Customer Reviews

Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

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.

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".

No ghostwriter needed here. Carol Ann Harris, who recounts her eight-year relationship with Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, has penned a memoir brimming with vivid detail and winning prose. No mere rock and roll time capsule, this is a poetic act of will, a work of stunning courage and originality.

For fans of the Mac, Harris' recollections on her time with the band will make for juicy, page-turning reading. But it's when she turns the mirror on herself that the book really gets going. Being the girlfriend of a tortured genius is no easy task, and Harris takes us through the highs and lows, the euphroia and the horror, in an almost miraculous fashion, with a depth of feeling seldom found in even the best of celebrity tell-alls.

Welcome the arrival of an exciting new writer.
-- Joe Bosso

I just finished the book that I read in one day. As a die hard fan of Fleetwood Mac, I was hungry for the words of a true insider. I could not put the book down after the first chapter. I was increasingly compelled as the pages seemingly turned themselves. Tales of brutal domestic violence at the hands of Lindsey Buckingham, a man depicted to have a Jeckel and Hyde personality - in control of Ms. Harris and the world around him. Many of the incidences of violence at the hands of Buckingham were witnessed by members of the band and people traveling with the band; acts of violence so severe, Ms. Harris was reportedly hospitalized on more than one occasion.

As a woman, I did wonder toward the end of every detailed depiction of rage why Ms. Harris chose not to leave Buckingham, but only an insider in this pseudo-fabulous world of entertainment could relate.

This book has given me a new respect for Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, both of whom played hard but were too talented to let the toxic world around them deteriorate their music, their success, or their sense of individulaism.

Kudos for Ms. Harris for her honesty and brutal depiction of her memories, journals, audio taped conversations, and "war wounds" that went into the writing of this book. I hope the result was cathartic and, hopefully, very successful. I wish you the very best!

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!

STORMY RELATIONSHIP
'Cocaine-fuelled bitch-slaps' a-go-go as Lindsey's bird spills the beans.
One day, in early 1977, a young woman named Carol Ann Harris drove down Hollywood Boulevard as Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" blared from the radio. Having worked as a studio manager where the album Rumours was mixed, Harris had heard the song many times before. But this time it sounded different, Harris thought. It sounded like a smash. She couldn't wait to tell her new boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham.
Harris's hunch couldn't have been more on the money. Rumours quickly became a worldwide smash, a phenomenon that would ultimately go on to sell over 30 million copies.
In "Storms" Harris recounts, in often astonishing detail (she kept exhaustive notes and taped diaries), her tumultuous, passionate and sometimes violent eight-year relationship with Mac's tortured guitarist, to whom she served as muse, nurse (early in their courtship, Buckingham was diagnosed with epilepsy), drug buddy and constant companion.
As an autobiographical account of a show business love affair spiralling out of control, "Storms" has the de rigeur script elements in place: the red carpets, limos, Lear jets, endless bottles of champagne, as well as break-ups, make-ups, and cocaine-fuelled bitch-slaps and chokeholds.
But "Storms" really gets going when Harris casts a gimlet eye on the secret society that was the Mac, a collection of characters caught up in the mindless consumption (narcotic and otherwise) their long-overdue success afforded them.
Band jealousies and resentments run rampant, but Harris doesn't take sides. In fact, she paints herself as an outsider longing to be accepted as a member of the group's inner circle. Even in the end, her dismissal of the abusive Buckingham is anything but loveless.
As everyone surely knows, you can never break the chain.
Joe Bosso for Classic Rock Magazine, Book Review

Though ardent Fleetwood Mac fans may vaguely know of Tulsa county native, Carol Ann Harris, many now await the moment her autobiographical Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac falls under their eyes when it hits stores Sunday, July 15th. Since - save for one interview - Ms. Harris has never allowed a public look into her 1976-1984 relationship with guitar-genius Lindsey Buckingham, fans may lock the door to devour the near-400 page look into Mac's glory era as soon as they get it home.

