Search - Fleetwood Mac :: Original Fleetwood Mac

The Brilliance of the Original Fleetwood Mac lives on

Stephanie Sandlin | Spokane, Wa | 11/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One word summarizes what the Green God era of 'Mac is - Brilliance.



For the uninitiated, Fleetwood Mac had a strong impressive career when Stevie Nicks was just in High School. Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie were a band soaked in the blues. From 1967 to 1970 before Messrs Greens' departure they penned some wonderful originals and were reknowned for their live shows.



This album is a compliation for starters. Some of it has been seen elsewhere, some of it has not.



Drifting comes right out of the gate, and features brillant and passionate solo work by Peter. Other highlights on the album are the foreboding A Fool No More, Mean Old Fireman showcasing Jeremy Spencer's mean slide guitar, The self titled instrumental and First Train Home - another Green masterpiece.



For those who are students of the blues. Early 'Mac is essentual. Now only did they play the music but two members of the band would later reflect lives of down-and-out bluesmen. Green's well documented LSD abuse which led to mental institutions and gobs of medication. Danny Kirwan who Peter Green brought to 'Mac also has fallen on hard times.



At $20 bucks plus, is this album worth it you ask? Answer is yes. A serious fan of the early years of 'Mac or simple blues fans ought to pick this up.



This is simply some of the best British Blues you've never heard.



"

"I Hung My Head Boys...I Cried Just Like A Child..."

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 01/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With "Kiln House" having all but tanked in the UK charts in October 1970 at number 34 and the "Future Games" album not even breaking the top 50 in September 1971, this slapped together ragbag of Blue Horizon period outtakes aroused little interest when it was finally released in November 1971. Even with the highlighted blue box on the front cover promising "All Tracks Previously Un-issued"; "The Original Fleetwood Mac" went largely unloved and unnoticed. Which is a shame, because in my books, it's a bit of a lost gem. And this expanded reissue of it has only added to that cool original in a really great way. Here's a detailed breakdown:



The original UK 12-track 1971 album on CBS Records S 63875 ran as follows (43:40 minutes):



1. Drifting (Peter Green song recorded 1967) [3:33 minutes]

2. Leaving Town Blues (Peter Green song recorded December 1967) [2:56 minutes]

3. Watch Out (Peter Green song recorded November 1967) [4:38 minutes]

4. A Fool No More (Peter Green song recorded November 1967) [4:37 minutes)

5. Mean Old Fireman (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup cover recorded November 1967) [3:49 minutes]

6. Can't Afford To Do It ("Homesick" James Williamson cover recorded 1967) [2:05 minutes]

(End of Side 1)

7. Fleetwood Mac (Mono, Peter Green instrumental recorded 1967) [3:57 minutes]

8. Worried Dream (B.B. King cover recorded April 1968) [5:24 minutes]

9. Love That Woman (Lafayette Leake cover recorded 1968) [2:32 minutes]

10. Allow Me One More Show (Jeremy Spencer song recorded 1967) [3:01 minute]

11. First Train Home (Peter Green song recorded 1967) [4:06 minutes]

12. Rambling Pony No. 2 (Peter Green song recorded 1967) [2:55 minutes]

(End of Side 2)



All above tracks with Lead Vocals and Guitar by PETER GREEN except 5, 6, 9 and 10 with Lead Vocals and Guitar by JEREMY SPENCER; Piano on 8 is by CHRISTINE PERFECT; Harmonica on 7 and 12 is by PETER GREEN; JOHN McVIE on Bass and MICK FLEETWOOD on Drums for all except 5 and 10 which feature JEREMY SPENCER on Vocals & Guitar only.



This 19-track expanded reissue at 75:31 minutes is "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969" version from the 1999 6CD Box Set - now issued as a stand-alone disc in 2004. Tracks 1 to 12 are as per the LP list above, but now with some additions: Track 2 is the Take 5 Master Version with a Previously Unissued False Start and runs to 3:09 minutes; Track 4 is all 8 Takes (first 7 are all false starts) and runs to 7:59 minutes; Track 5 has a Previously Unissued False Start on Take 1 with Take 2 being the Master Version running to 4:06 minutes; Track 8 is the Master Take with a previously unreleased incomplete Take; Tracks 9, 10 and 12 are Alternate Original Mixes.



