Review for rare edition ()

I have an unusual copy of this album from South Korea, licenced to local label Oasis. Much of the album was ordered to be cut by the censors in Seoul, as the country was more conservative in those days, meaning offensive tracks would be removed, which was common practise then. I suppose ones where there's obviosuly something going on in the studio were dropped, like maybe "Not That Funny".
Here's what was allowed: Sara, Angel, That's Enough for Me, Brown Eyes, Never Make Me Cry, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Honey Hi, Beautiful Child, Walk a Thin Line, Tusk, and Never Forget. The more popular tracks, mainly Stevies, are kept intact. Just one band picture is used. The elaborate packaging of other vinyl editions is also absent. A description of the band is Korean is included, but I don't know how I'd get that translated.
It is a constrast to the full LP which I also have. It is a bit of a comedown after Rumours and the 1975 LP.
If a copy like this makes it to the West, it is a curious find for the collector, even though it seems more like a promo sampler.

All of a piece, not a solo showcase, and better for it... ()

The members of Fleetwood Mac work very well together on stage, and this is replicated on the "Tusk" album to the nth degree. Despite Mick's stories of Lindsey going off and doing things on his own (banging boxes together in his bathroom, and so on), the overall feel of "Tusk" is one of unity. This was a Family of musicians. I felt the guiding hand of Buckingham all through this (the other members, of course, thank him in the notes), but that doesn't mean Stevie or Christine were AWOL at any time. I love it when Stevie's vocal comes up on a Christine song (or vice-versa), and the gritty, growling sense of musical discovery (again, due to Lindsey) is apparent throughout the course of the album. I used to hate hearing "Sara" on the radio (where it was practically sawed in half to save time), but now the full version can be heard on CD (in its proper setting) and this is cause for celebration. It is one of Stevie's crowning achievements. But wait, this album also offers "Storms", "Beautiful Child", "Sisters of the Moon", "Angel"--all fabulous! Christine's honey-mellowed voice is wonderful to hear on pop confections like "Think About Me" and "Never Forget", though Buckingham gives her a spooky, troubled ambiance on "Over & Over" and the menacing "Brown Eyes" (a killer tune). Lindsey does terrifically well on the frantic, frenetic rockers "The Ledge", "I Know I'm Not Wrong" and "Tusk" (heard on the box-set with a cute new intro). It's an amazing achievement that never grows old.

Ahead of it's time ()

I first heard this album on AM radio WRKO. I did not like it. It was not Rumours. I purchased it anyway, all $16 of it with my sophomore milk money and ice scream scooper earnings. I listened to it over & over, if you'll excuse the pun. Like most fans, it was hard, at first, to understand what Lyndsey was doing. I did like several of his songs, The Ledge, Walk a Thin Line, Save Me a Place, That's Enough for Me. The "harder stuff" at least for Mac i.e. 'Not That Funny,' was not for me. I did manage to see the Tusk Tour at Boston Garden, which was astounding. They were great.
This album is now my favorite of all time. I still give it quite a bit of play and consider it their masterpiece. I love all Lyndsey's work, especially Walk A Thin Line, Tusk, THe Ledge and That's Enough For Me. These were the songs that could be played on FM today and rock. I actually did meet him once and told him how much I apppreciate his work, on this album particularly.
Mick & John provide the perfect driving line for much of the songs and have so much class.
Stevie has never sounded better or written better. Sara, of course, hypnotic and masterfully produced (as is the whole Tusk album) Storms is wrenching and Beautiful Child, both tender and strong.
Christine scores with Brown Eyes, Over & Over is such a great song, I love it, and, Never Make Me Cry is so beautifully composed and sublime.
There are some songs that are Rumours throwbacks; Think About Me, Never Forget, Sisters of The Moon, all good!
Tusk is an album which demonstrates this band's skill and maturity. I love all it's colors, light and shadow. Tusk is an amazing signature piece for this unique and exceptional band; it highlights their incredible ability to express at simultaneously both profound pain and hopefulness. Bravo!

