Johnquest- #9 - Tango In The Night by Fleetwood Mac

TANGO IN THE NIGHT | FLEETWOOD MAC

Hello people who've probably known me for less than three years. Do you want to know an open secret? I'm nuts about fleetwood mac. I mean, I prefer it earlier- Bob Welch is still probably my favourite member of the band (then, of course, comes our lord and saviour Christing McVie), and my vinyl copy of Mystery To Me is one of my most prized possessions. As far as I can remember, I have… well, too many of their albums. I'm a Fleetwood Mac nut! I'm a horrible horrible guy who tends to get really into things, and before it was webcomics, it was FwM! I actually remember crying when that one nems page they showed up in was there. Still too early for BW but Christine was there… she's so important.

I love Tango in The Night. It's just after Tusk and Mirage in terms of my favourite post- Nicks Buckingham FwM album. I could write this all without listening to the album. I know like, all of these songs by heart. But I'm gonna listen through it again anyways. Why? Because, say it with me now: I'M A FLEETWOOD MAC NUT.

OVERALL VERDICT:

IT'S AS GOOD AS EVER. Everyone who's known me long enough to be aware of the fact I was really into FwM for a while there also knows that I STILL love FwM. This album has always been one of my favourites. It has a cheesy 80s sound and it's one of those rare albums where Lindsey Buckingham is hornier than he is angry. And he's not even that horny. And it sounds great and it's pleasant and I like it and think it sounds great and it's pleasant. Every song on it is a work of art. Why? Because: dude. It's Fleetwood Mac.

TRACK BY TRACK:

1.Big Love a.k.a. the one with the sex sounds, is this album's opener. It's good! It's emotionally distraught and has many instruments and vocalists and basically it paints a very goof picture of FwM of this era. Urr, Lindsey Buckingham songs of this era. The other ones tend to have less aggressive lyrics and horniness and those other patent Buckingham Attributes that the average person doesn't even consider. I've always enjoyed this one. It's not my favourite on the album- but DUDE. IT'S FLEETWOOD MAC. I am thus contractually obligated to like it. That's how it works. Also it's just generally a dope song which also helps. Listen to it. Is it not cinematic? Majestic? Wonderful? Awkward to play in public due to the minute straight of mostly sex sounds at the end? It rocks. Gotta love a little horniness here and there.

2. Seven wonders is really really good. It ROCKS. THE SONG ROCKS. Stevie Nicks is well known as great at singing and LISTEN to those instruments. It's a REALLY GOOD SONG! I think there was a span of time where it *was* my favourite on this album. There are so many good songs on this one. It's a solid album! And, dude. It's Fleetwood Mac. It's a very glossy song. Synthy and 80sesque but still decidedly FwM. It's like looking through a prism. It's beautiful, it's karaokeable, it's just a great song.

3. Everywhere was a big hit. Because it's a kickass song, duh. This is the first Christine McVie song on the album. Lord I love Christine McVie. I am innately biased towards her because she was a beautiful woman with great fashion sense and AN INCREDIBLE VOICE. She's so charming. Fuck, she's so suave. I DO wanna be with her everywhere. Urr, I did when she was alive. This song is good for not “Christine McVie” reasons also. It's catchy, it's upbeat, it's not too vapid… it's a great honeymoon phase love song. It's so good… it's so good.

4. Caroline is maybeeee my second favourite track hereabouts. It's a song about a badass lady and time and shit and it's got crazy imagery and it features Lindsey Buckingham going “ooooh whathaveidonewhathaveidone” in the tiniest font imaginable at the end. It's charming. I probably couldn't cut the cord. Or wouldn't want to. I am easily swayed by scary ladies and also just generally much weaker than Buckingham. This has gotten me into trouble in the past. It probably will again in the future. Look, I'm a straight guy. We're all like this.

5. Tango In The Night is the title track and for a song that sounds as good as it does it's legitimately impressive that it hasn't had any real airplay or hit status. Maybe it's too cinematic. Or too vaguely sexual? I… I don't know. It's good. It feels, to me, kind of like a spiritual successor to the chain. Which, well. That's not the kind of hit you can follow-up successfully. But, like… listen to this. Keep a dream in your pocket? Never let it fade away? Reminiscing about the good ol times when love hadn't gone bad yet? Escapism? It resonates. With sound and emotion. My language is too florid. They are going to kill me.

