Fleetwood Mac (1969-1974)

Yes, Fleetwood Mac 69-74 is definitely a five star thing, but that is not to say all the music is of such high quality, there's seven studio albums here, as far as I can make out, all remastered, and a live album. So there are definite drops in quality. But there's also a collection of bonus tracks that are up there with some of the best that I have heard on CDs like the Pretty Things (Parachute, SF Sorrow), Kevin Ayers (Shooting at the Moon), Jethro Tull (Benefit, Stand Up) and T Rex (Tanx) which are as good as the tracks on those actual albums. So here goes...10/10 Then Play On - A classic, less bluesy than you would imagine with Peter Green still very much in the band, and Danny Kirwan coming to the fore, when moodiness was the order of the day and music had space to breathe, with a drum beat or acoustic guitar echoing on for infinity. This is the version without Oh Well 1&2, which you get as bonus tracks along with The Green Manalishi, and it doesn't get much better than that, though the Manalishi b side, World in Harmony, is also excellent. In fact, the whole thing happened at a time where you get an almost perfect synthesis of blues, psych and more progressive sounds, and is probably more an influence on The White Stripes than Led Zep ever were, especially the Manalishi.7/10 Kiln House - With the departure of Green, Kiln House is a bit of a deviation from a successful formula, seeming to favour Jeremy Spencer's tracks over Kirwan's, which was maybe a reflection of the 'back to basics' music led by The Band, though Spencer is less Americana and more The Big Bopper. But he is lots of fun, and if you wonder what Buddy Holly would have sounded like in the early seventies Buddy's Song is probably exactly that. It's one of those rare albums where the less trad and more stately side 2 is probably stronger, but there are some good Kirwan rockers throughout, Jewel Eyed Judy being particularly excellent, though the real jewels are again in the bonus tracks, the superb Kirwen led single Dragonfly/Purple Dancer, as well as (again) Jewel Eyed Judy/Station Man.10/10 Future Games - I often get this name mixed up with Can's Future Days, which is apt as they're easily the mellowest albums by these acts. But Future Games is possibly the greatest Fleetwood Mac album from any era, Kirwan's folksy songs are as beautiful and atmospheric as anything you'll hear on those Wicker Man-type folk compilations, new boy Bob Welch's title track is like an earlier version of On The Beach by Neil Young with a chorus, and Christine McVie makes her debut with maybe the best song she ever wrote, closing the album with Show Me A Smile. There's also a jam called What A Shame which really isn't as bad as its title suggests, and you get the feeling the extended version with Welch vocal interludes in the bonus tracks could have been even better if they'd have worked on it a bit longer.8/10 Bare Trees - However, Fleetwood Mac didn't seem to realise the excellence of Future Days - I mean Games - andmaybe because it didn't sell very well, opted for a different sound, west coast rock, probably the most commercial sound of the time. Though to be fair, they did help define that sound and with its rougher edges than subsequent albums, Bare Trees sounds like it could have influenced a lot of modern alternative bands. And Sentimental Lady sounds exactly like Ben Folds at his least cynical. So, though Bare Trees is a bit of a chugathon compared to what went before, it is a most enjoyable chugathon, with some great Welch songs and Kirwan's parting shots, leaving them on a high, a bit like a less funky, more laid back Traffic.4.5/10 Penguin - And with Bob Weston replacing Kirwan, LA rock was the formula they stayed with for the next few albums and beyond, though the songs here are a bit pop-sharper, it's not as characterful and maybe lacks an edge.6.5/10 Mystery To Me - It's a bit more challenging and psychedelic than Its predecessor, with better songs and a mad cover, like a less angry ELP's Tarkus, but for the first time you really notice a bit of a jarring imbalance between some of McVie's ineffably upbeat lovesongs - though Just Crazy Love has a nice insistent chorus - and Welch's more atmospheric tracks, like they're almost two different bands. When they do come together on Keep On Going, a Welch song sung by McVie, it's great, sounding like Moloko years before even the first wave of disco. All-in-all, a definite improvement on the poor old Penguin and an enjoyable listen, with the bizarre inclusion of a West Coasticised For Your Love - the Yardbirds one - on the album and as a single.6/10 Heroes Are Hard To Find - Continuing the more psychedelic sounds - though no Jefferson Airplane - Bob Welch lays down some interesting grooves with Mick'n'John, before McVie comes in with another piano ballad. It was Bob's final album before superstardom beckoned for the remaining three: he must have felt like the guy on the front cover of Mystery to Me.There's also a 1974 live album, from the Record Plant in LA, unsurprisingly, and a good setlist, still with three of the eleven tracks tellingly by Peter Green, and tracks off all the albums included here except Penguin and Kiln House. Bob Welch talks quite a lot during the songs and gets quite excited about the Bermuda Triangle.It's also worth checking out Fleetwood Mac's Beat Club performance on YouTube, for a real feeling for the best of this era.And then listen to the first Buckingham Nicks Fleetwood Mac album - not included here - after. It's a definite step up from their previous few, and though they were famous for a 'produced' sound under Buckingham, what you do notice on Fleetwood Mac after hearing Heroes... etc, is that all you hear are instruments. And lovely melodies that explore different territory, a dynamism, counter melodies, unusual rhythms, small but beautiful embellishments, a keyboard riff here, a bluesy guitar there, with space for the music to breathe - funnily enough, just like on the best, earlier albums here, Then Play On and Future Games: if you like Fleetwood Mac, the band and the album, you'll probably like those ones too.

