I wanna get into Pre-Rumours
 

Hey guys, I've never been a pre-rumours fan except for a few songs.
Wondering if you guys could help change that?

Well what is your wish? To discover the blues of Mr Green & Mr Spencer? Maybe the sensitive songs of Mr Kirwan? Perhaps the mystical magic of Mr Welch? Perhaps the talent of Ms Perfect McVie before she sold out to sugar-coated commercialism?

(Of course never shall I let a thread such as this go past without mentioning the great raw rock voice of Mr Walker) :lol:

I'm up for anything, all of that sounds good haha

Well despite those who will say that you should start at the beginning, I'm fairly convinced that it will scare the hell out of you if you start with Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

Although, having said that, if you get into PG's FM then there are countless places to go with that, with such releases as Live at the BBC, Showbiz Blues, Vaudeville Years, Live in Boston and Shrine 69 as well as the studio albums.

Personally I would either go backwards from Heroes Are Hard to Find (not a popular option with other Ledgies it would seem from previous discussions on the topic) or skip the first couple of albums and start at Then Play On and work forward from there.

I think the first two albums (three or four if you count English Rose and Pious Bird of Good Omen) are the furthest away from the Fleetwood Mac that you know post-Rumours.

If you're starting out looking back to the 1967-1974, pre-Rumours years I would start here. A great compilation. Not all encompassing but a very good starting point. Plus its cheap to buy:

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1. Albatross
2. Black Magic Woman
3. Need Your Love So Bad
4. My Heart Beat Like A Hammer
5. Rollin' Man
6. Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)
7. Man Of The World
8. Something Inside Me
9. Looking For Somebody
10. Oh Well
11. Rattlesnake Shake
12. Merry Go Round
13. I Loved Another Woman
14. Need Your Love Tonight
15. Worried Dream
16. Dragon Fly
17. Stop Messin' Around
18. Shake Your Moneymaker
19. I Would Rather Go Blind
20. Albatross

If you like what you hear you can then check out the various albums and compilations from the 1967-1970 Peter Green era.

Beyond that you're into Bob Welch world and for me the best album is this one. 'Future Games' from 1971. The 'Rumours' of the middle period Mac (although not all would agree with that verdict):

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1. Woman Of 1000 Years
2. Morning Rain
3. What A Shame
4. Future Games
5. Sands Of Time
6. Sometimes
7. Lay It All Down
8. Show Me A Smile

I haven't really heard much from the years when Christine was a Perfect rather than a McVie.
But I got "Christine Perfect : The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions" the other day and I've got to say that I am really impressed with it! And I would definitely recommend it :thumbsup:

It's easy for those of us who love the pre-Rumours versions of the band to respond to a request like this, "Just get everything!" But this might be more than what the original poster is seeking. I like the suggestion of the 'Best of PG's FM' as a starter for the earliest time period.

But then you have the six records from 'Kiln House' to 'Heroes Are Hard to Find' (the "Post-PG, pre-B/N era"). Too bad there isn't a compilation representing these six albums. If there were a 20-track comp of songs, like the 'Best of PG' comp, think of how useful that would be. It could be called 'Fleetwood Mac ... Highlights from the Forgotten Years' or something like that.

Everyone who reads this board could probably come up with a suggested track list for a 20 song comp from these six records ... but I'll bet there would be a LOT of variation from one list to another. Anybody want to take a crack at it?

In no particular order (sorry but I'm kind of doing this off the top of my head)

Silver Heels
Angel
Hypnotized
Bermuda Triangle
The Derelict
Blood On the Floor
Dragonfly (I know its not an album track)
Purple Dancer (yeah another non-album one I know)
Lay It All Down
Emerald Eyes
Miles Away
Why
Dissatisfied
Did You Ever Love Me
Heroes Are Hard To Find
Bad Loser
Believe Me
Sunny Side of Heaven
Earl Grey
One Together

A nice "best of Fleetwood Mac 1970-1974" would be good. Definitely. Will have to work on the tracklisting though. Hmmmmm???

Ok, going semi-chronologically, starting with Kiln House...here's my suggested track list: (Sorry...can't seem to cut it to less than 25 tracks)

Note: "Dragonfly" is on that Best Of... that Almost Simon suggested; and not included here.

This Is The Rock
Station Man
Purple Dancer
Buddy's Song
Tell Me All The Things You Do
Woman Of 1000 Years
Morning Rain
Future Games
Show Me A Smile
Child Of Mine
Sentimental Lady
Spare Me A Little Of Your Love
Sunny Side Of Heaven
Dust
Dissatisfied
Revelation
The Derelict
Believe Me
Hypnotized
Miles Away
Why
Heroes Are Hard To Find
Angel
Bermuda Triangle
Come A Little Bit Closer

I have 3 pre-Rumours-era CDs - Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Then Play On, and Bare Trees. TPO was the first one I bought. I was a blues fan from way before I got into FM, so the Peter Green stuff didn't come as a shock to me or anything - I dunno how into the blues you are, tho. If you really like it, I'd probably start with PG's Fleetwood Mac.

I recently re-listened to TPO and Bare Trees for the first time in a couple of years. I'd convinced myself that I hated Bob Welch and the Bare Trees album, but actually it's not half bad. I also liked TPO better than I remembered, but I still don't think it's a masterpiece - as a rule, I don't enjoy blues-rock jam pieces, and it has way too many of them (Searching for Madge & Fighting for Madge, specifically).

