Can They Go Their Own Way? A Buckingham Nicks Review

In recent years, Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs” has seen a major resurgence in popularity, stemming from the viral lyric “You will never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you,” accompanied by a 1997 performance video capturing Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s raw emotional dynamic. However, following an on-and-off relationship spanning decades, the pair had officially distanced themselves from each other following an argument in 2018. Yet, fans continued to wonder about the possibility of the pair ever reconnecting; they had a history dating back to the 1960s and dozens of songs about each other. Following Buckingham’s wife of over 20 years filing for divorce in 2021, speculation immediately ensued regarding the state of his relationship with Nicks. The pair showed no signs of reuniting until July 17, 2025, when they posted lyrics in their respective handwriting: “And if you go forward / I’ll meet you there.” Fleetwood Mac fans recognized these lyrics from “Frozen Love,” a song off Buckingham Nicks, an album Nicks and Buckingham released in 1973 prior to their joining Fleetwood Mac. At that time, Buckingham Nicks had not been re-released digitally or on CDs, remaining dormant since its original commercial failure five decades ago.

On September 19, 2025, the 10-track album was finally re-released. While the album cannot compare to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977), it does serve as a nostalgic reminder of what Nicks and Buckingham had before the fame—and its accompanying drama. Many of the tracks feel almost prophetic, foreshadowing what would eventually happen to the pair. The lead single, “Frozen Love,” is a stark example of this exact idea, with Nicks singing “Life gave me you / the change was made / there was no beginning over” as the pair expresses both unhappiness and an inability to let go of each other. Despite all of the turmoil in their personal and professional lives, Nicks and Buckingham continuously return to each other every ten or so years, even though it never seems to bring happiness or stability to them. Another song, “Long Distance Winner,” was written by Nicks and explores an idea of someone’s partner being too arrogant and egotistical, yet still being compelled to love them, with lyrics such as “Not unlike the blue white fire / you burn brightly in spite of yourself / I bring the water down to touch you / You’re too hot to touch.” These problems early on in their relationship would later become magnified with the success of Fleetwood Mac and with Buckingham’s subsequent decision to break from the band and begin a solo career. The track “Races Are Run” is about the breakup of the first band that Nicks and Buckingham were a part of, yet the lyrics are the most prophetic of the whole album. Nicks asks during the first verse, “If we could start again, well, who knows? / Have we really changed?” and revisits this idea during the second verse, claiming, “We tried a thousand times before.” These same lyrics could easily apply to what would become of their relationship, and the song itself feels like an eerie manifestation of their future.

Many of the tracks also explore similar themes that appear later on in the Fleetwood Mac discography. The opening song of Buckingham Nicks, “Crying in the Night,” has an identical theme to one of Fleetwood Mac’s first standout hits, “Rhiannon” (1975). Both songs describe an almost mystical woman whose nature is both entrancing but not conducive to a serious loving relationship. “Don’t Let Me Down Again” is a more up-tempo version of “The Chain,” with lines including “You wanna leave now and find a new start / It’s gonna kill me if you break my heart,” reflecting the same pleading to stay grounded in their relationship, later explored more in-depth on the aforementioned hit song from Rumours. However, the most intriguing song on the whole album seems like direct inspiration for the current viral sensation “Silver Springs.” “Crystal,” also written entirely by Nicks, serves as Nicks’ first, and arguably only, solo-written love song for Buckingham. “Silver Springs,” first written in 1976 but only released in 1992, is one of her most powerful breakup songs about her relationship with him. However, upon listening to both tracks, they are clearly a sonic pair. They have a similar instrumental arrangement, the same key of C Major with transition periods highlighting A Minor, and an opening chord that sounds almost identical. The lyrics also both grapple with the concept of time and age, and how these ideas are woven into Nicks and Buckingham’s relationship.

While Buckingham Nicks is not a particularly long album, and is far from the best album of Nicks’ or Buckingham’s careers, it is a must-listen for any fan of Fleetwood Mac. Some songs appear to directly inspire the pair’s later tracks, while others instead seem to allude to the eventual demise of their relationship. Nevertheless, this re-release certainly brings into question the current status of Nicks and Buckingham’s relationship, given that they are working together and revisiting the beginning of their long, complicated relationship. While their future is uncertain, it is confirmed that Buckingham will, in fact, never get away from the sound of the woman that loves him.

Rating: INDY

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Alexis Wilson is a Freshman in the College planning on studying Government and possibly English.