Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album Audible – Unabridged

This is a mixed review. I'm a huge fan of FMac (all eras) especially Ken's work with them. I know a TON about this record, and still learned much I did not know. It's a great story of HOW things get done, a true behind-the-scenes of something quite important. It seems fair and doesn't slam or flatter anyone too much - some people are shown as moody AND talented, but without malice. You'll be surprised at things revealed here, and sometimes long for the way things used to be in those days! Sounds fun... and a very creative time. I'd say it's a "good read" for anyone who loves the record - I couldn't put it down! With this book in hand, you'll finally appreciate their very subtle arrangement ideas that add such powerful boost to the songs.

But as in almost all such books, it's was written by a professional writer, not the famous person whose name sells the cover. So they elaborate the truth, making up conversations and things no one could remember - tiny details to make you feel you are there, but are just fabricated. "Stevie sat down and picked up a half-smoked joint" - these momentary kinds of things no one would remember from 30 years before. It's sad, because you can usually spot these things if you're aware... I know they do it so it feels more like you're there, but it's still Creative Writing sitting next to actual History.

So - the book is full of revelations, and some great insights into the records creation. I love to see that things aren't always successful, and sometimes there are mistakes. Great songs, get left off for minor reasons, personal issues cloud how things got done. I'm an engineer/producer too, so I appreciate the technical details - tho it's hard to write for both a technical audience and a listener audience.Read more ›

The pros and cons:

Pros:
- If you are a music techie (have recorded before, or genuinely interested in the process), there are a lot of interesting parts on how certain sounds were produced, the types of mic's, amps, instruments used, etc...
- The book is very well organized. Chapters are divided by song, so if you are interested in certain songs and not others, it's easy to jump right in. The reference/source guide at the back of the book is extremely detailed, and it's easy to find where any name/part/song/instrument/etc is used in the book.

Cons:
- Caillat either has the most amazing "Rain Man" like memory in history, or took the most extremely detailed notes on every moment of the day (which would be hard to believe, since his hands were full at the mixing board with five demanding musicians...and admitted he took his share of drugs to boot, which would draw the accuracy of those notes to question). Not humanly possible to recall every last word of every conversation like he recites in the book, and it's quickly obvious that parts were embellished. Even the arguments concerning the crumbling relationships of the band members - which was one of the major issues behind the making the album - don't read as genuine, and seem trite or cooked up. This calls into question the rest of the book, but I'll give Caillat the benefit of the doubt on the recording process and technicalities. He also goes into detail about everything his dog does, which is "cute" (I guess) at first, but quickly gets old. "He licked me on the face as if to say 'everything is going to be fine'". You get the picture.Read more ›

I just finished the book. I am still on the fence about it. If you are wanting to read a tell all book filled with gossip, do NOT buy this book. This book is about the technical aspects making an album and producing it. Its great if you know music inside and out and if you want to know how they used to record songs. As far as gossip or great studio stories, there is NONE. I would say 3 % of the book is about personal info, unless you consider the author's sex life and his dog stories interesting. I could have done without all that. Talk about boring. The only big story I did not know was that Lindsey attacked Ken. One gets the feeling he doesn't really like Stevie or Lindsey but admired their talents. He takes a few jabs at Stevie's talents. One also gets the feeling that Ken is trying to push the point that without him Rumours would have failed. Maybe he is right? If you trust what he says in the book, then I guess he is right. I had no idea how important a great producer is in making an album. I guess everyone would want to raise their hand and feel important when it comes to something as powerful as Rumours. Ken for sure raises his hand. In a way I give him much deserved credit for the album becoming what it was, but one wonders if Rumours songs and music would have stood on their own with another producer? If it was as Ken described, I am impressed. However It would have been nice to hear more stories about the band and not so so much detail about how to tune an amp to a mic to a guitar blah blah and then you start to skim the words. I will say it gives HUGE insight on the genius of making a record back in the day as compared to today. I will take back then any day