Rumours Live is the first album released by Fleetwood Mac since the death of Christine McVie in November 2022.[1]
The album's tracks were recorded during the band's opening night at the Forum, on 29 August 1977, by Ken Caillat using amobile recording truck from Record Plant, the studio where the band recorded most of Rumours.[1][3] The show was attended by close to 20,000 people.[1] At the time, Rumours held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart and would go on to sell more than 40 million copies worldwide.[3][4]
The set list comprises tracks from 1975's Fleetwood Mac and 1977's Rumours, with the exception of "Oh Well", which was written by Peter Green and released as a single in 1969.[4][5] The concert's tracks were previously unreleased, except for "Gold Dust Woman", which appeared on the 2021 deluxe edition of Live.[2][6] The live versions of "Dreams" and "Go Your Own Way" preceded the album's release.[1][7]
Rumours Live was issued on two formats: a two-CD set and a double-LPgatefold vinyl edition, pressed on 180g black vinyl, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.[2][8] A clear vinyl version of the LPs was also available.[2]
Sam Graham wrote in the album's liner notes that the live versions of the songs are more "muscular, more ferocious, than the album recordings," as they are driven by both the rhythm section "powerhouse" of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham's "febrile guitar playing".[4] He adds that instead of a "rote recital of the hits, the group stretches out in concert, as songs like 'Rhiannon', 'World Turning' and 'I'm So Afraid' blossom into exuberant tours de force onstage."[4][6]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that Rumours Live showcased a "a rock band hitting their stride, still a little ragged and raw, happy to be playing to an enthusiastic large crowd" rather than a "well-oiled machine that's comfortable playing to the rafters of an arena."[9] He noted that the band performed with a "verve and vigor that enlivens songs which have become perhaps overly familiar in their immaculate studio renditions."[9]
Consequence's Jo Vito described the energy as "palpable" when listening to the version of "Dreams" from the album, arguing that while "Stevie Nicks' inimitable voice and top-notch songwriting" take center stage, "the rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie augments the song to a level the album version never reaches." He added that the track, played at a faster tempo, feels "more punchy, more lively, as if you can feel the band playing off the excitement of the audience."[3]
Megan LaPierre of Exclaim! thought that Rumours Live feels "like lightning captured in a bottle".[10] She concluded by saying that "just when you thought you had memorized every dip and grove in your Rumours vinyl, you get to hear Fleetwood Mac reinvent their best work – back when the dough was still fresh for the kneading."[10]
Track listing
The album was released as a double-LP, divided into two records. It includes live performances of tracks from "Fleetwood Mac" (1975), "Rumours" (1977), as well as one of 1969's "Oh Well".
