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Making Rumours  By  cover art

Making Rumours

By: Ken Caillat,Steve Stiefel
Narrated by: Ken Caillat,Fred Berman
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Publisher's summary

Inside the making of one of the biggest-selling albums of all time: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours.

Fleetwood Mac's classic 1977 Rumours album topped the Billboard 200 for 31 weeks and won the Album of the Year Grammy. More recently, Rolling Stone named it the 25th greatest album of all time and the hit TV series Glee devoted an entire episode to songs from Rumours, introducing it to a new generation. Now, for the first time, Ken Caillat, the album's co-producer, tells the full story of what really went into making Rumours - from the endless partying and relationship dramas to the creative struggles to write and record "You Make Loving Fun," "Don't Stop," "Go Your Own Way," "The Chain," and other timeless tracks.

  • Tells the fascinating, behind-the-music story of the making of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, written by the producer who saw it all happen
  • Filled with new and surprising details, such as Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's screaming match while recording "You Make Loving Fun"; how the band coped with the pressures of increasing success; how the master tape nearly disintegrated, and the incredible attention paid to even the tiniest elements of songs, from Lindsey playing a chair to Mick breaking glass

©2012 Ken Caillat and Steven Stiefel (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Making Rumours

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Caillat Cursed With Perfect Memory

If you're interested in learning about recording and tech issues from 70s era sound and recording equipment, then this is for you. If not (like me) you'll wish that you skipped this altogether. Yes, Caillat served as co-producer and trusted tech employee on the Rumours album as well as helping out on tech issues during the Rumours tour, but folks...this bears repeating: other than the aforementioned, you won't be learning anything new about Fleetwood Mac that you haven't already seen covered on an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music." I'm not kidding. This was a borefest of the highest degree. And, oh yes- did you know he's the father of singer Colby Caillat? That's good, because if you don't, you'll be reminded (in addition to a completely useless detailed description of how he handled a recording issue on his daughter's (Colby Caillat!) album. I wish someone would please kick me in the forehead with a pen for buying this damn thing.

Would you like to know what Caillat's days were like? (I woke up. I showered. Scooter went through the doggie door to go to the bathroom. Scooter came back in from the doggie door after he went to the bathroom, etc.) Holy crap- it's a monotonous nightmare. If this book was solely about his adventures with his dog Scooter, the best little buddy and tension breaker that made him happy during the recording sessions, that's one thing (I adore dogs)...but that's not how this was marketed. ("I ordered a drink. The waiter arrived. He poured the wine into my glass. I raised my glass. I made a toast." With hours upon hours worth of moment by moment description of every single thing he did every single day he worked on the album and subsequent tour, how in the hell did he have time to effectively do anything? He's too busy writing down every single boring everyday tasks he did, thought, etc. Frankly, if the book was about Scooter, the best pal Caillat ever had, it would have been far more interesting on the road with him and Scooter's adorable personality in the recording studio. That dog was interesting. Caillat wasn't. In spades.

Other than two major confrontations that take place during the Rumours recording sessions,I learned nothing. Just a lot of "the band seemed tense/the band knew exactly how much was at stake in making this album"...really? Ya don't say! Honestly, I felt that Caillat's reflections had about as much importance as a pimple on the ass of the universe.

By the way, is it just me, or does the narrator (although giving his best) sound like a voiceover actor for children's products/that happy voice at the end of the latest medicine commercial that happily warns you that one of the side effects is death? They should have had that warning at the beginning of this audiobook.

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45 people found this helpful

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So so

I you are educated in the making of an album this is for you. Too much info and tech stuff discussed in this book that left me very bored sometimes. The plus is I got to hear some insight on the band. Of course from only one persons perspective.

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8 people found this helpful

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Delivers as Promised!

This book is exactly what it says it is - a look into the making of an album, from a producer's perspective. I will admit, this is not for the average fan. If you're looking for a story all about Fleetwood Mac, you won't find it here! That's not what this book is about. This is about how Fleetwood Mac made a classic album, and should be in the library of every major and indie artist/producer/engineer who makes records.

As an indie artist myself, you have to learn all aspects of the behind-the-scenes magic that goes on with making a record, and trust me, to the average fan, you may not know who the author is, but he is a VERY respected and notable figured in the industry. If you're into recording and engineering, this book is for you! I personally wanted more technical details about the record and gear that was used, but Ken put enough in this book, and did a brilliant job in explaining the tools of the trade so that anyone could understand.

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Amazing!

If you could sum up Making Rumours in three words, what would they be?

Honest, interesting, captivating

What did you like best about this story?

I love the fact that these artists used all the drama swirling around their personal lives to create a powerful album. Not "in spite of" all of that, but BECAUSE of these emotions, which were a kind of jet fuel to creativity for them....and a blessing for us as listeners and fans.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not possible...unfortunately.

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Takes you into the studio...

I had read some negative reviews of this book, but I love Fleetwood Mac and the Rumours albums so I had to give it a listen. I was transported to the late 1970's and the free wheeling vibe of northern California and the Brit Blues and California mixture that made that one of a kind sound of Fleetwood Mac. The viewpoint of the author, Ken Caillat is that of an outsider who is inside for a period of time. He gets to witness, as well as take part, in the making of this masterpiece of rock music and then tell us how they did it. The conversations, the relationships, the drugs and alcohol, the clashes, the ethos that came together in the songs that we all love. I will likely listen to this book again, but in the meantime, I will be listening to my favorite band make that sweet mellow rock that has carried me through the last forty years.

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Fascinating technical detail/snapshot of the era.

Not really for those wanting a dishy look at the band and their interpersonal dramas (which are largely muted or glossed over here), but definitely recommended for technical-minded readers with a love for the analog recording technology of the time. Much less interesting when the author insists on treating it as a sort of autobiography of himself during the recording process. While occasionally it serves to set the time and place, Callait incorrectly assumes we’ll be engrossed in the quotidian details of his personal and love lives…he’s just not enough of a raconteur or storyteller to keep us engaged in these parts. Would that he’d had a stronger editorial hand to limit these mostly-pointless personal excursions, would have made for a tighter, more focused, and better book.

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  • 10-28-21

Ughhhh

The narration was good, but the author is so full of himself. I struggled to finish listening. To hear him tell it, he alone is responsible for the success of Rumours. He comes across as a very unlikable person. Just ughhhh.

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Little about Fleetwood

There was a good information about the band but a lot about all the girlfriends Ken Caillat’s had and what they did. Found it distracting.

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A must read!

Whether you’re musically inclined or not, this book is a true “page turner” (can I say that about an audiobook?). The story is told masterfully and I felt as if I were right there with the group while they were making the album. If you can, listen to the super deluxe version of the Rumors album while reading this. It brings new meanings to each song and all the little nuances hidden in the tracks. This was well worth the purchase!

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How not a fan can enjoy

I’m not A fan of the band, I just like some of their albums so my experience with the book was not over excited from the very beginning. But the more I went into it the more I’d enjoyed. It’s extremely interesting as a story behind an album production. Even it it wasn’t about Fleetwood Mac it would still be an entertaining story, a Great story.
Thank you, Ken, Thank you Fleetwood’s

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