I adore the vibe of early Fleetwood Mac. One of my favorite eras of the band is before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined in 1974. When people think of Fleetwood Mac, they might think of Rumours or Tusk, but what I think people don’t realize is that this band started in 1967. Their history is long — spanning over five decades. My favorite album from that time is Mystery to Me, their eighth studio album if you can believe it!
Fleetwood Mac’s catalog of music is anything but simple. The changes they have endured as a band all have contributed in some way to who they are today. The lyrics, melodies and their combined personalities are a few of the more obvious reasons for my enchantment, but what really captures me most of all are the voices of Fleetwood Mac. Christine McVie has one of those stunning voices. It’s so uniquely her own, and because she was with the band since the early days, I feel her sound represents very much the heart of Fleetwood Mac.
As always, the band took on an open approach with the lyrics that make up the songs off Mystery to Me. The album is full of feelings — their feelings. Every song seems to revolve around love and how their relationships make them feel. Just Crazy Love is an ode to love and everything it symbolizes. Its message explains that no matter how crazy love makes us, it’s always worth it. The song Hypnotized is all about that reckless, hypnotic beginning stage of love. Both of these songs sound very true to their time, and the softness of the mid-seventies can be heard thoroughly throughout this album.
Christine McVie and guitarist Bob Welch piggyback on vocals throughout this entire album — giving it a distinct sound that’s unlike anything that came after it. The first song I heard off Mystery to Me is actually one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs of all time: The Way I Feel. It’s all about embracing your feelings, no matter what could be pressuring you not to feel them. Overall, it’s a song about trust, and it’s definitely helped me become more secure in myself in relation to what I’m going through in life. It’s a song that makes me proud of the way I feel, and I bet writing it helped the band communicate their feelings to each other a little bit better.
Mystery to Me is calming and lighthearted; a mood I crave once and while. My hectic life sometimes overpowers my otherwise serine state of mind, and I am extremely grateful to have music like this to use as an outlet to help stay grounded in peace. Its tone is selfless and romantic; all about navigating through the relationships we have with one another. Life is senseless without the people we care about, and I think this album is the perfect reminder of that.
