Law and Order (album)

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Law and Order
Studio album by
Lindsey Buckingham
ReleasedOctober 1981
Recorded1981
Studio
GenreRock
Length36:13
Label
Producer
Lindsey Buckingham chronology
Law and Order
(1981) 		Go Insane
(1984)
Singles from Law and Order
  1. "Trouble"
    Released: October 1981 (US)[1]
  2. "It Was I"
    Released: March 1982
  3. "The Visitor (Bwana)"
    Released: March 1982 (UK)
  4. "Mary Lee Jones"
    Released: May 1982 (UK)

Law and Order is the first solo album by Fleetwood Mac guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham, released in 1981. "Trouble", featuring drumming by Fleetwood Mac bandmate Mick Fleetwood, reached No. 9 on the U.S. charts; the album itself reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200. Lindsey appeared on Saturday Night Live on February 6, 1982 and performed "Trouble" and "Bwana" with Mick Fleetwood's Zoo.[2]

Background[edit]

Following the relative commercial failure of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album, where many of the tracks were recorded in Buckingham's home studio, Mick Fleetwood informed Buckingham that the band was not interested in recording subsequent releases in the same manner. This was the impetus for Buckingham to create Law and Order. "In that moment, I realized, 'If I wanna continue to take risks [and] try to define myself as an artist in the long term, I'm gonna have to start making solo albums.'"[3]

Buckingham began Law and Order in February 1981 with a setup that included a multi-track tape machine, a couple of microphones, and a small console. The solo album was temporarily put on hold when Buckingham worked with Fleetwood Mac to record part of their Mirage album. Buckingham resumed work again in June and spent the next few months making final adjustments to Law and Order until its eventual release in October.[4] "I'll Tell You Now" was the oldest song on the album; Buckingham posited that it would have been included on Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album had the song been written a few months earlier.[5]

When asked about the title of the album by Jim Ladd, Buckingham explained that it did not pertain to the contemporary context of the term, but was instead about establishing personal laws to abide by. "I think that in order to keep that sense of innocence, you really have to instill a sense of discipline in yourself and a sense of commitment, really. Commitment is a key word too. A sense of order about your life, if you will. And that's how the title came about."[6]

In a 2018 interview with Stereogum, Buckingham described the album as a sarcastic body of work that was "almost verging on a comedy album". He further explained that "Law And Order doesn't speak in a sincere way. It speaks more in an ironic way, a tongue in cheek way."[7]

Music promo videos[edit]

Two promotional music videos were shot for Law and Order, "Trouble" and "It Was I", both directed by Jerry Watson and produced by Paul Flattery. "Trouble" featured friends of Buckingham playing either guitar or drums. They included Mick Fleetwood, Bob Welch, and Bob Weston from Fleetwood Mac and singer-songwriter Walter Egan.[8]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Record Mirror[10]
Robert ChristgauB+[11]
Rolling Stone[12]

Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone, in a 4/5 star review, wrote that "based on the evidence of Law and Order... Lindsey Buckingham's biggest contribution to Fleetwood Mac has been his unabashed fondness for pop music at its most hokey and hooky."[12] On the other hand, Robin Smith of Record Mirror panned the "miserable" album in a 1/5 star review, saying that it "sounds like the out takes of Mac's worst studio sessions delivered around [Buckingham's] reedy little voice."[10]

In a retrospective review, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave the album 3.5/5 stars, saying that it "comes off as a high-quality demo of largely unfinished material".[9]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Lindsey Buckingham, except where indicated

Law and Order track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bwana" 3:08
2."Trouble" 3:56
3."Mary Lee Jones" 3:15
4."I'll Tell You Now" 4:21
5."It Was I"Gary Paxton2:39
6."September Song"Maxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill3:17
7."Shadow of the West" 3:59
8."That's How We Do It in L.A." 2:53
9."Johnny Stew" 3:09
10."Love from Here, Love from There" 2:50
11."A Satisfied Mind"Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes2:49

Personnel[edit]

Main performer

Additional personnel

  • George Hawkins – bass on "Trouble"
  • Mick Fleetwood – drums on "Trouble"
  • Carol Ann Harris – harmony vocals on "It Was I"
  • Christine McVie – harmony vocals on "Shadow of the West"

Production

  • Lindsey Buckingham – producer, recording, Polaroid art
  • Richard Dashut – producer, recording
  • David Brown – recording
  • Sabrina Buchanek – recording assistant
  • Judy Clapp – recording assistant
  • Dennis Mays – recording assistant
  • Larry Emerine – mastering
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
  • Larry Vigon – art direction, design
  • George Hurrell – front cover photography
  • Sam Emerson – back cover photography

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Law and Order
Chart (1981) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13] 27
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] 28
US Billboard 200[15] 32

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Law and Order
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[16] Gold 20,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lindsey Buckingham singles".
  2. ^ "SNL Season 07 Episode 11 - James Coburn, Lindsey Buckingham - NBC.com". NBC. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  3. ^ Chiu, David (2021-09-15). "Lindsey Buckingham looks for life after Fleetwood Mac". Newsweek. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  4. ^ DeRiso, Nick (2016-10-03). "How Lindsey Buckingham Tried to Break Free on 'Law and Order'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  5. ^ "I'm 40: Lindsey Buckingham, Law and Order". Rhino. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  6. ^ "Innerview with Jim Ladd (1981), (Radio Show Partial Transcript)". The Blue Letter Archives. 1981. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "Lindsey Buckingham Reveals Stories Behind His Solo Songs And Whether He'll Ever Rejoin Fleetwood Mac". Stereogum. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  8. ^ "Trouble Video". Go Your Own Way : The UK Resource for All Things Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  9. ^ a b https://www.allmusic.com/album/r31798/review
  10. ^ a b Smith, Robin (7 November 1981). "Lindsey Buckingham: Law and Order". Record Mirror. p. 19.
  11. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Lindsay Buckingham". www.robertchristgau.com.
  12. ^ a b "Lindsey Buckingham: Law and Order : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". www.rollingstone.com:80. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0459". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Charts.nz – Lindsey Buckingham – Law & Order". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Lindsey Buckingham Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  16. ^ "1982 was a Big Year" (PDF). Billboard. December 25, 1982. p. 103. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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