Split record review: ‘Rumors’ by Fleetwood Mac

Hello and welcome to Split Record Review! This is my feature on this fine column, but Henry will be back—don’t worry. James let me choose this week’s record, and my pick was “Rumors” by Fleetwood Mac. Funnily enough, my friend Rachel is the reason I listen to them as often as I do, so shoutout to Rachel and to Stevie Nicks.  

“Rumors” is a timeless record and a true signifier of how great Fleetwood Mac’s music is. The success of the album made Fleetwood Mac a cultural phenomenon, and upon its release, it became the fastest-selling LP of all time, selling up to 800,000 copies a week at its peak.  

Honestly, I’m excited to see what James will say about this, as his part drops on Friday, but I see this as one of the most perfect records of all time. It is timeless, brilliantly produced and has aged impeccably well, even though, as rumors have it, the making of this album was rather messy—romantically, musically and conceptually. Fleetwood Mac was struggling to produce a hit, but this LP was exactly what they needed.  

“Second Hand News” is the opening track, and although it is not my favorite, I respect a fun beat and energetic opening to an album. The lyrics are catchy, the tune is lively and it excites you for the rest of the album, which any good opening track should do.  

“Dreams” is an exquisite song, and although some argue it should be the opening track, I think it’s right where it’s supposed to be. I think an album is meant to be listened to the way the artist intended: first song to the last and no shuffling or skips—at least not on the first listen, which makes me think “Dreams” is well-placed. Stevie Nicks has a powerful voice, and it shines through here.  

“Never Going Back Again” is a delightful song, as all of them are, but this is one of the strongest tracks on the album and is, allegedly, ridiculously hard to play. 

 “She broke me down and let me in/ Made me see where I’ve been.”  

“Don’t Stop” is the fourth track from side one. You know what else shouldn’t stop? This song. It’s one of those songs that was clearly inspired by something less happy, which is overridden by the beat, rhythm and a killer chorus. One thing Fleetwood Mac does incredibly well is making you forget how messy some of the backgrounds to their songs are.  

I really adore “Go Your Own Way.” The songwriting works well, you want to sing along as soon as you start listening and the chorus is catchy as hell!  

“Everything’s waiting for you / (you can go your own way) / You can call it another lonely day.” Everything about this song works and proves why it’s as popular as it is.  

Next, “Songbird” is a ballad! It’s fun, sounds gorgeous and was written by Christine McVie as the last song on the album’s A-side. It is pretty, but not the highlight of the album. I think every album, even if I do consider it perfect, has a song or two that aren’t sheer perfection. The point is that, as a whole, everything works in a cohesive manner.  

”The Chain” is the start to side two. Behind “Gold Dust Woman,” this is a second favorite of mine. The drama was unreal. Both couples are breaking up and the drama is crazy. All they have are their voices and a dream, and the dream worked so well. I love a messy band, and I think they pulled that off oh so well.  

“I Don’t Want to Know” follows. But don’t you want to know about the track? As I decipher this album, I find that I do want to know, and Fleetwood Mac does too.  

“I don’t want to know the reasons why love keeps / Right on walking on down the line.”  

This song is such a vibe. I would be thrilled to find out why love keeps walking down the line, and I fear that I don’t think I will.  

“Oh Daddy” is a beautiful song, but not as memorable as the rest. The production is gorgeous and like all the songs, it sounds beautiful, but neither the lyrics nor the melody pulled me in the same way that “The Chain” did.  

Finally, the album ends with “Gold Dust Woman.” What a voice and talent Nicks is on this song. She proves herself to be the voice of a generation and an incredibly skilled writer who can create metaphors that I don’t think the average person could have thought of. To me, this song is about trying to get through things and working to just live your life.  

“And now you tell me, is it over now? / Do you know how to pick up the pieces and go home?”  

The repetition of the lyrics and the allusion of themes of self-destruction make this my favorite song on the record, as it always hits when I listen to it.  

Rating: 5/5