Washington Blade, March 3, 2011 by Joey DiGuglielmo  

For some queer music lovers — yes, we acknowledge that Gaga is all the rage (more on her in a minute) — the real reason we’re excited is the May release of the new Stevie Nicks album, her first solo studio album in a staggering 10 years.

The Fleetwood Mac singer’s solo career got rolling with a wallop in the ‘80s when she was putting out an album about every two years on top of her steady release schedule with the Mac. But things ground quickly to a near halt thereafter and, not counting compilations, there was only one album in the ‘90s (the dreadful “Street Angel”) and one in the ‘00s (the solid “Trouble in Shangri-La”). Yes, “Crystal Visions,” a compilation, and her live “Soundstage” release were welcomed — Nicks’ commentary on the video bonus disc on the “Visions” deluxe edition is priceless — but long-time fans are positively salivating at the thought of a new “real” album from the legendary, but in some ways underrated, songstress.

All early signs for “In Your Dreams,” set to drop May 3, are good. Nicks worked mostly with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart on the 13-track album. First single “Secret Love” is a demo that’s been widely bootlegged for years so there were few surprises there, but Nicks sounds more excited and energized about this album than she has in years gushing to a California paper about “love songs, hard rock ‘n’ roll songs, really contemplative songs and very Bob Dylan-y songs …”

Even Mac-mate Lindsey Buckingham, who’s never been shy about dissing Nicks’ sub-par work, says the new album is amazing. He contributed a last-minute duet called “Soldier’s Angel.”

The last Mac album, “Say You Will” is masterful — here’s hoping Nicks is in equally fine form here.