Love it! ()

Though it did not do as commercially well as Rumours, Tusk is a wonderful album. I love bands that allow themselves to expand their horizons and take risks with the music they create. Most of Lindsey's songs are similar to the up and coming New Wave style of the 80s and are short and to the point. Not saying anything against Stevie and Christine. I prefer all of their songs over Lindsey's nine as the ones I'd put on repeat. "Over and Over", "Brown Eyes", and "Never Forget" run through my head quite often, as well as Stevie's perfect "Sara", "Angel", and "Beautiful Child". "Beatiful Child" is one of my favorite songs from any FM album. Good job, FM.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ALBUM FLEETWOOD MAC WILL EVER MAKE! ()

Fleetwood Mac extended what was found to be successful on Rumours, which is letting your feelings out on tape. And that's why its my favorite album of Fleetwood Mac. Don't get me wrong, Rumours is a PHENOMENAL album, but when I was first introduced to Fleetwood Mac in 2002 ( lightyears after Rumours came out) most of the songs that I was introduced to were from that era so I guess you can say that I've kinda outgrown Rumours, though it's still a good listen sometimes, but back to TUSK. On this album Nicks, Buckingham, and McVie kind of went there seperate ways and in a sense this album is kinda like three solo albums in one unique package. The songs all differ in many ways but they come together in such a delightful blend. And on this album the three songwriters to me are at their best, starting with McVie. "Over & Over", the album opener is a beautiful ballad that strays away from the traditional openers, "Monday Morning" and "Second Hand News", and lets you know that your about to hear something special, and thats just her first song. "Think About Me" is an ode to her previous bouncy-pop hits but with a tinge of rock. "Brown Eyes" is one of my favorite compositions of Christine. It has such a sexy and mysterious tempo, sort of jazz-like, and the mesmerizing "sha-la-la's" will make you want to listen over and over. "Never Make Me Cry" is another ballad that is kinda of weary, and sad. "Honey Hi" is a gorgeous mid tempo sort of folk/jazz muse that's drenched with classic Nick/Buckingham/McVie harmonies. Finally the album closer,"Never Forget" is another mid-tempo song with a sort of bouncy demeanor. Christine sort of took a sort of contemporary/adult approach with this album and the outcome was beautiful.

Next is Buckingham who in my opinion made this album his own by straying the furthest away from the previous albums. Don't expect another "Go your own Way" or "Monday Morning" on Tusk, instead Lindsey went the opposite way, making Tusk his laboratory by experimenting with punk/new wave with the song "Not That Funny" and country with the songs "Save Me a Place and "Thats Enough for Me". Even "Thats All for Everyone" kinda sounds R&B-ish. The title track sort of make you forget your listening to pop album and kinda takes you to the jungles of Africa or something. The other Lindsey tracks are sort of question marks, especially "The Ledge"with its odd energetic beat and crazy lyrics.

Finally Nicks!! To me, Stevie wrote some of her best compositions on this album, starting with "Sara", on of Stevie's most soul barring and personal performances. "Storms" is an acoustic ballad where Stevie tells a story of lost love and lust and you can almost hear the pain in her voice. "Angel" is an up-tempo almost punk-rock song and I love when she lets loose and the end. "Beautiful Child" is one of the greatest Stevie Nicks songs I've ever heard. A haunting lullaby with very poetic lyrics written about Mick Fleetwood and their short-lived secret fling, and it puts me to tears every time I hear it. Last but not least, Stevie does'nt fail to deliver her witchy-woman, mystical tunes with "Sisters of The Moon" a dark mysterious hard-rocker. It's one of my favorites because it's haunting demeanor kind of reminds you of "Rhiannon".

