10 Overrated Rock Albums Of The 80s
3. Fleetwood Mac - Tango In The Night
Even for a band that could press on through the bad times, Tango In The Night was a difficult one for Fleetwood Mac. The classic line up was all but finished, with Lindsay Buckinhham out the door as soon as it wrapped. All the same, the album sold well, spawning some hit singles and pleasing the critics.
The sound of the band disintegrating is all too clear, though. Gone are the lush melodies and the unmistakable quality of their ‘70s heyday. It’s 1987 now, and the Mac are out of their comfort zone, delivering zeitgeisty moody rock that just isn’t their strong suit.
“Little Lies” has a lead vocal that slightly eludes Christine McVie, and the titular track was one of Buckingham’s strangest cuts to date, an eerily spacious song in which the rest of the group clearly gave their former leader some space to work out his own issues in an attempt to placate him.
When they return to their comfort zone, like McVie’s joyous “Everywhere”, things go a lot smoother. For the band who’ve soundtracked so many moments of pure optimism, though, they sound bereft of confidence.