Though the relationship/breakup of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks has been over-chronicled to a pathological degree, this new-to-the-outside-world tale is told from the ticklish plight of having been Lindsey's new girlfriend, who was often around both stars. It's no stretch to believe the authoress wrote this book for fans (as her advance-edition states), for she seems a reputable source, taking you into her confidence like a friend. While superstar Nicks doesn't figure front and center on every page, reams of detailed scenarios - amazing recording sessions, rehearsals, backstage countdowns and parties - involving Ms. Nicks and the whole band will keep fans turning the pages. There are plenty of magical moments: spoiled young celebrities globetrotting first class, post-Rumours mansion shopping, jamming with musical heroes in the snow-covered English countryside; but each band-mate is also shown as a very real person: tempted, rejected, regaled and ridiculed by those around them. All were beloved by appreciative fans, but miserable enough to march through their commitments only with the aid of energy-mimicking drugs.

Recounting her post-high school move to L.A., native Oklahoman Harris takes us through her hard-won opportunities in the male dominated field of recording engineering, the sparks that drew herself and Lindsey together at work, and - once inside Mac's inner sanctum - her naive initiation into drug-taking. Laced throughout is her ever-growing desire (at the expense of her own ambitions) to be exactly what Lindsey might need at any moment - and a sincere wish to befriend Stevie. The writer's credibility is vitally present as she details Buckingham as an attentive, caring lover/mate on one hand, with the cold, desperately needy maniac who inflicted sporadic, life-threatening assaults on her (yes, hospitals were involved) on the other. As readers - even Lindsey fans - wonder why she continued to stay, the young Ms. Harris reveals her youthful slow realization that she can only forge a life for herself by leaving the man she's lived to groom for his. One feels triumph taking hold as she begins rewarding her newfound passion - musical costume design - with the devotion she lavished on Lindsey for eight years.

For someone who is not a professional writer, Carol Ann Harris has written an enthralling book. If I could have, I would have read it in one sitting.

The criticism of this book seems to be two fold: those who question Mr. Harris motives, honesty and accuracy; and/or those who believe she should not have the right to write about her life. Regarding the first, as a counselor and one time management consultant, I have learned that if someone says something, you should make a mental note. If several people say the same thing, there is probably some truth to it. Ms. Harris talks about things others have already noted in the past (the most controversial being those about Lindsey Buckingham's emotional and physical abuse--which Mick Fleetwood chronicled graphically in his own autobiography). So, she doesn't really drop any bombs here. Instead, she gives us her perspective on how these issues impacted her--which brings me to the second point: Lindsey wrote extensively about his side of their relationship. His 1984 album "Go Insane" and 1/2 of his songs on Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album "Tango in the Night" are clearly about Ms. Harris, and paint her in a very unflattering light. Since he has had an opportunity to publicly share his perspective, why should she not be afforded the same opportunity?

Finally, controversies aside, this is just a fascinating read--and a powerful exploration of the most addictive drug of all: fame--what drives people to achieve it and how achieving it changes them--for the better and the worst.

"Storms" tells the story of Fleetwood Mac just prior to the release of "Rumours" up into the early 80's. The author is a former girlfriend of Lindsey Buckingham and got to be in the inner circle of Fleetwood Mac. Unlike other biographies of the band, this one seems to go a bit deeper. Many of the stories shared in the book have been hinted at over the years but few details have emerged, "Storms" changes that.
The book takes you inside the inner sactum of the band during it's peak in the 70's amid the whirlwind success of "Rumours". The lurid details of this era have only been hinted at up until now. You get to see different sides of the band members than we normally have seen.
Either the author has an incredible knack for storytelling and has simply made up the stories in the book based on the what little information has been told over the years, or she's telling like it is. I tend to believe she's telling the truth for the most part.
The only downside to the book is the author naturally comes off as the innocent bystander. She also shares very detailed conversations which after 30 years seems to be a bit hard to swallow. Perhaps she is simply taking poetic license and filled in the gaps to make it flow better. Nonetheless the book is an incredible read and very hard to put down once you start it.
This is one of the better biographies written about the band. You feel like you're right there on tour and in the studio with the band. Very well written.

What a great informative read on a super unique band. This book was very much more informative and honest than Mick Fleetwood's indulgent book. Unlike Mick, Carol Ann doesn't worry about PR and gives the truth from her own point of view. She also gave me a new appreciation for the album "Go Insane". How awful for her that she had to listen to Buckingham's rants and bits of her own spats with him in his lyrics. It must have felt good for her to set the record straight. Pretty sad he choked her so hard his hand prints were still around her neck. The info she gives is not hard to believe as we've heard similiar stories from the members themselves.