Nick Hoad

Rumours is the first example, most likely of many, of the “oh, that’s who that’s by” phenomenon, where I finally learn the artist and proper title of a song I’ve heard in passing many times before. In this case, Don’t Stop was the cause. I’ve never paid much attention to it, and possibly never will again, but now I can see why it’s among the most well-known songs from the album.

And therein lies the problem. Rumours, especially coming immediately after The Dark Side Of The Moon, feels very pedestrian. It’s pleasant enough, in a dad’s-Sunday-barbecue kind of way, but I finished listening less than twenty minutes ago and I’ve already forgotten most of it. The three exceptions are Second Hand News, which has a real sense of fun about it, You Make Loving Fun, which has by far the most interesting and appealing textures, and The Chain. The Chain, in contrast to the other song of similar length on the album, Gold Dust Woman, actually goes somewhere in its runtime. The buildup and payoff is very compelling, and its use as the F1 theme for many years is fully appropriate and justified. (The new F1 theme, on the subject, is even better in my opinion).

If the whole album were like those three songs, it would be another strong entry into this list. Sadly, it’s not. The rest of it is amiably forgettable at best and downright irritating at worst (looking at you, I Don’t Want To Know).

Favourite Song: You Make Loving Fun

Next Time: Metallica – Metallica