Buckingham Nicks "Buckingham Nicks" 1973 (orig)***

I resent the fact that this album was re-released 4 months ago, and now looks at me from the front window of every record store in the world. I do, because it was among the rarest albums in my collection. I mean, a pre-fame LP by Buckingham and Nicks, the duo behind Fleetwood Mac's transformation from white blues copyists to huge pop stars? One that fell between the cracks and hadn't been reissued for 50 years, only heard by a select few, one of which was myself? What was I thinking, not presenting it when I could gloat that I am a proud owner of such a rarity? Now, even Limb Mary has a copy - I'm told it sold 30.000 copies in the first week of its release, in US alone. I will present it now, but I'll drop a star because it's become so common. This isn't one of those albums I ever sought after; I just happened upon it, which is one of those moments that make physical record hunting so much more satisfying than online buying. I used to work in a dental practice in The Hague, and had noticed an address on googlemaps with a title like Whatsitsname Records, a few blocks away. When I was mapping the city's record shops for this blog I went by and couldn't find the place, but on a day with nice weather that I had finished work early I decided to take a walk and make another try. This time I happened to catch it open, or at least the door was open; it was just a private house with no sign on the door. Doesn't function like a record store, the guy probably only sells online or at record fairs. The front room had a couch, some audio equipment and stacks of records, mostly techno 12'. The owner told me there were more records in the back, and indeed there were more stacks: electronic music, but also a lot of funk and disco which I mostly didn't recognise, as well as a few pop-rock ones. At first glance, the nude album cover looked like a typical 70's disco LP, but when I saw the names and looked closer at the couple's faces, I realized these were Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. I knew that they used to perform together before they joined Mac, and I may have known but forgotten that they had ever released an LP as a duo. Because, if it was any good, it would be right up there with their later work, right? I nevertheless knew that I had a rarity in my hands, and being a fan of Rumours-era Mac, I was eager to hear how they started. So, I asked about the price, and it was a surprisingly modest €20 or something.

So I payed, went back home and put the record on my turntable. I had no preconception, but because of the duo format I kind of expected a collection of acoustic ballads or something similar. So it was a very pleasant surprise when the opener "Crying In The Night" sounded like an outtake of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac; a smooth soft-rock ballad with Stevie's characteristic voice and nice harmonies, it's followed by a charming acoustic guitar piece called "Stephanie". "Without A Leg To Stand On" is  pleasant but unremarkable, it somewhat reminded me of 70s Kinks. The next track "Crystal" sounded familiar - the reason being, that it was revived by Fleetwood Mac after the couple joined them. This first version has a more typical Californian sound, reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles. It's followed by "Long Distance Winner" which to my ears sounds more proggish, Supertramp-like. No piano solos of course, but masterful electric guitar by Lindsey. Side 2 opens with one of their louder  rockers "Don’t Let Me Down Again". To me, it sounds like a precursor to "You Can Go Your Own Way" off Rumours. "Django" is another wistful instrumental showcasing Lindsey's guitar chops, while "Races Are Won" is a typical folk-rock ballad with country-ish harmonies, and "Lola (My Love)" a Southern blues with nice slide guitar. The album closes with another winner "Frozen Love" which encapsulates everything that's great about 70's rock: the smoothness of the West Coast sound, intricate folk harmonies, and prog rock intricacy, all spread over 7+ minutes. It was Lindsey Buckingham's guitar work on this track that made Mick Fleetwood invite him to join the band as lead guitarist. He insisted on bringing Stevie along, and that was the start of Fleetwood Mac's rise to stardom. Neither Mac nor Buckingham Nicks could have done it alone, but the combination of their songwriting and musical talents created pop genious. This album may not be up there with their best moments, but it's very, very good, and contains the seeds of their later success. The nude cover, I personally find very tasteful and concordant with the confessional nature of the lyrics, but I recently read a Stevie Nicks interview where she said she felt too awkward and embarassed by it. Who knew she was such a prude? Lastly, a word about the musicianship and production: it's no surprise that it sounds as good as it does, when you look at the credits: producer Keith Olsen, who later produced so many hits for mainstream artists, and studio aces like drummer Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, solo Beatles), guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Rolling Stones, Warren Zevon, etc), and bassist Jerry Scheff (Elvis, The Doors, etc) - really the cream of the California session musicians. Highly recommended: 4* for my ® copy, 3* for yours. I don't care if yours is 180 gram colored vinyl, has booklets or other extras - I had it first. There!

