Say You Will | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 April 2003 | |||
Recorded | 1995–1997, Summer 2001-Fall 2002 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Pop rock [1] | |||
Length | 75:56 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Producer | ||||
Fleetwood Mac chronology | ||||
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Singles from Say You Will | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 66/100 [2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | (Mixed) [1] |
Entertainment Weekly | (Mixed) [4] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
People | (Positive) [6] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Say You Will is the seventeenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 15 April 2003. It followed 1995's Time and was their first album since 1970 without vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie as a full member following her departure in 1998, though she participated in some songs as a guest musician; it would be her last time being involved with the band in a studio capacity before her death in 2022. Lindsey Buckingham performed primary keyboard duties throughout the album.
This was the band's last full album with Buckingham before his dismissal from the group in 2018, although he later participated in their 2013 extended play.
Say You Will was the first studio Fleetwood Mac album to peak in the top three in the US since 1982's Mirage. [8] The album debuted at No. 3 with sales of 218,000, spent two months within the top 40, and was certified Gold by the RIAA in July 2003 for 500,000 copies shipped in the US.
A limited edition version of the album was issued at the same time, featuring two live tracks (" Peacekeeper" and " Say You Will"), two additional studio tracks (Nicks' "Not Make Believe" and Buckingham's cover of Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"), an expanded booklet and poster.
Soon after the release of Time, Billy Burnette and Bekka Bramlett departed to form the country duo Bekka & Billy. Rather than continue without them, Fleetwood Mac chose to disband. By 1997, the Rumours lineup agreed to perform again for an MTV Unplugged special. Following the successful reunion album, The Dance, which included a live performance of "Bleed to Love Her", [9] Christine McVie left the group, citing her fear of flying as the primary reason for her departure. [10]
In the early 2000s, Buckingham was finishing up a solo album but was encouraged by the band to set the material aside for a Fleetwood Mac record. [11] To round out the album, Nicks brought in some new material, along with leftovers from previous albums. [9] While Nicks was recording her Trouble in Shangri-La solo album in 2001, she left the band 17 songs to develop in her absence. The band picked five of these songs, including "Smile At You" and "Goodbye Baby", which were written in 1975-76. [12] "Smile at You" was also rehearsed for the Tusk album in 1979 [13] and the Mirage album in 1982. [14] Another song, "Thrown Down", was originally recorded for Trouble in Shangri-La, but it was left off that album and instead reworked for Say You Will. [15]
By the time Nicks returned from her Trouble in Shangri-La tour, the rest of the band had already made considerable progress on her material. While Nicks was pleased with what she heard, she felt obligated to write four additional compositions. Two of those songs, "Silver Girl" and the title track, feature contributions from Sheryl Crow. [12] "Illume (9-11)" was written after the September 11 attacks. Nicks wrote two additional songs about 9/11, namely "Get Back on the Plane," and "The Towers Touched the Sky", but neither of these were included on the album. [16]
With their surplus of material, the band originally considered making Say You Will a double album, [17] but they instead opted to condense Say You Will into a single disc of 18 songs. "Not Make Believe", a Rolling Stones cover of "I Am Waiting", and "Gift of Screws" were all rehearsed and considered for the track list [18]. "Not Make Believe" was included on the limited edition of Say You Will, "I Am Waiting" was selected for Buckingham's Under the Skin album in 2006, and "Gift of Screws" appeared on Buckingham's 2008 album of the same name.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "What's the World Coming To?" | Lindsey Buckingham, Julian Raymond | 3:48 |
2. | " Murrow Turning Over in His Grave" | Buckingham | 4:12 |
3. | "Illume (9-11)" | Stevie Nicks | 4:51 |
4. | "Thrown Down" | Nicks | 4:02 |
5. | "Miranda" | Buckingham | 4:18 |
6. | "Red Rover" | Buckingham | 3:58 |
7. | " Say You Will" | Nicks | 3:49 |
8. | " Peacekeeper" | Buckingham | 4:11 |
9. | "Come" | Buckingham, Neale Heywood | 5:59 |
10. | "Smile at You" | Nicks | 4:33 |
11. | "Running Through the Garden" | Nicks, Ray Kennedy, Gary Nicholson | 4:34 |
12. | "Silver Girl" | Nicks | 3:59 |
13. | "Steal Your Heart Away" | Buckingham | 3:33 |
14. | "Bleed to Love Her" | Buckingham | 4:06 |
15. | "Everybody Finds Out" | Nicks, Rick Nowels | 4:29 |
16. | "Destiny Rules" | Nicks | 4:26 |
17. | "Say Goodbye" | Buckingham | 3:26 |
18. | "Goodbye Baby" | Nicks | 3:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | " Love Minus Zero/No Limit" | Bob Dylan | 4:11 |
2. | "Not Make Believe" | Nicks | 4:28 |
3. | "Peacekeeper" (Live from Sessions@AOL) | Buckingham | 4:16 |
4. | "Say You Will" (Live from Sessions@AOL) | Nicks | 3:50 |
Note
Fleetwood Mac
Additional musicians
Studios
Management
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada ( Music Canada) [39] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand ( RMNZ) [40] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom ( BPI) [41] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States ( RIAA) [42] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Music videos were shot for "Peacekeeper" and "Say You Will", both of these videos were stage performances of both songs. Neither of these videos are commercially available.