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Rhiannon

Fleetwood Mac
Composed By   Other Links
Stevie Nicks  

Song Review

by Denise Sullivan

"Rhiannon" is a witchy Stevie Nicks classic from Fleetwood Mac's first comeback phase in 1975, taken from the number one album Fleetwood Mac. Among the album's ten superior tracks, it's "Rhiannon" that's had the most staying power in the public's consciousness and is the song most heavily identified with Nicks. It's all about the mystery: The double guitar line is spooky and subtle. Nicks' vocal veers from deep and sexy to strong; Christine McVie's and Lindsay Buckingham's backgrounds add the appropriate measure of swooshing, paranormal activity; John McVie's bass thump-thumps like "The Telltale Heart." Was "Rhiannon" a Celtic myth or did Nicks create her? Fueled by her black-cloaked appearance and rumors that Nicks was an occult-loving hippy gypsy, all the elements turned "Rhiannon" into a Fleetwood Mac classic. In the late '70s, "Rhiannon" would become identified as one of the songs most reviled by new wavers and punk rockers as a symbol of "corporate rock." No matter -- few people have deigned to retry the works from this million-selling record; "Rhiannon" will always belong to Nicks.

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