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List Price: $24.98 | | Label: Rhino / Wea
Salesrank: 2643
Released: March 23, 2004 |
| Our Price: $12.39 |
| Used Price: $15.97 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
If your personal turmoil and professional musical struggles suddenly yielded more success and money than you could ever imagine, what would you do? A lesser '70s rock band recorded Don't Look Back; Fleetwood Mac made Tusk. Whether it was a firm, middle-finger salute to the weighty commercial expectations foisted upon them in the wake of Rumours' burgeoning successes or a restless creative response to the then-shifting tides of pop music taste, this 1979 20-track double album remains the most consistently adventurous project any incarnation of the veteran band ever attempted. This remastered, double-disc deluxe edition's 21-track bonus disc of demos and outtakes seems to argue for the latter, new wave-fueled influences, bringing together a dizzying range of performances that underscore everything from Lindsey Buckingham's Brian Wilson jones (the warm, inventive harmonies of the band's dreamy outtake of the Beach Boys chestnut "Farmer's Daughter") to Christine McVie's knack for jazz-bluesy heat ("One More Time," which ultimately became "Over and Over") and pop hooks ("Think About Me") and Stevie Nicks's pop-goddess hoodoo (deliciously spare, fragile versions of "Sara," "Storms," and "Sisters of the Moon"). Most of the demos and outtakes here are imbued with a funky, loose-limbed spirit that offer new insight into their creation. But, as on the finished album, it's Buckingham's endlessly inventive creative spirit that dominates, from the chunky-rhythmed "Can't Walk out of Here" and "Out on the Road" (which became "The Ledge" and "That's Enough For Me," respectively) to three separate early recordings that chronicle the evolution of "I Know I'm Not Wrong." Rumours may be ubiquitous; Tusk remains unique. --Jerry McCulley
Tusk Reviews:
TUSK (WARNER BROS./1979) 
2008-09-03 - REVIEW: Coming after the unparalleled, worldwide success of "RUMOURS": the sonically twisted edginess of "TUSK" pushed Fleetwood Mac's musical sensibilities to the avant-garde limit. Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was the prime mover behind the record's skewered, "splatter paint" of a production (the group even went so far as to build a new studio in order to accomodate his artistic vision), and the end result cost over a million dollars to make. And even though it was a more "modest" commercial triumph ("only" going double platinum!!!) in comparison to "RUMOURS": time, critics, and the public alike have been kind to "TUSK", and now it is rightly hailed as a true pop/rock classic. Many artists have released double albums at the height of their careers (The Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, etc.), but few groups have possessed THREE first-rate songwriters capable of sustaining the huge demands such a project warrants. With "TUSK": Buckingham, Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks showcase their skills as never before. No matter if its the haunting love songs "Sara", "Storms", and "Never Make Me Cry"; the gentle, lulling opening notes of "Over & Over"; the wildly explosive rockers "The Ledge", "Think About Me", "What Makes You Think You're The One", and "I Know I'm Not Wrong"; the triumphant marching band venom of "Tusk"; or the sweetly percolating closer "Never Forget": you come away feeling that the Mac may very well be the greatest band in the world. HARSH LANGUAGE: none. VIOLENCE: none. SEXUAL REFERENCES: about 9 mildly suggestive moments.
NOTES FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE: although "TUSK" is a brilliant pastiche of itchy, modernist pop/rock: there are a few lyrical conceits that will put Christians a bit on edge (i.e. Stevie Nicks' "witchy woman" persona that crops up on "Sisters Of The Moon"). The intimations of casual sex prominent on several tracks (the phallic symbology of "Tusk" and the defiant "it's not against the law" declaration in "Think About Me" which echoes the truth that, yes, sex before marriage is not against any human law; but certainly doesn't hold up to the higher standards of Godly morality) are somewhat understandable when dealing with the emotional ups-and-downs of worldly romantic love. But because of the adult themes (and "Sisters Of The Moon") the LP deserves a mild CAUTIONARY rating for its content.
HIGHEST "BILLBOARD" ALBUM CHART POSITION: Number 4
HIT SINGLES:
"Tusk" ("BILLBOARD": Number 8)
"Sara" ("BILLBOARD": Number 7)
"Sisters Of The Moon" ("BILLBOARD": Number 86)
"Think About Me" ("BILLBOARD": Number 20)
worth buying if you like this kind of stuff
2008-08-26 - I really like this cd. You have to be in the mood for it. It's great background music or for when you want something a little different, or just to relax and chill out.
