Go Your Own Way

When Lindsey Buckingham presented the idea of Go Your Own Way to his Fleetwood Mac bandmates, producer Ken Caillat wasn't sure of its potential. Buckingham had shown him a cassette demo, playing his acoustic guitar forcefully and singing at the top of his lungs. The energy was so raw, so far removed from what was considered musical at the time, that Caillat wondered what was going on. However, that intensity held the seed of one of the band's most recognizable tracks. The song was born from an explosion of emotions, a torrent of consciousness focused on Buckingham's breakup with Stevie Nicks, his bandmate and romantic partner. In fact, one of the most direct lines, "Packing up, shacking up is all you want to do," provoked a strong reaction from Nicks, who asked for it to be removed, but Buckingham refused.

The recording of Go Your Own Way, which took place in 1976, was a meticulous process that spanned four months and was carried out in three different studios: Record Plant in Sausalito, Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood, and Criteria Studios in Miami. Following the methodology of the album Rumours, the instruments were not recorded all together live. Instead, it was built layer by layer through overdubs. For the rhythmic foundation, Mick Fleetwood used an eight-inch Ludwig snare drum, John McVie handled the bass with a Fender, Christine McVie contributed the texture of the Hammond organ, and Lindsey Buckingham played a 1959 Fender Stratocaster. Interestingly, Buckingham opted for the electric guitar instead of the acoustic during these sessions so he could be in the same room as the rest of the band without worrying about sound leakage. The inspiration for the drum beat came from The Rolling Stones' Street Fighting Man, and Buckingham enthusiastically guided Fleetwood to recreate a variation of that groove. To achieve an open and powerful drum sound, the kit was placed near hard walls and specific microphones were used for each part.