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Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album has been touted by some as one of the best albums of the seventies. While I'm not certain it deserves such accolades the album as a whole is a good one. Some of it has endured the test of time while other parts of it are rather dated, tired and shouldn't ever be played on the radio again. I despair my wish will never be granted. For some reason these songs are intrinsically connected to the music scene, to radio play lists and even at the market as musac (yuck!) and probably shall be forever more. I suppose I'll just have to grin and bare it or plug up my ears.

The first three tracks on Rumors are sultry, sexy and makes one long for summer days hiding in tall grass for some extracurricular activity. "Second hand news", lively and rocking, starts it off well enough with this exact imagery and there's no resisting it. Lindsey Buckingham's vocals are enticing when coupled with his former wife, Stevie Nicks.

"Dreams" is Stevie Nicks' signature song. A classic even thirty-plus years later it shall remain such for many more decades. "Never going back again" is my absolute favorite on the album. I put this on a loop and can listen to it for an hour without tiring. Yes, it's that good. It's incredibly astonishing to me when listening to this song in particular that Lindsey Buckingham still to this day knows not how to read a note of music and that he can play like that just boggles the mind. The masterful guitar playing on this song alone makes the entire album worth buying.

"Don't Stop" written by Christine McVie had it's day. I remember a day when I actually used to like it but in my opinion it should be buried in a time capsule and not revived until we've forgotten of its existence. It sounds dreadfully tired, dated and boring. Perhaps to those who have never heard the song it may be all right for a listen. The same goes for "You make loving fun" and "Go your own way" (a Buckingham creation) which managed to gain an extended audience when "Forrest Gump" ran across the United States to it.

"Song Bird" is a nice, sweet ballad, innocuous perhaps, but still worth listening. "Oh, Daddy" falls in the same category, nice, unassuming. Both are Christine McVie creations.

"The Chain" is a great tune undervalued for the artistry found in it. Vocals are awesome, the music is transporting and just when you think it's done this amazing bass comes out of nowhere followed by guitar and then drums and it explodes. A total group effort both in the creating and the execution. "The Chain" should be on everyone's list to take to that deserted island we all talk about.

"I don't want to know" by Stevie Nicks is a funky little tune. I'm always surprised when this comes on to realize I like it so much. I forget how good it is. "Gold Dust Woman" also Stevie's, is a slow rocker, sensual, draws you in. Her vocals are hypnotizing, like a siren song, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. She doesn't call herself a welsh witch for nothing. Guitar on this is great, everything actually, drums, keyboard, voices in harmony. The package deal is good as is the album. Not a perfect music selection but pretty good for something over three decades old.

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