Perhaps the most anticipated album of their career, Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk was one of the biggest musical sensations of December 1979 in almost every possible way. It was the follow up to their biggest album to date, Rumours, which sold over ten million copies. It was their most expensive record, costing over a million dollars (in 1979 money). It was also their costliest record with a list price of $15.99. It was a lavishly packaged double album with sleeves inside the record sleeves, colorful picture collages of the band, and twenty new songs.

Then, as there always is after all the hoopla, there was the music.

Lindsey Buckingham, resisting pressure from Warner Bros. to make Rumours II, had instead discovered New Wave and punk and spent a good portion of the million dollars which the studio advanced the group to build a replica of his bathroom, so he could record his vocals for Not That Funny while doing pushups on the floor. He also procured a copy of the then unreleased Beach Boys classic Smile and played it for Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, and the three of them were inspired to write dreamy multilayered vocal masterpieces such as Storms, That’s All For Everyone, Brown Eyes, Honey Hi, and Beautiful Child. Christine, although the George Harrison of the project with fewer songs than her cowriters, came up with the hit single Think About Me. Lindsay recorded songs which sounded absolutely nothing like Rumours, the wildest being The Ledge (his first song on the record) and Tusk, complete with stellar drumming from Mick Fleetwood and an honest-to-goodness marching band. Naturally, it occupied the Revolution 9 spot second from the end. Stevie had a hit of her own with the gorgeous Sara and contributed some of her most touching and intimate numbers. And lo, you had a masterpiece. Unfortunately, it was considered a failure because it “only” sold four million copies.

Tusk has gone on to become a cult classic, though, with many preferring its patchwork beauties to the more polished and accessible Rumours. Personally, when I first heard the record, I thought Buckingham’s material was the best, even going so far as to make a tape just of his songs. Time showed me the rich beauty of his compatriots’ work as well.