"Never Going Back Again" is a song written by
Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...
that was first released by the British-American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
on their eleventh studio album ''
Rumours'' (1977). The song was also released as the B-side to the Top Ten single "
Don't Stop" in the US and the "
You Make Loving Fun
"You Make Loving Fun" is a song written and sung by Christine McVie of British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. The song was released as the fourth and final 45 rpm single from the band's 1977 album '' Rumours''. "You Make Loving Fun" was the a ...
" single in the UK. It was also the B-side of "
Dreams
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
" in the Netherlands. "Never Going Back Again" has been covered by other artists, including
Colin Reid
Colin Reid is an acoustic guitarist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He launched his solo career in 1997 after supporting performances with other leading musicians such as Brian Kennedy (singer), Brian Kennedy and Waterson–Carthy. He was a guit ...
and
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty (also known as Matchbox 20 and MB20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, r ...
.
Fleetwood Mac version
Music historian George Case described "Never Going Back Again" as a "gorgeous" song with "bubbly
SoCal
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ag ...
philosophies about relationships." It is one of several songs on ''Rumours'' that Buckingham wrote in the wake of the breakup of his relationship with fellow Fleetwood Mac member
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
. Buckingham recalls it being one of the last songs written for the album, after he had started a rebound relationship with another woman.
[ Buckingham regards it as a sweet and naive song and does not consider the lyrics to be very deep.] He has described it as a "miniature perception of things."[ The song reflects a desire not to repeat previous mistakes.] Buckingham accompanies himself on acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
played using a Travis picking
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plectr ...
technique. Buckingham drew further inspiration from session guitarist Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...
.[ To capture the optimal sound, producer ]Ken Caillat
Kenneth Douglas Caillat ( ) is an American record producer. He is best known for engineering the Fleetwood Mac albums '' Rumours'', ''Tusk'', ''Mirage'', ''Live'', and '' The Chain Box Set''.
Life and career
Caillat was the president of 5.1 Ent ...
asked Buckingham if they could restring his acoustic guitar every 20 minutes, which Buckingham agreed to. Even though Caillat pitied the guitar tech's job of restringing the acoustic guitar three times an hour for "the entire day", he approved of Buckingham's "magnificent" instrumental passages.
"Never Going Back Again" is set in a signature at a moderate tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 88 beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ( ...
, in the key of F sharp major
F-sharp major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has six sharps.
The F-sharp major scale is:
:
Its relative minor is D-sharp minor (or enharmonically E-f ...
. Buckingham's guitar is in drop D tuning
Drop D tuning is an alternative form of guitar tuning in which the lowest (sixth) string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D. So where standard tuning is E2A2D3G3B3E4 (EADGBe), drop D is D2A2D3G3B3E4 (DADGBe ...
with a capo on the fourth fret. Buckingham's voice spans from a C#3 to A#4. When overdubbing his vocals, Buckingham realized that he had played his acoustic guitar part in the wrong key, so he had to record the song from scratch the following day.[
The working title for the song was "Brushes" because it was originally recorded with just Buckingham playing ]acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
and fellow band member Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and occasional actor. He is best known as the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of th ...
playing a snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
using drum brush
A percussion mallet or beater is an object used to strike or beat a percussion instrument in order to produce its sound.
The term beater is slightly more general. A mallet is normally held in the hand while a beater may be foot or mechanically ...
es. In the song's final release, the snare drum was removed. However, the drums and lead guitar part that were removed from the original release was restored as a bonus track for the DVD-audio
DVD-Audio (commonly abbreviated as DVD-A) is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio uses most of the storage on the disc for high-quality audio and is not intended to be a video delivery format.
The sta ...
release of ''Rumours''. The alternate mix, created by Caillat, was received well by Fleetwood, who encouraged Caillat to place "Brushes" in the running order for the 2004 remaster of ''Rumours''. According to ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' reviewer Christopher Walsh, these parts represent "a pleasant surprise that adds to the song's emotional punch."[
]
Critical reception and legacy
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' critic John Swenson describes "Never Going Back Again" as "the prettiest thing on 'Rumours'', noting that the "delightful" vocal "belies the bad-news subject matter." ''Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
'' critic Patrick McKay regards it as one of the "strongest tracks" on ''Rumours''. While ''Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' critic Chuck Eddy
Chuck Eddy (born November 26, 1960) is an American music journalist.
