As a longtime Fleetwood Mac fan, when I heard about the re-release of an over 50-year-old record thought to be lost to time and history, I was nothing short of ecstatic. Buckingham Nicks, the very first recorded work of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham pre-Fleetwood Mac, was finally released on digital streaming and vinyl on Sept. 19.
Buckingham Nicks was only released to the general public once, in 1973. Upon its initial release, the album’s lack of success in the industry led to it quickly tapering out of circulation, until the only way to hear the record was through original copies or shady bootlegs. Now, the record has suddenly resurfaced, and the whole world will get to hear the beginnings of two rock legends.
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are one of the most infamous rock relationships in history, with classic songs like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way” detailing each side of the breakup on the 1977 smash hit album Rumours.
Stevie Nicks is world-renowned for her spellbinding lyricism, striking voice, and mystical aura. The beginnings of this otherworldly talent are very clear in the songs she wrote on Buckingham Nicks: “Long-Distance Winner,” and “Races Are Run.” Of the two, my clear favorite is “Long-Distance Winner.” The witchy instrumentals and deep voice she is known for are just beginning to have a presence on this song.
Buckingham, on the other hand, is often known just as her ex-boyfriend. While this may be deserved, Buckingham wrote lyrics and music for Fleetwood Mac that I consider to be some of the group’s best work. For example, on their 1987 album Tango in the Night, Buckingham is a lyrical powerhouse, penning songs like “Big Love,” “Family Man,” “Caroline,” and the self-titled “Tango in the Night.”
However, their individual abilities on this record don’t hold a candle to their two co-written tracks, “Frozen Love” and “Crystal.”
Even if given many years, it would be difficult to explain the significance of the song “Crystal.” As one of their only co-penned love songs, it is both songwriters at their best, and it remains one of the best love songs I’ve ever heard. Given the tumultuous nature of Nicks and Buckingham’s relationship during and after Rumors, this song offers a rare peek into their relationship when they were still very much in love. Before “Silver Springs,” they were living, writing, and making music together.
The song must have had an impact on the band, too, for “Crystal” would go on to be rerecorded for Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 self-titled album. The vocal abilities of both artists improve on this version, and Mick Fleetwood’s drums add a certain grandiosity to the track that it lacked before. Despite the definite upgrade in quality, there’s nothing quite like listening to the original recording.
Their other co-written track, “Frozen Love,” is, quite simply, a fantastic hint at the power of Nicks and Buckingham, and what they would provide to Fleetwood Mac just two years later. The over seven-minute song is a perfect combination of their voices and abilities, and could be read to hint at the nature of their later years. “Frozen Love” could also be the building block for later songs with a “snow” or “frozen” motif, like Nicks’s “Landslide.” The “frozen” motif is clear in the lyrics, as well as the title, of “Frozen Love.”
“And if you go forward (You go forward), I’ll meet you there / And if you climb up through the cold freezing air / Look down below you, search out above / Cry out to life for a frozen love.”
This, compared with the imagery of “Landslide,” makes me wonder if “Frozen Love” meant more to them than originally supposed. On Nicks-penned “Landslide,” she sings: “Oh-oh, climb a mountain and turn around / And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills / Well, the landslide bring it down.”
Nicks has hinted at the connection “Landslide” has to Buckingham, and when comparing the lyrics of these songs side-by-side, it’s easy to see Nicks’ inspiration.
Other songs from the record also have similarities to what would later be Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hits. Buckingham’s “Lola (My Love)” has a guitar riff that sounds suspiciously like the famous riff of “The Chain,” one of Fleetwood Mac’s most famous songs.
Buckingham Nicks is not these artists at their best, but that isn’t what makes this release so special. It has the unique power to provide insight into a long-buried origin story, and a glimpse into the lives of great artists of rock. The Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on this record had no idea where their talent would lead them, and what they would do to change the music scene forever. We, as the audience, can do what they never could, and see the glimmers of of history taking shape.