Fleetwood Mac - The Dance [LIVE] (1997)

This excellent DVD was recorded during Fleetwood Mac's reunion tour of 1997, which featured the quintessential Fleetwood Mac lineup of Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVey, John McVey, and Mick Fleetwood.






Media: DVD
Runtime: 116 minutes
Size: 4.5 GB
Video: MPEG2 720x480 (aspect 2) 29.970 fps 7800.0 kbps (975.0 kbyte/s)
Aspect ratio: 4:3
Region Code:free
TV System: PAL
Audio: , PCM Stereo 48000 Hz, 2 ch,
Language:English
Menus: Untouched(English)
Format: VIDEO_TS Folder
Recorded:1997 aug.(live audience recording)
DVD Release Date: November 1997

This excellent DVD was recorded during Fleetwood Mac's reunion tour of 1997, which featured the quintessential Fleetwood Mac lineup of Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVey, John McVey, and Mick Fleetwood. These five hadn't played together since 1987's Tango in the Night tour. The intimate concert recorded for this DVD showed all members in spirited form, displaying the chemistry that made them legends. As soon as I heard the harmonized vocals of McVey, Buckingham, and Nicks during the intro of the first song "The Chain", I knew I was in for something special. During most of the songs, especially those from the Rumours-era, Buckingham and Nicks are singing more to each other than to the audience. You can actually feel a strange tension in the air as they stare each other down. This weird dynamic of the Fleetwood Mac soap opera only made this show more interesting to watch, just as it made Rumours so fascinating to listen to.

The song selection for this concert was excellent. Almost every song from Rumours was performed - how could they not. This was not just a generic run-through of the hits though. Five new songs were performed, including "Silver Springs", which was a Rumours-era b-side. Who could have imagined another great song coming out of those sessions. The other new songs "Temporary One", "Bleed To Love Her", "My Little Demon", and "Sweet Girl" were all decent enough, but I usually find myself skipping them to get to the classics, whenever I replay this DVD.

I was pleasantly surprised to see "Gold Dust Woman" included in favor of some of Stevie Nicks' more popular songs. This is one of my favorite Nicks' song, and this live performance was exceptional. Her voice still sounds great, although the higher notes no longer come as easy. The rest of the band sounded great, as well. The rhythm section of John McVey and Mick Fleetwood really grooved that night. Mick Fleetwood was very energized and animated, as if he was Fleetwood Mac's own greatest fan. Christine McVey was better than ever. She appears to have lost some enthusiasm for performing live, but her voice has not diminished whatsoever.

The true star of this concert, however, was Lindsay Buckingham. His guitar playing in this show was simply awe inspiring. He is a very underrated guitarist, and this performance showed why he should be ranked up there with the best of them. He played a powerful solo version of "Big Love" that left me forgetting the original. It was a completely different acoustic arrangement featuring extremely fast finger picking, intense strumming, and emotionally charged singing. He went right from this song into a mesmerizing version of "I'm So Afraid", which featured an impassioned, extended guitar solo. This was one of the best guitar performances I have ever seen.

I was most impressed by how the vocals of Buckingham, Nicks, and McVey, who are so distinct and different from each other, can blend together so perfectly when they harmonize. This added to The Beatles greatness, and it is what puts Fleetwood Mac a step above the other good bands. Listen especially to "The Chain", "Rhiannon", and "Go Your Own Way" for some chill-inducing harmonies. They ended the first set with a great performance of "Go Your Own Way", which cemented it as one of the great rock songs of all time. Great lyrics, great vocals, great harmonies, and an awesome guitar solo, all in a performance that topped the original version.

All hell broke loose during the encore performance of "Tusk", as the entire USC marching band took the stage, mid-song, to faithfully recreate the original version. This simply looked and sounded fantastic, but never overwhelmed the band. The marching band remained onstage to help out with the final song - "Don't Stop". As a kid, I remember hearing this song on the radio, it seems like, every hour, when it first came out, but I never got tired of it. The USC band only made it that much grander. The show ended with Fleetwood Mac leaving the stage while the USC band continued to play for another minute. The crowd were all on their feet cheering this unforgettable performance.

My only complaint is that after this super-climactic ending, Christine McVey came out to perform an unaccompanied version of "Songbird". Although this is a beautiful song, I, and probably the rest of the audience, was thinking, "You just worked me up into a frenzy, with that incredible finale, and now this?" They really should have let it end on a high note with "Don't Stop".

The entire production of this DVD was first-rate. The video looked exceptional and the camera work was perfect. It is truly one of those DVDs that make you feel like you are there. The Dolby 5.1 surround mix was one of the best I have ever heard. The instruments and vocals were mixed at the perfect level and had excellent separation and clarity. This DVD is one of the few from which all future concert DVDs should be measured.

Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - January 2005