[The Nicks Fix]

Baltimore Sun
August 23, 1997
Fleetwood Mac
The Dance (Reprise 46702)

Listening to a favorite band's reunion project is often like running into an old flame -- as much as you may wish for things to be as wonderful as they were, too much time has passed for there to be any magic left. Fortunately, that's not the case with Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance." Culled from a concert shot for MTV, this 17-song collection not only reassembles the band's best-loved line-up -- Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood -- but finds them sounding better than ever. The vocal blend may be a bit different, as Nicks' voice has darkened and grown more richly textured over the years, while Buckingham's tenor has gained power and bite. But that only adds to the album's appeal, adding mystery and drama to "The Chain" and diluting the sweetness of "Say You Love Me." It isn't just the singing, though. From the soulful simmer of "Dreams" to the utter abandon of "Don't Stop," the playing is nothing less than magnificent. Whether the band has gotten better (Fleetwood is in particularly fine fettle, while Buckingham's picking is awesome at points) or merely benefits from the discreet use of additional players is hard to say. But "Big Love," "Silver Springs" and "Everywhere" have never sounded better, while the four new tunes are reason enough to hope this reunion is ongoing.


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