Customer Reviews

Behind the Mask

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Unless Lindsey Buckingham's music is your only reason for listening to Fleetwood Mac, this item is a must-have. Christine and Stevie showcase some of their best work here, including Affairs of the Heart, Freedom, and The Second Time by Stevie, and Skies the Limit and Save Me, excellent efforts by Christine.

One thing that did take me by surprise is how much I really did like the music of the "new" guys, Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. Their music fits very well with what we have come to know as Fleetwood Mac - highlights include Hard Feelings and Stand on the Rock.

In summary, listen to the clips at the bottom of this page; you will not be disappointed.

Reading allmusic.com's embarrassing review of this album (1.5 out of 5 stars), I was really shocked. Obviously, this is a record which polarizes both critics and fans, but I think we ought to be fair. The reality is that "Behind the mask" is a delightful exception to FM's later-era sound. "Tango in the night" was inconsistent and weird, showing that Lindsey's influence was probably becoming too big. However, "Behind the mask" is an attempt to go back to a more organic and less lightweight sound. "Save me" and the title track are among Christine's best songs ever, and "Affairs of the heart" proves that Stevie's voice is still good. Billy and Rick add some new color to FM's sound with the rockabilly of "When the sun..", the psychedelic "In the back..", and the classic rock of "Stand on..". All in all, there's absolutely no reason for bashing this album as 'uninspired' or 'lackluster'. I recommend you to check out Rick Vito's solo album "King of hearts", with backing vocals by Stevie on two songs.

I'm sorry but I just do not agree with the general consensus that Lindsey Buckingham was this brilliant producer. The more control he took over the production, the more bland the albums got. Can anyone honestly say that most of "Mirage" was anything but mediocre soft rock? Does anyone really like more than half the songs on side two of "Tango in the Night"?

"Behind the Mask" to me is the proof of where Mac's strengths really are. They sound like a cohesive group again for one thing! McVie and Fleetwood seem to have had a leash taken off them on this CD. There's more bass and thump than on any Mac disk since "Rumours", and Rick Vito's guitar work is a welcome shot of unadorned rock and roll. Also, the vocal harmonies are arranged better than they had been on the last three Mac studio albums. All this creates energy that was largely missing after "Tusk".

Lindsey is a terrific guitarist and good singer so you do miss him, but the remaining writers step up to the challenge with remarkable strength. Stevie and Christine contribute some of their best Mac songs in years. "Freedom" and "Love is Dangerous" have Stevie singing ominous lines they way she was meant to. Christine's work is good pop without getting sappy ("Skies the Limit" is a stand out). I also enjoyed Vito and Burnette's songs ("Stand on the Rock" is a charming peek at what Mac would sound like doing a bar band song) and the wierd stuff on "Back of My Mind".

I like Fleetwood Mac, but I really feel that after "Rumours" each album had plenty of filler. Song for song, this underrated album is their most solid and consistent post-"Rumours" effort.

I think Lindseyphiles are too hard on this one. Personally I think Mask is far better than Tango. I think the reason Mask bombed is the same reason Lindsey's last solo album bombed: The Mac was perceived as a bunch of tired old fogeys by 1990. How wrong! Christine contibutes two classics, Skies the Limit and Save Me, as well as the solid Behind the Mask. Her collaboration with Billy Burnett on the ballad Do You Know is excellent. Burnett and Vito have great songs, to which Stevie and Christine contribute great vocals. When It Comes to Love and When the Sun Goes Down are catchy pop songs, In the Back of My Mind is as good and freaky as Lindsay's specialties. Hard Feelings is a decent ballad. Burnett did a good job here! Love Is Dangerous and Stand on the Rock are great Vito rockers. Stevie is dynamite vocally on Love Is Dangerous. Freedom, though not written by Stevie, is one of her best rockers. However, Stevie's Affairs of the Heart and The Second Time are spoiled by ragged vocals. Still she is much better here than on Tango.

Fleetwood Mac's 1990 release Behind The Mask is an album that has greatly suffered in the shadows from the departure of Lindsey Buckingham. While it is true that Buckingham did help formulate the Mac's most famous songs from 1975 to 1987, this album doesn't suffer from his not being with the band nor the addition of Billy Burnette and Rick Vito; it suffers from Stevie Nicks' lack of quality songs and some less than standard vocals on her behalf.

Off the bat we get the prototypical Christine McVie song in Skies The Limit. It's a great tune that I've always loved. Track 2 is the Vito/Nicks duet Love Is Dangerous. Great guitar work in this song. Billy Burnette's In The Back Of My Mind is next and while I feel the opening is a bit over the top and overproduced, it's really a great song. Do You Know is a nice followup to a pretty heavy song. Burnette and McVie really work well together and this song shows it. Save Me is next and it's another typical Christine McVie song (not a bad thing by the way.) Nicks' Affairs Of The Heart... I'll just be kind in saying if it were left off the album, I wouldn't have been disappointed.