Dreams is nice, a very relaxing feel to it. Don't Stop has never been a favorite of mine, same here on this cd, but I'm sure other people may like it. Go Your Own Way comes off well. Although nothing can replace Lindsey rocking this song out live, this string quartet version is really pretty cool. You Make Loving Fun sounds great, like it was meant to be played on strings ~ really beautiful. The Chain has a great feel to it, somewhat eerie, and one of my favorites on this cd. Gold Dust Woman is awesome, but makes you long to hear Stevie Nicks' voice chime in at any moment.....if only they had asked her to do some vocals for just this one song, or put her old, original vocals along with their remake of the music ~ or even just added some of her chanting and oohing and ahhing at the end..... But still, even as an instrumental, it sounds great on strings. Rhiannon is alright. Not my favorite on the cd, but it's okay. I guess it's just not the same as the original, or hearing Stevie Nicks do it live like in the 70's and 80's. This version makes me think of someone sitting at a music store, playing this on an organ, trying to sound really cool to get people to come into the store and browse and shop ~ or like some bad lounge act. It's probably the most disappointing song for me on this cd. Gypsy is beautiful. Little Lies also sounds great, but you keep wishing to hear Christine's voice along with the beautiful string arrangement, but still it makes a beautiful instrumental. Peacekeeper comes across very nicely too, and it's nice hearing a newer song, but most Mac fans would probably have many ideas of other songs that could have taken its place on here. Landslide is nothing exciting. But it's alright.
I don't entirely like the song selections they made. They did so many from Rumours, why not just do the whole entire Rumours album? We would have loved to hear Oh Daddy, Never Going Back Again, and even Silver Springs would have been a fun choice. Also, where's Songbird? If they were going to try and mix it up a little and not do the entire Rumours album, they could have done away with Second Hand News and I Don't Want to Know. Both sound good here, but there are other non-Rumours hit songs that could have been filled in those spaces. Where is Seven Wonders? And what about Say You Love Me, Over My Head, or Hold Me? I would have loved to hear Storms too, but they probably wanted to stick with the popular hits and singles. The last track on the cd, Tomorrow's Love Song, is nice. But most fans would rather have had it been replaced by yet another well-loved Fleetwood Mac song instead, like Sara, which is sadly left out.
All in all, I am glad I bought it and I really enjoy it when I am in the mood. I'd buy a volume II if they did another Fleetwood Mac one. A Stevie solo one would be fun too.
Wow what an album!!!! :)
2008-07-29 - Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3O4ENNJAP547D My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!) and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!!
MP3s are not remastered copy? 
2008-06-02 - Good album, at least half the songs are as good as anything on previous albums. But the link from the remastered deluxe copy to the mp3s do not match. The hint is the new version has 21 tracks, bonus cuts and the full version of "Sara". But only the old copy is available for download, as I'm writing this.
A Bold Step Away From Rumours
2008-05-11 - It's not easy to be in the position that Fleetwood Mac found themselves in after 1977's Rumours ended up becoming one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Many songs became radio standards back then and are still familiar to anyone who does any sort of radio surfing these days. Most bands have trouble following this sort of act because of the pressure to recreate the success. The problem is that it is impossible to capture the same magic again. A different type of magic can be bottled, but the great albums are unique. It seems to me that Lindsey Buckingham and maybe all of the band knew this. Instead of following Rumours up with an attempt to emulate that record, Fleetwood Mac chose to get more experimental and change up the formula. The result is their best record. Rumours is definitely catchier and a record that's easier to sing along with, but Tusk has a depth and sound that is unmatched and was bold in 1979.
Buckingham did a great job creating a different production sound for this album. His own contributions really stand out as they sound unique, panicked, and fun at the same time.
Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks are hardly absent this time out either. Both contribute great songs with Nicks giving us some beautiful, understated pieces. McVie walks the line between pop and lite rock very well here with some moody pieces to go along with great pop songs.
Tusk is not as easily accessible as Rumours but it is more rewarding. There's so much good stuff here and it has a variety that Rumours cannot match. Don't get me wrong, Rumours is one of the greatest records ever made, but Tusk deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.
While Tusk was Fleetwood Mac's creative peak its follow up, Mirage, is another underrated gem. That's the other problem when a band creates something like Rumours, all the work afterwards is often under regarded because of the amazing success of a perfect record. Don't let that deter you, give them a try.