**** for Crying In The Night, Crystal, Long Distance Winner, Don’t Let Me Down Again, Django, Frozen Love

*** for Stephanie, Without A Leg To Stand On, Races Are Won, Lola (My Love)

Fleetwood Mac "Fleetwood Mac Live" 1980****

Fleetwood Mac are one of the bands I regret most having missed out seeing live; for one reason or another I was not able to see them in the few times they visited Holland in the last 15 years - and, after Christine McVie's death and Lindsey Buckingham's estrangement from the rest, it seems that I'll never get to tick that particular box. Closest I'll get to, is one of their live albums; basically Live and 1997's The Dance. Fleetwood Mac Live was the band's first live release after 13 years and about as many personnel changes. Fleetwood Mac, who had started out as a pure blues band, had lost its leader Peter Green to LSD and religious cults in 1970, and staggered aimlessly for a while, until they incorporated the American singer/songwriter duo, and real-life couple, of Buckingham/Nicks. With founding members Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John Mac Vie (bass) augmented by a trio of talented singer/songwriters (Stevie Nicks on vocals, Lindsey Buckingham guitar and vocals, and Christine Mac Vie on piano and vocals), they finally hit their stride, producing three artistically and commercially successful albums in quick succession: Fleetwood Mac (1975), the mega-selling Rumours (1977), and more experimental double LP Tusk (1979). With all those hits under their belt, the time was right to release a live album; after all this was the golden era of the double live album: Kiss Alive, Frampton Comes Alive, Cheap Trick At Budokan sold spectacularly better than their studio predecessors, and acted as springboards to unprecedented commercial success for the respective bands. Slightly less influential then these, Live captures Fleetwood Mac at their creative apogee, sports a hit-laden setlist and excellent performances. But, on the downside, it fails to convey the excitement of a real concert; there's very little between-song banter, and the recordings come from far too diverse sources: clubs, arenas, soundchecks and rehearsals. Which makes it all sound more like a collection of unrelated live recordings rather than a cohesive album. The band is really tight and professional, so the performances still sound slick (thanks presumably to a fair amount of overdubbing), albeit less glossy than the studio versions. So if you always felt that their studio albums were just a bit too clean, you might enjoy this LP better. What hit me immediately when I first listened to this, is how dominant Buckingham's guitar is, at least compared to the studio versions. I never rated him highly as an instrumentalist, but here he really lets his inner guitar hero shine: notably on Peter Green-era hard rocker "Oh Well", but also on opener "Monday Morning", and on elongated versions of "I'm So Afraid" and the punk/new wave-y "Not That Funny" from Tusk. The latter's yelps and howls are also repeated during the intro to another of his songs "Go Your Own Way", which sounds refreshingly rugged and quite different to the polished version in Rumours. "Don't Let Me Down Again" (from the couple's pre-Mac 1973 LP Buckingham Nicks) sounds fantastic re-imagined as a rowdy Southern rocker. It's fair to say that the aforementioned tracks, which feature Buckingham in lead vocals, are also the wildest and least commercial-sounding ones on this LP. Christine Mac Vie handles the more folk/blues numbers, including ballads "Over & Over", "One More Night", upbeat "Over My Head", country-ish "Say You Love Me", and of course what is arguably her best song "Don't Stop", which here also features some fine blues guitar by Buckingham. Moving on to the most pop-oriented of the band's singers, Stevie Nicks' enchanting voice is on the forefront on her ethereal hits "Dreams", "Sara", "Landslide", and a passionate performance of "Rhiannon". Additionally, she brings a new song called "Fireflies" - a rather upbeat number which, like most of the songs on Rumours, mines the rich dramatic seam provided by the interpersonal relationships within the band. Fleetwood Mac Live closes with Beach Boys cover "Farmer's Daughter", a wonderful showcase for the band's harmonies. Nicks' and McVie's vocals are amazing throughout, while Lindsey's are rougher, which of course he makes up for with his excellent guitar playing. John Mac Vie and Mick Fleetwood are the unsung heroes of the group (although they gave their names to it), but their performance here is also commendable - especially Fleetwood, his drumming on "Oh Well" is one of the album's highlights. Now, my own version of Fleetwood Mac Live is the original double CD release from 1988, but this has now been surpassed by a triple-CD Deluxe Edition featuring 15 more songs stemming from the same period, and superior remastered sound. In conclusion, there are some iconic (usually double) live classic rock albums that capture the artists' essence better than any of their studio LPs, and considered to be essential listening, e.g. The Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East, Kiss Alive!, Deep Purple's Made in Japan, Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous, etc. Fleetwood Mac Live doesn't quite belong in the same category, but it's a damn fine live document of the band in their prime, and well worth owning for any fan.

