Fleetwood Mac (pre Buckingham-Nicks)

[DarrenH]

Listening to the 1972 release of Bare Trees as I type this. Is this ever good. Do yourself a favor and pick up this up. If all you've ever heard is the Buckingham-Nicks version of this band then you are sorely missing something. Check it out.

Now, I have heard Penquin. It's not that great. In fact, it stinks. I want to get Then Play On and English Rose next. Then perhaps Kiln House and Mystery To Me. Eventually, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

I love Christine Perfect's (McVie) singer songwriting abilities. Bob Welch really sounds good as well. And on Bare Trees you hear an early rendition of Sentimental Lady. Something Bob would make famous on French Kiss. How many of you remember his solo debut, French Kiss? I still have that on vinyl. Ouch!

Anyhoo, I'm certainly not shining any new light but early Fleetwood Mac is very much different than the pop band they would eventually become. I enjoy it more frankly.

Darren

[Troy]

Yeah, the original FM was really top notch pop-rock. I never warmed to the overly precious Stevie Nicks band. Way more pretentious than most prog acts, in fact. But the Welch / Green band was dynamite. The song "Green Manalishi" is just begging to be covered. "Hypnotized" is one of my favorite singles by anybody.

I have the 2 albums made by Welch and Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull under the name "Paris" that were really great too. Done about 74 or 5, before Welch's smarmy solo career.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yes, it's bizarre -- they're like three different bands. The Peter Green version, the Buckingham/Nicks version, and the Bob Welch version (for lack of a better term -- the post Peter Green pre Buckingham Nicks version). "Oh Well Pt. 1" is a classic blues-rock anthem.

Actually, someone did cover Green Manalishi, although I suspect you already knew that.

And yes, I have French Kiss. Got it for the cover, ended up liking a couple songs off of it, but was disappointed there wasn't any "Hypnotized"-type moodiness.

[3-LockBox]

and IT is a good one. 'Dust' is one my favorite tunes on it. And even 'Sentimental Lady' is a listenable version, without the overkill-production of his solo version. Yes, pre-Buckingham-Nicks <b>Mac</b> is worth investigating, as is Buckingham and Nicks' lone solo album circa '73.

[jack70]

I've always considered their evolution as 3 completely different bands too. The original band (w/ Peter Green) was the best IMO, primarily because of Greeny, who's one of the best guitarists of his time. He's usually overshadowed by his peers like Clapton, Beck, Page, Hendrix, etc, and that's understandable, but polls of musicians always have him in their top-10.

That band (FMac ver 1.0) also did some fairly "progressive-like" (for lack of a better term) songwriting, combining their trad blues sound with a more spacey, "psych-like" (for lack of a better term) sound. So they were a "more adventurous" blues band, unlike most of the other, fairly similar sounding British blues bands of that time (all of which I liked, mind you)... bands like Savoy Brown, Stone the Crows, Foghat, Chicken Shack, Free, Rory Gallagher, etc. Although it should be noted most of those bands DID do (some) more adventurous tunes, but in the 70+ era, after those earlier F Mac albums.

I have a live cut from that first F Mac band on my live-guitarist comp (V-9)... it was the very last time Green recorded with that band (he quit a few days later). Green then put out solo albums for 20+ years, most of which I have. There's 2-4 very good cuts on each, which is above the normal batting avg (IMHO). Ironically, there's a very "Future Games/ Bare Trees sound to his first few solo albums.

I agree, Future Games & Bare Trees (FMac-ver 2.0) are quite good. Pretty much everything after it I've heard little of, especially the later Buck-Nicks era band (FMac ver 3.0). I'm sure they did a few good songs in there, but the band's sound was going in a more commercial "pop" sound than the hard-rock & experimental (Euro prog bands) direction I was into at the time. Their whole sound, appeal, and popularity, were ALL turn-offs to me at the time. I DID like Christine McVie's (Perfect) earlier stuff when she was with Chicken Shack, which was very blues oriented. (I have cuts of her on my Vol-14 comp, for anyone interested).



I have the 2 albums made by Welch and Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull under the name "Paris" that were really great too. Done about 74 or 5, before Welch's smarmy solo career.Welsh made 2 solo albums (77-79), one with Christine McVie & S Nicks. Never heard 'em though. Cornick formed Wild Turkey (post J.Tull) before Paris, with 2 pretty good albums. He also played on a Leigh Stevens LP & Karthargo (ger band) album before Paris too... busy guy. Anyone heard the "new" (old unreleased), recently released Wild Turkey album?

[DarrenH]

Welsh made 2 solo albums (77-79), one with Christine McVie & S Nicks. Never heard 'em though. Cornick formed Wild Turkey (post J.Tull) before Paris, with 2 pretty good albums. He also played on a Leigh Stevens LP & Karthargo (ger band) album before Paris too... busy guy. Anyone heard the "new" (old unreleased), recently released Wild Turkey album?

Good to hear from ya Jackson.

I saw that Wild Turkey album. Wasn't sure if they were the same band or not so I passed it up. I may just have to investigate that one now. I always liked Wild Turkey's debut release. I have that on vinyl.

I'm also be very interested in hearing something from that band Paris Troy and yourself mentioned. I had no idea Cornick collaborated with Welch let alone formed a band with him.

Take care Jackson and thanks again for the Timemasheen comps. I really do enjoy your work on these.

Darren