Bare Trees

Bare Trees is the sixth studio album by Fleetwood Mac, released in April 1972 on Reprise Records. It was the last studio album to feature Danny Kirwan, who had been with the band since 1968; Kirwan was dismissed during the subsequent tour after an incident in which he refused to perform and reportedly damaged his guitar, and his erratic behavior had become increasingly disruptive during the recording sessions as well. The album continued the melodic rock direction established on Future Games, with Kirwan and Bob Welch sharing most of the songwriting duties alongside Christine McVie, whose compositional contribution grew noticeably compared to the previous record. Kirwan contributed several tracks including 'Bare Trees' and 'Dust,' which show him at his melodic peak despite his deteriorating mental state; McVie contributed 'Homeward Bound' and 'Spare Me a Little of Your Love,' and Welch contributed 'Sentimental Lady,' later re-recorded as a solo hit. The album reached the US top 70 and performed better in the United States than in the UK, signaling the band's slow shift toward the American market that would accelerate with Bob Welch's continued influence over the next two records.