Recording sessions with Fleetwood Mac have never been known for their immediate sense of fun. While it’s certainly pleasant when everything is going smoothly, there were instances when things took a turn for the worse. This was often due to conflicts among band members or their inability to focus due to substance abuse. It resulted in difficulties recording the tracks. Christine McVie displayed a greater level of patience with various challenges across their albums. However, he eventually decided to take a break during the production of the album Time.
Then again, it would require a significant force for McVie to permanently relinquish. During the production of Rumours, her ongoing collaboration with her husband, John McVie, despite his frequent outbursts, made it seem like she encountered no shortage of studio drama.
Perhaps a significant factor in its success was her ability to infuse her songs with raw emotion. Despite her recent separation and efforts to move on, it’s hard to tell that anything is wrong when listening to tracks like ‘Don’t Stop‘ and ‘Songbird‘.
Despite Lindsey Buckingham’s departure in the 1980s, the band remained in capable hands. When Stevie Nicks departed in the 1990s, it seemed that the group had lost its former glory. Bekka Bramlett, Dave Mason, and Billy Burnette couldn’t quite match the impact of their predecessors.
The album itself can be quite tedious. Only a few McVie tracks and Mick Fleetwood’s vocal debut leave the album’s sound disappointingly flat. Fleetwood Mac has always incorporated a touch of the countryside into their sound, but this album has a certain charm that reminds you of the hidden gems you might stumble upon in a neglected record store’s bargain bin.
Christine McVie didn’t bother to show up either, stating to Mojo, “I felt that the music was suffering…” Disconnected emotionally and physically. I simply didn’t attend… It was unbearable to witness everything crumbling. And unfortunately, I couldn’t maintain a harmonious relationship with Dave Mason. It was a very unpleasant experience with him, and I decided to leave.
Despite their efforts to perfect the production, it is evident in the final result. In contrast to the Mason and Bramlett songs, McVie’s compositions, like ‘I Do‘ and ‘Hollywood‘, have a distinct sound that sets them apart. It feels as though they were recorded in a separate world. Then, they shared them with the others to infuse their own touch, resulting in a cohesive Fleetwood Mac project.
The gloom of this era extended beyond Fleetwood Mac, too. Following her time in rehab, Stevie Nicks successfully revived her career, working towards establishing herself as a solo artist once again before reuniting with Lindsey Buckingham for the highly anticipated live album, The Dance.
If anything, their choice to reunite the original lineup shortly after this album was released speaks volumes about their sentiments towards it. In contrast to artists who embrace failure as part of their journey, Time appears to be an album that the classic lineup prefers not to acknowledge.
