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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Gift of Screws originally started life fifteen years ago as a Buckingham solo record until a Fleetwood Mac reunion intervened and the guitarist was persuaded to donate some material to their ensuing album, 2003's Say You Will. But currently on something of a roll after his deservedly acclaimed 2006 set Under the Skin, Buckingham has seen fit to revive the project. On the evidence of this fine record, largely played by Buckingham himself with the odd collaborator and often less than totally polished, his decision was correct. The frantic guitar runs of the opener "Great Day" turn a deceptively sunny song into something more sinister, while the dense and noisy acoustic arpeggios of "Time Precious Time" are downright eerie. The defiantly lovely "Did You Miss Me" works well in a stripped-down form. Mac fans will be pleased by "Wait for You" featuring the unmistakeable rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and "The Right Place to Fade", which could be an outtake from their most successful era. The title track itself is a catchy two chord stomp reminiscent of REM at their most playful. Mastered so loudly that it leaps out of the speakers, even as its creator lovingly layers guitar parts and buries vocals in swathes of echo, Gift of Screws is oddly timeless yet undoubtedly contemporary. --Steve Jelbert
Review
Lindsey Buckingham, chiselled, unsmiling guitarist with Fleetwood Mac, first began recording Gift Of Screws between 1995 and 2001. In the intervening period nearly half the songs recorded were hijacked for the reunion album by the band, Say You Will, as well as various other projects including his own acoustic album, Under The Skin (2006). Luckily Mr B is a very talented man, and despite what may have seemed the cream of the crop being diverted for the greater good, the remaining ten songs are pure gold dust. This album is a gift indeed.
The title comes from an Emily Dickinson poem. The bulk of the material is self-played and self-produced (with two songs co-written with wife Kristen and one with son, Will). Oh, and on another three songs some blokes called McVie and Fleetwood turn up to provide the rhythm tracks. It's on one of these (The Right Place To Fade) that Buckingham approaches the classic sound of the Mac, but elsewhere he's his own man and the results are revelatory.
Most know the stories of Buckingham's love of new wave bands that seemed at odds with the West Coast fare that his band epitomised. And indeed, Gift Of Screws approaches the avant garde in places. The opener, Great Day is quite some statement of intent. Fuelled by furiously plucked nylon strings it's a fever pitch dash through whispered vocals and an incendiary guitar solo. Next up, Time Precious Time is no less startling. Over massed strings he intones like some alt folk hero a third of his age. From here it's a brief (just over 39 minute) ride through pure Californian pop (Did You Miss Me, Love Runs Deeper) gonzo rock (Gift Of Screws), alien folk (Bel Air Rain) and so much more.
His voice is lithe, his fingers insanely nimble and his songwriting chops simply awesome. Really, anyone from the ages of 15 to 65 would find Gift Of Screws exhilarating. Quite simply, a masterpiece. --Chris Jones
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
5 stars is always difficult to give unless it's a total classic. But this is such a good record that it's hard not too give it top marks. All the trademark LB ingredients are present on Gift Of Screws. That is to say the god like guitar playing, his unique wall of sound sound (very frenzied and almost claustrophobic on this record), great production and strong catchy songs. Mix it all up and when it works well (and it does very well on this record) you have not only the classic LB/MAC sound but a great album to boot.
No doubt this is his best work since Out Of The Cradle, but i'd go further and say that this album has far more substance and depth than that record, and shows much maturity in song writing as against the more one-dimensional songs of Out Of The Cradle. Although the arrangements on Gift Of Screws have less space to breathe and delicacy to them. But that's more the intense style that LB's conjured up for this collection of songs.
As most media reviews around the world are reporting, this is a great record.
No doubt this is his best work since Out Of The Cradle, but i'd go further and say that this album has far more substance and depth than that record, and shows much maturity in song writing as against the more one-dimensional songs of Out Of The Cradle. Although the arrangements on Gift Of Screws have less space to breathe and delicacy to them. But that's more the intense style that LB's conjured up for this collection of songs.
As most media reviews around the world are reporting, this is a great record.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Being a massive fan of Fleetwood Mac and the various "solo" elements within the band, I bought this album on the day it was released and have played nothing else since.
For me, Lindsey Buckingham can do no wrong.
What staggers me, is that after 35 years or so, he's still producing work of this quality when so many others have fallen by the wayside, or, are relying on past glories.
What's more, inspite of working within familiar "Mac" harmonic/structural frameworks, he's still able to make it sound so fresh, even when treading well worked progressions etc.
All the usual stuff is here, the intricate guitar work, the layered vocal textures, the holding of long notes vocally and instrumentally over changing harmonies, he's been doing this stuff since the "Buckingham/Nicks" album, but who cares?
No one else has done it so well and as he once said of Stevie Nicks when she was criticized for "only knowing 3 chords".."yes but they're the right 3 chords" and he has a bigger harmonic vocabulary than Stevie Nicks!
The guitar work is, as always, outstanding, so much so, that it always frustrates me as to why this man isn't spoken of with the sort of reverence normally reserved for the likes of Hendrix and Clapton.
Buckingham uses the guitar in so many innovative ways, but mostly in his, almost unique, ability to create songs using a variety of small and, on their own, seemingly insignificant, guitar motifs, which, when combined, create the sound, which is, unmistakenly, his own.
He never, IMO, sinks into the sort of self indulgence which you get from countless "guitar heros", resulting in his guitar solos being well thought out, planned and fitting to the needs of the song, which means that, although he can do the "fireworks" like the best of them, he's not afraid to sound "simplistic," as can be seen in many of his songs on previous solo efforts and with Fleetwood Mac, but is amply demonstrated on this album with the last two songs:
"Underground" & "Treason"
A number of these songs have been available for some time as "bootlegs" on the net, but I'm pleased to see that he's added some newer material which I'd not heard previously.
