Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: tuning room, anvil cases, rain room, Fleetwood Mac, Carol Ann, Stevie Nicks (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is a fascinating if overlong look at the megasuccess of Fleetwood Mac in the mid-1970s, after the former British blues band recorded the laid-back rock songs of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks that made the album Rumours one of the most popular of its era. While working at the band's recording studio, Harris, currently a music business costume designer, became Buckingham's girlfriend and constant companion from 1976 through 1984, and she gives a detailed look—more so than drummer and original member Mick Fleetwood's biography—at this already well-chronicled story of how the success of Rumours provided the income for extravagant cocaine-fueled excesses before, during and after performances. Harris too often uses clichés, such as her view of the band's beautiful insanity. But she does candidly recount Buckingham's rage and his repeated physical assaults on her. Along the way, she offers great descriptions of the band's recording sessions, especially her account of Buckingham's desire to create something new, something completely different for Tusk, the more experimental (and less profitable) follow-up to Rumours. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Fleetwood Mac abandoned its blues roots to pursue mainstream commercial success even before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined it in 1975. Harris, then Buckingham's girlfriend, chronicles the behind-the-scenes drugs-and-sex-and-rock-and-roll aspects of the band's late-1970s climb to mega mainstream success with the albums Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, and the relatively underperforming Tusk. During this time, group bassist John McVie and his wife, Christine, the band's most successful songwriter, divorced; Buckingham and Nicks ended their romantic relationship; and internal love affairs and myriad rumors threatened band cohesiveness. Enter Harris, who proved more a symptom than a cause of the turmoil. Using extremely rich material for a rock tell-all, she now offers the sort of in-depth reportage that, though engrossing, does rather strain credulity concerning the accuracy of all its quoted dialogue; but then, such is expected of and usual in such books. Serious music fans may be disappointed, but seekers of celebrity dirt will revel in this work. Prospective readers will know in which camp they fall, so advise appropriately. Tribby, Mike

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556526601
• ISBN-13: 978-1556526602
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #328,037 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible - mesmerizing - enthralling, July 8, 2007

By	David B. "db" (Houston) - See all my reviews

This is the story of Fleetwood Mac that I have been trying to find and read for years! Carol Ann Harris finally did it right. Apologies to none, she tells it clearly and for the record, no appearnt axes to grind or ulterior motives.

I'm sure it took her the 20 intervening years since she left Linsey to get over the trauma and to chronicle, fairly objectively, the tumultous ride that nearly killed her!

I absolutely could not put this book down!

Her style is perfect as this book reads more like a novel than a mere chronicle of events.
The guest appearances of so many rock legends is icing on the cake. An absolute must read for anyone with an interest in the incredible Fleetwood Mac story.

Thank You Carol Ann, FINALLY!

113 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good but quite a Bubble-Burster at times, July 8, 2007

By	D. Adams (NC, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

All in all, exciting reading with a lot of stories that I've never heard, especially the alarming extent of Lindsey Buckingham's anxiety and anguish over his controversial changing of musical direction for the "Tusk" album which followed "Rumours".

This book must be taken with a grain of salt. Carol Ann was Lindsey's girlfriend and therefore will naturally have some biases, but that's to be expected in a situation such as this. Some reviewers have expressed doubt over the author's "recall" issue for detailed conversations that happened 30 years ago, but the author did mention that she had made audio recordings for posterity during these years - one of which was the cause of Lindsey's lashing out. If you're an avid Stevie fan, the book is a bit bubble-bursting as far as showing the extent of her "competitiveness", but Stevie is, after all, a human being. Some of Lindsey's behavior makes me question his humanity at times though. Carol Ann does give the whole band well-deserved praise for their amazing musical talents and charisma.

Although nobody should expect Carol Ann to be a psychology major and be able to understand exactly what made her and Lindsey's relationship tick, she seems to miss what was pretty obvious to me about the physical abuse - Lindsey apparently had some nasty triggers that had more to do with dislike of "female gossip-type behavior" than anything else. I couldn't understand why Carol Ann doesn't seem to see this, as several of his "attacks" are coupled with comments in that direction. We cannot expect her to know what created these triggers since she says she never discussed this issue with Lindsey, but I do feel bad for the negative press this will cause him ... perhaps she should have titled it "Lindsey Dearest".

154 of 161 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good book, July 2, 2007

By	D. Smith (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great biography that comes across as fresh and rather unbiased. I think that all the members of the band come across in a reasonably good light considering the times and the massive drug use - save for Mr. Buckingham who is finally called out for beating Carol up on many occasions.

She could have taking 1/2 of his fortune as his common law wife but instead chose to leave with almost nothing. Why did she stay? The same reason that most people stay in an abusive relationship.

Good insight into the band during the period in which they were on top of the world.