Behind the Mask (album)
Fleetwood Mac's fifteenth studio album, released in 1990.
Behind the Mask is the fifteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 9 April 1990. It was the first album after guitarist Lindsey Buckingham's departure, with Billy Burnette and Rick Vito joining as guitarists, singers, and songwriters. The album reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and achieved platinum status there, though it was less commercially successful than its predecessor.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Fleetwood Mac
- Released
- 9 April 1990
- Recorded
- 1989–90
- Genre
- Pop rock
- Length
- 54:26
- Label
- Warner Bros.
- Producer
- Greg Ladanyi, Fleetwood Mac
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skies the Limit | Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela | 3:45 |
| 2 | Love Is Dangerous | Rick Vito, Stevie Nicks | 3:18 |
| 3 | In the Back of My Mind | Billy Burnette, David Malloy | 7:02 |
| 4 | Do You Know | Burnette, C. McVie | 4:19 |
| 5 | Save Me | C. McVie, Quintela | 4:15 |
| 6 | Affairs of the Heart | Nicks | 4:22 |
| 7 | When the Sun Goes Down | Vito, Burnette | 3:18 |
| 8 | Behind the Mask | C. McVie | 4:18 |
| 9 | Stand on the Rock | Vito | 3:59 |
| 10 | Hard Feelings | Burnette, Jeff Silbar | 4:54 |
| 11 | Freedom | Nicks, Mike Campbell | 4:12 |
| 12 | When It Comes to Love | Burnette, Dennis Morgan, Simon Climie | 4:08 |
| 13 | The Second Time | Nicks, Vito | 2:31 |
| Total length | 54:26 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Background
When the tour ended, Fleetwood Mac recorded two new songs for their 1988 Greatest Hits compilation. In 1989, the band began sessions for Behind the Mask. Don Gehman was initially selected as producer, but the chemistry was not right, so Greg Ladanyi was hired instead. Ladanyi had previously worked with Don Henley and was suggested by George Hawkins.
Recording
Behind the Mask moved away from ornate production toward adult-oriented rock. Stevie Nicks noted the album was easier to record than earlier work, with fewer arguments and a more positive dynamic. Christine McVie said the band took a different approach than when Buckingham was present: layered guitar overdubs were replaced by greater use of sampling. The band sometimes sampled original demos into a Synclavier and re-recorded each segment until none of the original aspects remained. Stephen Croes played most Synclavier parts, taking McVie's keyboard parts and adding dimensions; McVie praised his ability to imagine a feel. She also noted increased use of keyboards, giving her more latitude in the album's direction. Several songs involved co-writers from inside and outside the band: Burnette and Vito wrote "When the Sun Goes Down" in an afternoon; "When It Comes to Love" came from a collaboration with Burnette, Dennis Morgan, and Simon Climie. Lindsey Buckingham visited the studio to play acoustic guitar on the title track, written by Christine McVie. Vito was not present when Buckingham overdubbed his part and attributed the appearance to Mick Fleetwood's wish to make amends.
Release
The band consulted Warner Bros. about the first single. The label suggested "Skies the Limit," but the band favored "Save Me," which was released first. "Skies the Limit" became the second single, and both received music videos. Vito said Warner Bros. was only interested in songs by Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie and did not want to release his or Burnette's songs as singles. In 2022, Burnette expressed disappointment that the album did not match the success of previous albums. Vito noted the lack of a super-duper hit like those on Tango in the Night. Buckingham felt the album tried to pick up where he left off rather than starting fresh.
Critical reception
The album received mixed to negative reviews. Entertainment Weekly called it "pretty bland" and likened it to an anthology of solo projects. AllMusic gave it 1.5/5 stars, their lowest rating for any Fleetwood Mac album, calling Buckingham's departure a severe blow and the songs among the least inspired. The Los Angeles Times gave 3.5/5 stars, praising the group effort as the most truly collaborative since Rumours or Bare Trees. Billboard thought the lineup marked a return to blues-oriented music and that Nicks and McVie contributed their strongest performances in years. Rolling Stone rated it 4/5 stars, claiming the addition of Vito and Burnette was the best thing to happen to Fleetwood Mac.
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