a really, really long time.

Lindsey Buckingham gained his fame and notoriety back in the 70's as the guitarist for, and one of the contributing song writers of the super group Fleetwood Mac. He also played as back up for many other 70's and 80's bands & artists throughout the years and has been known for both his unique arrangements and ear catching songs. Most notably, National Lampoon's classic Vacation wouldn't be the same without Lindsey's "Holiday Road" as the opening credits theme.

So, my boss drops the CD on the table and shares the same shocked expression I do upon seeing it.

"A new one from the Buckster?"

"Sure looks like it. Figured you'd want it."

"Yeah, thanks (this should go good between my Say You Will radio CD sampler handed to me years ago)."

I got up from the studio and decided to take a listen to his latest creation. Walking to the production room, I reminded myself how I got started listening to the likes of Lindsey & Fleetwood Mac. I had just started working the afternoon shift at the radio station. At that time, we were known as Newstalk 1380 AM and our station couldn't be better (HA!). The afternoon show I was producing at the time was a huge hit and efforts were made to keep the listeners happy with it. Some of those efforts involved a music machine.

A forerunner to today's modern music libraries featured in radio stations, the music machine (which was a hastily botched together HP desktop computer and several small hard drives (being 1998, we didn't have your fancy-schmancy 40 gig HDD's)) featured a wide variety of artists and songs that were available to play at the click of a button. I was amazed, sitting right behind me was this library of music just waiting to be perused and played! I thumbed thro each song on a daily basis and would sit back and listen to my favorites.

One song was Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon. I was captivated by it. The song moved me like no other song did before, and subsequently since. I had to hear more. I found the CD at the local music store and took it home. I remember tearing open the CD and playing it in my convertible and was blown away by what I was hearing. The composition, arrangement and lyrics just blew my mind. Hearing the pain and anger in each note made each song even that much more incredible to listen to.

Then, I wanted more. I bought each one of their albums and listened to them from front to back (old LP saying) and back again. Each album was a chapter in each of their lives. Each song was what they were feeling and going through and each note was exactly how they felt. I wore out CDs that summer. I probably wore out my parents patience listening to them at full bore in the house, but they agreed that they also loved some of their songs.

My greatest moment was seeing them in concert back in 2003. Its a shame I wasn't around to have seen them in concert back in the 1970's cause I've seen video of Stevie [Nicks] belting out the songs like a mad woman.

Somehow, I also think that no one showered in the 1970's, everyone looked all sweaty and unclean.

I digress.

I sat down in the production room and started to listen to the music coming from Lindsey's website. It was at least two of the same songs offered on the radio sampler CD I had in hand. I listened to it, and thought to myself that this doesn't sound like typical Lindsey Buckingham, it sounded more like an effort made by him writing for Fleetwood Mac. I really like what I hear!

If you want to sample some of Lindsey's new album, go to http://www.lindseybuckingham.com

*The laptop is still down, pending repairs and XP updates*