You’re going to have to trust me on this one, but long ago, on a planet far, far away, a group by the name of Fleetwood Mac was actually an obscure blues band. That was before the Dark Side took over and turned them into a pop supergroup that went their own way and had tons of Peyton Place-like scandals. Before all of that glitz and pomp occurred, Peter Green had departed, deciding to live the life of a blueswailing Fender Strat picker. This little ditty with Nigel Watson/g, Larry Tolfree/dr, Roger Cotton/key and Pete Stroud/b is a disarmingly simple and humble session that represents what makes the blues so eternally attractive.
No real surprises in the material; things like “Crawlin’ King Snake,” Muddy Waters’ “Hone Bee” and Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster set the tone for the session. Shuffle beats on material like “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” get into your circulatory system in nothing flat. Acoustic guitar work along with some snarling harmonica on “take Out Some Insurance” make you feel like you’re in some Tennessee Juke Joint, while Green’s guitar work snarls on “Help Me Through the Day” and slinks on “Honest I Do.” Like all old souls, these guys have nothing to prove, so they use their chops judiciously. Grooves that are created come from years of knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. A classic bowl of the blues.
Eagle Rock Records