Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks – Buckingham Nicks

Just two years before they would revolutionise rock and roll with Rumours, Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham worked on a fiery, collaborative album. The album has fallen into obscurity despite the success of both Buckingham and Nicks, as members of Fleetwood Mac and separately. The time will come when other musicians’ archives are revived and remastered. Cher’s Stars and the extra cuttings of We Love Life from Pulp are just a few on the bucket list. We may never see either, but we can be thankful that an album as rich with emotion as Buckingham Nicks has been hauled out of the archive. It’s a lovingly remastered effort which highlights the quality songwriting Buckingham and Nicks had so early into their careers. Songs of love and lust paired with an instrumental selection as sincere as the back-and-forth brought on by Buckingham and Nicks’ working relationship.  

Buckingham Nicks is overhauled enough to give it that modern-day polish but not enough to reduce the brilliance of those original, still-fiery details. This is an unfortunately misaligned album, which, even if it did not receive the respect it deserved, led to the pair joining Fleetwood Mac. We have Buckingham Nicks to thank for that, an album which acts as a showcase for the sound which would influence the Mick Fleetwood-featuring band. Opening song Crying in the Night is a highlight reel of the tonal additions they made to Fleetwood Mac, while follow-up song Stephanie sounds like an inspiration for the lighter tone of Second Hand News. As far as debut albums go, this is one of the most misunderstood around. Without a Leg to Stand On highlights just how far the pair were willing to go in sacrificing themselves to love. Writing about that is a tough deal which every artist must face down. Few will manage a sincere flicker in those moments, but Buckingham Nicks has that feeling at its core.  

Complete acceptance of love and the dangers which come with it is what can be heard. Instrumentally effective moments from the acoustic guitar and percussion blur mean the vocal work has solid foundations to work from. That makes all the difference for a song like Without a Leg to Stand On. Acoustic work soft enough to feel sparse, but strong enough to back those lessons from the heart. It’s a delicate mixture which is brought through well on this remaster. An exceptionally crisp mix is what Buckingham Nicks is given. A suitable upscale of those subtler notes, the shimmering and scraping of those instruments beyond drum and acoustic guitar. It’s the finer details which shine through this reworking. There are moments throughout Buckingham Nicks that are simply magnificent.  

The electric guitar instrumental on Don’t Let Me Down Again is a thrill ride, and the contrast heard on Django and Races Are Run is an exceptional moment. Buckingham and Nicks are not just offering heartfelt, touching songs, but are keen to demonstrate the volatility of love. Quickened tempo, slower spots, it’s all a maddening listen, which successfully highlights the peaks and valleys of intimacy. Any strong remaster will keep the steadiness of the original piece intact, and exactly that happens on Buckingham Nicks. A much-needed remastering of the album means the oft-forgotten early years of Buckingham and Nicks is revived. It’s an essential piece of listening, a selection of songs from their early years which define not only their current-day careers, but feed into the influences which would become part of their sound in Fleetwood Mac.