Mirage (Deluxe)

It was a strange time for Fleetwood Mac when it released Mirage in June 1982. The album came three years after the band’s excessive, coke-fueled double-LP Tusk. It was also the longest gap between albums for the band up to that time, a period filled with solo records from Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The group entered the 1980s—after owning the decade prior—at a bit of a crossroads. To this day, Mirage stands in the shadow of Fleetwood Mac’s classic work. But the back-to-basics pop of “Love in Store,” “Gypsy” and “Book of Love” is as good as anything they’ve done. This reissue deluxe set—in particular the disc of demos minus the gloss and layered harmonies (“Empire State” is especially good)—will also remind listeners that, while Fleetwood Mac’s music has come in and out of vogue, the band’s influence on modern rock will always be enormous.