Lindsey Buckingham Rules

Lindsey Buckingham is the coolest mofo in rock n' roll on top of being a friggin' genius. Here's a guy who at one time reached a level of commercial success that is unfathomable yet decided to flush it away for the sake of his art. Instead of recording "Rumours II" in 1979, he talked his Fleetwood Mac bandmates into bucking musical trends and taking artistic risks on their next album, Tusk. Since then, he's been in and out of the spotlight (with F. Mac and solo) while working on his music on his own terms.

And now he's put out one of his signature weird albums, Under The Skin, that sucks you in like a crack addiction. I say weird because it is. His voice and his recording technique take some effort to get used to and it's certainly not for everyone, especially considering that almost every song on this album are comprised of multiple tracks of his guitar and voice only. Upon first listen, I quickly discounted this album. But like all my favorites, I kept listening until it washed over me like a warm golden shower (not that I've ever had one, of course- I'm just perversely speculating here). His songs have always been there- he's simply chosen to strip them apart and rebuild them, just as REM has done on their last few records. What he's done here (and he's always done) takes nerve and takes balls. That's why he remains one of the most respected and talented musicians on the planet. Gung ho my friend.