Heroes Are Hard to Find
Heroes Are Hard to Find is the ninth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 13 September 1974. This is the last album with Bob Welch, who left at the end of 1974, and was replaced by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. It was the first Fleetwood Mac studio album properly recorded in the US as well as the first to enter the top 40 of the Billboard 200 album chart. The title track was edited and issued as a single but it failed to chart.
Heroes Are Hard to Find | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 13 September 1974 | |||
Recorded | July 1974 | |||
Studio | Angel City Sound, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Rock, soft rock | |||
Length | 39:26 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Producer | Fleetwood Mac, Bob Hughes | |||
Fleetwood Mac chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | B–[2] |
Rolling Stone | (positive) [3] |
Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Without a successful single to support the album, it still managed to peak at number 34 on the Billboard 200 chart, which at the time was the highest Billboard placing for any Fleetwood Mac album.[5] It also reached number 5 on the Billboard FM Action chart.[6]
Bob Welch would re-record “Angel”, “Bermuda Triangle”, and “Silver Heels” for His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond (2003). A re-write of “Silver Heels”, titled “Hustler” with explicit lyrics appeared on Bob Welch Looks at Bop (1999).[7]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
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1. | "Heroes Are Hard to Find" | Christine McVie | C. McVie | 3:35 |
2. | "Coming Home" | Bob Welch | Welch | 3:55 |
3. | "Angel" | Welch | Welch | 3:55 |
4. | "Bermuda Triangle" | Welch | Welch | 4:08 |
5. | "Come a Little Bit Closer" | C. McVie | C. McVie | 4:48 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "She's Changing Me" | Welch | Welch | 2:58 |
2. | "Bad Loser" | C. McVie | C. McVie | 3:25 |
3. | "Silver Heels" | Welch | Welch | 3:26 |
4. | "Prove Your Love" | C. McVie | C. McVie | 3:57 |
5. | "Born Enchanter" | Welch | Welch | 2:54 |
6. | "Safe Harbour" | Welch | Welch | 2:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
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12. | "Heroes Are Hard to Find (Single Version)" | C. McVie | C. McVie | 2:47 |
Personnel
Fleetwood Mac
- Bob Welch – guitar, vocals, vibraphone
- Christine McVie – keyboards, vocals, ARP String Ensemble
- John McVie – bass guitar
- Mick Fleetwood – drums, percussion
Additional musician
- Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar on "Come a Little Bit Closer"
Production
- Fleetwood Mac – producers
- Bob Hughes – engineer, producer
- Doug Graves – engineer, assistant engineer
- Lee Herschberg – remastering
- Nick DeCaro – horn and string arrangement
- Desmond Strobel – design
Charts
Chart (1974) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard 200 | 34 |
Canadian Albums Chart | 46 |
References
- Heroes Are Hard to Find at AllMusic
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Barnes, Ken (October 24, 1974). "Fleetwood Mac Heroes Are Hard to Find > Album Review". Rolling Stone (172). Archived from the original on November 21, 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Fleetwood Mac". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. London: Fireside. pp. 302–304. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 22 February 2012. Portions posted at "Fleetwood Mac > Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- "Fleetwood Mac (2004 CD)". aln3.albumlinernotes. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1974-09-28). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
- "Bob Welch, November 8 - 21, 1999". The Penguin. November 8, 1999. Archived from the original on February 16, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.