Tracks 13 to 19 are the bonuses as follows:

13. Watch Out [Take 1 Incomplete - Previously Unreleased] (Peter Green song recorded November 1967)

14. Something Inside Of Me [Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968, this master version was used on the USA LP "English Rose" on Epic]

15. Something Inside Of Me [Take 2/Previously Unreleased] [Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968]

16. Something Inside Of Me [Take 3/Previously Unreleased] [Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968]

17. One Sunny Day (Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968) [this master version was used on the USA LP "English Rose" on Epic]

18. Without You (Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968) [this master version was used on the USA LP "English Rose" on Epic]

19. Coming Your Way [Take 6/Previously Unreleased] (Danny Kirwan song recorded October 1968



The remastering is absolutely ace - live and in your living room - warm, clear and ballsy. On the original album highlights include the BB King cover of "Worried Blues", a fabulous slow work out with sweet piano fills provided by Christine Perfect. The two Jeremy Spencer solo tracks are also eerily great too, while a longer and an actually more soulful version of "A Fool No More" turned up on Green's big comeback "In The Skies" album in 1979 on PVK Records. The bonuses turn out to be excellent too - especially the last three Danny Kirwan tracks. It's not surprising that both "One Sunny Day" and "Without You" were used for their 2nd US album "English Rose" - they're both blinders! "Coming Your Way" turned up in a different form of course on the 1969 Reprise album "Then Play On".



As a stand-alone disc, "The Original Fleetwood Mac" is great value for money - I'd say BUY IT and then go for 2 to 5 below as well...they're all magical in their own way.



PS: For those wishing for more, the Blue Horizon label Fleetwood Mac UK albums are:

1. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (1968)

(Original album, known as "Fleetwood Mac" in the USA)

2. Mr. Wonderful (1968)

(Original album, re-sequenced as "English Rose" in the USA, 1969)

3. The Pious Bird Of Good Omen (1969)

(compilation of non-album 7" singles, their B-sides, collaborations and other rarities)

4. Blues Jam At Chess (1969)

(Original 20-track 2LP set - its full credit is to: Fleetwood Mac, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Shakey Horton, J.T. Brown, Guitar Buddy (Buddy Guy), Honey Boy Edwards, S.P. Leary. Originally a double on release, it's the two re-issued US singular volumes that are being used for the "Complete" box set, "Blues Jam In Chicago Volume 1" and "...Volume 2". It is ONLY these singular re-sequenced releases that are available today.)

5. The Original Fleetwood Mac (1971)

(Released on CBS, this 1971 LP has Blue Horizon recordings from August 1967 through to October 1968, all of which were previously unreleased at the time)



PPS: I've reviewed over 20 of the excellent Blue Horizon CD reissues - see LISTMANIA for a full list"

Discrepancy to note

M. Duchek | 09/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Seems that this is different from other versions. Note the tracklist. There is another version with the same tracks up to track 12 (at which point they diverge) put out by the Original Masters label (16 tracks total) and this one by the Blue Horizon label (19 tracks total). Both are on Amazon under different entries. I gather that everything after 12 was considered a bonus track so maybe the only difference is which bonus tracks. The Blue Horizon one has some alternate takes and songs, while the Original Masters has other songs with some live recordings. Still I am confused by the difference, given that both seem to have been released (or re-released) rather recently. Anyway, this one (Blue Horizon) has liner notes from Mike Vernon. The cover art also seems to vary a bit from version to version, but with all sharing the main 4 photo spread on the bottom. Also, one of them (Blue Horizon) seems to be called "The Original Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac" (on Amazon, AMG and the CD spine, though not on the cover) and the other (Original Masters) just called "The Original Fleetwood Mac." Anyway, I just thought this was all worth noting for what it's worth.



AMG All Music Guide seems to have entries for both, though this one (Blue Horizon version) seems only to be accessible by clicking through alternate versions around the lower part of the screen. Their review also seems to indicate that Peter Green played guitar on track 5, while the notes here indicate that it was Spencer."