Fleetwood Mac vs. Rumours

Agreed about the 2 album set. What a release that would have been.

 

this helps explain why I did the comparisons in the first place. The tour starts in like 10 days......wonder if a new tune or two is in the works?

 

A slight lean to Rumours.

 

Both records were totally great, it's a very tough call. But if I have to rate the whole record, I just can't stomach Don't Stop so I choose the one without it.

 

Both albums have their merits, but I would argue Rumours has a stronger set of songs, IMO. However, I prefer Tusk.

 

Now there's a great album!

 

If they do any more recording I hope it is a hell of a sight better than "Say You Will".
If Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham do all the songwriting and they don't record it on a computer anything they do would likely be good.

 

If I had to pick just one Mac album to listen to "over and over" on a desert island somewhere, it would be Tusk.

Between the s/t and Rumours though it is such a tough call. Which one I prefer at any time depends on my mood. Tusk wins for me over all mainly because it captures such a wide range of moods and contains some of my favorite Mac tracks. The earlier two albums that we're talking about are each a lot more focused, which is ok, but I prefer the "majesty" of Tusk.

It makes no sense to me to compare the earlier (or any) albums track number-to-track number. I think that while Rumours may be the best-seller of the pair the s/t album has just as many great tracks that stands repeated listens (Rhiannon, I'm So Afraid...). So for me, between those 2, there is no winner or loser.

 

Yes, but it is fun

 

Exactly my response.

 

I enjoy both albums equally. In the past, I didn't pay too much attention to Over My Head. It has become a favorite recently.

 

Fleetwood Mac is great, but I gotta give it to Rumours by a bit. For one, the sound is a little more something-crisper? Clearer? I think of FM as slightly veiled, over years with different formats.

There's great hits on each, but "Gold Dust Woman" and "The Chain" (great unique intro!) are stronger seconds than the stuff on the previous album, and "Songbird" is arguably my favorite of all, ever since hearing them close a show with it in Wisconsin. Just a lovely song.

 

I love so many of their albums, I could easily pick a dozen....
Tusk is great for The Ledge, who would have thought to use an empty Kleenex box for a drum? LOL

 

I think the s/t album is a little 'darker' than Rumours but no less audiophile. also, I think I'll be downright angry if Chris doesn't close the show with Songbird...it's too perfect
Shows start in 2 days!!!

 

Sonically speaking Fleetwood Mac trumps Rumours by more than a "bit".

 

I love both albums, but I have to go with Rumours, which for me is like an even stronger version of the eponymous album.

 

Rumours takes the win.

Honestly though, they're both equally as satisfying for me. Two of the best albums of that decade.

 

I would agree with our host, these kinds of threads are pointless.

 

Rumours is a stronger album overall. The band sounds more confident. However, I tend to gravitate toward the self-titled album more often.

 

Rumours wins because the expanded, deluxe or whatever, has Silver Springs on it. For the actual, I think Rumours is darn near perfect. Fleetwod Mac is a very close second.

 

Fleetwood Mac (1975) is the better album imo.

And "Warm Ways" is my favorite Mac track!

 

"tango" was better than both of them IMHO, but if had to choose i'd take rumours

 

This may be hard to believe, but I only heard 'Fleetwood Mac' for the first time around six months ago. Of course, I already had 'Rumours' (1st UK vinyl and 1st '80s CD) but had left it at that and a couple of Greatest Hits CDs. I loved 'FM' from the first listen; it sounds great and it's wonderfully crankable, as is the '80s 'Rumours' CD. I think at this distance in time it's so hard to judge 'Rumours' objectively; almost everyone knows the singles from the album and that doesn't leave many lp tracks left to get your head around, so never having heard any of 'FM' (apart from 'Say You Love Me') it was a new lp to me. As soon as my CD player is fixed, 'FM' is going to be one of my first listens.

 

RUMOURS is one of the greatest albums ever made. FLEETWOOD MAC has some strong material on it but is not as consistent.