What does it sound like?:
This is the first release of a discovery of a treasure trove of Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac live recordings and unreleased studio sessions from 1968 and 1970. The 1970 material will be released later but volume one concentrates on 1968 when the band had only just formed. Those who love the first album will know what to expect here. Peter’s playing is loud and proud, confident and flowing and remarkably assured for someone who had only just taken centre stage in his own band and in fact had only stepped out as a lead guitarist a matter of years earlier. Peter’s voice is as soulful and uncannily bluesy as a white boy can be, especially as he makes no attempt to impersonate black blues singers preferring to find his own tonality and mood. The Fleetwood and, well, Mac rhythm section is tight and swinging. To this listener Jeremy Spencer is the weak link – I know he was a key part of the early band’s live appeal etc but his two bottleneck licks become wearing when repeatedly played and I have to wonder what other special sauce he brought to a band already overflowing with the stuff (though to be fair his manic “Long Tall Sally is fun). The songs all come from the first album and contemporaneous blues standards, the mood varying from full band workouts to the highlight of “Trying hard to forget” with PG playing and singing solo. Another of my favourites is “If I loved another woman” which features an uncredited harmonica player I am guessing was label mate Duster Bennett who gigged with the band around then and contributed to tracks on other albums. The live sound is excellent, sounding more like studio out takes than “mono tape recorder at the back under a greatcoat” bootleg quality.
What does it all *mean*?
We’ve been here before, with “lost masterpieces” being dusted off and issued to an adoring fan base. I detect no sign of barrel scraping here – there is hardly a massive wallet out there for this stuff, but lovers of that early F Mac era, and there are a few of us, will appreciate being able to hear it in nice pristine condition. As a trailer for volume 2, this will contain live material with the band expanded to include Danny Kirwan whose guitar playing adds a deal more muscle to the sound. Volume 2 features live versions of classics such as “The Green Manalishi” and some of the songs Danny brought to the band. It does seem to me a box with everything in might have been a more attractive proposition to the people who have to have all of it, which is probably most of those who want any of it. Watch this space.
Goes well with…
Well for me the blues is late night music, though the boogie/bottleneck material is fun at any time of day.
Release Date:
7th June 2019
Might suit people who like…
Blues, Peter Green of course!
Fleetwood Mac in Chicago is a favourite. This should be a nice companion.
Great stuff, @Twang. I agree completely about Jeremy Spencer. He has always seemed a one trick pony to me and, once Danny joined, completely surplus to requirements.
This sounds like an essential purchase, as will the 2nd volume be.
Nice one Twang. I’ve got this in my wishlist, but am now confused – the cover and the details are of a 3CD box that includes 1970 material – per your photo above. Is this a separate disc broken out from the box? As you say, J Spencer becomes even more of a curio once Danny joins, the Elmore James rehashes palling after a while. I loved his comeback solo album Precious Little tho.
Yes it’s confusing. The blurb says it’s the 68 stuff coming out first as Volume 1 and the rest later. But the review stream was all of it (which is how I knew what’s on it). Yes the pic is for both. Dunno. I can’t paste in the press release because @chiz will tell me off.
Ah gotcha. Shame really as I’d be more up for a split of the later bits.
CORRECTION
It is coming out as a box with all of it. Also the 68 stuff is coming out as a single volume with the 73 single volume coming later. See, I don’t take too much notice of the presser. It’s all about the music man. Anyway, the 73 stuff is equally good!
73?!
Oh fuck off
As Twang says, the 3 cd set has everything on it – however, the vinyl is coming out in 2 separate releases, the first with the 68 material coincides with the cd release, the second with the 1970 stuff will be out later in the year – I think! However, just to confuse matters further, it looks like the release date of the cd (according to Amazon) has been pushed back from June to October.
Never saw Fleetwood Mac – I was due to in 1968, but was hospitalised the previous night after the car i hitch hiked home in crashed into a lamppost.
I believe that Spencer’s main contribution was on stage arseing about rather than genius in the studio. I don’t like the sound of his antics as a member of the Children of God.
I saw the Splinter group, but don’t like to talk about it.
Will most definitely investigate this album
I saw the SG. Trying to forget too!
As we left the gig, I heard a man saying to his 12 or 13 year old son; “and that’s what happens when you take drugs”
I left early…
I think it was at The Venue?
We saw him at Colne Municipal Hall. They used to have damned good gigs there – Steve Earle, Albert Collins, Albert King. I could go on.
I saw the Splinter Group in Buxton many years ago. Left that concert feeling extremely sad.
I had a post Children of God JS album. Think it was with musicians from Denmark… possibly. Anyway it was pretty good. Had a good voice and lovely tone to the guitar
Sure he relies heavily on those Elmore James riffs but he could do worse. I can listen to those grooves for hours.
Saw Fleetwood Mac at one of the Blackhill Enterprises Hyde Park free concerts, in summer ’68.
Naturally, I can’t remember a thing…
I may well have seen them in the basement at the Railway Hotel in Wealdstone as well, but I can’t remember that either.
I shall investigate this, although the 2nd volume sounds more appealing. I always thought PG was far and away the best of the blues boom stars, at least as far playing (and singing) the blues was concerned.
Jeremy Spencer’s pretty good on this! (Mind you the photo possibly suggests something about his – er, habits…)
I’m confused.
I have the 2 previous collections – The Vaudeville Years and Showbiz Blues, also have the 1970/71 box Madison Blues which covers the post Green era of Kiln House including BBC session tracks, the latter with a dvd interview with Jeremy Spencer.
I also the complete Blue Horizon box (utterly wonderful,) so i’m confused what the hell this new set covers, i expect much of what i already have…………..keeping a close eye out to try and see. If its tracks new to my ears/collection then here’s my credit card. Love the Mac.
Bob Welch era outtakes would be even more welcome. Not hopeful though.
It’s previously unreleased live and studio stuff.