Favorite pre-B/N songs of B/N-era fans

[KenB]

A question aimed at fans of the "big 5" era of Fleetwood Mac: I'm curious to know which, if any, Green/Spencer/Kirwan/Welch-era songs you'd put on par with your very favorite Rumours-lineup tracks. I'm personally a fan of all eras equally, but I wonder which early songs hold the most appeal for later fans.

For me, I'd put "Need Your Love So Bad," "One Together," "Heroes Are Hard to Find," "Did You Ever Love Me," and (especially) "Why" on the same level as my most-loved "big 5" songs.

[BombaySapphire3]

I like the Bare Trees album so Sentimental Lady, Spare Me a Little and Dust also Christine's songs from Penguin the rest of the album not so much.

[elle]

Peter Green era songs. Albatross, Black Magic Woman, Oh Well are timeless classics the likes of which Rumours 5 era, even less any other FM era, or really most other bands never produced.

i love LB, but imo that is just a fact.

[BombaySapphire3]

Peter Green era songs. Albatross, Black Magic Woman, Oh Well are timeless classics the likes of which Rumours 5 era, even less any other FM era, or really most other bands never produced.

i love LB, but imo that is just a fact.

I would add Man of The World to that list ..forgot to mention that one in my earlier post.

[FuzzyPlum]

Man of The World, I Loved Another Woman, Only You, Jewel Eyed Judy, Sunny Side of Heaven, Trinity, Sentimental Lady, Come a Little Bit Closer, Why + lots of others

[aleuzzi]

So much to love! I'm a Mac fan of any era.

Here are my favs:

Rolling Man
Before the Beginning
Dragonfly
Station Man
Buddy's Song
Crazy 'Bout You Baby (live in studio, 1970)
Future Games
Dust
Child of Mine
Trinity
Remember Me
Why
Miles Away
Bad Loser
Believe Me (1974 soundboard)
Spare Me a Little (1974 live versions)

[Macfan4life]

Good thread but HARD

Why - probably the best Mac song ever
Come a little bit closer - so sentimental - moves me still today. Great keyboard playing to. I wish there was a remake early on with Buckingham/Nicks for harmonies
Prove your love - Very bluesy but Chris writing really exploding on Heroes Chris's keyboard solo SO VINTAGE CHRISTINE MCVIE
Green Manalishi - love the original but love the Live Bob Welch version even more
Sentimental Lady

[24karatstevie]

Pretty much the entire Mystery to Me album, but especially WHY which is an absolute masterpiece! I also love Hypnotized, Emerald Eyes, and Believe Me. From Heroes are Hard to Find I love Come a Little Bit Closer and Prove Your Love. I haven't really listened to much other early Mac but I like Station Man, Oh Well, and Black Magic Woman.

[TrueFaith77]

Woman of a 1000 Years may be the greatest Mac song of all time

[jbrownsjr]

Woman of a 1000 Years may be the greatest Mac song of all time

It's so beautiful

[HomerMcvie]

Pretty much the entire Mystery to Me album, but especially WHY which is an absolute masterpiece! I also love Hypnotized, Emerald Eyes, and Believe Me.
I listened to the whole thing last night. It's better than Rumours.

[Roxy]

Bare Trees, Keep On Going, Earl Grey, Morning Rain, Emerald Eyes, Jewel Eyed Judy, Child Of Mine, Woman Of 1000 Years, Lay It All Down, Heroes Are Hard To Find and Angel are definitely up there.

[24karatstevie]

I listened to the whole thing last night. It's better than Rumours.
I personally wouldn't rank it above Rumours, but it definitely is a fantastic album that deserves much more recognition!

[sue]

Albatross ...it means a lot to me, although it was released late 1968 as a single,
it was played thro the summer of '69.....when I lived at the coast, and met my husband ...(to be)
So nearly 50 years later and still going strong, it plays on my heart strings....
Blub, blub....

[ryan4136]

So everybody and their brother thinks "why" is a masterpiece.....how does this not continue to be a concert staple. :shrug:

[wondergirl9847]

I'm a huge Danny Kirwan fan. I've always felt Stevie and Lindsey echoed him in their mystical lyrics and amazing guitar. He's a two-fer!

