Gift of Screws Reviews

[michelej1]

Tampa Bay Tribune, September 18, 2008

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep...entertainment/

Were Lindsey Buckingham not a member of one of rock's most successful groups, he would likely be adored by a small but intense cult following, the kind of fan boys who wouldn't deign to listen to anything loved by the rabble, such as Fleetwood Mac.

But when Buckingham explicitly invokes Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News" on this album's "The Right Place to Fade," it's not just a reminder about his more lucrative day job. It shows that those irresistible pop confections he whipped up for Mac often had something strange, even disturbing, at their cores.

Like much of Buckingham's solo work, "Gift of Screws" plays like a Fleetwood Mac disc with everything askew and the intensity level peaking well into the red. Minus Mick Fleetwood and John McVie's grounding R&B-schooled grooves and Stevie Nicks' more mainstream influence, Buckingham gives free rein to his studio innovations and the more shadowy side of his psyche.

Listen to "Time Precious Time," the second cut here. It's almost unbearably beautiful and also scary as hell. Buckingham plays gorgeous ascending and descending finger-picked guitar lines throughout, then multi-tracks them into a gale-force cascade of notes, both heavenly and oppressive.

"Gift of Screws" is the first studio album on which Buckingham has truly unbridled his guitar the way he does live. He closes "Great Day" with a screaming solo that will have jaws dropping and builds "Wait for You" on a howling guitar line that's like barbed wire slicing through oleander. For all his studio wizardry, "Gift of Screws" also conjures the raw splendor of Buckingham live.

"Gift of Screws" gives free rein to Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham's studio innovations and the more shadowy side of his psyche.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

I thought by now there would be a lot more press for the new album.
If anyone comes across any newspaper/mag reviews, post them here.

So are you happy about all the gazillion reviews he's getting, or what??

[michelej1]

Musical Greats Reclaim Identities [referring to LB and Brian Wilson]

http://www.caller.com/news/2008/sep/...im-identities/

Corpus Cristi Caller Times.com

Lindsey Buckingham always has struggled. At the beginning of his career, his partnership (and romance) with fellow songwriter Stevie Nicks neither was spectacular nor lucrative. It was their collaboration LP, "Buckingham Nicks," that got the attention of Mick Fleetwood when he was looking for new talent for the ever-changing Fleetwood Mac.

The quirky guitarist would feel increasingly claustrophobic within the framework of Fleetwood Mac, and his departure in 1987 was a bold, assertive step in forging his own musical identity. His solo output, like the ramshackle "Law and Order," the slick "Go Insane," and the severely overlooked "Out of the Cradle" all got critical accolades.

Buckingham has continued a solo career, with 2006's excellent "Under the Skin,: a live album out last year and contributions to the "Elizabethtown" soundtrack.

His latest, "Gift of Screws" (Reprise), has lingered on the shelf for a while. That combination with new material makes for a cohesive collection.

The disc rocks with Buckingham's fiery guitar work; especially the title track and "Great Day." The more introspective tracks like "Underground" and "Time Precious Time" recall some of Buckingham's more memorable solo moments, but "Did You Miss Me" and the nearly perfect "The Right Place To Fade" sound like Fleetwood Mac outtakes. Ex-Mac-ers Mick Fleetwood and John McVie show up on a couple tracks.

The heartbreaking "Wait for Me" and the equally affecting resignation of "Treason" make unapologetic emotional statements. Each track explores opposite ends of romantic connection, with hopefulness at one end of the spectrum and betrayal at the other. It's a pendulum on which Buckingham often has swung, and that's what makes "Gift of Screws" a satisfying but unassuming tour de force.

[vivfox]

Speaking of concerts I am less than a month away from seeing Alice Cooper perform live. I have never seen Cooper perform and I am hoping I am in for a treat. This one is titled the Psycho Drama Tour. I am wondering what type of antics and drama we will see unfold on stage. But I am keeping the promise to myself and I am not checking out detailed reviews or YouTube until after the show.

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham has a new solo CD, titled Gift of Screws that has me intrigued. I have always like Buckingham and this effort is described as a return to rock. Watching Buckingham perform solo is impressive, especially his rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love from the Seven Wonders album. He does this alone with only an acoustic guitar and I’ve seen footage of it from a couple different concerts. It blew me away each time. Buckingham also confirmed in Rolling Stone that there were some talks of Sheryl Crow joining Fleetwood Mac for a tour to take Christine McVie’s place. They decided against it saying that bringing someone in just to do McVie’s parts would reduce the band to a lounge act. I don’t know, over a long career most bands have to face lineup changes, just like any sports team or place of business. Crow is an established artist and bringing her in would have made for an interesting mix and tour I think.

