The Rumour Mill

We all know that a talented bunch of recording artists acquiring a one way ticket on a neg bound train can be the catalyst to something provocative, emotive and down right incredible. Oh so often the creative drive comes from one member of the group experiences a draining breakdown in a relationship and the resultant angst manifests itself into something the whole band can resonate with, resulting in some pleasing and thought provoking auditory results.

However, relationships between band members throw another spanner in the old creative cogs all together. Imagine the difficulties faces when having a rad jam, thinking its all going along fine, only come to the realisation the poignant lyrical content is directed straight at your inadequacies. Most bands would crash, burn and break under this kind of shit, yet this is not always the case.

Back in 77 Fleetwood Mac released a bullshit album that came out of two years of discontent as all five members of the group had separated from their respective babes in the time the album was being conceived. What makes it more out of control is the fact that Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks who were an item before they joined the band split and the other duo in the band, John and Christine McVie, had also been made honorary citizens of dumpsville. While on of the most cliche break up reasons is needing more space, this was impossible in this out of control situation as the band stayed together and started smashing out a plethora of songs that were clearly about their unstable feelings about each other.

One particular track i particularly dig and that also captures this predicament as well as any other. Driven by passionate guitar rhythm and deep, poignant lyrics this track screams, confusion, anger and a whole lot of time pondering how much better your former partner is taking the breakup. One line from the song is particularly infamous is "packing up, shacking up is all you want to do" as it suggests the constant infidelity of Nicks, who asked for the line to be altered. Buckingham refused and this resulted in confrontation within the band and rife speculation in the music media.

I can't comprehend how they dealt with it, but the Album proved to be extremely cathartic and the band held itself together in this guise for several years.

Check out this clip of The Mac smashing out Go Your Own Way in 77