I have a big love for Fleetwood Mac. It’s a band that seems quintessentially American, but was actually formed in England and whose only continuous member, co-founder and leader, Mick Fleetwood is English. So, really it’s an Anglo-American collaboration of the very best kind.
Two albums, ten years apart, 1977’s ‘Rumours’ and 1987’s ‘Tango in the Night’, remain a testament to their creativity. Fleetwood Mac just has a certain magic.
Which song to choose amongst so many?
I nearly picked ‘You make loving fun’, a perfect slice of bouncy positive pop and yet, finally, I’ve chosen its opposite – a great, looming shadow of a song – ‘Big Love’. At first, its lyrics may seem romantic but as Lindsey Buckingham (singer and lyricist) warns: ‘the chorus is basically saying, looking out for love. But it doesn’t say that I’m looking for love.’ Love, in this case, is about pounce from the still night, the beast about to emerge from the Rousseauian forest of the album cover art.
Music critics have found similarities between ‘Big Love’ and Kate Bush’s ‘Running up that Hill.’ Maybe another reason why it appeals to me so much.
I love too the tracking shot technique of the video. Fleetwood Mac made great videos, perfect for the MTV age. And throwing the viewer rapidly backwards at the end, is the perfect visual disorientation.
