Cunningham Bird, a 2024 remake of the Buckingham Nicks album from 1973
Cunningham Bird is a duets album recorded by solo artists Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird, released digitally in October of 2024, with CD and vinyl formats coming in December. The title not only denotes the collaborating performers, but is also a play on the name Buckingham Nicks, the duo whose self-titled 1973 album is the basis for this new duets album.
For those who are unaware -- and I can't blame anyone who is -- Buckingham Nicks was a duo which consisted of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, shortly before both of them joined Fleetwood Mac. The sole Buckingham Nicks album from 1973 is historically significant, because it led to the duo being discovered by Mick Fleetwood, which led to the two of them becoming members of Fleetwood Mac, which led to the creation of Rumours -- one of the best-selling albums of all time. So, you would think the Buckingham Nicks album would be similarly iconic, right?
But it's not, because it has not been legitimately commercially available for as long as I can remember. The album was never officially released on CD, although it certainly has received a number of unauthorized CD issues. It has also never been available on streaming services, although it can be listened to (unofficially as well) on certain websites. Vinyl LP's have popped up in recent years, but those were also unauthorized. Why is such a significant and sought-after album not properly commercially available? Nicks has said many times that she would like the album reissued, and her box set titled Enchanted included the Buckingham Nicks song "Long Distance Winner". But Buckingham co-owns the rights to the album, and for whatever reason has never approved an official reissue.
At the time of its 1973 release, Buckingham Nicks was neither commercially successful nor critically acclaimed. The album was in the singer-songwriter mold, a field which was very crowded at the time, and it failed to stand out among the crop. However, the album has aged well, and is fascinating listening for fans of the duo's work with Fleetwood Mac. That's not to say it is a great album, but it is a decent showcase for Buckingham's guitar skills, which caught Fleetwood's attention. Also, Nicks' now-famous voice is heard to pleasing effect. Many of the songs sound similar to the duo's later work with the Mac, sometimes even coming across as early working versions of now-familiar songs. In hindsight, the album lacks the tight foundation that Fleetwood and the McVies would later supplement, making Buckingham Nicks sound like performers awaiting greatness instead of achieving it.
Buckingham Nicks is in the unusual category of being at once obscure and legendary. Cunningham and Bird's decision to remake the album in full, song for song, is certainly an intriguing one. Bird said that the album appealed to him because "it was inaccessible to a lot of people" -- which I certainly understand, due to my long-time fascination with out-of-print albums, especially by well-known artists. Cunningham is an interesting choice as Bird's collaborator, because her brand of alternative music seems partly inspired by the west coast music scene from which Buckingham Nicks arose more than 50 years ago.
But this album was not meant to be a slavish reproduction of the original. Instead of trying to duplicate the original album's '70's rock sound, Bird and Cunningham have totally reimagined the whole package as an alternative folk project. Bird's violin and Cunningham's acoustic guitar were the main instruments used here, giving their version of the album a much softer and more intimate tone. If there is any such thing as a Buckingham Nicks purist, then such a person may be disappointed by this duo's very different reconstruction of the material. But Cunningham Bird's interpretation of the album stands on its own as a musical statement, and will likely draw more attention to the original long-lost collector's item.
