Law and Order (album)

Law and Order is the first solo album by Fleetwood Mac guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1981. "Trouble", featuring drumming by Fleetwood Mac bandmate Mick Fleetwood, reached No. 9 on the US chart; the album itself reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200. Lindsey appeared on Saturday Night Live on February 6, 1982, and performed "Trouble" and "Bwana" with Mick Fleetwood's Zoo.^[3]

Following the relative commercial failure of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album, where many of the tracks were recorded in Buckingham's home studio, Mick Fleetwood informed Buckingham that the band was not interested in recording subsequent releases in the same manner. This was the impetus for Buckingham to create Law and Order. "In that moment, I realized, 'If I wanna continue to take risks [and] try to define myself as an artist in the long term, I'm gonna have to start making solo albums.'"^[4]

When asked about the title of the album by Jim Ladd, Buckingham explained that it did not pertain to the contemporary context of the term, but was instead about establishing personal laws to abide by. "I think that in order to keep that sense of innocence, you really have to instill a sense of discipline in yourself and a sense of commitment, really. Commitment is a key word too. A sense of order about your life, if you will. And that's how the title came about."^[5]

In a 2018 interview with Stereogum, Buckingham described the album as a sarcastic body of work that was "almost verging on a comedy album". He further explained that "Law And Order doesn't speak in a sincere way. It speaks more in an ironic way, a tongue in cheek way."^[6]

Buckingham began Law and Order in February 1981 with a setup that included a multi-track tape machine, a couple of microphones, and a small mixing console. He temporarily put his solo album on hold once Fleetwood Mac began their initial Mirage recording sessions. Buckingham resumed progress in June and spent the next few months making final adjustments to Law and Order until its eventual release in October.^[7]

"I'll Tell You Now" was the oldest song on the album; Buckingham posited that it would have been included on Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album had the song been written a few months earlier.^[8] Buckingham wrote "Love From Here, Love From There" with the idea of emulating a New Orleans woodwind and brass ensemble with guitars. To achieve this, Buckingham played a slide guitar to imitate the sound of a trombone, a Fender Statocaster for the clarinet, and a Gretsch guitar for the trumpet.^[9]

Law and Order received mixed to mostly positive reviews from music critics. Record World said that Law and Order was "quite a collection; some of it is lovely, some of it is quirky, and about all of it is appealing." They concluded by saying that "if anyone still wonders who was mainly responsible for making Fleetwood Mac's Tusk so marked and bold a break with the Rumours tradition, Law and Order will lay all doubts to rest."^[14] Billboard said that the album balanced Buckingham's "elegant guitars work and deft melodic sense against a newer element of rhythmic playfulness and a more urgent vocal attack."^[15] Cashbox declared that Law and Order revealed Buckingham to be "one of rock's major loons." They noted the incorporation of "African and oriental rhythms and a lot of the Beatles and Bonzo Dog Band idosyncrasies" and thought that the album "still manages to stay commercial."^[16]

Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone, in a 4/5 star review, wrote that "based on the evidence of Law and Order... Lindsey Buckingham's biggest contribution to Fleetwood Mac has been his unabashed fondness for pop music at its most hokey and hooky."^[13] Robin Smith of Record Mirror panned the "miserable" album in a 1/5 star review, saying that it "sounds like the out takes of Mac's worst studio sessions delivered around [Buckingham's] reedy little voice."^[11]

In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave the album 3.5/5 stars, saying that it "comes off as a high-quality demo of largely unfinished material".^[10]

Two promotional music videos were shot for Law and Order, "Trouble" and "It Was I", both directed by Jerry Watson in Los Angeles.^[17] "Trouble" featured friends of Buckingham playing either guitar or drums. They included Mick Fleetwood, Bob Welch, and Bob Weston from Fleetwood Mac and singer-songwriter Walter Egan.^[18]

Main performer

• Lindsey Buckingham – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• George Hawkins – bass on "Trouble"
• Mick Fleetwood – drums on "Trouble"
• Carol Ann Harris – harmony vocals on "It Was I"
• Christine McVie – harmony vocals on "Shadow of the West"

Production

• Lindsey Buckingham – producer, recording, Polaroid art
• Richard Dashut – producer, recording
• David Brown – recording
• Sabrina Buchanek – recording assistant
• Judy Clapp – recording assistant
• Dennis Mays – recording assistant
• Larry Emerine – mastering
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
• Larry Vigon – art direction, design
• George Hurrell – front cover photography
• Sam Emerson – back cover photography