Some Danny faves:

Woman of a 1000 Years
Child of Mine
Bare Trees
Coming Your Way
Like Crying
Sunny Side of Heaven
Dust
Dragonfly
Although the Sun is Shining
Tell Me All the Things You Do

Peter faves:

Albatross​
Oh Well
Green Manalishi
Before the Beginning

Christine faves:

Why
Show Me a Smile
Did You Ever Love Me
Just Crazy Love
Keep On Going

Bob Welch faves:

Future Games
Sentimental Lady
Emerald Eyes
Hypnotized

I haven't listened to Heroes, early blues and Jeremy Spencer songs enough to make a list of those. I need to sometime soon though.

[HomerMcvie]

So everybody and their brother thinks "why" is a masterpiece.....how does this not continue to be a concert staple. :shrug:

If it had been on Rumours, they'd be playing it to this day!:mad:

[lennonfan]

some songs are better left underexposed rather than overexposed, to be honest I can hardly play Rumours anymore and I have it in surround, on double 45 rpm 12 inch, german target cd (1st cd I ever bought in '83)

but Why....I love it so much I don't want it ruined by hearing it everywhere I go.

[sue]

some songs are better left underexposed rather than overexposed, to be honest I can hardly play Rumours anymore and I have it in surround, on double 45 rpm 12 inch, german target cd (1st cd I ever bought in '83)

but Why....I love it so much I don't want it ruined by hearing it everywhere I go.

That's a bit like me and Madame Bovary.....I've read it and read it over and over.........BUT I wished I'd never read it and still had that wonderful moment to come.

[FuzzyPlum]

Man of The World, I Loved Another Woman, Only You, Jewel Eyed Judy, Sunny Side of Heaven, Trinity, Sentimental Lady, Come a Little Bit Closer, Why + lots of others


Some other notable songs nobody else seems to have mentioned yet- The Purple Dancer, Show Me a Smile, Rattlesnake Shake (jam), Silver Heels

[Mr Scarrott]

Oh my, an embarrassment of riches to choose my favourites from (full disclosure - I'm an omni-era fan, so I shouldn't really be answering).. so I've whittled it down to 33....

Long Grey Mare
Hellhound on my trail
I loved another woman*
Black Magic Woman
Lazy Poker Blues
Love that burns*
Need your love so bad
Man of the World**
Albatross
Closing my eyes*
Although the sun is shining*
Oh Well
Without you
Green Manalishi*
World in Harmony
Mission Bell
One Together
Dragonfly
The Purple Dancer
Show me a smile*
Woman of a Thousand Years*
Trinity
Dust
Sentimental Lady
Spare me a little of your love
Did you ever love me
Caught in the rain
Remember me
Hypnotised*
The Way I feel
Why*
Coming Home
Safe Harbour

* my top ten pre B/N tracks
** my favourite FM track of all time

[ryan4136]

If it had been on Rumours, they'd be playing it to this day!:mad:

Could probably argue that Songbird killed Why.

[HomerMcvie]

Could probably argue that Songbird killed Why.

I agree. ...

[Mr Scarrott]

Just reflecting on my previous post. Nine studio albums in just over seven years. Then eight and one EP in forty three. Sigh and Ouch..

[lennonfan]

Just reflecting on my previous post. Nine studio albums in just over seven years. Then eight and one EP in forty three. Sigh and Ouch..

hmm...wonder who we could blame for that:)

[lennonfan]

Oh my, an embarrassment of riches to choose my favourites from (full disclosure - I'm an omni-era fan, so I shouldn't really be answering).. so I've whittled it down to 33....

Long Grey Mare
Hellhound on my trail
I loved another woman*
Black Magic Woman
Lazy Poker Blues
Love that burns*
Need your love so bad
Man of the World**
Albatross
Closing my eyes*
Although the sun is shining*
Oh Well
Without you
Green Manalishi*
World in Harmony
Dragonfly
Mission Bell
One Together
The Purple Dancer
Show me a smile*
Woman of a Thousand Years*
Trinity
Dust
Sentimental Lady
Spare me a little of your love
Did you ever love me
Caught in the rain
Remember me
Hypnotised*
The Way I feel
Why*
Coming Home
Safe Harbour

* my top ten pre B/N tracks
** my favourite FM track of all time

what? no Bare Trees or Future Games? (the songs not the albums) but then again...the albums are awesome!