Life and career
Chuck Eddy was born in Detroit, Michigan. After starting his journalism career with ''The Village Voice'' and ''Creem'', where he published one of the first nat ...
described "Never Going Back Again" as "an arty trance." Fleetwood Mac biographer Cath Carroll praises "Never Going Back Again" as "a melodically uncluttered song with a simple chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
and a sharp resolve that says everything in a few elegant phrases."
"Never Going Back Again" has appeared on several Fleetwood Mac compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
s, including ''25 Years – The Chain
''25 Years – The Chain'' is a box set by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac originally released on 24 November 1992. The set contains four CDs, covering the history of the band from its formation in 1967 to 1992.
The set features sev ...
'' in 1992 and ''The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac
''The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac'' is an enhanced compilation album released by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac in 2002 to promote their then-upcoming album '' Say You Will'' (2003). It was released as a double album in the US on 12 Oct ...
'' in 2002. The song has also appeared on several live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
s.[ An edited, twelve second shorter version appeared on some later vinyl and CD releases.
]
Personnel
*Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham (born October 3, 1949) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and male lead vocalist of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fl ...
– acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
, vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
Charts
Certifications
Cover versions
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty (also known as Matchbox 20 and MB20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, r ...
covered "Never Going Back Again" on ''Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours''. The Matchbox Twenty version is set in a minor key
In Western music, the adjectives major and minor may describe a chord, scale, or key. As such, composition, movement, section, or phrase may be referred to by its key, including whether that key is major or minor.
Intervals
Some intervals ...
.[ '']Billboard Magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
'' critic Steve Knopper describes this version as "gloomy." ''Billboard'' writer Chuck Taylor describes this version as updating the original version's "unassuming demeanor with a subtly aggressive chug-along rock pulse." According to Matchbox Twenty drummer Paul Doucette
Paul John Doucette (born August 22, 1972) is an American musician best known for being the drummer, rhythm guitarist, and backing vocalist of the band Matchbox Twenty.Erlewine, Stephen ThomasMatchbox Twenty Biography, AllMusic, retrieved 2011-0 ...
, the band intended to play around with the song before coming up with their dark interpretation of what Doucette calls "a sad record when you think about it."[ Doucette felt that the version they came up with "turned out great." Matchbox Twenty lead vocalist Rob Thomas stated that "we took drums from ']Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share c ...
' and put them in there and at the end, turned it into 'The Chain
"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album '' Rumours''. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members ( Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John ...
.' We used all minor chord
In music theory, a minor chord is a chord that has a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord comprises only these three notes, it is called a minor triad. For example, the minor triad built on C, called a C minor triad, has pit ...
s and made it real brooding."[
Guitarist ]Colin Reid
Colin Reid is an acoustic guitarist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He launched his solo career in 1997 after supporting performances with other leading musicians such as Brian Kennedy (singer), Brian Kennedy and Waterson–Carthy. He was a guit ...
covered "Never Going Back Again" on his 2001 album ''Tilt'', with Eddi Reader
Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the wo ...
providing the vocals. AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
critic Ronnie D. Lankford Jr. described this version as "lovely," stating that it "offer a fresh take on a perhaps overplayed classic."[
The guitar part from "Never Going Back Again" was used (albeit in a lower ]key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
than in the Fleetwood Mac version) in a 2014 television commercial for Bank of America
The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank w ...
.
Danish experimental pop band Slaraffenland
Slaraffenland is an experimental music, experimental pop music band from Copenhagen, Denmark. Their sound is a mixture of many different styles, including post-rock, experimental rock, noise pop, and freeform jazz. They self-released an album and ...
covered "Never Going Back Again", inserting free-form jazz figures and changing the instrumentation while keeping the "sunny" sound of the original.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Fleetwood Mac songs
1977 songs
Songs written by Lindsey Buckingham
Song recordings produced by Ken Caillat
Song recordings produced by Richard Dashut
Matchbox Twenty songs
Warner Records singles