Then Play On (remastered)

[michelej1]

September 6, 2013 Lexington Herald, Kentucky

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/09/06/2...-mac-then.html

Walter Tunis — Contributing Music Writer


The newest edition of Then Play On, the definitive studio recording by the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, ends with a subtle guitar instrumental titled World in Harmony.

The music blooms from sparse, autumnal ambience into a summery, almost country-esque serenade. It's a quiet study in harmony and conflict, opposites that always seem to surface when Fleetwood Mac is at its best.

Named after the oft-quoted opening to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ("If music be the food of love, play on"), the album is a masterwork that faded from view as the band shot to pop stardom in the mid-'70s with the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. But Then Play On, Fleetwood Mac's third studio work, takes us back to 1969 and remains a portrait of lost rock 'n' roll innocence. It was the first record to feature co-guitarist Danny Kirwan and the last to include band founder Green. The band's third guitarist, Jeremy Spencer, is curiously absent from the recording.

This new version differs from most archival reissues. While there are four bonus tracks, three of them (the slo-mo guitar romp The Green Manalishi and the two-part boogiefest-turned-folk meditation Oh Well) were Green-penned singles that stand as the early Mac's signature tunes. Only World in Harmony (Manalishi's b-side) is evenly remotely obscure.

What this new edition accomplishes, though, is to gather all the material issued on various truncated British and American versions of Then Play On. The basic running order matches the original British release with the singles tacked as a postscript.

Still, it's the nuts-and-bolts design of the music that makes the album so extraordinary — specifically, the giving way of the blues roots foundation that brought Fleetwood Mac to life in favor of looser, more introspective portraits from Green and Kirwan. It rocks quite handsomely at times (on Green's Rattleshake Snake and on the first part of Oh Well) but often eases into leaner, less defined lyricism that propels the instrumental Under Way and the neo-poppish My Dream which suggest the calmer melodic waters to come in the post-Green years. Even more overt blues pieces such as Like Crying present Green and Kirwan in casual sympatico without a full rhythm section. Such songs sound, blissfully, like rehearsals.

Kirwan plays the role of disciple to Green throughout Then Play On. His Although the Sun is Shining is a beautifully weathered shadow of vintage Brit-pop — a bit of folky romanticism laced with a touch of low-fi psychedelia.

But the farewell Green leaves us with is a stunner, Before the Beginning. Its lyrics are as restless, wispy and forlorn as its superbly crafted guitar melodies, all of which are underscored by a disquieting drum rattle from Mick Fleetwood. It is a spellbinding coda to Fleetwood Mac's most underappreciated triumph.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/09/06/2...#storylink=cpy

[kowk]

Finally got my copy
The sound is great, better than on 1996 CD edition.
This CD is simply a masterpiece !!
Some interesting things in the liner notes:
Mick Fleetwood mentions about Green's influence on Jimi Page and J. Hetfield, K. Hammmet from Metallica.
There is also a comfirmation, that on Oh Well Part Two Sandra Eldson plays recorder.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by kowk

Finally got my copy
The sound is great, better than on 1996 CD edition.
This CD is simply a masterpiece !!
Some interesting things in the liner notes:
Mick Fleetwood mentions about Green's influence on Jimi Page and J. Hetfield, K. Hammmet from Metallica.
There is also a comfirmation, that on Oh Well Part Two Sandra Eldson* plays recorder.

Robert Plant has publicly acknowledged that the Led Zeppelin song "Black Dog" was directly influenced by "Oh Well". (which comes full circle when Jimmy Page played "Oh Well" with the Black Crowes on their live album together, amongst a bunch of LZ covers). I'd even go as far as to name a 2nd song that Jimmy knicked from Peter...on Physical Graffitti there's a middle section of the song "Ten Years Gone" that sounds a little bit too close to "Green Manalishi" to be coincidence.

And, of course, there's the well-known confession of both Lennon & Harrison admitting they pretty much stole "Albatross" for Abbey Road's "Sun King".

I always wondered why Clapton never mentioned Peter Green much in interviews through the years, but lately, he's name-dropped Peter in a few recent interviews. Maybe Eric's finally giving credit where it's due? Maybe he's finally wanting to SHARE the "White English Blues God" label that he's pretty much worn alone for so long.

* = "Sandy Mary"??

Ok, ok, ok...you've all convinced me that I need (not just "want", but "need") to get this new reissue. I was just happy as a clam with my copy of TPO on my iPod, adding the two English Rose tracks & "Green Manalishi" & even stealing a version of "World In Harmony" from either Vaudeville Years or Show Biz Blues (don't remember which); and unceremoniously omitting "When You Say" altogether. {sigh!} Ok, I order mine tomorrow.

[madformac]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Ok, ok, ok...you've all convinced me that I need (not just "want", but "need") to get this new reissue. I was just happy as a clam with my copy of TPO on my iPod, adding the two English Rose tracks & "Green Manalishi" & even stealing a version of "World In Harmony" from either Vaudeville Years or Show Biz Blues (don't remember which); and unceremoniously omitting "When You Say" altogether. {sigh!} Ok, I order mine tomorrow.

Buy it Steve. (OK, my first post on here for 5 or 6 years, it's THAT important a purchase)

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Only World in Harmony (Manalishi's b-side) is evenly remotely obscure.

Yes, so obscure they should have called it "Phyllis" .