Fleetwood Mac suffered more personnel changes following the release of
Behind the Mask in 1990, with
Stevie Nicks and
Rick Vito leaving, to be replaced by newcomer
Bekka Bramlett (daughter of
Delaney & Bonnie) and veteran
Dave Mason. As a result, the group slipped down another notch in terms of quality and attention.
Christine McVie could always be relied on to turn in her quotient of four or five perky songs of romantic devotion;
Mason checked in with "Blow by Blow," a statement of renewed purpose that was braver than it was accurate; and
Bramlett was an appealing, emotive singer. But despite the familiar rhythm section, this simply was not the group that made the great blues-rock of the 1960s or the group that made the great pop/rock of the '70s. And nobody was fooled:
Time didn't even make the charts. ~ William Ruhlmann