Rumours [35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
by Fleetwood Mac
  • Record Label: Rhino
  • Release Date: Jan 29, 2013
Metascore
99

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Pitchfork
    Feb 14, 2013
    100
    As one of classic rock's foundational albums, it holds up better than any other commercial smash of that ilk.
  2. Uncut
    Feb 14, 2013
    90
    For all the baubles and padding presented with this definitive edition, the disc you’ll turn to again and again is the one you’ve been playing all your life.
  3. PopMatters
    Feb 14, 2013
    70
    Every song is an open-and-shut case, a tightly-sealed, end-of-story work of pop-rock perfection. Which means items like discs of live material and outtakes are superfluous at best.
  5. Mojo
    Feb 15, 2013
    100
    If you're the kind of listener who has come to associate outtakes from classic albums with meagre, dryly forensic spoils, prepare to be very pleasantly surprised by Disc 3.... Rumours reminds us why we should continue to indulge them. [Mar 2013, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Rolling Stone
    Feb 14, 2013
    100
    The real revelations are recordings that part the curtains on the making of Rumours, like Christine McVie's solo-piano-demo rendition of "Songbird."
  7. Under The Radar
    Feb 14, 2013
    90
    This three-disc expanded reissue, featuring the remastered album with sparkling original B-side "Silver Springs," a disc of early takes, and a concert from 1977, does the original album, and its story, justice.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Feb 14, 2013
    90
    If there’s ever been an album that deserves the lavish, borderline-unnecessary reissue treatment, it’s this pop behemoth.
  9. Consequence
    Feb 14, 2013
    100
    What makes Rumours so remarkable and relevant is that it remains fragile and passionate 35 years later.... From a historical, archival standpoint, this package is extremely valuable, as Rhino left in the studio banter and rough cuts from the recording sessions; you get to overhear Fleetwood Mac as they make the record.
  10. The Independent (UK)
    Feb 14, 2013
    100
    It remains one of pop's most impervious generational touchstones.
  11. BBC Music
    Feb 14, 2013
    90
    With its extra content engineered to appeal to collectors and casual fans alike, this is a justified addition to the many Rumours already making the rounds.
  12. American Songwriter
    Feb 22, 2013
    100
    Their finest album, 1977’s Rumours, addresses with heart and sharp insight the romantic disengagements and re-entanglements of the members in the free-spirited, free-love 1970s.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 138 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 128 out of 138
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 138
  3. Negative: 7 out of 138
  1. therealrickys
    May 21, 2013
    10
    Rumours is like nostalgia that I never had. My parents never played this record when I was growing up and I wasn't raised in this album'sRumours is like nostalgia that I never had. My parents never played this record when I was growing up and I wasn't raised in this album's generation. I only recently discovered this album in college, but it sounds and feels like something I've been listening to all of my life. Rumours manages to suspend time for just a moment. It is beautiful, moving art that truly will make you a different person. Just close your eyes and listen to Dreams. It is marvelous. Stevie Nicks is a goddess.… Full Review »
  2. JennetP
    Mar 27, 2013
    5
    Ah, the mid-70s: my least favorite musical era. Rock lost its edge, and FM radio became an instrument of torture, playing the bland pop tunesAh, the mid-70s: my least favorite musical era. Rock lost its edge, and FM radio became an instrument of torture, playing the bland pop tunes of Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles over and over and over, until listeners' ears wept blood. Now here we are at the 35th anniversary of "Rumours," and it's time for a reassessment. Was the "soundtrack of 1977" truly as lightweight as I remember? The answer is: yes and no. Listening to the old songs, as well as the live versions, demos, and early takes, I realize how heterogeneous the band was most of the time. On songs by Stevie Nicks and (most of the time) Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac sounds like a skilled back-up band, adapting their sound to the singer-songwriter's aesthetic. Only on the one song written by the whole band ("Chains") and on a couple of songs by Lindsey Buckingham do I hear much real collaboration. Compare the Nicks and McVie demos (not that different from final versions) and the Buckingham demos (quite different), and you'll see how much more involved and sophisticated was Buckingham's use of his bandmates' musical strengths during the recording process. In the final analysis, I don't like most of the Nicks and McVie songs, which sound to me as silly and sentimental as they did in the 70s. But, 35 years later, I rather like "Chains" and "Go Your Own Way," which have a ferocity I didn't appreciate when I was hearing them two thousand times a month.… Full Review »
  3. ScarTissue1990
    Feb 20, 2013
    10
    This album defined pop rock music. One of my all time favorites. Absolutely chilling.
See all user reviews »