THE BARGAIN BUY: Fleetwood Mac; 3 Original Album Classics

 |   |  2 min read

Fleetwood Mac: The World Keep on Turning
THE BARGAIN BUY: Fleetwood Mac; 3 Original Album Classics

This struck me as funny: shortly after posting a front page mention of "the most famous line-up" of Fleetwood Mac playing New Zealand dates I got a sharp e-mail from a fellow who said, "Fleetwood Mac were famous before those Americans joined".

Leaving aside the difference between "most famous" and "famous" -- and I maintain the line-up with "the Americans" which sold about 50 million albums in a decade from about '75 is pretty famous indeed -- there was also the issue of "famous" itself.

Yep, Fleetwood Mac in another form did exist before their global conquest, but whether that British blues band was "famous" or just "well-known" is the sticking point.

My correspondent -- whom I take to be British because of that "Americans" comment -- was perhaps a fan of the original band back in the Sixties and so for him, and anyone wanting to find out about the pre-famous well-known British FMac, we draw attention to this three CD collection.

It consists of their first two albums (the self-titled debut and Mr Wonderful of '68) and the '69 collection Pious Bird of Good Omen which included their hit single Albatross.

At this time the band really were an implosion of British blues talent with guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie coming over from John Mayall's Blues Breakers, and genius guitarist Jeremy Spencer also in the ranks.

That debut is pure Brit-blues with their versions of Robert Johnson's Hellhound on my Trail (as a piano blues featuring Spenser on keys), Elmore James' Shake Your Money Maker and Howlin' Wolf's No Place to Go alongside genre originals by Spencer and Green. It was rightly acclaimed at the time although hasn't aged quite as well as you might have wished.

Mr Wonderful didn't enjoy such critical and popular acclaim on its release as it largely reiterated the points made better on that debut and Spenser's slide playing seemed to get a bit of overkill. Interestingly though some piano parts were played by Christine Perfect (of Chicken Shack) who would later become Mrs McVie and join the band. There was also a horn section and Duster Bennett (later to join Mayall's Blues Breakers) played harmonica on some tracks.

Pious Bird was an odd album which seemed to slip out as the group's third album but was in fact a cobbled together colection of UK singles and B-sides, and a couple of songs recorded with Clarksdale-born blues pianist/singer Eddie Boyd.

Among the highpoints of course are the dreamy and timeless Albatross and Black Magic Woman (both penned by Peter Green).

So here is a pre-famous Fleetwood Mac that was well-known . . . but not the "most famous" line-up.

JB_logoThe enticement here -- aside from some terrific blues playing by Green and Spenser (both of whom would become seriously disturbed individuals and leave the band) is that these three albums come in at a very reasnable $13 at JB Hi-Fi stores here.

And that's why the set is this week's Bargain Buy. 

Share It

Your Comments

Graham Dunster - Apr 13, 2015

The Blue Horizon label was the link between Chicken Shack, Duster Bennett and Fleetwood Mac. Personally I rate Green Manalishi as their best track, fame or no fame!

Jeff Rowe - Apr 16, 2015

I used to (may still) own the album they did with Eddie Boyd - 7396 South Rhodes. Had it on vinyl and may even have tracked it down on CD as well. Must check it out - remember it being pretty good!

Jeff Rowe - Apr 22, 2015

Found it. Listened. Pretty good!

post a comment

More from this section   The Bargain Buy articles index

THE BARGAIN BUY: Whiplash (Blu-Ray)

THE BARGAIN BUY: Whiplash (Blu-Ray)

When this gripping drama about an aspiring young jazz drummer and his emotionally abusive tutor was released in cinemas last year Elsewhere warned that "jazz people" -- protective of... > Read more

THE BARGAIN BUY: Miles Davis; Tutu (Warners)

THE BARGAIN BUY: Miles Davis; Tutu (Warners)

For Davis' most pure jazz followers who had forgiven him the street corner funk of the late Sixties/early Seventies, the trumpter was a lost cause on his return in '81 after almost a decade without... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

COLIN LINWOOD INTERVIEWED (2014): Keeping the records straight

COLIN LINWOOD INTERVIEWED (2014): Keeping the records straight

The most extraordinary thing about the extraordinary Colin Linwood is just how ordinary he is. In his early 50s, he's married with children, has worked from the time he left school, is trim and in... > Read more

SYBIL: SYBIL, CONSIDERED (1989): An album to walk on by

SYBIL: SYBIL, CONSIDERED (1989): An album to walk on by

Pulling this album off the shelves at random has been an education. It is beautifully unplayed and of course there is no rational explanation for how it came to be on the sagging shelves at... > Read more