There have been several tribute albums to the classic UK-American rock band that is Fleetwood Mac, but this especially eclectic 17-track collection features a clutch of indie hipsters — and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top — dipping deep into the Mac catalog (including the bluesy pre-Buckingham-Nicks era) and taking some interesting liberties with the source material. The running thread seems to be austerity. Standouts include Gibbons & Co.’s take on “Oh Well,” which becomes a noirish backwoods death rattle, roughing up the famous guitar riff in the process. Best Coast strips “Rhiannon” of its Nicks-ian gauze, transforming it into a girl group jaunt that motors along like an old jalopy. And Marianne Faithfull applies her world-weary croon to “Angel” to crusty, rambling satisfaction. Few of the covers exceed the charms of the originals and a couple are a little too faithful, including Antony’s lovely, heartfelt “Landslide.” But the whole endeavor gets points for digging past the surface. (Out Tuesday)
ESSENTIAL “Oh Well”