All in all this is my favorite Fleetwood Mac because to me they all matured, the songwriters, and even the Mick&John rythym section. The three writers went in differnt directions because they needed to let some frustration out and have some creative freedom, and as a result the band is still together today. Whereas Rumours almost tore them apart, Tusk brought them back together and paved the way for other albums like "Mirage" and "Tango in the Night".The reason people don't like this album is because they expected one thing and got something completely different. Besides, how do you top an album like Rumours. The answer is simple, instead of making a predictable follow-up like a typical pop/rock band would, Fleetwood Mac strayed away completly from the friendly pop of Rumours and really let loose and bared there souls on Tusk. But in order to really capture the depth and meaning of Tusk, one has to be a fan of Fleetwood Mac and not just a fan of Rumours. I recommend the Special 2-Disk Deluxe Edition. IT IS THEIR BEST ALBUM, MADE FOR THE ART AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MADE FOR THEMSELVES.

Junk ()

This album is full of Lindsey junk. His songs are really bad that they take away from Stevie and Christine's decent songs. Every Lindsey song on here has a crazy, intense, crappy melody. They are just so awful that I cannot pick a favorite. Stevie and Christine's songs are atleast normal but none of them compare to their earlier work except maybe "Sara". "Storms and "Sara" are the best ones on here. "Think About Me", "Angel" and "Sisters of the Moon" are probably next on the list because they all have nice melodies and music. Christine's songs on here tend to be somewhat bland and definitely weaker than her past work. I do like "Honey Hi" and "Brown Eyes" but they don't have what "Songbird" and "Morning Rain" have. If you can still hear after Lindsey's screeching then you could find "Never Forget" enjoyable. I don't suggest to buy this if you are starting out. The only song worth having is "Storms" since "Sara" is cut short due to Lindsey's crappy songs.

Worthwhile if you're a fan ()

Tusk is one good record stretched across a 2 record set. It has some genuine inventiveness but a lot of filler. Even a great song like 'Sara' goes on a couple minutes too long. The title song 'Tusk' is an example of the album's tone, creative, percussively brilliant, but very little pop accessability. The highpoint of the album is Stevie Nick's 'Storms.' If you're a fan this is a worthwhile album, but it's a disappointing follow up to 'Rumours.'

Ushers out the 70s with a quirky melodic sigh ()

Brilliant, experimental and even more impressive than Rumours. After striking the perfect pitch between raw expressionialism and commerical success Fleetwood Mac did a 180. It is no wonder that this album is now being studied by rock critics and being hailed as a masterpiece. Buckingham drives the album away from the California rock sound that made them famous, and chooses to go the way of odd folk rock arrangments blended with a dash of British punk. "The Ledge" is by far his best song and "I know I'm Not Wrong" is a rock n roll masterpiece. "Tusk" has a wonderful psychedelic edge to it that reminds one of the late 60s. Nicks is incredible. Her voice is much hoarser than on the two previous Mac albums which is a good thing. "Angel" and "Sisters of The Moon" are hard rock masterstrokes. Her two folk ballads "Storms" and "Sara" are very interesting and moving. McVie does a nice job on the top twenty hit "Think About Me," but her crowning achievment here is "Over and Over" a haunting ballad. This album is as important to 70s rock as The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed is to 60s rock. Not to be missed.

Get the vinyl, the cd is a mockery ()

I bought the cd several months ago, and found the album a little odd. It takes a couple listens to grow on you, but once it does, you begin to see why this album is so good. To my dismay, Sara was chopped in half and I didn't hear the full version until much later. In my opinion, the full version of Sara is the greatest song ever written. Several weeks ago, I found the vinyl version of Tusk on ebay. So I said what the hell and purchased it. Not only did they cut Sara in half, but on the vinyl version the photos are full color, plus the addition of a few not in the cd version. There are also two collages that are not in the cd version that are, to say the least... weird. If you can, find the vinyl, its better.

best album of all time ()

I also was a young teen when this album was given to me for a present. As a rebelious child, it gave a great contrast to the punk and metal that I was listening too at the time. In my later teens I came back to it, and carried it from then on, it is so refreshing, and now, it is the only album that can bring me to tears easily when I need a cry )
Simply the best album of all time.

