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Apr 28, 2026 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

Back in 2012, a collection of prominent indie rock artists recorded Fleetwood Mac tunes to pay homage to that most famous of rock star bands for Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Now, 14 years later, Craft Recordings has reissued the set on special colored double vinyl for Record Store Day, making this a prime time to revisit the 19-track covers album.

Some of the players here are still well known almost a decade and a half later, and some have faded into obscurity. Best Coast, Antony, Lykke Li, Bonnie “Prince” Billy (with Matt Sweeney), HAIM, and MGMT are all here. So too, however, are Trixie Whitley, Gardens & Villa, The Crystal Ark, and The Entrance Band. Lee Ranaldo Band with J Mascis starts the proceedings with a more laid back version of “Albatross” than one would expect from the players involved. Marianne Faithfull makes “Angel” her own, with Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell on shimmering ethereal guitars. Billy Gibbons & Co., which includes Matt Sweeney on second guitar and Danielle Haim on drums, slows down “Oh Well” to a trudging stomp. And Matt Sweeney and Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s delicate, plaintive cover of “Storms” remains the best track on the album.

Elsewhere, Antony’s “Landslide” is perfectly fey. Trixie Whitley’s “Before the Beginning” is wonderfully bluesy. Best Coast turns “Rhiannon” into an indie-pop ditty. MGMT electronicizes “Future Games,” and The Kills deconstructs “Dreams” until it’s minimalist and devoid of melodrama.

As usual with these sorts of things, the different takes are various degrees of faithful to the original. But Just Tell Me That You Want Me for the most part finds its artists taking just the right amount of liberties with the originals, making for a compelling listen throughout. And a great vehicle for a nice double LP reissue. (www.craftrecordings.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10