***** for Dreams, Rhiannon, Don't Stop

**** for Say You Love Me, Sara, Not That Funny, Landslide, Fireflies, Over My Head, Don't Let Me Down Again, Go Your Own Way, I'm So Afraid

*** for Monday Morning, Oh Well, Over & Over, Never Going Back Again, One More Night, Farmer's Daughter

Gary Moore "Blues For Greeny" 1995****

Back in 1990, Gary Moore's move from hard rock to blues must have seemed rather daring and uncommercial but it paid off, giving him his best selling album and re-popularizing the entire genre. At the height of his popularity, he made another risky decision: to record a tribute to semi-forgotten British Blues legend Peter Green. Green, who passed earlier this year, had appeared, aged 20, out of nowhere to replace the -also very young but already legendary- Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Blues Breakers. He later left to form Fleetwood Mac, but disappeared suddenly after an ominous incident that sparked his decent into mental illness (a story I recounted in a previous post). He would later make a low-key return to music but was still "missing in action" in '95 when Moore decided to record a whole album to remind the world what an excellent guitarist and songwriter he was. I didn't buy it at the time, as I was too familiar with the originals and couldn't see how he could possibly give them new life. I was, as it turns out, both right and wrong: Moore's versions often stay too close to the originals - some, like the Latin-tinged mid-tempo "I Loved Another Woman" are almost carbon copies. But it is a marvelous thing, and a testament to Moore's virtuosity, to hear those sweet guitar tones once again. Anyone can play fast or loud, but to wring such emotion out of the guitar is the sign of a true master. It helps, of course, that we're listening to the very same guitar - not just the same model, but the same instrument: Clapton had played a Les Paul in The Blues Breakers, and Green bought himself another Les Paul when he got his position in the band, but it was an older model with a thicker neck. To get a similar sustain to Clapton's, he removed the neck pickup and then screwed it on backwards, resulting in a very characteristic sound. During his dark years, Green sold his guitar to Moore, who plays it to great effect here. It would be passed on to some rich collectors, eventually finding its way to the hands of Metallica's Kirk Hammett, and while it's dubious that he can emulate Green's style as successfully as Moore, it's nice to think that this guitar can still enchant big audiences on records and onstage. Back to the album, one thing that surprised me was that Moore went straight for the blues tunes, eschewing some of Green's more famous compositions like the mellow psychedelia of "Black Magic Woman" and "Man Of The World" or the heavier "Oh Well" and "Green Manalishi". The lesser known tracks he chose are recreated lovingly and respectfully, without resorting to Moore's usual louder and more distorted electric blues style - though some songs like "Drifting" and "Looking for Somebody" do sport longer and "rockier" solos. The horns on the lively "If You Be My Baby" and excellent ballad "Love That Burns", and the strings on the emotive "Need Your Love So Bad" add some extra instrumental touches when necessary, while Moore's playing on "The Supernatural" is reminiscent of his own "Parisienne Walkways" - which goes to show that Green has always been one of his bigger influences. "Showbiz Blues" serves as a showcase for his skills on slide guitar, while finally this reissue closes with a trio of acoustic songs that, while good, are not up to the same level as the album proper. The only downside is that, if you are already familiar with the originals, there's not much new here. I am, and any time I want to listen to these tunes I'll be going back to the original versions. But that's a minor complaint, since the end result is utterly enjoyable, playing is excellent, and Moore's fame is sure to introduce these songs to new audiences. P.S. I got this album as part of a budget 5CD boxset (see above), which I can easily recommend, as it's cheap and of high quality:3 of the other albums are arguably even better than this, and all 5 of them are presented in the newest remastering and include bonus tracks. I will review each album separately, in time.

