the penultimate title track, where our protagonist feels moved to keep creating in the face of loss, which couldn’ t have been a better way to pay tribute to a friend. Thank you, Dave.
-Andy Derer
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FLEETWOOD MAC Fleetwood Mac Ultradisc One-Step 2xLP( Mobile Fidelity)
Just a bit tardy for its 50th anniversary, the 1975 self-titled album by Fleetwood Mac receives the same prestige reissue treatment that was enjoyed in late 2025 with the reissue of Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna. Fleetwood Mac may not have quite attained the same landslide( pun intended) status as its world-conquering successor Rumours, but the band’ s first album with Nicks and partner Lindsey Buckingham in the lineup was a major multiplatinum success that topped the album charts in 1976 and boasted four enduring hits. Christine McVie’ s smitten but conflicted soft-rock smash " Over My Head,” Nicks’ moody and mysterious“ Rhiannon,” and McVie’ s sexy and spunky piano-led“ Say You Love Me " were all Top 20 singles. The latter is abetted by Buckingham’ s folksy banjo, chiming guitar arpeggios, and his rich chorus harmonies with Nicks. Nicks’ melancholy and reflective“ Landslide” barely missed the Top 40 just this January after it was included in the season five finale of Stranger Things. The album has ample additional charm. John McVie’ s bass cartwheels through“ Blue Letter.” Mick Fleetwood’ s triplet tom-toms propel“ Monday Morning.” Buckingham’ s supple fingerstyle guitar playing shines throughout the album, with standout performances including the gently layered“ Landslide” and the intense and bluesy“ World Turning.” McVie sings cheekily about wanting a“ Sugar Daddy” for every imaginable need but love, because she’ s got that covered elsewhere. Mobile Fidelity ' s Ultradisc One-Step process brings unprecedented sonic clarity to Fleetwood Mac. As one of pop music ' s most painstakingly crafted records, it ' s ideal for
the treatment. Fleetwood Mac has been an example of top-tier studio craft for more than five decades, but this pressing offers the best-sounding vinyl presentation the album has ever had. My point of comparison was a clean copy of a 1975 Santa Maria pressing of Fleetwood Mac, with the identifying marks KENDUN and POGO etched into the runout groove. Both pressings were auditioned on a restored Linn Axis turntable with a mid-high-grade Ortofon Blue cartridge, a Music Hall pa1.2 amplifier, and Focal Twin6 BE studio monitors and a matched subwoofer. The difference between playback of the respected older pressing and the One-Step pressing is not subtle. It ' s like washing dirty windows – colors become brighter and more distinct. Surprisingly, the One-Step pressing is recorded a bit hotter with just over 1 dB more gain, while still including ample dynamic headroom. The One-Step playback is imperceptibly slower than the old pressing by about 0.02 %. Christine McVie ' s lush " Warm Ways " is expressive, full-bodied, and precise. Fleetwood ' s percussion lands with impact. Buckingham ' s rhythm guitar glistens. McVie ' s electric piano shimmers, and her voice is intimate and present. Buckingham ' s voice and electric guitar bite during " Blue Letter," and the rhythm section of John McVie and Fleetwood is vivid and strong with an overall cleaner presentation. The Ultradisc One-Step process reduces the generational loss experienced in the traditional threestep plating process by directly making a metal stamper from the lacquer. This results in greater detail retention, increased dynamics, and a lower noise floor. These qualities are evident in the new pressing of Fleetwood Mac. The album is mastered for 45RPM playback, which requires the 11-song program to be split across two vinyl platters but also provides increased sonic fidelity compared to the original analog source tapes. Listeners who know the album from other pressings and formats will be impressed by this vinyl release ' s depth, body, warmth, clarity, dynamic range, and spatial staging.
As a premium offering with an MSRP of $ 125, this release isn ' t for vinyl dabblers or casual Fleetwood Mac fans. For audiophiles who consider Fleetwood Mac an alltime favorite and want the definitive vinyl experience, though, this reissue is a stunner. The performance of this release suggests that an Ultradisc One-Step pressing
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