Search - Fleetwood Mac :: The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions

This is a Solid 5 Star Package

D. Allen | McKinney Texas | 12/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I bought this, I was a little concerned about the low price; six discs for $35? Something's wrong. Well my friends, I'm glad to report that this is one killer deal for $35! These are spectacular blues performances recorded live in the studio. They were recorded excellently and remastered superbly, so any blues enthusiast or audiophile will not be disappointed. If you happen to fall into both categories, this will become a treasured part of your collection.



Fleetwood Mac had many incarnations, the most famous being the one with Buckingham and Nicks, but this is my favorite Mac. Peter Green was a blues junkie, and his writing and guitar playing earned him the respect of even the old masters of the genre, and two of the included discs are performed with just those men. What a dream team: the old guard playing with Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac! Music for the ages."

"I Don't Look For No Worries People...Worries And Troubles C

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 01/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now here's a peach - a 6CD Box Set with 99 primo remastered tracks (33 of which are previously unreleased), a hugely detailed 32-page booklet penned by original producer and label boss MIKE VERNON and even aesthetically pleasing hard-card repro sleeves allocated to each album...droolsome!



However, in order to do this sensational Fleetwood Mac box set justice, and mostly because there's so much alteration with the albums as originally issued, I've posted detailed reviews of each of the six albums contained within it - separately.



See detailed reviews for the following:

1. "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac"

(1st UK and US album)

2. "Mr. Wonderful"

(2nd UK album; the US LP was called "English Rose" and had a radically different track list)

3. "The Pious Bird Of Good Omen"

(3rd UK album, a collection of 7" singles, collaborations and rarities)

4. "Blues Jam In Chicago, Vol.1"

5. "Blues Jam In Chicago, Vol.2"

(4 and 5 are essentially their 4th release, the UK and US double album "Blues Jam At Chess" broken into two separate volumes - using the prettier US artwork too;

Side 1 and 2 is Volume 1 and Sides 3 and 4 are on Volume 2)

6. "The Original Fleetwood Mac"

(5th and final, originally released in November 1971 in the UK on CBS, this contained Blue Horizon studio outtakes recorded between 1967 and 1968 which were previously un-issued in the UK at the time of release)



Each of the above was released as a stand-alone title in 2004 with the same altered track runs as the box versions - in other words they include all the unreleased stuff, false starts, studio chatter, etc. The individual reviews have allowed me to be as informational as possible with regard to each release (hope they help).



"The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967 - 1969" by FLEETWOOD MAC is a six-star package for all the right reasons - great extras, top-notch remastered sound and visually superb presentation. I've had it since its release and it's like dipping into a treasure trove every single time.



Find out why Peter Green's great British blues band was held in such esteem...and shake your moneymakers people - credit-crunch or no!"

The Green God personified

William R. Long | Eastern NC, United States | 09/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Those in the know, know that Fleetwood Mac orginally was a vehicle for Peter Green and was commonly referred to as "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac". This music is about 180 degrees opposite from what Fleetwood Mac started doing with Buckingham/Nicks in the mid 70's (which is great stuff too). The only elements that remain with the modern day Fleetwood Mac are John McVie's bass playing and Mick Fleetwood's drumming. This box set shows thier ryhthm section was second to none even at the beginning of the band in 1967.



This box set contains 6 CDs of thier complete Blue Horizon catalog and pretty much everything Peter Green did with the band except for Warner Bros excellent "Then Play On" (Peter's swan song). So the review? This is the stuff hardcore Fleetwood Mac fans have been wanting. It's all there with great contributions from each of the tree guitarists that acheived fame with this group.



The 1st two CDs contain only Peter Green and Elmore James enthusiast Jeremy Spencer on guitar. Rarely are the wto heard playing together on these recordings but Peter does show up on Jeremy's stuff here and there. These two CDs are staight ahead blues knock-offs with originals and (Elmore James ) covers.



CD 3 is a collection of singles and other studio cuts. Peter Green's best know instrumental "Albatross" as well as his soulful "Black Magic Woman" can be found here. You also get a taste of taste of Danny Kirwin's work with his standouts "Like Crying" and "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues".



CDs 4 & 5 are a collection of the Chicago Blues Jams. These are all the proof anyone ever needs to dispel the myth that the folks from the UK can't play the blues. Here are these English kids playing with Chicago's masters like Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, and S.P. Leary. Even Buddy Guy shows up. But it's Otis Spann, Danny Kirwin and Peter Green's interaction that rules the roost here.



The 6th CD is fine collection that was released in 1970 made of cuts across the entire 1967-1969 time span. "Drifting", "Watch Out" and "A Fool No More" are essential Peter Green



Pros: The extra cuts and studio banter gives you alot of insight into how spontanious and wonderful these guys were. You get at least three versions of "Watch Out" and "I Need Your Love So Bad". CD 6 especially highlights Danny Kirwins contributions that became stronger and stronger as time passed. Another thing is the mastering on this stuff is great for stuff from this time period.



Cons: While I love the false starts, they get kinda old on repeated playings. I also love to take my box sets, pick out my fave rave tunes and put them on my iPod. We'll unless you edit these tracks you've got to sit though 7 takes of "A Fool No More" all on one track just to get to the master version. Same with "I Loved Another Woman". The Otis Spann LP that Fleetwood Mac did in Chicago would have been a welcome addition.



In all this is the mother load for those in the know, the folks who are already fans of the early Mac. For the uninitiated you could'nt do better that the 2 CD collection "The Essential Fleetwood Mac""