That’s all for now. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. In my part of the world the weather is awesome today, so I think it’s time to get out and enjoy it before winter creeps in faster than I’d like think.

http://the-brigade.blogspot.com/2008...end-notes.html

[vivfox]

Gift of Screws dusted off with new offerings
Posted By DAVID REED

Lindsey Buckingham -- Gift of Screws (Reprise Records, 2008)

As a creative and innovative musical force in Fleetwood Mac since 1975, Lindsey Buckingham has written and performed countless classic songs, including "Second Hand News," "Never Going Back Again" and "Go Your Own Way."

Gift of Screws is Buckingham's fifth solo release, but another solo album of the same title was set for release in 2001. Reprise Records convinced Buckingham to hold back that album and use some of the songs on forthcoming Fleetwood Mac recordings. "Bleed to Love Her" and a handful of other tracks appeared on The Dance and Say You Will. A number of bootlegs of the 2001 Gift of Screws are floating around on the Internet, having been leaked somehow.

The 2008 release titled Gift of Screws features a few of the original songs including the visceral title track (named after an Emily Dickinson poem). All of the material has been newly recorded. The title track and the swampy "Wait For You" both feature the unmistakable sound of Mick Fleetwood on drums and Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie.

"Great Day" is the utterly compelling opening track, with clipped percussion and other bleeps and blips beneath rippling guitar lines.

"Time Precious Time" and "Bel Air Rain" have ghostly vocals floating amidst layers of shimmering guitars awash with delays and reverbs.

Other highlights include "Did You Miss Me," "The Right Place to Fade," "Treason" and "Love Runs Deeper."

Unlike many guitarists, Buckingham does not use a guitar pick but rather plays fingerstyle. The resulting waves and arpeggios seem to envelop some of the songs with an unfamiliar and truly unique sound.

Gift of Screws is a thought-provoking and sonically-unique album that deserves serious attention.

http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleD...aspx?e=1221902

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Watching Buckingham perform solo is impressive, especially his rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love from the Seven Wonders album.

But at least this guy seems to be just a layman blogger. When professional journalists do this type of thing -- and they do it all the time -- I think they should be fired. It's the height of laziness. Michele

[Madness Fades]

Originally Posted by michelej1

But at least this guy seems to be just a layman blogger. When professional journalists do this type of thing -- and they do it all the time -- I think they should be fired. It's the height of laziness. Michele

I like what you have said here. I think I know what you mean.

[michelej1]

Buffalo News, 9-28-08

http://www.buffalonews.com/entertain...ry/449843.html

Lindsey Buckingham, “Gift of Screws” (Reprise). Brian Wilson isn’t the only Californian pop auteur who’s routinely flirted with pure genius for decades. OK, so Fleetwood Mac will never be held in the same near-reverential high esteem as the man who made us “Smile.” But since he joined that former hard-blues outfit in the mid-’70s, Buckingham created what begs to be called “chamber pop” on a level rivaling Wilson’s work. “Rumors” made him rich, but the Mac’s “Tusk” was his masterwork. And it’s with his solo work that Buckingam lavishes us with idiosyncratic brilliance most abundantly. The man can write a pop hook to die for, but it’s what he wraps those hooks in — weird and wonderful layers of acoustic and electric guitars, played with his inimitable finger-picking technique; warm and lush reverb billowing within and around the yearning-infused vocal tracks — that makes Buckingham unique. “Gift of Screws” is the man’s finest work since his early ’90s masterpiece “Out of the Cradle,” and like that album, this one runs the gamut from the wacky but familiar opus to the instantly lovable straight pop ditty . Throughout, the guitar playing is close to peerless. ★★★★ (J. M.)

[michelej1]

Leader Post, Canada

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpo...4-38749a79679d

GIFT OF SCREWS

Lindsey Buckingham

Reprise Records

3 (out of five)

Whether you view Lindsey Buckingham as a crusty weirdo or pop music genius, you might certainly be interested in what he's up to. The cool thing is that experimentation is Buckingham's specialty. The other cool thing is that Buckingham won't let the shackles of industry-imposed demands affect him.

There is some flamenco, some art-pop, some speedy acoustic jazz with some eerie sounds and challenging vocals, making Gift of Screws a nifty collection if for no other reason than Buckingham's earnest approach. These songs are spirited, and left to flow like they were meant to reflect an unedited version of what the former Fleetwood Macker had on his mind at the time.

It's also a little self indulgent -- and that makes it satisfying for the listener. -- Andrew Matte

[vivfox]

New Albums
September 28, 2008

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM "Gift of Screws" (Reprise)

A decade ago, "Gift of Screws" was going to be Lindsey Buckingham's fourth solo album, but a Fleetwood Mac reunion got in the way, and many of those songs ended up on Mac's "Say You Will" in 2003. Now Buckingham has resurrected the title for his fifth solo work, the successor to 2006's "Under the Skin."