This is a fantastic box set of Fleetwood Mac’s early 70’s recordings. It is the first time I have listened to some of these albums and they are total class. Along with the latest box set, this is truly a great addition to anyone interested in this superb group.

As a kid growing up, my parents were always there to direct me into the great rock albums of the the '60s/'70s. Naturally, one of these albums was Fleetwood Mac's legendary album, Rumours. For years, this album and Mr. Wonderful were the only music I knew from the band. Over the years, I have collected a lot of music from the Peter Green and Buckingham/Nicks period. But I never got round to the Bob Welch era. With all the documentaries I watched growing up, I was always under the impression this was the weak period of Fleetwood Mac's discography. When I finally decided to acquire them, this new eight disc box-set was announced. Quite a relief considering half of the albums here are now out of stock individually.For those as unfamiliar about this time frame as I am, this box-set represents all of the albums released between 1969 up until 1974. The first album features Peter Green on his final Mac album, Then Play On. Already considered a must have classic. Then we have Kiln House from 1970 featuring Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan on guitar and vocals. Like its predecessor, it's a very bluesy soulful album with a lot of great guitar licks and a lot of catchy songs. The rest of the box-set is focused primarily on Bob Welch.The CD themselves are all housed in (what I assume are) replica sleeves. Some are gatefold and some aren't. A few of the albums even have cute little lyric sheets. I think they look great but as I've seen with past box-set releases, someone will nit pick the covers. The little booklet that comes in the box is a bit lacking. It has a page for each album and that's about it. Definitely a wasted opportunity there. All these things are housed in a reasonably thick cardboard box and it's pretty sturdy, for the most part. It's not going to get awards for presentation but it's the quality of the music that counts.Being completely unfamiliar with this period of the band, I was surprised at just how good this stuff is. I'll be honest and say that I'd happily listen to these records more than I would Tusk and Mirage. I liked the fact that I finally got to hear the band transition between the English blues boom and their American coke head hippy days. To my ears, the music sounds more mature than their first three albums (and 50 compilations). The band are clearly trying to find a style that suits them as they grow more professional. The albums Future Games (1971), Bare Trees (1972), Penguin (1973), Mystery To Me (1973) and Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974) have all a good stream lined sound. Not quite commercial but well produced enough that they can hold their own against the later albums. The production (and remastering) is all very solid. It highlights the bands members perfectly. I really enjoyed a lot of the vocals from Welch. The guy has a good set of pipes. He's also a pretty good guitar player. There's a lot of great rhythms from McVie and Fleetwood. In fact, this is the best I think I've heard Mick play. He is somewhere between the frantic pacing of the first few albums and the plodding commercial 4/4 beats of later years. It's a lot more varied and it's nice to hear. I have a feeling that Christine McVie doesn't get enough credit for her time in the band at this point. She always seemed over shadowed by Nicks but pops up with a lot of great piano lines and some really strong vocal performances. In fact, I think I prefer her vocals here than I did on the Nicks era stuff.A nice bonus with this box-set is of course the bonus tracks, all of which are of good to excellent quality. Some tracks are extended or alternative takes. There's some b-sides as well as live versions. A nice little collection. Though, rounding them all up on one CD might have been better. There's also the Live From the Record Plant album which is really good. The show was recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito, CA on December 15th, 1974. According to the booklet, the show was originally recorded for the KSAN Radio station. I really enjoyed this performance. The vocals are very strong, the rhythm section is pounding it out and the guitar playing is excellent, really really good stuff. I would say that this disc easily rivals Fleetwood Mac Live and other live releases. It has very good sound quality overall.Even if you're a fan who already owns this album, this is still a nice collection to have. The added extras are no doubt worthwhile and having everything contained beautifully in this little box is very cool. As a product as a whole, I think it's fantastic. There is a lot of great music from this period of Fleetwood Mac's history and I highly regret not discovering it sooner. If you're one of those fans who cried because there's no band without Buckingham, maybe you should acquire this and hear a real band. One that made great music through tough times. Talk about a highly underappreciated selection of tunes.