**** for Merry Go Round, I Loved Another Woman, Need Your Love So Bad, The Supernatural, Driftin', Love That Burns, Looking For Somebody

*** for If You Be My Baby, Long Grey Mare, The Same Way, Showbiz Blues, World Keeps On Turnin' (Acoustic), Same Way (Acoustic), Stop Messin' Around (Acoustic) 

B.B. King "King of the Blues:1989" 1988**

A Dutch friend of mine is getting ready to emigrate to sunny Spain, and he's giving away some of his stuff, so I inherited his modest record collection, mostly 80's pop and R&B. Not necessarily my kind of music, but still nice to have.

I'm slowly going through them, starting with this one because hey it's the King of the Blues, it should be among the best of the bunch. Unfortunately, it's plagued by the worst possible case of 80's production: drowned in plastic-sounding synths and drum machines, one wonders how can an album featuring the talents of B.B. King, Mick Fleetwood (drums) and Steve Cropper (rhythm guitar) sound so bad. It's as if, despite having a blues giant in their hands, the producers tried to mimic the faceless pop of the contemporary charts. The first couple of songs are shocking: "...habit to me" and "drowning in the sea of love" are full of disco/new wave beats, cheesy backing vocals, drum machines, and not a whiff of King's trademark guitar sound. There is some rock guitar buried low in the mix, but it doesn't sound like B.B. At least he's in good form vocally - so much is made of his guitar playing that we often forget what a distinctive and soulful voice he had. "Can't Get Enough" is bluesier, the first listenable song here despite being dominated by Marty Grebbs' saxophone. Stevie Nicks provides some nice backing vocals. On "Standing on the Edge" the over-glossed arrangement does not manage to ruin a good vocal performance for a typical electric blues tune. "Go On" has a 50's R&B beat which might sound good if played by a real band instead of synths and drum machines. At least Lucille (B.B.'s guitar, for the uninitiated) is given here some room to play. On Side 2 the guitar is a bit more present, though still buried under artificial synths and fake drums. "Undercover Man" reminds me of the worst musical crimes committed by The Stones during the 80's (i.e. their Dirty Work LP). It's followed by some respite in the form of "Lay Another Log on the Fire", basically the umpteenth copy of "The Thrill is Gone". "Business With My Baby Tonight" is another passable copy, this time of "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss" - which leads us to the conclusion that B.B. King producing second rate copies of himself is still better than B.B. King copying "modern" pop hits. My vinyl LP stops there, but the CD version adds another song ("Take Off Your Shoes") which, according to allmusic.com, is one of the highlights of this relatively poor collection. 

*** for Can't Get Enough, Standing on the Edge, Lay Another Log on the Fire

** for (You've Become a) Habit to Me, Drowning in the Sea of Love, Go On, Let's Straighten It Out, Change in Your Lovin', Undercover Man, Business With My Baby Tonight

