The Mick Fleetwood Band - Something Big

Although Something Big will be treated as a Mick Fleetwood side project (the album is attributed to the Mick Fleetwood Band), it is very much co-producer Todd Smallwood's baby. Make no mistake about it, Fleetwood is a big part of the proceedings here with his steady and arrangement-oriented drumming, but Smallwood wrote all but one of the songs (Jackson Browne's "Looking Into You" is rendered here in a close cover, with Browne himself helping on vocals), handles the lead vocals, and plays a half dozen instruments to boot, not to mention mixing the whole thing. Smallwood's songs are carefully crafted, and his voice (which sounds like a cross between Don Henley and Mark Knopfler) continually exudes an earnest sincerity. Among the best tracks are the opener, "Bitter End," which begins as a faux blues 78 before breaking into a mid-tempo rock shuffle, and "Where the Wind Blows," which has a Dylanesque pacing and phrasing. Long time Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie and former Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer join in on "No Borders," a hopelessly hopeful song that takes as its central idea that in the future "the only passport will be the heart." Lauren Evans handles duet vocals with Smallwood on a couple tracks (as well as background vocals on several others), most notably on the hooky and solid "It's the Money." In the end, Something Big is competent, listenable and worth hearing, but don't expect anything that will make you forget Tusk. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Simon Engineer, Guitar (Acoustic) Amanda Peacock Photography Andro Kotula Bass April Hendrix-Haberlan Vocals (Background) Bill Lane Engineer Blain Clausen Production Coordination Brie Childers Photography Chris Golden Bass, Fretless Bass Dave Stedronsky Assistant Dexter Browne Photography Guenevere Measham Cello Jackson Browne Vocals, Engineer Jeremy Spencer Soloist, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) Jim Christie Percussion John McVie Bass Jonathan Todd Executive Producer Julie Rogers Violin Karen Goulding Viola Lauren Evans Vocals (Background), Vocals, Vocal Arrangement Lee Sklar Bass Mark Needham Engineer, Mixing Matt Andes Slide Guitar, Soloist Mick Fleetwood Drums, Vocals, Tibetan Bells, Executive Producer, Talking Drum, Tambourine, Producer, Percussion, Mixing, Drum Arrangements, Audio Production, Bells Oleg Schramm Organ (Hammond), Engineer, Photography, Piano, Accordion Oliver Brown Percussion, Conga Phillips Nichols Engineer Randy Kizer Engineer Shaun Smallwood Photography Sidney Iverson Vocals (Background), Vocal Arrangement Stephen Walker Design Steve Hall Mastering Steve Shehan Percussion Todd Smallwood Cover Art, Mixing, Photography, Dobro, Audio Engineer, Audio Production, Piano, Mandolin, Guitar, Engineer, Producer, Orchestration, Guitar (12 String Electric), Bass, Shaker, Hammond B3, Vocals, Keyboards, Harp, Guitar (Bass)