Why Fleetwood Mac Ended Up Rebuilding Again For ‘Penguin’
Fleetwood Mac were trying to re-invent themselves in 1972, hoping to move after a series of lineup changes. Penguin, released in March 1973, would do exactly that – but not before traveling a long, strange road.
Guitarist Bob Welch joined the ranks in 1971 for Future Games. Both the LP and its follow up, Bare Trees, helped Fleetwood Mac gain ground in the U.S., but things were still slow moving. In early 1971, guitarist Jeremy Spencer abruptly quit as he became involved with the Children of God religious group. In the fall of 1972, guitarist Danny Kirwan was sacked after a drunken bust-up involving Welch. Amidst all this chaos, Fleetwood Mac regrouped to record their next album.
"The result was Penguin, an album that Bob Welch terms 'obscure,' and Christine [McVie] described as 'weird,'" Mick Fleetwood wrote in his autobiography, My Life and Adventures In Fleetwood Mac.
Fleetwood Mac had brought in guitarist Bob Weston and vocalist Dave Walker to round out the sound, but that turned out to be a wrong turn. "Halfway through Penguin we started to wonder about our new lead singer, who was often drunk and disorderly around the studio," Fleetwood recalled. Walker's vocal character was nondescript at best, and didn't really fit with their style. Despite the drama, the band came up with a mostly solid offering in Penguin.
Listen to Fleetwood Mac's 'Dissatisfied'
Christine McVie contributed a couple of her finest moments in Fleetwood Mac songbook: "Remember Me" and "Dissatisfied" are near-perfect pop songs in the classic McVie style. Had these tracks been cut during the later Buckingham/Nicks era, they probably would have been hits. Bob Welch also turned in some solid tunes in the form of "Bright Fire" and the dynamic "Revelation," which features some great lead guitar and some killer bass from John McVie.
The haunting "Night Watch," also written by Welch, features their former leader Peter Green on (uncredited) guitar, and is probably the album's highlight. A clunky cover of the Jr. Walker & the All Stars hit "(I'm A) Road Runner," however, is totally unnecessary.
Penguin ended up pushing its way into the Top 50, outselling all of Fleetwood Mac's previous efforts. Named for John McVie's love of the bird, this album's penguin logo would be used by the band for years to come.
Dave Walker exited the band a few months after Penguin was released, while Weston hung on through the making of its follow-up, Mystery to Me.
It would be a mere two years before the group's luck would forever change with the addition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
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