Fleetwood Mac "Then Play On" 1970*****

In 1970, Peter Green, then lead singer and guitarist for the Fleetwood Mac, was considered to be one of the best guitar players in the world. Nobody (not even Clapton, Page or Hendrix) was better - all you could say is that they were all equal but different. Green's version of the electric blues was usually sweeter than that of the aforementioned players - if you've never heard him, imagine a mix of Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana (It's no coincidence that Green's "Black Magic Woman" became Santana's signature tune). Fleetwood Mac's latest LP "Then Play On", was their most varied and well-realized collection thus far and they were out promoting it with concerts throughout Europe. After one such concert in Munich, Green was approached by members of a cult-ish commune and invited to a party where he was given a big amount of LSD. It's not as if they tricked him, he had dropped acid before and took it willingly. It was nevertheless the moment that derailed his life forever. Although other band members described the atmosphere at the party as nightmarish, he had some sort of epiphany and declared that the commune was where he belonged and would never leave it again. Soon his drug use escalated and his head was filled with voices. To escape the voices he gave away the money he earned from music and his guitars (one to Gary Moore, who later thanked him by recording a heartfelt tribute called Blues for Greeny) and he tried to disappear, getting odd jobs like grave digging. In his absence, the Fleetwood Mac who had in the meanwhile had several style and personnel changes, became one of the world's most successful acts. And every time they played his music royalties would accumulate, dredging up his past and causing the voices to resurface - so he decided to pay a visit to the accountant, point a gun at him, and demand that he never again sends him money. Crazy, you say? The doctors diagnosed him with drug-induced schizophrenia and ordered his release from jail (where he had finally found some quiet) and incarceration in a mental hospital where he was treated with repeated rounds of electroshock therapy. He was subsequently released to the care of his family and even made a comeback in the 90's. I was surprised then by how completely different his playing had become. Now that I read about the shock therapy, I wonder it had something to do with it: It is known to erase whole portions of one's brain, maybe his guitar playing was affected. In any case, we've still got his records - and "Then Play On" is certainly a delight! Danny Kirwan, his young  protégé whom he had employed as a third guitarist when he was just 17, had turned into a formidable player and songwriter in his own right. He contributes 5 songs here, of which the haunting ballad "Closing My Eyes" is an absolute highlight: romantic lyrics, sensitive vocal, lightly strummed guitar and a slowed-down waltz tempo point to the soft-rock style that would make the Mac pop stars in the ensuing years. Opener "Coming Your Way" features Green's famous guitar licks over excellent African-style drumming by Mick Fleetwood. "Fighting For Madge" is a blues-rock instrumental, "When You Say" another folk-ish ballad by Kirwan and "Show-Biz Blues" is the first blues song in the record, with stellar slide guitar that reminds me of Rory Gallagher (not surprisingly, Rory chose this song to cover for a Peter Green tribute album in the 90's). "Under Way" and "My Dream" are instrumentals aiming probably to duplicate the success of "Albatross" but the guitar isn't all that memorable and drums are a bit more intrusive. Green's further contributions include the atmospheric blues of "Before The Beginning" and bluesy hard rock of "One Sunny Day" and "Rattlesnake Shake" - all excellent. Kirwan's songs are slightly less impressive but undeniably beautiful, presaging the soft rock direction the band was to take soon: "Although The Sun Is Shining" is a sensitive, fragile ballad while "Without You" and "Like Crying" are slow blues with intricate solos. "Searching For Madge" is a psychedelic jam that rounds up the original U.K. pressing. The U.S. version omitted a few tracks to include the band's latest hit: both sides of the single "Oh Well - Pt.1" and "Pt.2" were joined in a single 9-minute piece, starting off with Pt.1's monster riff (I can't get enough of it, I've even chosen it for my ringtone), with the acoustic Pt.2 stuck to its end. "Oh Well" may be the definitive statement by early Mac, but we had to wait for 30+ years until the latest CD reissue separated the piece again to give it back its original form. And that's not all the good news: it includes another seminal hard rocker, "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)". I have no idea what the hell that means but who cares when it sounds that cool? It became a staple of Judas Priest's live show and is consequently more familiar to metal fans than those of Fleetwood Mac. The CD closes with another bonus track, "World In Harmony", a beautiful instrumental with nice interplay between the two guitarists. Despite everything that happened to Green after finishing the album, The Mac continued to make great music, true to the title of this record which they knicked from none other than the bard himself: "If music be the food of love, then play on" (Twelfth Night, 1602)

***** for Coming Your Way, Closing My Eyes,  Rattlesnake Shake, Oh Well - Pt. 1, The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)

**** for Show-Biz Blues, One Sunny Day, Although The Sun Is Shining, Like Crying, Before The Beginning, Oh Well - Pt. 2

*** for Fighting For Madge, When You Say, Without You, Searching For Madge, My Dream, World In Harmony

** for Under Way