For all of Sehnal's carefully researched assertions of Buckingham as the driving creative genius behind the band’s biggest success, this is far from a hagiography. Sehnal, using a wide variety of sources, paints a picture of Buckingham as abrasive, obsessive, and controlling, a perfectionist with a drug problem. At the same time, he also details (partly through their classic "The Chain") how the band managed to put aside conflicts and use the combustible energy between them to create enormously popular and immaculately crafted hits.
Sehnal jumps back and forth in time a bit to create tension, but this is a mostly straightforward chronology that spends much of its time on the details of Fleetwood Mac's albums as well as Buckingham's solo work. Sehnal credits Buckingham's unique guitar-picking style and willingness to experiment as driving factors in the band's success but also details how Buckingham was sometimes a team player who knew how to make everyone else look good. Buckingham's personal ups and downs are here as well. Some transitions are repetitive or awkward, but for the most part Sehnal gives both the casual reader and most ardent fans a well-researched and passionately argued perspective on music that continues to win new fans.
Takeaway: A deep dive into the art of a Fleetwood Mac mastermind.
Comparable Titles: Ken Caillat and Steve Stiefel’s Marking Rumours, Sean Egan’s Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
