The Chain Live At Budokan 1977

Lola My Love (Buckingham/Nicks 1973)

Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Song/Album: The Chain / Rumors
Writer(s): Buckingham, Fleetwood, McVie, McVie, Nicks
Year Released: 1977
Genre/Sub Genre: Rock

Why it’s a “Penn’s Pick”:

Included on Fleetwood Mac’s immensely popular and successful Rumors album, The Chain is unique in the sense that it’s the only song on the album where all 5 members of the band collaborated with one another. Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie contributed the lyrics to the first part of the song, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie contributed the bass oriented second half, and Lindsey Buckingham provided the intro from an early Buckingham/Nicks tune, Lola My Love.

Combined, the band created a moody masterpiece that has it all – strong, evocative and somewhat cryptic lyrics, an intro section that acts as the perfect “identifier” for the song (the second you hear it you know exactly what song it is,) a super-strong, infectious chorus that makes great use of vocal harmony, and most interestingly, it’s basically two songs in one.