The mostly gentle folk treatment of the material makes Cunningham Bird sound like an original work, especially for a listener who is not familiar with the elusive album on which it is based. Bird's violin generally takes the place of Buckingham's guitar. Both singers sing the songs as duets in most cases, but usually do not alternate the same parts as the original singers did. The chamber pop interpretation of the opening song "Crying In The Night" -- the original version of which foretold the sound of Stevie Nicks' solo albums from the '80's, as well as her work with Fleetwood Mac -- has a less serious tone than the original, but is almost equally good in its own way. "Don't Let Me Down Again" was one of the most Mac-like songs on Buckingham Nicks, a bouncy rock duet with good guitar playing by Buckingham; the Cunningham Bird version keeps the upbeat tempo as it turns into a violin-driven arrangement. Most of the other tracks have a more somber tone. "Without A Leg To Stand On" scores as a gentler folk duet, finding the right amount of emotion in the song's dispirited lyrics. "Long Distance Winner" originally came across as a precursor of Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman"; the Cunningham Bird version eschews the attitude that Stevie Nicks gave the original version, making it a kinder-sounding exchange between the two singers. The instrumental "Stephanie", the original version of which sounded like a working prototype of Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again", is nearly unrecognizable as a bucolic country waltz. Cunningham Bird's version of "Crystal" has a haunting, understated beauty that compares favorably to the Buckingham Nicks original, which suffers from a mild case of '70's soft-rock blandness. (On the other hand, it's best not to compare this new rendition to the Fleetwood Mac version from 1975, lest Bird and Cunningham might come across like college-radio nerds covering a classic rock band in a coffee house). "Lola (My Love)" takes on a very different meaning here. The Buckingham Nicks original was a Southern rock tune in which Buckingham played the part of a man telling his woman what a great lover she was. The Cunningham Bird version is sung in a somber tone by Ms. Cunningham, apparently playing the part of a woman reassuring a friend or relative that she is doing everything she possibly can do for her man. And the closing track "Frozen Love", originally an intense seven-minute rock epic, is scaled back to an almost-five-minute mid-tempo song, with effectively subdued vocals and striking use of the violin in place of the original guitar solo.
Like the album it is based on, Cunningham Bird is a good, though not quite great, collaboration by two intriguing performers. Could it possibly start a trend of obscure albums being given full tribute treatments? That's a movement I could get behind, as long as it doesn't get ridiculous.
Andrew Bird, Madison Cunningham "Cunningham Bird" (Loma Vista LVR04544) 2024
Buckingham Nicks "Buckingham Nicks" (Polydor CF 5058) 1973
Track Listing of both albums:
1. Crying in the Night
2. Stephanie
3. Without A Leg To Stand On
4. Crystal
5. Long Distance Winner
6. Don't Let Me Down Again
7. Django
8. Races Are Run
9. Lola (My Love)
10. Frozen Love
For those who are unaware -- and I can't blame anyone who is -- Buckingham Nicks was a duo which consisted of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, shortly before both of them joined Fleetwood Mac. The sole Buckingham Nicks album from 1973 is historically significant, because it led to the duo being discovered by Mick Fleetwood, which led to the two of them becoming members of Fleetwood Mac, which led to the creation of Rumours -- one of the best-selling albums of all time. So, you would think the Buckingham Nicks album would be similarly iconic, right?
But it's not, because it has not been legitimately commercially available for as long as I can remember. The album was never officially released on CD, although it certainly has received a number of unauthorized CD issues. It has also never been available on streaming services, although it can be listened to (unofficially as well) on certain websites. Vinyl LP's have popped up in recent years, but those were also unauthorized. Why is such a significant and sought-after album not properly commercially available? Nicks has said many times that she would like the album reissued, and her box set titled Enchanted included the Buckingham Nicks song "Long Distance Winner". But Buckingham co-owns the rights to the album, and for whatever reason has never approved an official reissue.
At the time of its 1973 release, Buckingham Nicks was neither commercially successful nor critically acclaimed. The album was in the singer-songwriter mold, a field which was very crowded at the time, and it failed to stand out among the crop. However, the album has aged well, and is fascinating listening for fans of the duo's work with Fleetwood Mac. That's not to say it is a great album, but it is a decent showcase for Buckingham's guitar skills, which caught Fleetwood's attention. Also, Nicks' now-famous voice is heard to pleasing effect. Many of the songs sound similar to the duo's later work with the Mac, sometimes even coming across as early working versions of now-familiar songs. In hindsight, the album lacks the tight foundation that Fleetwood and the McVies would later supplement, making Buckingham Nicks sound like performers awaiting greatness instead of achieving it.
