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Aug 13, 2012 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

It’s a bit of a curiosity that in the past year or two, Fleetwood Mac has turned into a cornerstone of influence in indie-rock. Certainly many of those in their 30s grew up with their parents playing Rumours and Tusk, but 20-somethings today would be lucky to even have been born by the time Fleetwood Mac released the last of their first run Buckingham/Nicks-era albums, Tango In the Night. Still, Just Tell Me That You Want Me collects 17 cover songs, spanning all eras of Fleetwood Mac, from Peter Green’s late-‘60s incarnation through the Buckingham/Nicks heyday, though the album is predictably weighted heavily toward the latter. Thankfully, there is a mix of newbie artists and seasoned veterans. Lee Ranaldo Band, along with J Mascis, take on the Peter Green-era classic “Albatross,” while Billy Gibbons & Co. jam on Green’s “Oh Well.” But the meat of Tell Me deals with the Mac’s best-known period, and most of the covered compositions are Nicks’. Lykke Li’s “Silver Springs” is hazy but rather lifeless, and much the same can be said for Karen Elson’s staid rendition of “Gold Dust Woman” (all is forgiven, Courtney Love, honest). The Kills lamentably take on “Dreams,” and don’t even get me started on Best Coast’s “Rhiannon.” Some of these artists seem into this for the irony factor (see The Crystal Ark’s “Tusk” and MGMT’s “Future Games”). Still, where Just Tell Me is good, it’s great, with these moments of greatness mostly coming from the elders on the compilation. Antony’s “Landslide,” a song that could easily turn into pap, is fantastic. Marianne Faithfull’s “Angel” is wonderfully charming. And Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s “Storms” does the original incredible justice with its gentle instrumentation and haunting harmonies. However, much of this compilation is forgettable at best. (www.concordmusicgroup.com)

Author rating: 4/10