Buckingham Nicks ‎– Buckingham Nicks

“In the early 1970s, singer/songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham decided they were through with trying to make a band happen and decided to strike out as a duo. Their skills as vocalists and writers — Buckingham also played a mean guitar — landed them a record contract and they laid down an album with producer Keith Olsen at the helm. Made up of almost equal amounts of songs penned and sung by each of the pair, the album sank like a stone despite their winning visual appeal and the strength of the songs and recording. One person who did hear the record and got excited was Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. They were looking to hire a new guitarist, and Buckingham seemed to fit the bill. He agreed to join but only if Nicks could come aboard too. Fleetwood agreed and the rest is well-known history. Interestingly, even though the band and both Nicks and Buckingham became million-selling rock icons, it took until 2025 for the Buckingham Nicks album to be officially reissued. It might lead one to think that the album was below par or other some kind of embarrassment. That’s not the case; in fact, it’s on par with the first Fleetwood Mac album and a few of the songs compare quite nicely to some of Mac’s best loved classics. The duo and Olsen craft a sound that’s slick and smooth but roughed up by Buckingham’s guitar — which both jangled in fine folk-rock form and snapped and spit like a rock & roller — and Nicks’ raspy and one-of-a-kind vocals. The pair already sound joined at the hip; their harmonies feel pre-ordained and their tunes slot together like two sides of a broken heart. The poppier songs jump out first — Nicks’ lovely bit of Laurel Canyon soul, “Crying in the Night,” shows off a light vocal touch, and Buckingham’s “Don’t Let Me Down Again” is a rippling rocker with some fine, lightning-fast guitar work — but the soft rock ballads prove just as hooky in a more restrained way. Buckingham’s “Without a Leg to Stand On” puts America and Bread to shame, Nicks’ “Long Distance Winner” and “Races Are Run” foreshadow some of her timeless Mac songs while also keeping one foot in the late-’60s singer/songwriter scene. Most impressive is the lengthy “Frozen Love,” which lasts a long time but never gets boring thanks to the mood the duo create with their winding harmonies and Buckingham’s vibrant guitar work on both acoustic and electric. It’s easy to see what caught Fleetwood’s ear, and once he realized the deal he was getting by having both artists in his group, he must have been elated. Buckingham and Nicks were no doubt overjoyed to have the Mac’s built-in audience, and said fans were obviously thrilled when the duo’s magic revitalized the band in ways no one could have imagined. To say it all started here is no understatement. This is an album filled with magic and promise, along with top-notch songcraft and performance. It deserves more than footnote status and perhaps once it is circulated again, people will embrace it as they should.” – allmusic.com

Label: Polydor – PD 5058

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo

Country: US

Released: 1973

VG/VG. High end VG, some noticeable light marks. Sleeve has some discoloration/wear. WOS. Upper seam starting to split.