Released in October 1979, Tusk pushed Fleetwood Mac far beyond the gloss of Rumours. Lindsey Buckingham drove the band into experimental territory, building sprawling soundscapes out of punk energy, studio tricks, and restless vision. The result was the most expensive rock album ever made at the time — and one of the most fascinating.
1. A studio built just for Mac
The Village Recorder’s Studio D was custom-constructed to the band’s specs. Producer Ken Caillat suggested they buy the facility, but the group rented instead. Outfitted with a Dolby system and 30 ips tape speed, it became their $1.4 million sound laboratory.
2. Buckingham’s Kleenex percussion
Several tracks began as Lindsey Buckingham home demos where he played all instruments. For rhythm, he even slapped a Kleenex box in place of a snare. Mick Fleetwood later overdubbed real drums on top, merging DIY grit with arena polish.
3. Haircuts, push-ups, and taped mics
Caillat recalled Buckingham as “a maniac” in the studio. He once hacked off his hair with nail scissors, taped mics to the floor, and sang in a push-up position. Every knob was twisted 180 degrees “just to see what would happen,” fueling the record’s jagged edge.
4. The dog that stole Stevie’s cover
The album sleeve came from Peter Beard’s collage work, including a shot of Caillat’s dog biting his leg. That image became the front cover, replacing Stevie Nicks’ dream of twirling in spotlight. Nicks half-jokingly said she put a curse on the dog afterward.
5. The title’s many meanings
Depending on who you ask, “Tusk” meant male prowess, a mixing console nickname, or simply elephants. Mick Fleetwood once brought in full-size replica tusks, while Peter Beard’s African imagery sealed the choice. Buckingham just thought it sounded good.
Tusk is an album where ambition, tension, and experimentation collide. From Kleenex snares to elephant iconography, Fleetwood Mac reinvented themselves at colossal expense and delivered a record that still pulses with strangeness and daring.