Credit: Far Out / Klaus Hiltscher
Mon 10 August 2026 18:32, UK
Artists can often be their harshest critics, which, in the case of Stevie Nicks, was due to outside noise blinkering her perspective on an entire project rather than the music itself.
If you work in construction and have a dismal time spending months in the pouring rain working on a house, even if it turns out looking beautiful, it will still be the source of plentiful bleak memories. However, many years later, and you stumble upon that same house while driving by, it may suddenly look spectacular as those memories fade away.
The same goes for music, too. An album, which may eventually sound remarkable 20 years down the line, could, at the time, feel like a massive mistake if a miserable studio experience clouds it.
In 1979, Fleetwood Mac had the eyes of the world on them after Rumours, with Nicks becoming an icon thanks to the magic hidden in her voice whenever she sang. It was as if she could take Lindsey Buckingham’s melodies and sprinkle pixie dust on top of them.
It sold millions more than they ever anticipated, and everybody wanted a piece of Fleetwood Mac. Yet, they had no plans to make Rumours 2.0, even if it was the safe bet that their record label was praying for.
Fleetwood Mac knew they couldn’t replicate that success, and instead took a handbrake turn. While no one in Fleetwood Mac had any problems with their old sound, Buckingham was convinced that they needed to move forward if they even hoped to stay relevant on Tusk.
Despite the weirdness spread across the double album, it’s not like he didn’t have more than a few points. The band do a fabulous job at maintaining some of their old classic sound, but the fact that they put something as dishevelled as ‘Not That Funny’ next to perfect tracks like ‘Sara’ is both genius and hilarious at the same time. But even for the album’s signature brand of odd, the title track is on another level, turning a Neanderthalic-style guitar riff and bringing in a marching band behind it.
Further reading: From The Vault
Upon release, Tusk polarised fans who were bemused and dazzled in equal measure. However, time has been kind to the adventurous double album, which Nicks finally grew to appreciate as the years passed.
During an honest conversation with BAM Magazine in 1997, she admitted of the recording experience, “It came out in 1980. I didn’t understand Tusk when we were recording it. I really liked the idea, but I didn’t really understand the concepts, like the dog biting the leg on the cover. Needless to say, I wasn’t part of any of that.”
Credit: Album Cover
It was also an arduous process for the band, which took its toll on Nicks, who added, “It took 13 months to record Tusk, and that’s a long time. And that 13 months was spent mostly in one studio. We kind of lived there, we really did. We brought all of our stuff down to that studio. It took like a semi truck to move us out of there.”
Due to having 13 months that weighed heavily on the mind, the feeling for Nicks was initially relief that it was finally finished, rather than jubilation that Fleetwood Mac had risen to a huge challenge with aplomb, adding, “Tusk was so the opposite of Rumours. It was so important to Lindsey and Mick to do something that was nothing like Rumours. For me, it was almost like we were trying way too hard. Like, it doesn’t have to be this difficult. I mean, we were just making another record, for God’s sake.”
However, her perspective totally changed by 1997, sharing, “Now, when I listen to it, I’m really glad it took 13 months and all that time went into it, because I really like it. It was a lot of music to be stuck with for 13 months and to listen to over and over again.”
Nicks honestly added, “When you listen to all those songs together over 13 months, it was a drain. Now I can listen to it and I really enjoy each song, but when I was there it was a one big rumpled up ball of Tusk-ness. So for me, it was way ahead of its time. I was there and I sang on it, but I didn’t have a real connection with it. And now, I really, really like it. I have these incredible speakers, I like to just lie on the floor and listen to it. It sounds so cool.”
Notably, by 1997, Fleetwood Mac were in a completely different headspace, which radiates through Nicks’ comments. Those tension-fuelled days were behind them, and after spending some much-needed time apart, Nicks finally realised just how special what they had together was.
As Buckingham was firmly in charge of the creative vision of Tusk, Nicks likely felt like somewhat of a spare part despite her immense contribution to the record. Yet, almost two decades down the line, she did a complete 180 and not only understood his vision but viewed it as perfect.
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