Lindsey Buckingham – Under The Skin
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Posted On November 1, 2006
Though he didn’t always get his due, Lindsey Buckingham was the musical genius who made Fleetwood Mac commercially viable, a master of pop hooks and arrangements. His talent becomes most apparent when listening to its absence from the solo work of his Mac partners Stevie Nicks or Christine McVie.
Buckingham released three acclaimed albums of his own in the 1980s and early ’90s. Fourteen years later comes the follow-up to his excellent Out Of The Cradle album. What’s intriguing is that he decided to do it with one hand tied behind his back. Any studio whiz can make a great record with a full palate of instrumentation at his or her disposal; on Under The Skin, Buckingham does it (with one or two exceptions) with just acoustic guitars, vocals, and minimal percussion.
His relentless fingerpicking is powerful on “Not Too Late” and “Shut Us Down”; his vocal overdubbing is inspired on “Show You How” and “Cast Away Dreams”. In addition to a strong set of originals, Buckingham covers Donovan (“To Try For The Sun”) and the Rolling Stones (“I Am Waiting”).
Rumor has it he’s already working on a more rocking follow-up. Under The Skin is charming enough to keep us occupied until then.