One of the greates albums of all time! ()

This is experimentation at its best. This is one of the most important albums of all time. Here this band experiments with hard rock, quirky folk rock, acid rock and slick rock. This is Lindsey's show. "What makes you think your the one" and "I know I'm not wrong" are the standouts here. He plays some amazing guitar on these tracks. Stevie experiments with hard rock (Sisters of the Moon and Angel) and folk rock ballads ( Sara, Storms, Beautiful Child). The former two are the best as she kicks the songs into high gear with her raspy vocals. She should have been crowned The Queen Of Rock N Roll on this album instead of two years later. Christine is a bit of a let down. "Think About Me" is a nice bouncy pop/rock song and "Over and Over" is a nice blues/rock song but other than that I found her rather bland. John and Mick provide a great rhythm section. Truly a remarkable effort.

Underrated, Overlooked...But One of the Best ()

As a teen when Tusk came out, I was expecting/hoping for a Rumours II like everyone else. So my response was lukewarm at first, but getting to college a year or two later and broadening my musical tastes, I got the headphones on and took another good, hard listen. And I wasn't disappointed. Of course maybe that had something to do with the fact that one of the speakers on my home stereo in high school didn't work 90 percent of the time and I was missing a lot of the sound. Trust me, "stereo" is good, especially on this album.
In many ways, this has become my favorite FM album. Perhaps because there are 20 songs so there's more bang for the buck. But also because I think this release was ahead of it's time and remains fresh to this day. Quirky, meandering? Maybe, but I don't want to listen to 10 or 20 songs that all sound the same anyway. [In that vein, what is it with our rap kids these days? Oops, got off the subject.] Isn't it weird that what radio plays often doesn't match what a fan considers to be the best songs on the album? Stevie's 'Storms' and 'Sisters of the Moon' are easily more preferred than the still-good 'Sara.' 'Storms' is simply heart-wrenching, and has broader appeal since it isn't as spooky as some of her other favorites. 'Angel' is very good too, and 'Beautiful Child' is as well. In other words, all of SN's tracks are better than average, and there are other albums where I can't say that (some of her solo albums and Tango come to mind). Christine hits her stride best on 'Brown Eyes' and 'Honey Hi.' The latter is a showcase of harmonizing with all three vocalists in fine form. Her other four tracks are all good, but these two are among Christine's very best ever in my opinion. But this is an album where you get a hint of the future with Lindsey's efforts. 'Go Your Own Way' has always been my favorite song, period, of all time. But 'I Know I'm Not Wrong' gives it a run for the money. LB's work here and in 'That's Enough For Me' and 'The Ledge' and 'Not That Funny' just simply get one excited about the music. These tracks sound fresh today, over 20 years later. And there's a certain Where's Waldo flavor to these songs--plug in the headphones and you're likely to hear sounds you've never heard before or didn't pick up from the first listen to the album. Yes, there are a couple songs that I skip when I listen to the album these days--I never could get into 'Save Me A Place'--but LB more than makes up for it with his best offerings here. There are other gems, including the title track, and any Mac fan is encouraged to give this recording another listen. Like I said in the summary line, it has been underrated (the Creem reviewer must've been dropped on head as an infant) and overlooked, but don't fall for that--it's a great album and one I ALWAYS pack for long trips. It kills me that the critics are always looking for something 'different' or 'new', but in this case since it came from one of the monsters of the era, they wouldn't embrace it. Their loss.

A DIVERSE BUT FLAWED ALBUM. ()

ALL THE TRACKS ON THIS ALBUM REFLECT EACH BANDMEMBERS HUGE TALENT BUT DO NOT MIX WELL TOGETHER SARA,BROWN EYES & I KNOW IM NOT WRONGSTAND OUT & BEAUTIFUL CHILD ALWAYS BRINGSA TEAR TO MY EYES... AN EXCELLENT BUT FLAWED CLASSIC.

