Mick Fleetwood

This is a pretty solid effort from the leader of my third favorite band ever. Fleetwood Mac has been, more or less, a dramatic train wreck for their entire existence. Countless lineup changes, fights, break-ups, reunions, and more break ups should make for an interesting read. I think that Mick does a decent job of glossing over many of these events, but often falls short of providing the details needed to understand what is/was really going on within the band. The strength of the book is show more the fascinating tales of early Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green and Bob Welch years). It seems that once Mick got to the "classic" Mac lineup (Nicks & Buckingham), he was a bit more hesitant to dive into the stories that helped fuel their legend. After telling about the making of the Tusk album, the book falls pretty flat. Mick just seems to rapidly go through everything in an attempt to get to the end of the story. It's ironic that the last chapter was entirely devoted to the restored and positive mood of the band since they reunited in 2014 when Christine McVie came back. But alas, as we have seen with the recent departure of Lindsey Buckingham and as the band members near their 70th year on this planet, they still can't get their crap together. show less

I loved the early, Peter Green version of Fleetwood Mac. The subsequent power pop of the Buckingham-Nicks version was extremely well done but not so exciting to me. In any event I bought the book to learn more about the band's early days and the book certainly delivered on that. Mick, however, dwells a lot on his personal life. At some point, you tire of his relentless womanizing, infidelity, alcohol and drug abuse, and financial irresponsibility that led to two bankruptcies despite an show more incredible income. He is likeable at a certain level, but ultimately fairly narcissistic. I like to read biographies about people I admire. I can overlook some personal failings, e.g., Clapton, but Mick is not the genius that Clapton was. Mick did have a solid rhythm section with McVie, and he did have a talent for spotting new talent to add to the band. The band's legacy, however, is littered with human casualties: Green took too much LSD, became mentally ill and discovered Jesus; Kirwan joined a religious sect, and ultimately ended up on streets homeless; Weston committed suicided; and, Welch died of internal bleeding probably caused by drug use. Then the was the endless internal drama caused by the interaction of its dysfunctional members. Through it all, they managed to consistently make good music, and perhaps Mick, and certainly later, Buckingham, deserve credit for that show less

As a fan of Fleetwood Mac, I really enjoyed the inside look at the band from a founding member. Mick Fleetwood takes us from his days as a boy, the discovery of a love for drums, to the modern day. He discusses and takes the reader through all the different interactions that the band had during it's long history. He touches on all the different emotions and relationships that shaped the modern (and most famous) version of the band. It was nice to see him give a lot of credit to Chris McVie show more and Lindsey Buckingham as the main song writers. Most fans and readers would know about Stevie Nicks and her significance to the band but it was nice for him to recognize the others. Just as a side note as a fellow musician, I've always thought that John McVie was unrecognized as the high level bass player that he is.

Overall, really enjoyed the book and it was nice to relive some of the memories that the book brought back for me. Especially the L.A. scene in the 70's and early 80's. show less

This book was AMAZING! This is a MUST read for any Fleetwood Mac fan! I really enjoyed the walk with Mick through the early incarnations of FM until present day. Mick was very open about his past drug and alcohol use. The book makes you see Mick for the human being that he is, not just the rock star. It was interesting to see all the intermingling with The Beatles, The Stones, and other musicians. Reading this book makes you feel like Mick Fleetwood is one of your friends that you grew up show more with. I think the look into his family life was amazing just as much as his life with FM. Mick Fleetwood is a hopeless romantic that you just can't help but to love. Mick makes sure that all of the important people in his life are mentioned and how they have shaped his life.

I think it would be wonderful spending an afternoon chatting with Mick. He is very nostalgic and loves to share stories of the past. I feel like I was able to gain a connection to Mick as a person by reading this book. I have been blessed to see FM in concert twice--Once without Christine McVie and recently with Christine, this truly brought the band as well as the experience full circle. show less