Lindsey Buckingham Says He Doesn’t Miss Fleetwood Mac
Lindsey Buckingham said he didn’t miss being in Fleetwood Mac, partly because he's too busy concentrating on his solo work.
He was fired last year in a move that surprised fans, apparently as a result of a disagreement with Stevie Nicks. The band created a new lineup featuring Mike Campbell and Neil Finn, and went on to launch a world tour. Buckingham turned his attention to his solo anthology and tour, and a lawsuit between the parties was later settled.
“I can’t say that I ‘miss’ being in Fleetwood Mac,” Buckingham wrote in response to a fan question on Twitter, “as I’ve been concentrating on fulfilling my own plans that were already in the works before the split happened. So, in a sense, the situation is still too new to miss … especially since I don’t have much regard for the way the band is presenting itself now.”
He added, “What I’m sad about is the split completely dishonors the beautiful 43-year legacy we built together, one that was always about rising about our difficulties in order to pursue a higher truth.”
He confirmed that, to date, the only member he had heard from was Christine McVie. “Christine said she missed me very much, that FM wasn’t complete without me," Buckingham wrote. "[She] said she felt that Stevie was very likely regretting having given the rest of the band the ultimatum that forced my departure. Perhaps wishful thinking on Christine’s part. In any case, it was great to hear from her, and I do hope we work together again down the line.”
In a warmer recollection, Buckingham recalled Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk era as a time when he stood up for his artistic beliefs. “The choice to make Tusk was a line in the sand,” he said. “It was the moment in which I chose to follow the creativity … not the money, to aspire to be an artist and risk taker rather opting to settle into a set of labels and formulas, even if it meant confounding expectations. In putting a show together in support of the album, that sensibility, that point of departure was tangible onstage as well.”