6. Mystified fills one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac song niches: the mandatory one-per-album where Christine McVie just sings about love and being in love and how in love she is. I know I know, I get pissy about love songs. But it's different when she does it. I like how contemplative and subdued this one is. But it's still LAYERED! It's still MYSTICAL! IT'S STILL CHRISTINE MOTHERFUCKING MCVIE. SHE'S SO COOL. As is this song. It's no Over My Head but it fills the niche. And I like it. And if you don't like it I DON'T LIKE YOU. (I probably don't actually know you. Don't worry about this or me.)

7. Little lies was McVie’s other big hit off this album. And for good reason! It's a great song. Like everywhere, it's got a good catchy chorus, it's 80s pop without losing its FwM-iness, and it just generally sounds really really good. Under normal circumstances, hearing that meandering opening riff is enough to drive me insaaaane. Or at least into a thrashing fit. Stevie Nicks is also on this one, as is Buckingham. And y'know what? They sound great together. As every FwM fan has known since time immemorial. Their earlier stuff, while excellent, didn't have the mainstream appeal this one does! It's a good album. I still miss Bob Welch.

8. Family Man. What else is there to say. This song this fucking song. It's the closest thing FwM has to Ding Dang, or Bicycle- to me. It's. Lord he's trying so hard to be serious. I'm sorry Brian Wilson and Syd Barret. This song is something else entirely. This song just gets me. Buckingham’s voice, pitch shifted around… he is what he is… a family man ( a fambly man ) this feels too mean spirited. But this song really cracks me up. If I didn't speak English I might enjoy it more. It sounds good, but… heheheeeeeaugh. It does things to me.

9. Welcome to the Room… Sara , sadly, has nothing to do with Tommy Wiseau’s masterpiece. If memory serves it's about the same Sara as, well, Sara. Nicks’ other song. Also about a woman named Sara. It's… fine? It's got emotion, it's got nice instruments and it's got Stevie Nicks, but as Fleetwood Mac songs go, this one's not doing anything special for me. I think my pal Sal likes this one more than me (hey Sal! You're the only person I've seen mention JQ by name who wasn't also me. Means a lot, dude!) It's a great song but it's surrounded by other great songs. It's like hanging a Picasso in a room of Rothkos. Like, yeah, they're both great, but dude, one of these is a fucking ROTHKO.

10. Isn't it Midnight is prooobably my favourite on this one. It's GROOVY and DANCEABLE and HIGHLY ENJOYABLE. This one is another that really, really should’ve been a hit. I mean, Listen to it. Really listen. Or don't . Anyone who can hear that this one's good. Isn't it midnight? On the other side of the world? And do you remember the face of a pretty girl? Epic in scale and in guitar. I'm starting to think maybe I'm Lindsey Buckingham’s only fan. Why did this not get big? Yeah, yeah… I love Christine McVie but… I think we can have three hit songs on one album. Why? Dude. It's Fleetwood Mac.

11. When I See You Again Is probably my least favourite track on the album. It's not as generally comical as family man and it's not as suave as mystified. But it's still a good’er. It's got emotion and it uses it well. But we're still back to that aforementioned “Sara” effect. It's not a bad song! Like, really, it's not. It's touching and beautiful lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. I LOVE this song. I just love it less than the others. You've probably noticed by now that I tend not to like less energetic songs. This song is less energetic.

12. You & I Pt. II HAS THE ENERGY. IT'S A GREAT ONE. Though quite frankly it verges on a nonsense song. But it's MY nonsense song. And I like it. It works well as a closer. And it's another Buckingham track, which, well, you know by now. I like his stuff. It's danceable and just kind of doing whatever. It's got oohs and twinkly synthesizer. And oxymorons. And fear of the future. And GHOSTS. IT IS GOOD YES YES YES. I like this one. I would never forget about you, Lindsey. ESPECIALLY not with a track record of songs like this one. It's not a super intense or challenging song, but, like, it's good. I'm a simple man. I can enjoy a simple song. So long as it sounds good.

If you like this Album, you might also like: TUSK by FLEETWOOD or MIRAGE by FLEETWOOD MAC

First Review | Prev Review | Back to JQ index | Next Review