The next six songs of Behind The Mask are among my favorites. When The Sun Goes Down is proof of the kind of songs that Burnette and Vito can do when they are allowed to do what they do best. Certain folks may not like this song because it doesn't sound like "Fleetwood Mac" (aka the Rumours lineup) but this is exactly what this incarnation of the band needed. Behind The Mask may be Miss McVie's darkest song. It's a different kind of tune for her, but it's a great one. Stand On The Rock is a song that has had a hard time grabbing the affection of even the most diehard fans, I really love it. The next song, Hard Feelings, is perhaps Billy Burnette's shining moment on the album. It's definitely my favorite track of his with Fleetwood Mac. Without a shadow of a doubt, Freedom is the best Stevie Nicks song. She did some great vocals, but Rick Vito laid down some excellent guitar licks. When It Comes To Love is the second Burnette/McVie duet and it's a great song. The final track is The Second Time and suffice to say it's horrible. Never has Stevie Nicks sounded more dull or lifeless. I won't throw the song itself under the bus because I think if Miss McVie did it, it would have turned out okay. But it's a bad way to round out a great album.

If you're a fan who loves listening exclusively to the Rumours era of Fleetwood Mac, this album is not for you. If you're a fan who is interested in hearing another chapter in Fleetwood Mac's history, do not avoid this album.

The band's first album without Lindsey Buckingham since 1975, BEHIND THE MASK was largely considered a pretty big disappointment for the band in the states - although it certainly has it's fans and defenders. Buckingham was replaced by Rick Vito and Billy Burnette, both of whom are acceptably talented musicians and singers, although neither has the warped genius or madman charisma of Buckingham. Commercially-speaking, the album actually performed fairly well at the time of it's release, peaking at a respectable #18 on the Hot 200 and reaching Gold status in sales. Most of the band's trademark pop-craftsmanship of the seventies and eighties is still present here, although the handful of truly strong songs are still occasionally undermined by the generally bland production of Greg Ladanyi.

Returning from the massive success of TANGO IN THE NIGHT's "Little Lies" and "Everywhere," Christine McVie and husband/co-writer Eddy Quintela return with two more irresistible pop confections. Both the album opener, the unabashedly optimistic "Skies the Limit" (#10 Adult Contemporary, #40 Mainstream Rock), and the soft arena rock of the hit "Save Me" (#33 Pop, #6 Adult Contemporary, #3 Mainstream Rock) are expertly-written compositions that perfectly represent the opposing sides of McVie's material. I think they would have been even more effective with edgier arrangements, but, even so, both songs work extremely well. The moody title track, Christine's only solo contribution on this disc, is a brilliantly pained composition that allows the usually straightforward McVie to take a rare trip to the dark side. It's the freshest, most daring and abstract track here, and is further sweetened by a welcome guest appearance of Lindsey Buckingham's unmistakable guitar-playing.

Stevie Nicks had shocked fans everywhere with the surprisingly weak and lackluster compositions she contributed to 1987's TANGO IN THE NIGHT. On a more positive note, her 1989 solo album THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR had contained about six songs that were as great as anything else she had ever written. Fortunately, the four songs she contributes here are all solid and are highlights of this album. Nicks' only solo composition, the gorgeous mid-tempo love song "Affair of the Heart," is possibly the singer's most affecting number since 1985's "Has Anyone Written Anything For You." Nicks' track with frequent collaborator Michael Campbell, the rocker "Freedom," is a haunting rocker that gives the disc a nice jolt just as begins to wind down. Nicks also collaborates with then-new member Rick Vito on two tracks of superior quality. The delicate ballad "The Second Time" is one of Nicks most successfully tender numbers, while the funky up-tempo "Love Is Dangerous" (#7 Mainstream Rock) is hardest rocking number here - a few more energetic numbers like this one could have made this album a minor classic!

The tunes submitted by Vito and Burnette confirm that neither man had found his niche in the band yet, which is understandable considering it is their first outing with the group. They certainly try on a wide range of styles. In addition to his collaborations with Nicks, Vitto contributes the decent rocker "Stand on the Rock" (although, again, the production should have had more bite), while Burnette delivers a respectable attempt at avant garde with "In the Back of My Mind" (although it's too cluttered and uninspired to really hit the bull's-eye). Vitto and Burnette join forces on the credible rockabilly tune "When the Sun Goes Down," which is the best contribution from either man (maybe they should've worked together more often). The album is at it's absolute worst on the three banal ballads co-penned by Burnette. The tacky "Hard Feelings" (co-written with Jeff Silbar) is a by-the-numbers Phil Collins knock-off, while "When It Comes To Love" (written with Dennis Morgan and Simon Climie) and "Do You Know" (co-penned by Christine McVie, who should have known better) are hackneyed and gooey, Halmark-ready rubbish that could have been churned out by Diane Warren.

