Yes, yes, I understand your point. That dickiness is exactly what I think works on the album because it explodes the bottle. Think of it in movie terms. Maybe like Marco Bellocchio — a bratty little dickhead genius — and his first feature, Fists in the Pocket. He is saying, “Up yours, Catholic Church!” and then making us laugh and shocking us at the same time. Nobody expects that approach. Thoughts?

Mine certainly had. I was spiritually ready for Lilith Fair. I eagerly embraced that retro-hippie Third Wave Feminist sound of Lilith Fair. I wanted to immerse myself in Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, and Patty Griffin.

I did not want to hear Lindsey Buckingham’s high-tech gooky-fooky.

Thoughts?

I agree 100%. Especially, when Lindsey does all the instruments (again). His bass playing is so boring. His keyboard work doesn't have that Christine funk and flare. And his percussion was as if he was giving a class in imitating a drum machine.

Also, the freshness of this album did get stale by waiting so long to release it. What was he waiting for? I do love a lot about this album, but it's slightly safer than the little amazing package that Go Insane is. Of course, IMO.

I've always wondered what his tunes would be like if he fronted a real band in the studio. I'd love a "rock" album from him.

god, he's too much of a control freak for that to happen!

That's just it, Homie! It's controlled ad nauseam.

The obvious singles on this album are Countdown and Soul Drifter.

While I love Don't Look Down, it's just NOT single material.

I really like Street of Dreams into Surrender the Rain. I think they are a great documentation of where his head was at in the years leading up to this album and the whole letting stuff go he had to work thru personally. I kinda wish he would do them back to back live like on the album. The interstitial talking bit reminds me of a Laurie Anderson sort of performance art piece.:shrug:

Interesting that that was sort of the last time he worked on anything with Richard and their personal friendship pretty much ended as well.

I liked the imagery of the title Out of the Cradle because it speaks simultaneously to maturity as in just aging but also to the idea of getting out of FM and that whole 'rock star' thing which can be infantilizing.

We all celebrate this release and I think Lindsey did relish in the great reviews the album got. But it also was a little depressing because this experience stung Lindsey. If you have never seen the Behind The Music: Lindsey Buckingham there was a somber Lindsey after this album was released. Its discussed how Lindsey's hit making machine with Fleetwood Mac never materialized with his solo career and why. It mentions how Lindsey did solo shows for the first time after the release of this album but had to curtail the shows due to poor attendance. Its a very sad ending which is usually not the case with Behind The Music segments. I know he did eventually end of on Tina Turner's shows as the opening act so he did make a little money. I think it was a process of realizing that he was not going to be a solo superstar. If Lindsey would have become a big solo star, would he have come back to the Mac for the Dance? After the Eagles reunion tour, Irving definitely convinced everyone to suck it up and go out on another tour. The money was just too good to say no.

I think it was Carl Stubner who contacted everyone.
I don't know think Lindsey would have come back because there wasn't a new album involved with The Dance.

Looks at the cover of Go Insane. How was ~that~ going to be a mainstream superstar? He's too weird for superstardom(Michael Jackson slipped by this rule).

Don Henley(especially) and Glenn Douchenburger were big stars solo, and they both came back to the Eagles...

I don't have so much to say about this gem. I discovered it 10 years ago and it really marked my life, as a person, as a musician. It touched my soul as it introduced me to a world of words and music that I didn't see before, even knowing the FM music!!
I think that if it was released after the reunion of the Rumours line up for the Clinton's campaign, or released shortly before The Dance reunion, it would have had more success than what it had. 1992 was a different time for music, and Lindsey tried to put his efforts to sound like the "newer" music of that time, without a good reception.
But anyway, his music is incredible. Don't count the "commercial" thing. Wrong, Countdown, Soul Drifter are amazing songs!! Good lyrics, good rythm. Street Of Dreams, Surrender The Rain and Say We'll Meet Again can touch your heart easily.
He worked almost alone. Like on Go Insane. And it worked so good! But the ears were listening to other bands in 1992. But Lindsey showed his talent in all the instruments once again, but this time he needed to show a rock face, not like in Go Insane, where he worked so much with synths... I don't blame him if he's not a great keyboard player, probably his idea was with a basic keyboard base! And giving a more starring role to the guitars. "I told these guitars, I mean, come on!"
His worst ranked album is today by far one of his best ones. And as I said before, what he did next, especially from 2008 to the date, was basically the same. Speedy guitars, a soft voice, a basic percussion...With good moments indeed! So it gives more credit to his first three or four albums, because of the original ideas he had on them respectively...

So happy birthday to my favourite album!!! :thumbsup:

For the first time in a while, I recently listened to this album. I was surprised at how much a disliked a lot of the drum machine. Perhaps the technology was primitive then, but in any case much of it sticks out rather than blend into the music to the point where one doesn't even notice it's a machine.

He could have hired Mick for probably $15/day.

I think he was embracing that primitive sound. I love him, but he was never destined for a big solo career. He apparently didn't want it, or underestimated the public's love of weird.

Even just a better drum programmer would have helped a lot. It doesn't move with the music (and yes, good drum machine programming can do that).

30 years ago seems like yesterday, having only got into Fleetwood Mac after Tango's release in 1987, I was horrified to learn that Lindsey had left the band, waited patiently for his long-promised solo album and finally in Summer of 1992 I managed to pick up the CD on import in the UK, it was the longbox version from an independent record store, played that album to death and absolutely loved it, still do, probably my favourite Lindsey album, it is in desperate need of a release, especially on vinyl.

Does anyone know what he was doing between 1987 and 1992?