It's the anger, and the passion that wins out for me.
 

It's the versions with Fleetwood Mac. "A Fool No More" from the Blue Horizon boxset is essential listening. If I remember it's eight takes, with Green getting very frustrated with the false starts. Finally by the eighth take, he's angry yet restrained in his approach to the song. His restrained technique, only to drop the hammer when it gives it's greatest impact is Peter Green. That was his gift. Not only that the way he plays those quasi blues/jazz chords is perfection, not one bum note.

Jimmy Page didn't play the blues like this until Peter Green became a well known musician. Songs such as "Since I've Been Loving You" I think are a direct influence from Peter and FM, with songs such as "Drifting", and "A Fool No More". They may have not been released on an album, but I'm sure Page visited a FM gig or two back then. I read from a third party, so I don't know if it's accurate: Apparently Jimmy Page admitted that when it came to British blues, Peter Green's FM was it.


As for "It Takes Time", it's 1/70 in New Orleans. I'd even choose the Brunning version, but this has some teeth. It gets a little weak towards the end, but again it's Peter's inner fire during this period that set himself apart from the herd.

One thing the blue horizon version highlights for me is the way they recorded too. Its quite plain too see that they basically done live takes with peter playing and singing at the same time! How awesome is that, im sure that never happens now. I love Mcvies bass as well on fool no more outlines the chords and creates the perfect mood really stunning stuff! One of my all time fav tunes.:thumbsup:

Well.....my band just did a three-day recording session for a second CD where the vocalist plays lead guitar as well. No overdubbing.
Have to admit though, there's no record company behind us. We just HAVE to do everything ourselves. Did about 3 to 5 takes for each song and decided that not all songs have been played good enough to make the CD.:shrug:
Snag is, I can not get that Peter Green FM-days touch :mad:

The intro of "Since I've Been Loving You" is definitely a "borrow/steal" from "Love That Burns".

I hope in some circles that still exists, in fact I know it does. There are producers out there who still want a "live" song in the studio so the musicians have to sing, and play at the same time. Actually the more I think about it, it was rare even then for the singer to record live playing his/her instrument, even on four track. Yet the most underrated aspect of Peter was his voice.

Funny how Mick Fleetwood screwed up the majority of the takes, then McVie gets out of the beat on one of them, Peter too. McVie nails it for the final take.

There was an .mp3 interview snippet of Mick Fleetwood vivfox posted recently about Peter Green. He discussed how playing with Peter made him a more focused drummer, becuase Peter expected you to perform. I think the outtakes from the Blue Horizon period prove that point. I love the snippet where Green threatens to "brain" Mick Fleetwood if he screws up the intro, and beat to "Need Your Love So Bad" :laugh: Then there's another "Need..." outtake where Peter says something like "For f**k's sake Mick". priceless

a lost art
 

I have to agree with you all on this. Most bands these days, when they go in to the studio, they layer track after track to achieve whatever sound or mood they are looking for. An example can be taken from a later FM song "The Chain" which was allegedly so many pieces grafted together. In the olden days they had only crude methods of additive recording and as such most recordings were made in one shot. It is a testament to Peter and to that band that they were able to get the results they did. Just plain outstanding musicianship. I know that I would much rather record the song as I would play it. The sense of being in the moment is something that makes music a true joy.

In reference to "The Horizon Box Set" : I just loved hearing the songs develop on each additional take. "oye yea, the blues has got me"

doodyhead

a lost art
 

Mmmm, I remember it was listening to Fleetwood Mac boots that made me a sucker for "free from cheating" live recordings.......

/z

The Million dollar question....
 

Good question, doodyhead. And a lot of great answers to it as well.

To me the emotional colouring makes the difference between the two tracks: "A Fool No More" - The original Fleetwood Mac version - emotionally it is caught between anger, frustration and lust. This guy wants to live! The "In The Skies" version projects pure resignation and most of all total loss. It's heartbreaking. This guy does not want to live. I agree with dino that it resignates more when you know about Greens lifestory. It is "so low energy as to be comatose" - (as Celmins write about PG's performance during the 1983 Kolors tour). Still I love this version so much - just as much as I love the first version for it's energy and zest for life.
I haven't heard A fool No More for quite a while and I am right now. It´s unbelievably beautiful guitarplaying in both cases.....

I don't know about "It Takes Time". I like the version from the Live in Soho CD, better than the Warehouse one ...I think. Like A fool No More there is a lived life between the two versions. And therefore they have different qualities. I have to give the Stockholm version a chance. Haven't heard it with this question of yours in mind, doodyhead.

Now I have heard "In The Skies", which always frustrates me because I get confused about whose playing what....and all that...jazz

Ms Moose