After much speculation, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham announced Wednesday the long-awaited reissue of Buckingham Nicks, more than 50 years after the release of their only full-length album as a duo.
Originally released in 1973, Buckingham Nicks was a commercial failure at the time, but it later became a cult classic among fans. The album, filled with raw emotion, layered harmonies, and the early seeds of the sound that would come to define Fleetwood Mac’s golden era, marked a significant chapter in the duo’s creative journey. For decades, the album remained out of print, circulating only through bootlegs, old vinyl copies, and fan-made digital transfers. Now, with a remastered reissue set for release this fall, both longtime fans and new listeners will get the chance to hear the music as it was originally intended.
The announcement came as a surprise given the complicated personal and professional history between Nicks and Buckingham, whose partnership and breakup famously fueled some of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic songs. Their strained relationship, particularly after Buckingham’s controversial firing from the band in 2018, had led many to believe they might never collaborate again — let alone come together to re-release such a personal work.
Yet the press conference on Wednesday painted a different picture. Appearing side by side for the first time in years, Nicks and Buckingham spoke candidly about their decision to revisit Buckingham Nicks, calling it “unfinished business” and a “love letter to who we were before everything changed.”
“Back then, we were just two kids in love trying to make a record,” said Nicks, recalling the early ’70s when the pair moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles with little more than a guitar, a dream, and a handful of songs. “That album was the beginning of everything — Fleetwood Mac, the madness, the music, all of it.”
Buckingham added that the reissue would include previously unreleased demos and live recordings from that era, giving fans a fuller picture of their creative chemistry at its height. “We recorded dozens of ideas back then, not all of which made it onto the album,” he said. “We’ve gone through the archives and found some really beautiful moments that deserve to be heard.”
The remastering process was supervised by Buckingham himself, ensuring the sound retains its original intimacy while benefiting from modern audio fidelity. According to both artists, the reissue will be available in several formats — including vinyl, CD, and digital streaming — with a deluxe edition featuring a behind-the-scenes booklet, personal photos, and handwritten lyrics from their early days.
The decision to come together for this project may not signal a full-scale reunion, but it does represent a softening of past tensions. Nicks, while cautious, expressed a sense of closure. “This isn’t about rewriting history,” she said. “It’s about honoring a piece of it that still matters deeply to both of us.”
For fans, the reissue is more than just a long-overdue release — it’s a piece of rock history that captures a pivotal moment in the evolution of two artists who would go on to shape the sound of a generation. From the bittersweet balladry of “Frozen Love” to the haunting vulnerability of “Without a Leg to Stand On,” Buckingham Nicks was a blueprint for what was to come, both musically and emotionally.
As the music industry looks back to celebrate its most influential moments, the return of Buckingham Nicks feels timely and significant. It’s a reminder that even fractured bonds can find harmony again — at least for a moment — through the enduring power of music.