Lindsey's Baby ()

Lindsey Buckingham takes the reigns on this record, purposely making it the complete opposite of "Rumours." Some called it a bold move, some called it insane. But, where would Fleetwood Mac be now if they had followed the formula just to sell another 25 million records?

At any rate, this record took a few listens for me to get used to it. It's very eccentric and odd sounding. I believe Buckingham did a lot of the recordings in his bathroom and garage. The result is a very savage, almost basic sounding record. The rest of the band seems to be in another place while Lindsey does his own thing.

All in all, it's a great followup. In my opinion, the 2nd best Fleetwood Mac album ever after Rumours. The best tracks are Think About Me, Sara, Not That Funny, Sisters of the Moon, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Storms, Angel...and of course, TUSK!

Not that different & dog bites Sara, film at 11 ()

Although it's unquestionably different from "Rumours" Taking a look at "Tusk" on it's own, I wouldn't say it's as experimental to the extent that some have described it. Imagine if, say "Think about me" was the first single the world heard from this record, I'm sure the record buying public would have been alot kinder about the Macs' new musical direction. The title track is very atmospheric and has always been ahead of it's time but as it's the most experimental song on the set, I think people felt as though this was only the tip of the iceberg had they bought the record when in fact it was a big chunk of the mountain. This isn't to say that Lindsey's new musical vision ended there as he came up with a new waver teetering on punk stylings a la Talking Heads with "Not that funny" and "The ledge" nearly pre-dates Rap stylings. However, Buckingham has some sensitive readings too like "Save me a place" & "That's all for everyone". Christine is rather subdued here but her strong penmanship reins again with numbers like "Over and over" which improves with each listen and gets better as it goes along climaxing in a swirlingly moving crescendo, the eerily wonderful "Brown eyes" featuring surprise guest Peter Green on the final solo during the fade, and the instantly likable "Never make me cry" one of the quietest songs the band has ever done but grabs you right away. Many may disagree with me on this but Stevie is at her best on this outing coming up with the best songs present. "Storms" and "Beautiful child" soothe along nicely and are very ensitive ballads indeed while "Sisters of the moon" in a scary minor chord and "Angel" in an irresistibly up major, rock the box feverishly. I could mention many more but I would like to make my final point on "Sara" which while just as pretty as Stevie's other offerings herein, one should be advised that it is only documented by the single edit version on the CD issue. Please buy the 1988 Fleetwood Mac "Greatest Hits" disc to hear this song in all it's glory. The reason given at the time was "time restrictions" However, Warner Brothers is the biggest music company in the world so one would imagine they have state of the art technology at their CD plants and I've known of much longer playing discs than this that sound just as good made by much smaller companies. With this in mind, it does make one wonder about what the restrictions were but no doubt the Mac catalogue will soon be given the "remastering" treatment all the other old big bands have been given over the last few years and one can only hope this problem will be rectified at that time.

TUSK-a rock n' roll masterpiece! ()

Tusk. What an amazing album. I've never heard the CD version, instead I bought the vinyl double album off of ebay cos:
a) I like vinyl
b) Artwork tends to be better on vinyl
c) The record has the proper version of "Sara"
Anyway, It took a couple of spins for me to really take to this album, but once I did I realised it is one of the greatest albums of all time! Lindsey Buckinghams songs are quite unique. On songs like "Tusk" "Thats All For Everone" "The Ledge" and the majestic "Walk A Thin Line" He manages to create some incredable sounds. There is a certain cohesion between Buckinghams songs, like an album within an album. Stevie Nicks also contributed some excellent songs, "Storms" is beautiful and I like the irony of the very calm, mellow feel of this song and lines like " I have always been a storm". "Sara" is a really stunning track. Stevie sings with (as always) a great sense of dynamics, and the arrangement and production is amazing. "Beautiful Child" is another great tune. Christine McVie's songs tend to be a bit more like the type of stuff on "Rumours" but the arrangements are a bit different. "Think About Me", "Over And Over", and "Brown Eyes" rock! I would definetly recommend this album!!