HEART SONGS
Stevie Nicks’ romantic rollercoaster, in 20 recordings.
Sam Emerson
Crying In The Night
(Buckingham Nicks, Buckingham Nicks, Polydor, 1973)
Resurrected by Nicks on her 2016 tour, this song ostensibly warns against a heartbreaker and her wiles. There are indications, however, that Nicks is rooting for this “tarnished pearl”; a jubilation in her phrasing, a languid pleasure at the prospect of this emotional wrecking ball being “back in town”. Cry harder. VS
Frozen Love
(Buckingham Nicks, Buckingham Nicks, Polydor, 1973)
Fortuitously, Lindsey and Stevie already sounded like FM before they joined. Lo, an obvious shore-up shoo-in when Mick Fleetwood heard this shape-shifting, proggy blend of folk blues, dazzling AOR harmonies and feral lead guitar. The precocious holy grail of the Mac’s most combustible couple. Helpfully, Jim Keltner drummed. JMc
Rhiannon
(Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac, Reprise, 1975)
Essayed live by Buckingham Nicks as a pacy rocker, with FM this was far dreamier and hypnotically groovy, blueprinting Nicks’ atmospheric contributions to the group. Re: the titular Rhiannon. Nicks wasn’t aware at the time of the mythic Welsh figure; instead, she was inspired by the witchy presence in Mary Leader’s spooky 1972 novel Triad. TD