Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac

I first heard the name Carol Ann Harris back in 1997, in a Fleetwood Mac newsgroup online. Fans were discussing Mick's book, specifically Lindsey's abusive behavior towards Stevie. I'll never forget a Mac fan specifically naming Carol Ann Harris being on the Geraldo Rivera show. This Mac fan described Carol Ann discussing Lindsey Buckingham dragging her by the hair from a moving car. I purchased Carol's book in 2007, and Carol describes the same abusive incident in dramatic detail. Carol states she only gave one interview on Lindsey Buckingham over the years, to Rolling Stone magazine. Obviously she had to be on the Geraldo show, how else would a Mac fan in 1997 be able to describe what Carol recounts in her 2007 book? I believe Carol, for the most part, but I do believe she puts a spin on certain things to make herself seem as innocent as possible during a time when nobody was innocent. That said, this is one of the best, most entertaining books I've ever read, a real page-turner. In fact, I'm re-reading the book for a 3rd time. What makes the book so good is, it felt like I was right there with Fleetwood Mac, right along with Carol Ann for the roller-coaster ride that it was!Carol's ride starts in the early 1970's, when she graduates from high school in Oklahoma and that same day moves to Hollywood, CA. That right there should tell you something about her, how many 17-18 yr old have the guts to do that? I related to Carol as someone who is constantly over-coming shyness, willing herself to pursue her dreams and propel herself forward despite obstacles. She becomes a teenage mother, gives her baby up for adoption at 5 months old, runs a live bootleg business with her live-in boyfriend, then eventually pursues a career as a sound engineer. Ed Cobb (Google him) is her mentor in this male dominated field, which she takes seriously....until she meets Lindsey Buckingham. From then on it's like she's Alice down the rabbit hole, getting further away from an independent young woman with her own dreams....and turns herself into the kind of woman Lindsey Buckingham wants. Someone who lives for Lindsey, period. That includes doing the same drugs as him (cocaine) and living his lifestyle (traveling with him almost constantly on tour). The only dream of Carol's Lindsey supported 100% benefited himself: Carol was basically Lindsey's stylist starting on the Tusk tour. Lindsey was a Jekyll and Hyde character for sure, but it was Carol's choice to give up her dreams and stay with him for 8 years. Carol finally has an epiphany when a Doctor at the hospital tells her the abuse will not get better, it will get worse. That was her wake-up call. Carol begins her journey back to her "old self", pursuing her dreams and slowly becoming an independent woman again. I do believe Carol loved Lindsey Buckingham, but he drove her away probably the same way he drove Stevie away.This book reads like a Rock n' Roll version of something V.C. Andrews would write. I'm a huge fan of V.C. Andrews, so that's a good thing! The narrative can be overly dramatic at times, but is never boring. It was obvious to me Carol admired and wanted to be friends with Stevie. BUT given the circumstances, that wasn't possible. I think Carol felt as much jealousy towards Stevie as she felt admiration and respect! Prime example is the 1978 Grammys: Carol strongly implies Stevie was jealous of her, after Carol had spent 3 hrs getting her hair and make-up done. I looked up the Grammy footage on YouTube and LOL when I saw Carol's hair! Only Suzanne Sommers (as Krissy on Three's Company) could get away with that hairstyle, Carol spent 3 hrs making herself look silly, and was delusional to imply she stole Stevie's thunder! I felt Carol was being overly defensive and insecure at times, but was 95% honest overall. Like when she realizes "It's not over" between LB and SN. Other times Carol seemed to be willfully sticking her head in the sand. It was obvious to me *something* happened between Stevie and Lindsey during the early Tusk tour....I find it hard to believe this wasn't obvious to Carol, given her description of events. If I was Carol I would have felt LB and SN were still intimate on occasion, and they most likely were! At the end of the day Stevie Nicks is only human, this was a very human portrait of her, some of the stories were downright funny (Stevie comparing her poodle with heatstroke to Lindsey's epilepsy) and it's obvious to me Stevie is good person. This wasn't a hatchet job because it's too even-handed. Carol finds mostly good things to say about everyone, most usually Lindsey (who had many good points) despite his abuse.As for the 5%........I find it very hard to believe Carol Ann disappeared with Dennis Wilson for 2 hours in his hotel room, and absolutely NOTHING romantic happened. Not even a kiss? Not even 2nd or 3rd base? Christine seemed to suspect otherwise, and this is BEFORE Dennis told Chris he fooled around with Carol Ann. My gut was telling me Carol Ann made her own confession to Christine, Chris told Lindsey, and that explains Lindsey's "out of the blue" meltdown towards Carol at Christine's house. Whatever Carol did, that doesn't excuse Lindsey's abuse. I just don't think we're getting the full story. Carol's portrayal of herself and LB being 100% faithful to each other is where the most grains of salt come in! I think we're getting a highly entertaining 95% of the story, and I liked it enough to read 3 times so far.

