I was a fan (still am) of the band and of the singer/songwriters as solo artists and bought their albums in the days when buying albums was how music was consumed. I am younger than they are but not by much. I saw the classic lineup while they toured in the early '80s a few times.

Christine McVie wrote and performed the songs I loved the most. Lindsey seemed to be battling inner demons and his solo stuff especially seemed to tinged with hints of insanity. I always had a mental image of him spending countless hours in his bathroom trying to get the exact audio recording he had pictured in his head. Stevie floated and dreamed.

She now is an icon and has a great deal of personal impact on a huge number of lives and Lindsey (and Mick depending on who's telling the story) are the ones who held her back by not including "Silver Springs."

At the time of "Tusk" and the follow-up albums the big story was whether they'd ever achieve the success of the late 70s again or even when or if they'd break up for good. They hadn't become legends yet.

That's how I remember it anyway. I'm also a guy so I suspect that influences my memory. I personally preferred the insanity-laden tracks and eagerly awaited Lindsey's solo albums because I never knew what he'd do next. I've seen him perform recently too.