I can't find fault with any of the songs but I love particularly:
The explosiveness of "Love Runs Deeper"
The references to "Play In The Rain," from "Go Insane" which can be heard in "Bel Air Rain"..
The "son" of "Second Hand News," which is "The Right Place To Fade", though I'm a little mystified as to why it's not entitled "The Right Twist Of Fate," as it is on the "bootleg" versions!
All in all, this album has been more than worth the wait..and, having managed to see Fleetwood Mac for the first time ever a few years back, who were phenomenal and totally professional, this more than fills the gap between "Say You Will," and, hopefully their next effort, which will, hopefully, include Christine McVie.
If you're a Mac fan and are missing them, then I'd thoroughly recommend this!
For me, Lindsey Buckingham can do no wrong.
What staggers me, is that after 35 years or so, he's still producing work of this quality when so many others have fallen by the wayside, or, are relying on past glories.
What's more, inspite of working within familiar "Mac" harmonic/structural frameworks, he's still able to make it sound so fresh, even when treading well worked progressions etc.
All the usual stuff is here, the intricate guitar work, the layered vocal textures, the holding of long notes vocally and instrumentally over changing harmonies, he's been doing this stuff since the "Buckingham/Nicks" album, but who cares?
No one else has done it so well and as he once said of Stevie Nicks when she was criticized for "only knowing 3 chords".."yes but they're the right 3 chords" and he has a bigger harmonic vocabulary than Stevie Nicks!
The guitar work is, as always, outstanding, so much so, that it always frustrates me as to why this man isn't spoken of with the sort of reverence normally reserved for the likes of Hendrix and Clapton.
Buckingham uses the guitar in so many innovative ways, but mostly in his, almost unique, ability to create songs using a variety of small and, on their own, seemingly insignificant, guitar motifs, which, when combined, create the sound, which is, unmistakenly, his own.
He never, IMO, sinks into the sort of self indulgence which you get from countless "guitar heros", resulting in his guitar solos being well thought out, planned and fitting to the needs of the song, which means that, although he can do the "fireworks" like the best of them, he's not afraid to sound "simplistic," as can be seen in many of his songs on previous solo efforts and with Fleetwood Mac, but is amply demonstrated on this album with the last two songs:
"Underground" & "Treason"
A number of these songs have been available for some time as "bootlegs" on the net, but I'm pleased to see that he's added some newer material which I'd not heard previously.
I can't find fault with any of the songs but I love particularly:
The explosiveness of "Love Runs Deeper"
The references to "Play In The Rain," from "Go Insane" which can be heard in "Bel Air Rain"..
The "son" of "Second Hand News," which is "The Right Place To Fade", though I'm a little mystified as to why it's not entitled "The Right Twist Of Fate," as it is on the "bootleg" versions!
All in all, this album has been more than worth the wait..and, having managed to see Fleetwood Mac for the first time ever a few years back, who were phenomenal and totally professional, this more than fills the gap between "Say You Will," and, hopefully their next effort, which will, hopefully, include Christine McVie.
If you're a Mac fan and are missing them, then I'd thoroughly recommend this!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ive played this a few times now, and am enjoying the songs and the performance very much. My one caveat would regard the erratic production values. 'The right Place to fade', for instance, sounds great during the verses, but when the guitars crash in for the chorus, the stereo image collapses and it all sounds very compressed. 'Time precious Time' on the other hand, sounds glorious.
This is not an album for aspiring guitarists - what Lindsey Buckingham does, especially on track 2, will have you giving up in despair!
This is not an album for aspiring guitarists - what Lindsey Buckingham does, especially on track 2, will have you giving up in despair!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Over rated
Lindsey Buckingham is the George Harrison of Fleetwood Mac. He was never the strongest of song writer's-being over shadowed by both Nicks and Mcvie . Read more
Published 5 months ago by B. Hazel
Give it time and you will appreciate it
Let me say to start with I was never a fan of post Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, Rumours et al largely passed me by as too poppy, I was into heavier stuff at the time. Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2009 by joolsm
A Talented Gift
Drawn to lindsey buckingham because of his influence with fleetwood mac, I really was unsure what to expect as a solo performer. He is an exceptional talent without question. Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2009 by Bendy
Outstanding stuff
It's a long time since this has happened with a first listen, but from the moment I pressed play I was compelled to listen intently right through to the end. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2009 by Colin Pickett
This is no Gift.
The voice of later day Fleetwood Mac and maker of several great solo albums.
This however aint one of them, to weird for my liking and one which despite several attempts... Read more
This however aint one of them, to weird for my liking and one which despite several attempts... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 2008 by John Williams
A real gift
Back in the days of the early 1980s, there was this strange invention known as the audio cassette tape. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2008 by M. S. Skidmore
Disappointing
There is nothing new here, this is familiar Fleetwood Mac territory without the bands collective talent to raise it above the ordinary. Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2008 by Sonic Spy
Genius
As innovative, personal and perfect an offering I have heard for many a year. Masterful songwriting, beautifully produced, with each track a stand-out, yet the running order is... Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2008 by Timbob
Competent but very unremarkable
I am a new listener to Lindsey Buckingham, having bought the album based on some favourable reviews in the music press. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2008 by W. Grant
why is this man's solo work not reved about?
being a big"mac" fan glad to see this come out.always more experimental than his day job but none the worse for it,some of the songs here could not be a hit single in these vacuous... Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2008 by E. J. L. Bushell
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