Buckingham Nicks Reissued by Rhino Records on Standard Weight Vinyl and High Fidelity 180 Gram Vinyl

The Beginnings of Buckingham Nicks

In 1973, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were a struggling duo living and gigging in Southern California. Having caught the attention of record producer, Keith Olsen, they were signed to Polydor Records and recorded their debut album, the self-titled Buckingham Nicks. As fate would have it, during a visit to the Sound Factory, Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac heard Olsen playing Frozen Love, a track from the Buckingham Nicks recording.He was so impressed by Buckingham's guitar work that he reached out to Buckingham and invited him to join his band.

Buckingham accepted, but on one condition--that Stevie Nicks would join as well. Fleetwood agreed and the newly-configured Fleetwood Mac went on to make their breakout self-titled album, Fleetwood Mac in 1975. At the same time, Buckingham Nicks drifted into obscurity and remained out of print for over four decades--until now.

Rhino Records Releases Standard Weight and 180 Gram High Fidelity Editions

Following the success of Fleetwood Mac in 1975, both Buckingham and Nicks had already left their past as a duo behind, and while initially it was simply forgotten, the post-breakup animosity between the former pair certainly did nothing to help bring their initial effort back into print. The fact that the fan base of Lindsey Buckingham--and to an even greater extent Stevie Nicks, has continued to grow over the years has only heightened the demand and excitement for this reissue, especially given the fact that it has never before been released on compact disc or streaming platforms.

Rhino's dual vinyl reissues are indeed a strong indication of their belief in this project and today I'll compare both of these new reissues to the original Polydor vinyl. Let's dig into the comparison. In preparation for this review, I listened to my original 1973 Polydor copy mastered at Sterling Sound. This is a very good sounding record, with solid imaging and decent soundstage depth and width, Tonally, it is balanced with a good bottom end and highs that showcase Buckingham's chiming acoustic guitars and occasional blistering electric leads. The midrange is also nicely balanced and presents the character of Nicks' still-developing vocals as they seem to occupy their own sense of space within the mix. Overall, it is a great sounding record and one that nearly everyone would be happy to own.

The regular weight Rhino vinyl is a fairly standard affair. Housed in a regular weight non-gatefold jacket, the 140 gram vinyl was a little rough around the edges but despite the less than premium vinyl, it played throughout without any significant surface noise. The mastering itself, however, is a disappointment--especially coming from a respected engineer such as Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering. As soon as you drop the needle, it is apparent that the sound is smaller and more closed-in than the original Polydor Sterling Sound pressing.

The soundstage is smaller, with less depth and width and the tonality is overly warm, with what sounds like a bump in the lower midrange. What results is at times a congested mix, where guitars lack shimmer and vocals recede and lose emotional depth. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this pressing.

While the standard vinyl was a disappointment, the 180 Gram Rhino High Fidelity pressing tells an entirely different story. The 180 gram vinyl quality is clearly superior to the standard Rhino pressing. The Hifi cover is also of very high quality--it's a glossy gatefold with notes and a photo inside the gatefold. Also included is a short booklet with photos of the master tapes and session titles.

Kevin Gray has acknowledged using a copy tape to master this High Fidelity release (Bellman reportedly used the same tape). As a listener, you would never suspect anything but the original master was used by Gray. As the opener, Crying in the Night begins, you immediately hear a sparkle to the high end and an expansion of the soundstage--both in depth and width that make this pressing a compelling listen. This Hifi edition simply contains all of the elements that are important to audiophiles--and despite the tighter bass and additional sparkle in the highs--this pressing does not have a smiley-faced eq. The midrange is nicely intact.

Nearly everything is simply better with this pressing--Buckingham's guitars sparkle and shimmer, Nicks' voice occupies a beautiful space--and at times, floats before you. In the closing epic, Frozen Love, you get a bit of everything. Acoustic guitars, blistering electric leads, and a duet where both Buckingham and Nicks have standout vocal performances. The wide dynamic range of Gray's mastering really showcases the peaks and the valleys of the performance--and this song alone makes the Hifi edition a worthy buy even if you already have a clean original.

To be completely fair and to guide those who might be considering the Bellman cut due to the desire for a smoother, more restrained presentation, there is one example where Bellman's approach does better suit the material. The second cut, Stephanie, is an intimate acoustic guitar solo. On the Rhino Hifi, Gray's increased highs and broader soundstage have the effect of making the performance sound "bigger," robbing the listener of some of the intimacy of the original. Bellman's emphasis on the lower-mids rather than highs imparts a bit more of the wood to the acoustic guitar and as already mentioned, the smaller soundstage simply better suits the musical moment.

If you've been waiting for years for an opportunity to own a clean, fantastic sounding version of this record at a reasonable price, the Rhino High Fidelity is your answer. Even if you already own a clean Sterling original, the Rhino High Fidelity is a compelling listen--and if you love this record, you'll want to get this fantastic reissue to hear it for yourself.

Highly Recommended