Search - Peter Green Splinter Group :: Reaching the Cold 100

Too much cruise control tempers the ride

loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 01/05/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Splinter Group has forged a place for itself in the modern blues genre by grafting and molding its collective talents around the still fragile Peter Green, once the leading light of Fleetwood Mac during its formative (and some say best) years.On each Splinter Group recording leading up to this one, it has been a pleasure to track the progress of the band and Mr. Green and wonder what the possibilities might be. But the progress seems halted on "Reaching the Cold 100," which is certainly a good but by no means great session. There are plenty of fine songs here---17 tracks including four remakes from those early Fleetwood Mac days---but the weaker material (and I do not think that Nigel Watson should be unfairly blamed as the sole source of that material as some apparently do) tends to drag more than the stronger material tends to soar. When Mr. Green and Mr. Watson do rise to the occasion, the results are shimmering. Peter Stroud and Roger Cotton excel as composers and performers (bass and keyboards respectively) while Larry Tolfree keeps everything in check via the drumsThe slick, crisp production is not really the culprit though folks whose sensibilities are more rooted in the old school of blues may wince a bit. Rather, everything runs a bit too smoothly, and some tracks, such as the clever Spiritual Thief, sound like theme music for sitcoms..Rather than steer people away from this recording, I would suggest that they temper their expectations from great to good and give this CD a listen. Most will self-edit the tracks after a couple of listens, consigning at least one third of them to the scrap heap and dialing in a few favorites for repeated listenings. One hopes the next effort from Splinter Group can elicit a bit more pedal to the metal and less cruise control."

Best Post-Mac Effort to Date

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 12/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a Peter Green fan since his muse burned brightly in the glory days of the original Fleetwood Mac. He is a legendary figure to thousands of fans who wonder what might have been had he not gone off the deep end for an extended spell. We watched, we waited, and we hoped. His old band went through several profound transformations while he stayed gone, reappearing only briefly to record End of the Game, an album I consider one of the most boring and pointless I have ever heard. Then in the early eighties an album would appear on occasion that was putatively his. The first couple contained some pretty good songs mixed with a lot of garbage. Then he submerged once again next to resurface with a new band, Splinter Group.

I have followed Splinter Group since Green first joined, and I have to say that they get better with each successive recording. For that matter, Reaching the Cold 100 is Green's post-Mac effort to date!

There is a load of excellent blues here. The first five tunes are rather hard-driving and do well showcasing the talents of the Splinter Group. Must Be A Fool and Don't Walk Away are slow blues numbers with kind of a mid-70s feel about them. Then the mood changes entirely with a humorous Richard Thompsonesque song about being sucked into legal and financial problems.

The second half of the CD weakens considerably. I don't care at all for Spiritual Thief or Nice Girl Like You, and the renditions of the other originals are merely decent. Then the band gets back on track as it launches into the bonus tracks. If my praise of the first seven songs didn't have you clicking the buy button, then just maybe my praise of the last four will get you motivated.

Some reviewers consider the bonus cuts the best on the album, most likely because as old Fleetwood Mac tunes they are more familiar. Indeed, Green and company do a yeoman's job with them. But to say they are the best negates the very real progress the group has made over the years. Sure, I like Green Manalishi, Black Magic Woman, Albatross, and It Takes Time and the Splinter Group does tackle them with aplomb, but I also really enjoy Ain't Nothin' Gonna Change It, Look Out For Yourself, Needs Must The Devil Drives and Must Be A Fool. And contrary to what some have written, I think Green's husky, world-weary voice is a nice fit for the music. It is certainly superior to and more distinctive than Nigel Watson's.

Overall, Reaching the Cold 100 is highly recommended to all Peter Green fans. If you are new to Peter Green, check this out and see what you've been missing!"

Solid band, even though . . .

Juke Jar | Tennessee | 05/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As with most of the folks who have bought this CD, I am a dyed-in-the-wool Peter Green fan, happy to see him with a guitar in his hands again--and I've been waiting for the flames to burst from the coals that have at least hinted at heat during the "comeback." Well, I now admit that time--and several CDs--have tempered my expectations, and I no longer wait for the Green inferno to re-ignite. But I have also realized that the Splinter Band is a solid blues ensemble--very solid, even spectacular on occasion. In fact the band is maybe too solid, a little too smooth. To an extent Peter Green, especially with vocals and harmonica, does manage to provide a little spiritual edginess to the mix. I do wish it was more Green and less Splinter, but I've reached a level of acceptance in this regard and I don't regret the purchase. Bottom line for me is that this CD offers some fine music--it ain't the Mac circa 1969, but it is very good. 3.5 stars would be more accurate, but I'll round it up to 4."