Penguin (album)
Fleetwood Mac's seventh studio album, first with Bob Weston.
Fleetwood Mac’s seventh studio album, Penguin, arrived in March 1973. It marked the first record after Danny Kirwan left the band, the debut for Bob Weston, and the sole appearance of Dave Walker. John McVie’s fondness for the penguin, the band’s mascot, began during his early marriage to Christine McVie, when he lived near London Zoo. A Zoological Society member, he spent hours there watching the birds.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Fleetwood Mac
- Released
- March 1973
- Recorded
- January 1973
- Studio
- Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
- Benifold
- Hampshire; AIR Studios
- London
- Genre
- Rock; soft rock
- Length
- 35:46
- Label
- Reprise
- Producer
- Fleetwood Mac & Martin Birch
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remember Me | Christine McVie | 2:41 |
| 2 | Bright Fire | Bob Welch | 4:32 |
| 3 | Dissatisfied | C. McVie | 3:43 |
| 4 | (I'm a) Road Runner | Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr. | 4:52 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | The Derelict | Walker | 2:43 |
| 6 | Revelation | Welch | 4:55 |
| 7 | Did You Ever Love Me | C. McVie, Welch | 3:39 |
| 8 | Night Watch | Welch | 6:17 |
| 9 | Caught in the Rain | Weston | 2:35 |
Track listing from the source article.
Background
After Danny Kirwan was dismissed from Fleetwood Mac following a fight with other members during the Bare Trees tour, the band brought in guitarist Bob Weston and vocalist Dave Walker in September 1972. Walker already knew the group because Savoy Brown had often played on the same bill as Fleetwood Mac, and Weston was acquainted with them from his time touring with Long John Baldry. Around the same time, the band also hired John Courage, who had been Savoy Brown's road manager. In a 1990 interview with Q magazine, Mick Fleetwood explained that their music manager Clifford Davis had pushed for Walker to join, wanting the band to have a lead singer. Instead of recording Penguin in a London studio, Fleetwood Mac brought the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio to their communal home in Hampshire, Benifold, to capture a more domestic feel. Walker told New Musical Express in January 1973 that the band planned to start recording that month. He believed using the mobile studio would encourage spontaneity and flexibility, noting that if someone had an idea, they could simply get out of bed, go downstairs, and record it. Walker contributed to two songs on Penguin: his own composition "The Derelict" and a cover of Junior Walker's hit "(I'm a) Road Runner," where he also played harmonica solos. He later said that problems in his marriage kept him from fully concentrating on the sessions, and he often spent time at a local pub, only coming in when the band called for him. The album was mixed at AIR Studios in London, where additional overdubs were added. During that time, Peter Green dropped by to lay down an extra guitar part on "Night Watch." Steve Nye, a tape operator at AIR Studios, played organ on that same track. The cover art was painted by Chris Moore, and the gatefold photo was taken at Ludshott Common and Waggoners Wells in Hampshire, as Dave Walker recalled in an online Q&A.
Songs
In the United States, "Remember Me" was chosen as the album's first single. Christine McVie later performed that song during a 1981 Bob Welch concert at the Roxy Theatre, and a recording from that night ended up on the 2004 release Live from the Roxy. Welch explained that "Bright Fire" was indirectly inspired by the Vietnam War and the violence stemming from it, using roses in the lyrics as a symbol tied to Christian imagery. Another McVie composition, "Dissatisfied," served as the B-side for "Remember Me." The band decided to cover "I'm a Roadrunner" when Walker was at a local pub; they called him and asked him to come to the studio to lay down his parts. Walker noted that the session went quickly and admitted his vocals "did leave a lot to be desired." Welch later re-recorded "Revelation" for his 2003 compilation His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond. "Did You Ever Love Me" came out as a single in both the UK and the US and stands as the only Fleetwood Mac track to include steel drums. At the end of "Night Watch," there is a brief guitar part from Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green, along with organ work by Steve Nye. The instrumental "Caught in the Rain" is the only Fleetwood Mac song where Bob Weston received sole writing credit.
Critical reception
When Penguin first came out, critics had a lot of good things to say. Record World called it possibly the band's best album yet, praising its softer and more melodic approach, expert playing, and strong vocals. Billboard saw several potential singles on the record and expected it to get heavy FM radio play, adding that it might be their finest work in years. Cashbox pointed out the band’s shift in style and highlighted "I'm a Roadrunner" as a likely breakthrough single. Tony Stewart of New Musical Express said the album confirmed the band's soft rock identity, though he felt Bob Welch pushed them into sounding too much like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. He singled out "Night Watch" as the most impressive song and noted that Christine McVie also offered strong material. Later assessments were more divided. Robert Christgau loved the cover of "I'm a Roadrunner" and McVie's husky laments but wasn't as impressed with Welch's songs. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic observed that the album showed little of the group's blues-rock roots, with Welch's hypnotic melodies and McVie's romantic lyrics taking center stage. Mojo placed Penguin 17th out of 20 on its ranking of Fleetwood Mac studio albums. Some band members themselves later criticized the record. In a 1977 interview with Hit Parader, Mick Fleetwood said it was one of his least favorite releases, feeling it didn't flow well as a whole. Christine McVie told Sounds in 1982 that she considered Penguin the band's worst album up to that point, though she was kinder to her own contributions and expressed interest in re-recording some of them.
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