Glosses over the Mirage and Tango in the Night years, as if they almost were afterthoughts. But sheds important light on domestic violence before domestic violence was really in the public engagement, If the allegations are true, the doctors who treated Ms. Harris should have called the police on her then-BF. As for the rest of the band, their drug use seemed pretty tame compared to other big groups of the time. Funny anecdote regarding Mick Jagger holding court. Found it a little too Stevie-centric and did no-one in the FM band/entourage think to warn Ms. Harris about Lindsey's temper? (Cf. Ken Caillat's notes about Mr. Buckingham.) Did Ms, McVie hold the author at arm's length, and hence less talk about Christine than about Stevie. (However, we do get the sense that Christine was not one to the f'd with by Lindsey.) Unfortunate gossip about Ms. McVie's choice of day to day undies - what was the purpose of this? Police story could have been told without it; it even led a chapter. Gee, Ms. Harris must really hate Ms. McVie. While I do realize Sharon Celani did not start out singing with the band, when Stevie met her, Sharon was performing in a Hawaii club, and already a precocious young singer and musician in her own right, yet Sharon gets wardrobe credit, not vocalist credit. Ms. Celani was singing backup for FM by the time of the Tango in the Night album, and this wasn't mentioned. Neither was the term "domestic abuse," which, if allegations were true, that's what it was. Ms. Harris may not have had the language for it 30 years ago, but by 2007 we all knew what to call it. And as for language, a little too heavy on the "very, very" and "really, really" phrasing. The author was past 50 when Storms was published, and could have been a but more sophisticated in her writing. Still, one must feel for her, she was almost killed a few times according to her testimony, and domestic abuse survivors and their supporters will empathize, as, hopefully, will others. Read this good read in one sitting, finishing it just as the papers announced Scott Weiland's death and that cocaine was found on his tour bus. "There but for the Grace of God go I," and all drug-culture survivors. Testament to her strong character that Ms. Harris lived to tell the tales, and found a creative outlet and career of her own. I wish her well. Side-notes: No mention of Lori Nicks; could have compared the band's decision to live in an insular way to its decision to maintain a mysterious aura. Fans could be crazed, but were less so when a musician decides to teach in a college (Al Kooper); give online lessons (Nils Lofgren); do her own errands (the women in Twenty Feet from Stardom) -- FM made its own bed in this aspect, but the writer seemed to write in a vacuum. Also, no mention of Christine McVie being the only college graduate; the only member of the band who could read and write music; the only member of the bad with perfect pitch. It was all Stevie Stevie Stevie. If you're a Stevie fan, you'll enjoy.

It takes a while to get going, but this is a fascinating story. Carol Ann Harris threw herself into the drug fuelled mayhem that was Fleetwood Mac's existence when she began her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham. She was in the studio, on the road and at the parties. She also writes in depth about her relationship with Buckingham, who was both neglectful and dangerously physically abusive. In all their years together, he did not even once buy her a Christmas gift. She details friendships with crew and others in the Fleetwood Mac family, notably the tragically hedonistic Dennis Wilson. Despite all that happened with Buckingham, she loved the creative madness of it all and went on to success as a costume designer herself. It is more interesting than Ken Caillat's book on 'Rumours' and more honest than Mick Fleetwood's biography, although I enjoyed them both too. Harris's book is the best of the trio though.