Buckingham Nicks is in the unusual category of being at once obscure and legendary. Cunningham and Bird's decision to remake the album in full, song for song, is certainly an intriguing one. Bird said that the album appealed to him because "it was inaccessible to a lot of people" -- which I certainly understand, due to my long-time fascination with out-of-print albums, especially by well-known artists. Cunningham is an interesting choice as Bird's collaborator, because her brand of alternative music seems partly inspired by the west coast music scene from which Buckingham Nicks arose more than 50 years ago.
But this album was not meant to be a slavish reproduction of the original. Instead of trying to duplicate the original album's '70's rock sound, Bird and Cunningham have totally reimagined the whole package as an alternative folk project. Bird's violin and Cunningham's acoustic guitar were the main instruments used here, giving their version of the album a much softer and more intimate tone. If there is any such thing as a Buckingham Nicks purist, then such a person may be disappointed by this duo's very different reconstruction of the material. But Cunningham Bird's interpretation of the album stands on its own as a musical statement, and will likely draw more attention to the original long-lost collector's item.
The mostly gentle folk treatment of the material makes Cunningham Bird sound like an original work, especially for a listener who is not familiar with the elusive album on which it is based. Bird's violin generally takes the place of Buckingham's guitar. Both singers sing the songs as duets in most cases, but usually do not alternate the same parts as the original singers did. The chamber pop interpretation of the opening song "Crying In The Night" -- the original version of which foretold the sound of Stevie Nicks' solo albums from the '80's, as well as her work with Fleetwood Mac -- has a less serious tone than the original, but is almost equally good in its own way. "Don't Let Me Down Again" was one of the most Mac-like songs on Buckingham Nicks, a bouncy rock duet with good guitar playing by Buckingham; the Cunningham Bird version keeps the upbeat tempo as it turns into a violin-driven arrangement. Most of the other tracks have a more somber tone. "Without A Leg To Stand On" scores as a gentler folk duet, finding the right amount of emotion in the song's dispirited lyrics. "Long Distance Winner" originally came across as a precursor of Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman"; the Cunningham Bird version eschews the attitude that Stevie Nicks gave the original version, making it a kinder-sounding exchange between the two singers. The instrumental "Stephanie", the original version of which sounded like a working prototype of Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again", is nearly unrecognizable as a bucolic country waltz. Cunningham Bird's version of "Crystal" has a haunting, understated beauty that compares favorably to the Buckingham Nicks original, which suffers from a mild case of '70's soft-rock blandness. (On the other hand, it's best not to compare this new rendition to the Fleetwood Mac version from 1975, lest Bird and Cunningham might come across like college-radio nerds covering a classic rock band in a coffee house). "Lola (My Love)" takes on a very different meaning here. The Buckingham Nicks original was a Southern rock tune in which Buckingham played the part of a man telling his woman what a great lover she was. The Cunningham Bird version is sung in a somber tone by Ms. Cunningham, apparently playing the part of a woman reassuring a friend or relative that she is doing everything she possibly can do for her man. And the closing track "Frozen Love", originally an intense seven-minute rock epic, is scaled back to an almost-five-minute mid-tempo song, with effectively subdued vocals and striking use of the violin in place of the original guitar solo.
Like the album it is based on, Cunningham Bird is a good, though not quite great, collaboration by two intriguing performers. Could it possibly start a trend of obscure albums being given full tribute treatments? That's a movement I could get behind, as long as it doesn't get ridiculous.
Andrew Bird, Madison Cunningham "Cunningham Bird" (Loma Vista LVR04544) 2024
Buckingham Nicks "Buckingham Nicks" (Polydor CF 5058) 1973
Track Listing of both albums:
1. Crying in the Night
2. Stephanie
3. Without A Leg To Stand On
4. Crystal
5. Long Distance Winner
6. Don't Let Me Down Again
7. Django
8. Races Are Run
9. Lola (My Love)
10. Frozen Love
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