[Macfan4life]

Could probably argue that Songbird killed Why.
I disagree. While Why could have fit on Rumours (its another break up song), Songbird is the perfect positive closer. In some ways Songbird is the opposite to Why. I like Why better but Songbird is the perfect closer to Rumours.

[Mr Scarrott]

what? no Bare Trees or Future Games? (the songs not the albums) but then again...the albums are awesome!

Future Games was a tough one not to include. It took me a long time for me to appreciate it and part of me still thinks it needs a trim. The other two tacks I chose from the album just seem a bit more ethereal to me.

I just find Bare Trees a little too disjointed to join my favourites (if I'm allowed 33 of them). Don't get me wrong, there are very few pre B/N tracks I can't abide. Maybe I was also trying to limit myself to a maximum of three songs per album ( Then Play On is a special case as Oh Well wasn't on the original pressing). Illogical, maybe, but I'm not going to worry about it.

[FuzzyPlum]

Don't get me wrong, there are very few pre B/N tracks I can't abide.


The Peter Green era was so prolific for such a short period. Some great stuff but a bit of dross too. The whole Bob Welch era though really has very few true duds.

[KenB]

I've loved seeing the responses in this thread. Happy to know I'm not the only who considers "Why" an all-time masterpiece.

I'm also happy to see a number of tracks from the underrated "Heroes Are Hard to Find" in people's lists. Besides the fantastic title track, I like "Silver Heels," "Prove Your Love," "Bad Loser," and one I haven't seen anyone mention: "She's Changing Me." That one's a true obscurity if ever there was one.

[Mr Scarrott]

The Peter Green era was so prolific for such a short period. Some great stuff but a bit of dross too. The whole Bob Welch era though really has very few true duds.

Some of Jeremy's numbers on Mr Wonderful bring down that album, but I can't find much fault with Peter's tracks on it.

Somebody (way too long and repetitive, the one real blot on MTM for me), What a Shame and (I'm a) Roadrunner spring to my mind from the BW era.

[FuzzyPlum]

Some of Jeremy's numbers on Mr Wonderful bring down that album, but I can't find much fault with Peter's tracks on it.

Somebody (way too long and repetitive, the one real blot on MTM for me), What a Shame and (I'm a) Roadrunner spring to my mind from the BW era.

In the main I'd agree with you. I'm also not a huge fan of some of the stuff on Kiln House, though I know some people love that album.
As for the two songs you mention- I don't mind Roadrunner and What a shame is pretty harmless.
I can do without Safe Harbour and Danny's Chant.

[Mr Scarrott]

I can do without Safe Harbour and Danny's Chant.

Safe Harbour reminds me of Peter Green, and Albatross which may be why I like it so much. It's a perfect raise-a-glass-as-the-sun-goes down valediction to the album and an unknowing goodbye to the band from Mr Welch.

"Just to find a safe harbour, and to talk with a friend" he seems to sing at the end. A fitting thought to close with.

[SteveMacD]

In the main I'd agree with you. I'm also not a huge fan of some of the stuff on Kiln House, though I know some people love that album.
As for the two songs you mention- I don't mind Roadrunner and What a shame is pretty harmless.
I can do without Safe Harbour and Danny's Chant.

I would have put the intro to Danny's Chat in front of Bare Trees and put Trinity on the album.

[aleuzzi]

In the main I'd agree with you. I'm also not a huge fan of some of the stuff on Kiln House, though I know some people love that album.
As for the two songs you mention- I don't mind Roadrunner and What a shame is pretty harmless.
I can do without Safe Harbour and Danny's Chant.

Of all of the songs you mention, Danny's Chant is the strongest, imo. It may not be nearly as strong as the strongest songs on Bare Trees, but it does manage to innovate even within its tightly-constrained form. I would definitely have chosen Trinity over Danny's Chant, but the latter is still pretty darn good. Danny went out with a bang.

[jbrownsjr]

Could probably argue that Songbird killed Why.

yes! good point