Stevie Nicks: Enchanted

When Stevie Nicks and her then-partner Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac, expectations were low. But the infusion of Californian talent into the venerable British band resulted in one of the most successful musical groupings ever, leading to the commercial and artistic highs of Rumours and Tusk, respectively. While Buckingham was the musical engine driving the band, Nicks was the focus, yet it was with trepidation that record executives monitored her foray into the solo field. Any concerns were allayed when it became apparent that Nicks' talents weren't limited to boosting Fleetwood Mac and snorting copious amounts of cocaine. Enchanted, a new three-disc Nicks retrospective, contains all the singles that made her one of the most popular performers of the '80s and one of a few who have experienced successful solo careers concurrently with a group career. The number of immediately familiar songs on Enchanted stands as a testament to her talents: There's the synth-laden "Stand Back," "Edge Of Seventeen" (included here as an eight-minute live version), the Tom Petty duet "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," "Rooms On Fire," "I Can't Wait," "Talk To Me," and more. As with most box sets, there's a smattering of rarities, soundtrack work, collaborations, B-sides, demos, alternate mixes, and other drawing points, such as a track from the rare pre-Mac Buckingham/ Nicks album. And, as with most singles artists, there's a good deal of schmaltz, filler, and disco-ish pap here, too. But despite the sonically crippling studio excesses of the '80s—much of the blame for that can be heaped on producer Jimmy Iovine—Nicks' music has held up surprisingly well.