Buckingham / Nicks - Buckingham / Nicks

Long before Rumours, there was Buckingham Nicks, the 1973 duo album that introduced Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the world and then quietly vanished.

Recorded at Sound City in Los Angeles with producer Keith Olsen, the record sold poorly on release and the pair were soon dropped by their label. Yet it changed their lives: Mick Fleetwood heard Frozen Love while checking out the studio, and before long both of them were invited to join Fleetwood Mac. Out of print for decades, the album is now back on vinyl.

Crying in the Night opens with sparkling guitar and close harmonies, previewing the chemistry that would soon fill arenas. Long Distance Winner shows Nicks' mystical streak already in full bloom, while Frozen Love closes the record with a dramatic, guitar-heavy finale that shows exactly why it caught Fleetwood's ear.

Buckingham's intricate picking and Nicks' smoky voice already sound unmistakable here, and the songs move between California folk-rock, soft rock and moments of genuine rock drama. Hearing it now is like finding the first draft of a story you already love, rough edges and all.

For anyone who treasures the Fleetwood Mac story, this is the essential prologue, finally easy to hold in your hands again.