Mirage at 40

2022 marks the 40th anniversary of Mirage, Fleetwood Mac’s low-key commercial rebound of the early ‘80s.

Sometimes considered the laggard of the five album “Classic Mac” run from 1975 to 1987, Mirage can be overlooked when compared to the more notable albums that preceded it. Genial and solid, it has a reputation as an enjoyable, Grade-B collection of tuneful pop and rock that helped stabilize Fleetwood Mac’s commercial fortunes after the relative disappointment of 1979’s misunderstood Tusk, an experimental opus whose initial critical reception and sales fell far short of its 1977 predecessor, the landmark Rumours. While Tusk would be redeemed by later critical re-assessment, in 1982 Fleetwood Mac needed a hit.

Merely getting the band in one place to record new material was a challenge. Internal tensions had spiked on the Tusk tour, with the band’s messy personal lives souring their professional association. 1981 saw members Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood all release solo projects. Nicks’ Belladonna became a multi-platinum seller that produced a stream of pop and rock hits that made the singer a solo star. Buckingham’s Law and Order and Fleetwood’s The Visitor were more modest sellers, but Buckingham scored a top 10 single with “Trouble,” and Fleetwood’s album helped spread the embrace of world music styles among European and American artists. Warner Bros. clearly would…