Under the Skin

Lindsey Buckingham was the experimental pop voice of Fleetwood Mac, since he and Stevie Nicks joined the band back in the mid-seventies. Proof of this lies in Buckingham’s contributions to Tusk.

With Under the Skin, Buckingham cranks up the echo on his voice and presents some of the best songwriting and guitar playing of his solo career. The CD opens up with "Not Too Late," featuring a hauntingly beautiful vocal accompanied by some great guitar work. I don’t expect this will be released as a single, but for my money it’s the song of the year.

Two of the songs in this set are covers. "I Am Waiting," a Rolling Stones song from their Aftermath period, and a little-known Donovan tune called "To Try for the Sun." Interestingly enough, "To Try for the Sun" sounds like a nod to his former partner, Stevie Nicks, with its “gypsy girl” reference.

Mick Fleetwood and John McVie join Buckingham for "Down on Rodeo," a song that has its roots in the Fleetwood Mac sessions that produced their 2003 effort, Say You Will. As the most Mac-like song on this CD, it’s getting more than its share of attention from critics.

Often compared to Brian Wilson for his ability to stretch the boundaries of pop music, Under the Skin sounds more like an album Donovan would make if he had Wilson’s ear for pop music and production. These influences aside, Buckingham has put together one of the best releases of 2006. A heartfelt collection of songs best summed up by a verse from "Not Too Late:"

I’m not a young man but I’m a child in my soul
I feel there’s room for a man who is whole
And there’s a need for songs that are sung
For chances not taken for deeds not yet done