Search - Fleetwood Mac :: Live at the BBC

Green Gems

05/07/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is definitely a CD for collectors and hard core fans only. If you like Jeremy Spencer's rock parodies, this is the cd for you! They are good, as are his slide guitar songs. But, the true gems on the release are the tunes featuring Peter Green. He has rarely sounded better. "World Keep On Turning" and "A Fool No More" are highlights of not only this CD, but also of Green's great, and troubled, career. All the songs featuring Green are well worth the price of this import from the distant, yet not forgotten, past."

Very mixed

Mitchell Lopate | 09/26/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Disc 2 is packed with Chicago inspired gems and represents some of the best '60s British blues recorded by anyone. Disc 1, with the exception of 4 or 5 tracks is a painful embarrassment of mainly 3rd rate cabaret Buddy Holly and Elvis impersonations - and I really do mean "impersonations". This is one of those albums which has to be re-recorded immediately with the drivel left out. It's rare that an album includes such a distinct polarity between the inarguably superb and the utterly abysmal with no middle ground."

Their closest try at perfection--but short

Mitchell Lopate | Silverdale, WA | 11/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What's staggering to understand from these two discs is that Mac's three amazing guitarists left us their testimonies--and became emotional casualties afterward. The richest songs of these two CDs belongs to the brilliantly talented Peter Green: There's not a bad cut or lick from him on anything featured. In fact, just hear his scream of rock 'n roll passion and joy on side 2's "Tallahassee Lassie." My nod goes to "Preachin' Blues," showing Peter's skills on slide, and the absolute slow misery of "Jumping at Shadows," a prophetic plea if ever there was one. For our times, he was a magnificent bluesman in his prime. Ditto for Danny Kirwan; can you imagine that he was just a young fan who joined the group and became entangled in the battle of raging egos. Perhaps he was more at home with the softer ballads like "Although the Sun is Shining," but hear him scrap and battle with the others on "Only You." That's real down-home vibrato. And of course, Jeremy Spencer. Perhaps it's his soppy worship of Buddy Holly that mires this in the mud at times; "Jenny Lee" sounds so sugary that it made me wince. Credit goes back to him for his raucous Elmore James rave-ups, and he could do the job with "Honey Hush" and "Preachin'." Don't ignore Mick Fleetwood's percussion (especially the way he muffled the drumheads when needed) or John McVie's bass, either: they could follow those three zany lead players over rocky terrain and smooth roads. Gotta give it four stars in regards to versatility offered--just can't get past Jeremy's flights of maudlin fancy. Okay, Buddy Holly would smile, and yeah, it was fun--but it wasn't the best of Fleetwood Mac. Thanks, guys, for leaving this to us. Killer picture of Peter also, on the inside sleeve, and amusing anecdotes from Mick."