OMG!!!...

Fleetwood Mac may be gaining a new member, Sheryl Crow!

You have no idea how excited I am about the news that Sheryl Crow, a close friend of Stevie Nicks' since the late 90's, will be joining Fleetwood Mac. Truly, this news is bigger than the announcement Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had re-joined the group and they were releasing new material.

Of course, every site has the same story, which is pretty vague, but from Sheryl Crow's own mouth. There are no details other than the actual announcement that she will be collaborating with the group. From reading online, this could mean either in-studio work as an actual contributing member, or just joining them on tour to fill the void that Christine McVie left upon her retirement from the group in 1998.

Stevie Nicks has recently said she did not wish to continue with the group without Christine McVie, who had been a member of the band since before Nicks joined in 1974 but retired after the 1997-98 reunion tour. She reportedly just wasn't interested in touring anymore, and has lived a quiet life in England ever since. Undoubtedly there was some great back room deals being made between Nicks and Crow to ensure the band continued its great tradition.

It will be fascinating to watch how this unfolds. Crow in her own right is a good songwriter and performer, and at times can veer into the eclectic, which Lindsey Buckingham must gleefully be embracing. I can just imagine them working out harmonies and Crow/Buckingham collaborations, not to mention the kick-ass show they would put on when the tour finally starts.

In case you missed it, I'm a Fleetwood Mac junkie. They have been, and always will be, my favorite band and favorite music. Their style has changed over the years dramatically, veering from SoCal rock on the 1975 'Fleetwood Mac' album to the experimental 'Tusk' in 1979 and the pop-perfection of 'Tango in the Night' in 1987. They came back around in 2003 with 'Say you Will' to a more straight-ahead classic rock formula. Throughout all of this, I have enjoyed their creations more than any other influential artist.

Nobody really knows why one comes down with a love for Fleetwood Mac so severely. If you've got it though, you know what it's like. Mac fans are a small but super-loyal group; we all seem to share this insane appreciation for their work, far beyond the "I like some of their songs" mentality. What really annoys us is when people undercut the amazing quality of their work, writing it off as simple fluff their parents listened to in the car on weekends.

If you feel this way, go listen to 'Tusk'; I maintain if a group released the same product in 2008, it would be a critically heralded album. Actually, that makes a funny coincidence, 30 years after 'Tusk' is released, the band may release a similarly amazing double-album.

Really, I called this myself way back in 2003 when 'Say You Will' was released. It was clear that McVie wasn't coming back to the group, and it seemed obvious that they may be searching for a new member. Crow has been heavily influenced by Fleetwood Mac, and writes and in a very similar manner. The group has had a history of ever-rotating lineups, and it only seemed natural that they adopt a new voice and writer.

Realizing all that, I proclaimed way back then Crow would eventually join the group. Its taken five years, but it looks like it will finally happen. OMG!!!

I just have to take the time to thank my mom, who actually just told me she heard it on the radio this morning. Unbelievable that I missed it online, but hey, thats cool. Lets just hope this actually happens!

This has made today so great! I feel like a kid again!

(Yes, I know this was a totally geeky post. If you've read this far, congratulations. I don't normally drone about stuff like this, and damn, I'm excited!)