"CAROLINE" FLEETWOOD MAC (1987)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Not even close to the iconic stature of Rumors, Tango in the Night still had its fair share of great music. At least 3 to 4 of the songs still appear on their live setlists. But my favorite track off the album isn’t “Little Lies”, “Big Love”, “Everywhere” or even “Seven Wonders”. It’s the less heralded “Caroline”.

It was written by Buckingham, and the gutsy vocals definitely put his performance in the spotlight. But what makes “Caroline” stand out to me from a solid track list is Mick Fleetwood’s percussion barrage. Less high hat. Less snare. Heavy on the floor tom and tom rack. Just deep, weighty drums that drive the rhythm and assert their presence throughout the song. It’s the one track on Tango in the Night that I can play over and over again.

“Caroline, time recedes with a fatal drop.”