A mixed bag with some great moments and some dreadful ones, BEHIND THE MASK is a near miss if there ever was one. There are a number of good songs present, but many are camouflaged under the pedestrian production. Had the band scrapped Ladanyi and his "lite FM" arrangements in favor of a rawer, less glossy sound, then the disc might have been great. I wish that this lineup of the group had stayed together and recorded another album, as their follow up album might have really hit the spot. As is, the disc showcases the group progressively venturing into the band oblivion. After listening to this album it is clear that without the driving vision of a singular genius, whether Peter Green or Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac sounds like any other band.

I've read all the reviews by those who feel FM took a nose dive when Lindsey Buckingham left the band. I've also read the reviews by those who feel FM was just as good without him and that this album (as well as the album TIME ) should be given a break. I tend to agree with the latter reviewers. Everyone who "found" FM after Buckingham and Nicks joined could not possibly see the band without these two, and that anything put out under the FM name without those two should be regarded as a travesty.
I say BULL! Just as there was a very good Genesis before Phil Collins , there was a very good Fleetwood Mac (several, actually) before Buckingham and Nicks joined. There was even a Fleetwood Mac before Christine McVie. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie have always had a talent for finding good singers, players and writers to join the band.
The fact that Buckingham and Nicks brought the band a great deal more success doesn't take anything away from the pre and post B and N lineups. Give these lineups a chance. Open up a little and see what the other players have to offer. Danny Kirwin, Peter Green, Bob Welch,Dave Mason, Billy Burnette,Rick Vito....all these people are talented and worthy of a listen. And, like it or not, all are part of Fleetwood Mac history. They should be given some respect. After all, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie have made very few mistakes in choosing players. As long as John McVie and Mick Fleetwood are there, there will always be Fleetwood Mac.

When Lindsay Buckingham suddenly quit, the world of Fleetwood Mac was in a shambles. But they had lost guitarists before (Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, etc.) and this was another one of those situations. So they bounced back, recruiting Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. Two years later they came out with Behind the Mask and proved they could still make great pop rock.

Behind the Mask is helped by the talented guitar playing of Rick Vito and excellent vocal stylings of Burnette. (A man who has been in the music business since his early teens.) Chris and Stevie continue to amaze with their songwriting and vocal abilities, as they make some of the best songs on the album, including the hard rock of Love is Dangerous and the pop hooks of Save Me. Burnette also pumps out the haunting In the Back of My Mind and When it Comes to Love.

So in conclusion Fleetwood Mac still had it, even without Lindsay. Stevie could still be a witchy songwriter, Chris can still make pop hooks like few others, and Mick and John is still one of rock's most solid rhythm sections. As for Rick and Billy, they bring an excellent voice in Billy and talent for plucking the guitar strings in Rick. Granted by the next album both Stevie and Rick had quit and they hit rock bottom with their worst album Time. (Which one would you pick: Stevie Nicks or the mediocore songwriter and vocalist Bekka Bramlet) However we still have this classic Mac album from one of their many short lived lineups.

I still have to give "Behind the Mask" 5 Stars.Billy Burnette and Rick Vito are Brilliant on this CD."When the Sun Goes Down," Rick and Billy's duet,is fantastic,and "Stand on the Rock," by Rick Vito,is one of my favorite numbers from the album,along with Stevie Nicks and Rick's cut,"Love is Dangerous." I remember hearing this song on the hard rock stations when the record came out.Stevie had to work alot harder on this CD because the BackBone was gone,and she comes out a winner."Affairs of the Heart" has got to be one of her better songs,along with the last cut,"The second time." All you hear is Stevie's beutufull vocals,and guitar.Christine McVie's,"The Skies the Limit," is a great opening number.Its like she's telling us no mater what happens to Fleetwood Mac,nothing can stop us.I got to see this concert when they were touring for "Behind the Mask." It was one of the greatest show's I've ever seen.

I was not around during the mac's blues beginnings or their glory days in the late seventies, so I believe I can give a fairly objective review of this album. Lindsey Buckingham wrote some great pop music for Fleetwood Mac, no doubt, but I did not miss him on this album... anyone who listened to his solo albums is aware that he was going through a dry spell, anyway. The best songs still belong to the "classic" members of the band, but both Vito and Burnette have material that is not just filler between McVie's and Nicks' songs. Don't expect Fleetwood Mac or Rumours... but this album isn't any worse than, say, Mirage... and it doesn't have the glossy eighties-ish sound that ruined Tango in the Night. The gems on the album are Vito/Burnette composition, "When the Sun Goes Down," Stevie's "Second Time" and a composition by Nicks and Tom Petty guitarist Michael Cambell called "Freedom."