After finishing the book I received from my spouse for Christmas ('Gold Dust Woman') I decided to order this book (used- just be aware that the pictures are only in black and white in Storms) and for any Fleetwood Mac fan, you will enjoy reading this honest account of Carol Ann Harris's life with Lindsey Buckingham. It details a highly disturbing, shocking narrative of not only what life on the road with a rock band is REALLY like, but also provides what a rock musician is honestly like as a person. It WILL surprise you. So it's not just about her life touring with the band, but her 7 year relationship with a man who was physically abusive towards her and how he could quickly change from being sweet, caring, and loving, to a person who did not support her career aspirations and would snap with little to no warning that would lead her to fleeing from him. There was only one incident where a band member witnessed it and tried to stop what he was doing to her. Carol Ann was a very devoted, emotionally supportive woman and unless she was having health problems, played the dutiful, 'stand by your man' girlfriend to Lindsey. The only annoying thing I noticed is that frequently she would refer to him as a 'musical genius'. I wouldn't go that far, but she clearly loved and cared for him.The book is also one of an abused woman trying to rationalize and question how her behavior led to him suddenly turning on her for NO valid reason. It honestly has made me see Lindsay Buckingham in a brand new, critical light.

This was a great read. Very well written and while one persons account, it was not spiteful. A rare look into the inner sanctum of a famous band who’s music I’ve loved for almost 50 years.

Fin da quando avevo letto, all'interno del cd "Go Insane" di Buckingham, la dedica "this album is for Carol Ann", mi ero chiesta di chi mai si trattasse... sapevo (o credevo di sapere) tutto o quasi della profonda ma dolorosa e turbolenta relazione tra Lindsey e la straordinaria Stevie Nicks, mentre ignoravo chi fosse quest'altra donna altrettanto straordinaria...Carol Ann, appunto, che con voce forte ma dolce, e con grande sensibilita' ed intelligenza, in queste pagine preziose ci racconta una grande storia. Quella dei Fleetwood Mac, di lei e di Lindsey; la storia di un amore nato nei giorni in cui anche "Rumours" stava nascendo; un amore che ha viaggiato on the road con una delle band piu' controverse, geniali ed incredibili del panorama rock (anglo)americano. Lindsey, genio ribelle, bel tenebroso; Stevie, sacerdotessa che insegna a volare non senza ferirsi; Christine, intelligente e coraggiosa, un raggio di sole...e un poco piu' in ombra, ma indispensabili come una spina dorsale, Mick, ascetico e mefistofelico; e John, gregario ma non remissivo, forse il piu' difficile da avvicinare. Lo sguardo affettuoso, a volte ironico, di Carol accarezza i profili dei cinque Mitici in queste pagine toccanti, acute, intense, spiritose..indimenticabili. Come la musica che le percorre, e le passioni e i sentimenti che le tingono d'un manto indelebile. A must-read.

L'ancienne petite amie de Lindsey Buckingham nous livre beaucoup sur sa relation avec le guitariste sans jamais tomber dans le grivois.Il ne s'agit pas d'une biographie du groupe ou du chanteur mais d'un témoignagne vu d'une compagne prise dans le tourbillon de la célébrité.On se pose souvent néanmoins la question de la véracité ou de l'objectivité de certaines remarques : drogue, violence conjugale, jalousie etcEn effet, les opinions exprimées dans le bouquin sont souvent contraires aux prises de position du chanteur dans la presse. Qui a raison? Peut être un peu les deux. Pour les musiciens, assez peu d'infos sur l'écriture des morceaux, bien que la période "Tusk" soit abondamment commentée.Toutefois, le livre (uniquement en langue anglaise) se lit bien et on se rejouit de quelques anecdotes croustillantes.