Performing Songwriter
May 2008
(Neil Diamond on cover)
p.32 DVD Review - there is a picture of the album cover
Lindsey Buckingham - Live at the Bass Performance Hall
Taped in January 2007 in Fort Worth, Texas, this live performance from Lindsey Buckingham is a "concert" in the old-school sense of the word. Dispensing with stage props and featuring minimal between-song patter, Buckingham runs through a mix of back-catalog solo material, Fleetwood Mac hits and songs from his most recent album, Under the Skin. The ambiance is less that of a rock show than something akin to a classical piano performance.
Whether that no-frills approach is good or bad depends on one's tastes, but there's no denying the dazzling skills with which Buckingham brings these songs to life. While the set isn't entirely "unplugged", it's Buckingham's unique finger-picking - played mostly on acoustic guitar - that drives the bulk of the material. Tracks such as "Show You How" and "Big Love" showcase his six-string prowess in all it's glory, even as Buckingham never succumbs to virtuosity for its own sake. No matter how sparkling the execution, the songs remain paramount.
Other high points include a stately rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News" and rollicking, rockabilly-tinged versions of the solo tracks "I Know I'm Not Wrong" and "Holiday Road." Fleshing out the DVD is a 45-minute "home" documentary, wherein an otherwise upbeat Buckingham laments the deterioration of the emphasis on artistry within the music industry. Also available is an expanded package that includes an audio CD with the same track listing (sans "Tusk") as the DVD. -RH
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two things... i don't know how much "Show You How" shows off six-string prowess or virtuosity. i love SYH, but it's probably the simplest thing he's ever played. and also, "I Know I'm Not Wrong" is not a solo track.