Anyway, my vote is for Bare Trees or PG's FM for an initiation. I'm thinking I'll pick up Future Games, Kiln House, and English Rose when I have some additional fundage.

My recommendation, as someone who loved the Rumours era first and still loves them most, would be to either a) start from the beginning (which is what I did) or b) start where I kept returning: Future Games and Bare Trees -- and then move on from there (going backward to hear more Kirwan, only to discover and appreciate Green/Spencer, and forward to hear more Christine/Welch).



And then get Flee by the Jeremy Spencer Band... like RIGHT NOW.

{in an electronically altered deep bass voice...similar to Mick's "I know what it's like" from the intro of "In The Back Of My Mind"}

OHHHHH, YEAHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh!!


:thumbsup: :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Does pre-rumours sound like anything from the mainstream FM?

The early band (1967-1971) sounds nothing like the Rumours-era FM. Once Bob Welch joined in '71 (and Christine surfaced as a full member), it started to go in a more soft rock/singer-songwriter direction, but it was still pretty dissimilar to the Buckingham/Nicks band.

I'd say that the Peter Green, Bob Welch, and Buckingham/Nicks incarnations of FM are three different bands, for all intents and purposes.

What Markolas said - plus, if you like Christine, her songs on "Heroes are Hard to Find" are pretty similar to the kind of thing she was doing later, likewise some of her songs on "Mystery to Me" and "Penguin". The non-Christine stuff is not really much like the Buckingham-Nicks band - just as good, IMO, but different. The Green-era albums from the '60s are about as far removed from the Buckingham-Nicks band as you could get.

I think there are two distinct Fleetwood Macs -- (first) a blues band, and (second) a pop/rock band with blues influences. In my opinion, 'Then Play On' is the tipping point record, the moment in the history of the band when they started to move toward the second distinct Fleetwood Mac. And I believe it was Danny Kirwan's influence that moved them in that direction.

Even this is an oversimplification, since there is so much variety within the second distinct Fleetwood Mac, but if you like the hugely successful mid-70s and onward FM, I think you'd be safe to start with 'Then Play On' and work your way forward in time.

As for my version of the 20 song 1970-74 comp, two things are for certain. I would omit "The Derelict" (Dave Walker's presence in the band was such a footnote, I wouldn't spend a precious track on him) and I would include "Homeward Bound." I think that song is Christine's best rocker of all time.

*beats you over the head with a copy of Penguin*

I expected that! LOL

Simultaneously as I "go for the knees" with a copy of Savoy Brown's Street Corner Talking

What do you think the best pre-rumours album is?

Big question..............hmmmmmmmmm???

Impossible.

I love the Peter Green era but find it hard to highlight one album, they're all good. The debut album maybe.

But beyond the Peter Green era I would have to pick Future Games. It sounds so different, so American, L.A. Not just the Bob Welch influence, also Danny's 'Woman of 1000 Years.' For me thats the most complete album.

Another great Dave Walker classic :)

Heroes Are Hard To Find - perhaps the best FM album of all...

"Best"? Can't answer that. But my favorite? That would be 'Mystery To Me.'

Seriously??? :shrug:

Yeah I know Mystery To Me and Penguin were pretty good but I have to go with Heroes :lol:

Seriously though, I have to think Heroes is perhaps the greatest FM album ever. There are other albums with great songs but none compare to Heroes, certainly not in the pre-rumours era...

Lets say Behind The Mask as a close second (wrong era though) :shocked:

Green era - First album and Then Play On
Kirwan/Welch era: Bare Trees.

Bare Trees has all these fantastic Danny songs, and Christine's and Bob's contributions are solid too. Future Games is great also, but a little too mellow. I find "Heroes" to be the weakest pre-75 album, perhaps tied with "Penguin".

Yep, Then Play On is the pinnacle of the Green-era.

I'd have to say "Mystery To Me" is the crowning point of the Welch era. Yeah, Heroes Are Hard To Find is good, but, FOR ME, the overall vibe of "desperation" made the songs seem a bit forced (and I didn't care for the album's running order), whereas Mystery To Me actually has sort of a more lighthearted feel to it...and it flowed nicely from beginning to end.

Despite my PREFERENCE for the Green-era, I think Mystery To Me is Fleetwood Mac's best album of all time (yes, better than Rumours, better than Tusk)

Future Games casts a spell like few albums -- Mac or otherwise.

best FM of all time
 

no one mentions Kiln House
best issued pre rumors album/ i would include those recorded during that time even if issued afterwards

how about: live album shrine 69 or live in boston

studio actual release:

peter greens Fleetwood Mac for raw energy and immediacy

mr wonderful f"or the some of the best individual songs of peter green "Love that burns" "rolling man', stop messing round" "lazy poker blues" plus several Spencer/James classics
in the USA most know pre rumors FM by Then Play On (two versions)

but the forgotten classic is "Kiln House"
I say this because they were still a british band at their core then

after that they are california bound

See, I knew I liked you :)

:D :thumbsup:

I'm not always the "House Grump" here on the Ledge! ;)

Hello All-- I agree with the overall sentiments expressed. It's hard to choose between "Bare Trees", "Mystery to Me", and "Future Games". All are very good, with great songs to reccommend them. You win every way, imho. Best always, Madelow.

Bare Trees and MTM for sure. You can't go wrong with Mrs. Scarrott.

I'd recommend the following pre-Rumours albums to get:

1. Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac

2. Kiln House

3. Bare Trees

4. Mystery to Me

Each one of these will allow you to sample the sounds of Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch.