Gift Of Screws

Lindsey Buckingham

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 16, 2008)
• Original Release Date: September 16, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise Records
• ASIN: B001CB6RPS
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,524 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham will release his fifth solo album 'Gift of Screws' on September 15th on Reprise. The album is his first since 2006's acoustically focused 'Under The Skin'. Primarily recorded and self-produced at his home studio and on the road during the 'Under The Skin' tour, the album also features two songs co-produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance). Mixing the immediacy of the best of his contributions to Fleetwood Mac with experimental production flourishes, highlights of the set include 'Bel Air Rain', 'Time Precious Time', 'Underground, 'Love Runs Deeper' and 'Treason'. "You could certainly say this album is a distillation of a number periods of time, some false starts to make albums, certainly some songs that go back a number of years, that took a while to find a home here, combined with brand-new songs and a whole other outlook," explains Buckingham. "And the fact that there was a kind of tenacity and focus to want to bring all of this together in one place. The fact that as an artist I'm still, for better or worse, clinging to my idealism and to my sense that there is still yet much to be said. This is a culmination of that." "The first one was more of a boutique kind of album," he adds by way of comparing 'Under The Skin' with 'Gift of Screws'. "It's almost like the opening act and then the headline act in terms of the kind of approach. Here I'm bringing to bear many more aspects of what I can do - guitar solos, just rocking a lot more in addition to the other things. It does rock more! And they do seem to complement each other." The album also features the unmistakable sound of the Fleetwood Mac rhythm section, as John McVie and Mick Fleetwood contribute to several songs including the title-track and 'Wait For You'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet ANOTHER Great One!, September 16, 2008

By	Brandon J. Smith (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Thank God for Lindsey Buckingham. Only a couple years after his last "come-back" album (his albums are usually so far apart that they're all considered come-backs), and one year after the live offering from the Bass Performing Hall, Buckingham's back with another great one. He'd said in recent interviews that he was feeling very inspired, and I guess he wasn't kidding, because here are 10 more rock solid songs from the master.

In many ways, this is a continuation of Under the Skin, which was masterful if a bit subdued. Anyone who's seen Lindsey in concert knows that, while folk and accoustic-based songs are a large part of his musical persona, so too is his inclination for harder rock and blues. Gift of Screws, led by the absolutely incredible title track, shows Buckingham indulging his rocking side more than Under the Skin did. So, while it feels like a natural continuation of Under the Skin, it nevertheless has its own unique flavor.

In short: This is a great time to be a Lindsey Buckingham fan. He's back on the road (and will be touring with Fleetwood Mac in '09, so I hear), and his output is as good as ever. Gift of Screws is definitely a must hear for Buckingham fans, and, indeed, any fan of great pop musicianship.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buckingham's Gift, September 18, 2008

By	Kristina Stockmyer (Ridgecrest, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter/Producer Lindsey Buckingham has often been called a "mad genius." Never before has Buckingham's brilliance, creativity, intensity, and outright weirdness been more on display than on Gift of Screws. "Great Day," written by Lindsey Buckingham and his son, Will, gets the cd off to a rockin' start. Buckingham's punk and new wave influences shine here as they have in his past work (from Fleetwood Mac's Tusk in 1979 to present). "Time Precious Time" is almost an incantation with gorgeous guitar work. "Did You Miss Me," written by Lindsey Buckingham and his wife, Kristen, is the most straight-ahead pop song on this cd. "Wait for You" is a bluesy rocker (the rhythm section of Fleetwood Mac makes an appearance with Mick Fleetwood on Drums and John McVie on Bass). Buckingham wrote "Love Runs Deeper" again with his wife, Kristen, in which he shows his pop sensibilities to great effect. "Bel Air Rain" is, simply, gorgeous. In this track, as he looks back over his life, he sings that he was "mistaken for a whore" by some for Fleetwood Mac's great success. Buckingham's genius guitar work and singing and songwriting and producing on all of these songs show just how foolish those who doubt Buckingham's many talents are. "The Right Place to Fade" finds Lindsey Buckingham rocking again with Mick Fleetwood on Drums. The title track,"Gift of Screws," (with Fleetwood and McVie again) is a weird tilt-a-whirl of a song with Buckingham's penchant for the oddness of punk well on display. It's the funnest song I've heard in a very long time. "Underground" and "Treason" end the cd. Both are thought-provoking meditations: the former on the state of the record industry and the latter on love, loss, and redemption. This is one Gift you'll never regret!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deep down there is freedom., September 26, 2008

By	Jason Stein (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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"Gift of Screws" is literally the fastest album Lindsey Buckingham has produced since starting his solo career in 1981. Only two years elapsed between 2006's "Under the Skin" and "Gift of Screws". I have been a Fleetwood Mac fan, and a Buckingham fan. To me his best, five star work, is 1981's "Law and Order", 1984' "Go Insane" and 1992's "Out of the Cradle".

"Gift of Screws" and "Under The Skin" are similar musically, with the former being more acoustic than the latter. But, you can tell they are both from the same recording sessions and time period. "Gift of Screws" is a more rock oriented album and there are some songs that take multiple listens to get used to such as "Time Precious Time" or "Gift of Screws". There are no duds here, every song fits nicely alongside the next. The flow of the album is uninterrupted. It's a nice effort, but not his best. I'd debate whether "Under the Skin" or "Gift of Screws" is better than the other.

I am looking forward to the next Fleetwood Mac album, hopefully next year. At 59, Lindsey Buckingham is far from retired or out of ideas. If you like Buckingham's other works, you will like "Gift of Screws".