Mac fans will be pleased to hear Mick Fleetwood and John McVie join Buckingham on several tracks, including the bluesy stomp "Wait For You" and the unhinged garage-rock romp of the title track. And elsewhere, Buckingham resurrects the percussive experimentalism of "Tusk" ("Great Day") and demonstrates his prowess at writing sunny and instantly catchy pop melodies ("Did You Miss Me").

Sometimes his studio wizardry and guitar skills — Buckingham is an underrated guitar hero — get the best of him: "Time Precious Time" and a few others impress mostly as technical achievements. But they still impress.

http://www.dailypress.com/features/d...,5953429.story

[michelej1]

Houston Press, 10-2-08

http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-10-...ift-of-screws/

In the fastest turnaround of Fleetwood Mac singer/guitarist/producer Lindsey Buckingham's career, Gift of Screws comes two years after his previous solo LP, Under the Skin. For the first couple of tracks, we want to stamp it "return to sender." "Great Day" boasts guitar ripples we first heard on his disembowelment of "Big Love" from Fleetwood Mac's live set The Dance, coupled with lyrics best described as verbal tags rather than coherent statements. A couple of songs exist as mere instrumentals: "Bel Air Rain" is Ottmar Liebert on Vivarin. "Did You Miss Me" comes closest to unearthing the romantic wanderlust that's been Buckingham's trademark since 1975's "Monday Morning," but as indelible as the chorus melody is, he could be directing his plaint to a mirror — or, heartbreakingly, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, whose harmonies would've reminded him (and us) of what he's missing. The feisty title track, replete with look-at-me-now axemanship and oddball vocal effects, feels anchored to a recognizable eccentricity; it's no surprise that Mick Fleetwood and John McVie constitute its rhythm section. Alas, "Trouble" and National Lampoon's Vacation one-off "Holiday Road" excepted, not a single track in Buckingham's solo period rivals Mac's "Go Your Own Way" for precision; he's a human being with conflicts, lusts and such only when he's allowed to express them around and to other people. Here, "Underground" acknowledges the dilemma: "Say what you mean, but please don't mean a thing" is not just a curt description of the Buckingham Problem, but a beautifully sung line from an artist capable of transcending limitations, yet content to bask in lapidary gestures. When Buckingham goes his own way, he wants it both ways — and goes nowhere at all.

[michelej1]

Albany Times Union, 9-30-08

http://blogs.timesunion.com/jericsmith/?p=250

Lindsey Buckingham’s new disc, Gift of Screws, is also masterful, which is pleasantly surprising, since I couldn’t stand his last disc, Under the Skin. He is such an amazing guitar player, and this album showcases that talent in both acoustic and electric settings. You can hear traces of his old band, Fleetwood Mac, throughout the disc, but they’re the better traces from older days, and not the more recent ones that involved Stevie Nicks croaking like a bullfrog on top of otherwise good material.

[michelej1]

Milwaukee Shepherd Express

http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/arti...milwaukee.html

Lindsey Buckingham @ Pabst Theater, 8 p.m. Pigeonholed by his ties to iconic soft-rockers Fleetwood Mac, even though he contributed some of the group's more nuanced and most celebrated songs, Lindsey Buckingham finally scored the critical reappraisal he so obviously longed for with his 2006 album Under the Skin, a stripped-down singer-songwriter disc that contained some of his best songs in a decade. Buckingham has walked with an extra pep in his step ever since, taking advantage of his renewed critical standing with a rush-released live album and, last month, a quick studio follow-up, Gift of Screws. Screws rocks a little harder than its tempered predecessor, but its songs are every bit as effortless and assured.

[michelej1]

[Oh-oh, I don't want Lindsey stealing from Don Henley! Say it ain't so.]

Now Toronto Magazine (Canada)

http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/disc...content=165155

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM: Gift Of Screws (Reprise)

Jordan Bimm

The title comes from an Emily Dickinson poem – it’s not about Fleetwood Mac groupies. Gift proves that Lindsey Buckingham’s knack for writing catchy pop-rock chord changes is alive and well.

Buckingham’s furious fingerpicking guitar style is front and centre on the sweet Bel Air Rain, and opener Great Day would be a great song if it weren’t a total knock-off of Don Henley’s Boys Of Summer. Despite a few weak moments like the country-tinged title track and the experimental Time Precious Time, this is a solid offering for Fleetwood completists and dinosaur dad-rockers.
Lindsey Buckingham hits the Music Hall Wednesday (October 8).

[slowdancer]

Not sure if any one posted this from The BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/p4n8/