For Your Holiday Weekend Listening Pleasure: Fleetwood Mac's '78 Cotton Bowl Landslide

By Robert Wilonsky Thu., Jun. 30 2011 at 6:45 PM

At last night's Gasland screening, an environmentalist activist of some note noted how much he enjoyed reading Unfair Park ... for the Friday musical offerings, many of which were echoes of shows he'd once attended. Then, this afternoon, a request from another Friend of Unfair Park: Steive Nicks or Fleetwood Mac, please? So, with the long weekend fast approaching, I thought I'd go ahead and post an early weekender, though not the last: Fleetwood Mac at the Cotton Bowl on July 23, 1978 (scroll down), on a bill that included Billy Thorpe, the Little River Band and Steve Miller -- otherwise known as the Cotton Bowl Jam 2, which wasn't a Texxas Jam ... not really.

The recording's an audience keepsake, though it sounds awfully good in spots for a stadium-sized back-pocket keepsake -- especially, and this'll make our Friend happy, during "Landslide." From the looks of the Rumours tour itinerary, the Cotton Bowl gig was toward the very end of a long road slog; a Billboard review outta New York a few days later insisted "Stevie Nicks was in poor form as she seemed unable to get her voice to do the things it does on record." The beauty of the vinyl-to-digital boot -- if she's shot, you can hardly tell. Setlist says the recording's incomplete, only because it lacks the beginning of "The Chain" and closer "Songbird." Which reminds me: What happened on The Voice last night? Ah.

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Buckeye

Don't care what Billboard said, I was at that show in Saratoga. She looked, I mean sounded great.

Baddatesindallas

I finally got a download from NY, as, that link from the Dallas show is now busted, and, I must disagree. I think Stevie was not at her best. Maybe it was too much of the "Gold Dust" from "Gold Dust Woman". Who knows? However, I will not dispute your looks comment. I was not yet in the womb, so, wouldn't know.

DuckDuckGoose

Fleetwood Mac at it's greatest:

Peter Green " I can't help about the shape I'm in. I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin..."

CrackerDaddy

And Lindsey Buckingham straight out ROCKED THAT SHIT to open the show.

LakeWWWooder

This is one of my favorite youtube videos of all time from earlier that year: Bob Welch / Stevie-Mick collaborating on "Ebony Eyes" at Cal Jam 2 :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Jgmartin

Is there a link to hear this?

Jgmartin

As I remember the radio ads for it called it The End of Summer concert. The August date was correct

CrackerDaddy

Actually, it was called Texas Jam II.

Baddatesindallas

I love how you, and others, remember the show like it was yesterday--totally correcting the master of FYWLP. Brave.

CrackerDaddy

FWIW, Little River Band was the show stealer. They clearly did a better set than Bob Welch or Steve Miller. Then, Fleetwood Mac came on and blew them all away. Not to nitpick too much Big Bob; but, that concert was on August 12, 1978. You might have the dates confused with the first Texas Jam -- the one that Aerosmith, TedNugent, Heart and Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush headlined.

ChrisU

the Fleetwood Mac show was on July 23rd. the Texxas Jam was on July 1.

Jgmartin

I was at this,I remember Bob Welch coming out and playing with Fleetwood Mac. I didn't go for the first act which I was told was Billy thorpe.

G_David

What happened on The Voice? It sucked, that's what, judging from what I heard during e-news yesterday.

Baddatesindallas

I love E!News! Only the first 10 minutes are relevant, though. The rest is not worthy. And, yes--the wrong person won, I think. Team Vicci...or at least, Team Beverly. But, there was that Stevie Nicks performance.

Rachum

I never understood why that song was called Landslide and not Avalanche...since it was about snow and all.

ChrisU

Billy Thorpe wasn't there it was Bob Welch. he later came out and jammed with Steve Miller. Miller mopped him up. the Mac previewed Sisters of the Moon from the upcoming Tusk. oh yeah I was there.

CrackerDaddy

It was indeed Bob Welch -- a former Fleetwood Mac member. If I remember correctly, he came back on and did a song with Fleetwood Mac during their set.

Station Man

I didn't see any Welch numbers in the set list but it is stated that the list is incomplete. It would have been a lost opportunity to not hear the old Fleetwood Mac - Welch numbers: Hypnotized, Future Games, Angel, Emerald Eyes, etc.

scottindallas

I've heard and enjoyed quite a bit of the old Fleetwood Mac. How instrumental is Welch, who I don't think I've ever heard of, in that more raw bluesy sound? I find it amazing that Mick and Mac allowed their band to be so changed by Lindsey and the witch. Anyone wanna spin a yarn about Fleetwood Mac's evolution from the 60's to the late 70's?