Tusk

While it may not warm the hearts of the more traditional Fleetwood Mac fans out there (in fact, it will most likely piss-off the majority of the Stevie Nicks Fan Club), it's clear that this was a labor of love for the Campers. Yes, there are some weird and wacky moments to be found (their version of "Honey Hi" is just too off the wall, and the title track meanders on for too long), but re-doing the entire Tusk album was an ambitious, audacious undertaking for anyone, and in the hands of Camper Van Beethoven it actually works --- at least most of the time. Highlights include "Sisters of the Moon" which has a tribal, trance-like vibe, while "Not So Funny" incorporates a propulsive barrage of bagpipes. On "That's Enough for Me" the band breaks out their rusty old fiddle in what amounts to a hillbilly hoedown. My favorite track, though, is "I Know I'm Not Wrong," which is so full of effervescent energy that I can never sit still when it plays. Great idea, and a pleasure to listen to.

In 1979, the then-new lineup of Fleetwood Mac (which was destined to become the band's most successful and well-known lineup) released its third studio album: "Tusk."As a follow-up to 1977's hugely-popular "Rumours," "Tusk" was considered a commercial failure. Guitarist-singer-songwriter-producer Lindsey Buckingham, the creative force behind the album, was roundly criticized by his band mates for the wildly-inventive nature of "Tusk."Buckingham has said in interviews that the message he got was all-too-clear: "You're not going to do THAT again!" The lore is that executives at Warner Brothers Records "saw their Christmas bonuses flying out the window" after hearing the album.Although not as popular or well-known as "Rumours," "Tusk" is thought by many (including myself) to be Fleetwood Mac's creative high-water mark.I hadn't heard of Camper Van Beethoven, except for a mention in the Los Angeles Times ten years ago, before finding their remake of "Tusk" on Amazon.com.I have since found additional material on Camper Van Beethoven. They are best described as a "Country / Punk" band. I am very impressed with their version of "Tusk," and find it a fitting tribute to my favorite Fleetwood Mac album.I don't want to give away too many of this album's luscious secrets, so you may wish to stop reading until you've given it a listen.Still with me?One highlight is the addition of a violin to many of the songs, such as the Stevie Nicks-penned "Storms." Nicks's contributions are the weakest element of the original "Tusk" album. Her numerous love ballads drip with smarmy treacle, detracting from the intoxicating innovation of Buckingham's ingenious melodies and whip-smart lyrics. Still, Camper Van Beethoven's aural wizardry manages to even breathe new life into Nicks's songs.There are extraordinary sound effects on many of the tracks, including some bizarre ones on Buckingham's "Save Me a Place" and "Tusk."The title track is the aural highpoint of the album, and includes what sounds like a young boy reading a list of animals from a childrens' book. There is no USC marching band to be found here, but this is an interesting way to give the song the "African" feel that inspired Mick Fleetwood.Some of the tracks are just plain bizarre, but I suspect that Buckingham would enjoy such experimentation. After all, that desire to try new things is what fueled him to do such a brilliant job on the original "Tusk."Nicks's "Sisters of the Moon" is read rather than sung, by what sounds like a malfunctioning robot. Christine McVie's "Honey Hi" is recorded in what sounds like a busy intersection, in another language (Spanish or Italian, I think...)I like Camper Van Beethoven's sense of humor. At the very end of the album, after "Never Forget," we hear a band member says something like "this was a bad idea!"My only quibble is the decision to issue "Tusk" as a double-CD, which necessitates stopping to change CDs if you don't own a CD changer. The original "Tusk" fits on one CD, so why not the remake? This could be part of Camper Van Beethoven's tribute to the original material: The Mac's "Tusk" was released as a double album in 1979, at a time when such things were thought to be commercial anthemia (Warner Brothers records must have thought "Rumours's" listeners had short attention spans). If this is part of the tribute, so be it; "Tusk" - the original "Tusk" - is an album that deserves a tribute, and Camper Van Beethoven has succeeded is creating one that is both fitting and loving.If you are a Fleetwood Mac or Lindsey Buckingham fan - or a fan of innovative music in general - pick up this album. You won't be disappointed.

If you are familiar with both CVB's music and the original Fleetwood Mac "Tusk," you will laugh all the way through this album.The high point for me was "Sisters Of The Moon." The song, originally, was Stevie Nicks at her Stevie Nicksiest. In Camper's version, however, the vocals are "performed" by a speech synthesizer- the gushy, drama-queen anthem becomes a robotic voice-mail announcement.The only reason I didn't give this five stars is that the whole album has a slapdash quality to it-- I wish they'd taken a little more time with the arrangements and production. With a bit more attention to detail, this might've even been Camper's commercial (?) breakthrough.....well, maybe.

I'm not a purist but this cover was bad. It seems like CVB went to a lot of expense and time to produce a very bad project. The only song that stands out as passable was an exact cover Over and Over. The covers of Nicks should not have been included if they were going to use a machine. No wonder I've never heard this before.

I love CVB and Cracker, et al. And Tusk is, well, Tusk. I was looking forward to this. It has a real mixed-in-somebody's-basement feel. It's adolescent and self-serving. A steaming pile of narcissism. So very disappointed.