Lindsey Buckingham quit Fleetwood Mac after the release of their Tango in the Night album in 1987 and spent the subsequent five years working on his first post-Mac solo album, Out of the Cradle. Perhaps because he was now focused on his solo career, Buckingham reined in the experimental style of his first two albums, producing more conventional, accessible material, much of it similar to his later work with Fleetwood Mac. The inventiveness this time was heard largely in Buckingham's electro-acoustic guitar style, which combined the power of a rock guitarist with the delicacy and precision of a classical nylon-string player. Perhaps the biggest difference from his previous solo work, however, was that Buckingham actually wrote a group of songs that were about something, not just riffs full of aural tricks. Unfortunately, Buckingham had never fully established himself in the public mind as a separate entity apart from Fleetwood Mac, so taking eight years between solo albums made Out of the Cradle a tough sell. Which means that, although this is his most listenable solo album to date, not many people heard it.

It's been eight years since the release of Lindsey Buckingham's last solo album and over four years since his departure from Fleetwood Mac, the band whose world class music bore the unmistakable stamp of Lindsey's guitar, vocal and songwriting mastery.While absent from the spotlight, Lindsey has hardly been resting on laurels. For the past three years he's been continually at work, writing, performing and, with the help of long-time collaborator Richard Dashut, producing a collection of new songs for his Reprise Records debut solo album.The result is Out Of The Cradle. As its title suggests, these eleven new songs (along with two intriguing covers and assorted intros, outros and aural filigree) mark a distinct creative rebirth for the artist. Free to pursue his multi dimensional muse, Lindsey has fashioned an album with a wit, accessibility and spontaneity that belie its long gestation.At the same time, the music of Out Of The Cradle, like the family snapshots that adorn its cover, reveal personal and particular aspects not only of the musician, but of the man. It is, in short, a rare glimpse into the life and times of a most mercurial individual, making some of the best music of his career.In a recent conversation, Lindsey Buckingham talked about the recording of Out Of The Cradle, his departure from Fleetwood Mac, the personal touch and other related subjects.