For more then three decades, Lindsey Buckingham has had a reputation among millions of fans and countless fellow musicians as an honored and singular . . . "Troublemaker?" he offers, with a mischievous laugh. Well, it was going to be creative force and innovator, a mad scientist experimenter mixing passion and craft into a distinctive and affecting artistry. But troublemaker will do. "The world needs more troublemakers," Buckingham says. Troublemaker, mad scientist, whatever you see him as, Lindsey Buckingham is behind some of the most beloved and creative twists in modern popular music. And with Gift of Screws he has made the kind of trouble only he can, more than ever before bringing together the broad appeal he shown as the main force behind the sound of Fleetwood Mac since he joined the group in 1973 with the restless spirit of experimentalism he's shown both with such Mac landmarks as Rumours, Tusk and in his own visionary solo albums. Gift of Screws is, in fact, a bracing and immediate result of 35 years of exploration and growth, made by an artist who has against the odds found new confidence and new abilities to express himself in ways at once challenging and accessible. Rarely have the full array of his talents and all aspects of his scope and sensibilities been integrated so thoroughly and winningly as on this album. In some ways it's a rocking complement to his last album, 2006's acoustic-focused Under the Skin, balancing such layered guitars-and-voice contemplations as "Time Precious Time" and "Bel Air Rain" with the seductive rush of the title song and the opener "Great Day." In some ways it's an extension of the renewal with his Fleetwood Mac legacy - Mick Fleetwood and John McVie provide the unmistakable foundation on several songs, including the embracing "Wait for You" and the gloriously mad title song. And linking the two are insightful examinations of love and belonging in "Love Runs Deeper" and the secure-yet-shadowed closing pair "Underground" and "Treason." Showcased throughout are Buckingham's noted virtuosity as a guitarist and producer, as well as his expressiveness as both a singer and writer.  Gift of Screws originally started life fifteen years ago as a Buckingham solo record until a Fleetwood Mac reunion intervened and the guitarist was persuaded to donate some material to their ensuing album, 2003's Say You Will. But currently on something of a roll after his deservedly acclaimed 2006 set Under the Skin, Buckingham has seen fit to revive the project. On the evidence of this fine record, largely played by Buckingham himself with the odd collaborator and often less than totally polished, his decision was correct. The frantic guitar runs of the opener "Great Day" turn a deceptively sunny song into something more sinister, while the dense and noisy acoustic arpeggios of "Time Precious Time" are downright eerie. The defiantly lovely "Did You Miss Me" works well in a stripped-down form. Mac fans will be pleased by "Wait for You" featuring the unmistakeable rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and "The Right Place to Fade", which could be an outtake from their most successful era. The title track itself is a catchy two chord stomp reminiscent of REM at their most playful. Mastered so loudly that it leaps out of the speakers, even as its creator lovingly layers guitar parts and buries vocals in swathes of echo, Gift of Screws is oddly timeless yet undoubtedly contemporary. --Steve Jelbert Review Lindsey Buckingham, chiselled, unsmiling guitarist with Fleetwood Mac, first began recording Gift Of Screws between 1995 and 2001. In the intervening period nearly half the songs recorded were hijacked for the reunion album by the band, Say You Will, as well as various other projects including his own acoustic album, Under The Skin (2006). Luckily Mr B is a very talented man, and despite what may have seemed the cream of the crop being diverted for the greater good, the remaining ten songs are pure gold dust. This album is a gift indeed. The title comes from an Emily Dickinson poem. The bulk of the material is self-played and self-produced (with two songs co-written with wife Kristen and one with son, Will). Oh, and on another three songs some blokes called McVie and Fleetwood turn up to provide the rhythm tracks. It's on one of these (The Right Place To Fade) that Buckingham approaches the classic sound of the Mac, but elsewhere he's his own man and the results are revelatory. Most know the stories of Buckingham's love of new wave bands that seemed at odds with the West Coast fare that his band epitomised. And indeed, Gift Of Screws approaches the avant garde in places. The opener, Great Day is quite some statement of intent. Fuelled by furiously plucked nylon strings it's a fever pitch dash through whispered vocals and an incendiary guitar solo. Next up, Time Precious Time is no less startling. Over massed strings he intones like some alt folk hero a third of his age. From here it's a brief (just over 39 minute) ride through pure Californian pop (Did You Miss Me, Love Runs Deeper) gonzo rock (Gift Of Screws), alien folk (Bel Air Rain) and so much more. His voice is lithe, his fingers insanely nimble and his songwriting chops simply awesome. Really, anyone from the ages of 15 to 65 would find Gift Of Screws exhilarating. Quite simply, a masterpiece. --Chris Jones This link will take you off  in a new window