THIS is a CLOSE-UP?

At the age of 68, it’s clear that Lindsey Buckingham – the singer/songwriter/guitarist/producing force behind the Imperial Period (circa 1975-1987) of Fleetwood Mac – is, to quote the kids, all out of fucks to give. He’s been able to balance what he’s called “the big machine” of Fleetwood Mac with the cultivation of a compelling and diverse solo career over the past few decades, pulling down the ducats by flogging the FM hits in arenas and stadiums while releasing more criminally overlooked discs than all the other members of FM combined. By now, he's earned the right to do what he wants when he wants to. One need look no further than 2017’s snoozed-on release of Buckingham McVie , a Fleetwood Mac album in everything but name, given that Stevie Nicks is the only member of FM who’s M.I.A. (Of course, you could say that about 1987’s Tango In The Night as well, but I digress. Willfully so.) Given that Buckingham is all over every track on Buckingham McVie , from multi-tracked backg...

The process of normalization of the abhorrent and reprehensible can be rapid and slippery, like a slick of K-Y moistening a Teflon pan, or it can be slow and incremental, like rehabbing a hip replacement. But either way, one gets to a point where tolerance and acceptance of invalid and unreliable products and policies stands inviolate and tall, unmolested by even the densest mists of logic and evidence. However, it's rare to find the aforementioned circumstances driven by dichotomies of clear distinction and clarity; rather, it's an uncomfortable blending of external forces and internal motivations -- both current and historical -- that move people through life, and cause ideas once unthinkable and laughable to become a cruel and intractable reality. It is beyond argument that Oprah Winfrey has used her influence and empathy to make the lives of others better. Her striking speech at last week's Golden Globes was another illustration of her oratory skills and inspiring lea...