When the average music fan thinks of
Fleetwood Mac, images of
Stevie Nicks and
Lindsey Buckingham usually automatically come to mind, as well as the
pop perfection of such mega-sellers as
Rumours. But the late-'60s/early-'70s version of
Mac was a completely different band stylistically: a
blues outfit led by guitar great
Peter Green. And this is the era that the 2002 compilation
Best of the Best (Gold) focuses on. It's rather humorous to think of how many casual fans must have picked up this set expecting
"Rhiannon," but instead received such bluesy tours de force as
"Albatross." However, that's not to say that the "
Peter Green-era"
Fleetwood Mac wasn't exceptional in its own right, as such standout tracks as
"Coming Home," "Stop Messin' Round," and
"Love That Burns" exemplify. In fact,
Green's
Mac was much more authentic sounding than other
blues-based
rock bands that were lighting up the charts around this time (
Cream,
Led Zeppelin, etc.).
Best of the Best (Gold) is a fine summary of
Fleetwood Mac's bluesy, and oft-overlooked, past. ~ Greg Prato
