An Alternative Fleetwood Mac

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by slipkid

For some reason I can't wrap my head around being bigger than Zeppelin, they were pretty big. I certainly could see them on equal footing. If Peter could've lived in the limelight just five to ten more years, he would've been the household name the other guitarists of his generation have become.

Fleetwood Mac was outselling both Beatles & Stones COMBINED in the UK, they were just making their mark in the "hip" US circuit (the East & West Fillmores, The Wherehouse in N.O., etc), opening for both the GD & ABB. Peter was jamming with Duane & Jerry through those times, as well (as you mention below). Zeppelin was pretty much at the same "fame level" as Fleetwood Mac in '70 (they might've had a head start on the US market, granted, but not by much)...they didn't really go ballistic until the Beatles broke up and Peter Green left Fleetwood Mac...their 4th album, released in late '71 took them to that pinnacle. Had Peter stuck around, FMac would've most likely been the "king of the hill" keeping Zep off that (misty) mountain top.

Originally Posted by slipkid

As for the jam bands, I'm not saying they would've been better than the Allmans, just different. Today you have two jam band schools: The Grateful Dead, and the Allman Brothers Band. Had FM continued as it was in early 1970, I think you would've had three schools because they brought a British influence to their sound. Too many new jam bands sound the same. Another father of the genre would've created more ideas. If those bad sound recordings from 2-3/1971 are any proof, Peter Green was on another planet in the jam world. They could've been special.

Sure, there's the live "Rattlesnake Shakes" & "Green Manalishis" that go on forever with Peter stretching them out....but contrary to bands like the GD & ABB, Mick & John stuck to a groove and didn't vary from that unless Peter forced the issue...listen to Barry, Butch & Jaimoe (ABB) and Phil, Bill & Mickey (GD)...they're out there forging their own territory while Jerry, or Duane & Dickey are off doing their thing floating on the rhythm section's foundation..sometimes the rhythm section even set up the signposts for Jerry or Duane to follow. For Peter, he had the band on his back doing all the heavy lifting...Danny was an occasional "rest stop", but even as great as Mick & John are together, Peter still needed more from the rhythm section. Unless things would've changed drastically, I don't really think Fleetwood Mac ever would've attained "Jam band" status on a GD/ABB level, even had Peter stayed. If you want the "British Jam Band" school...think CREAM. They were basically the first "jam band" of major status.

Let's not forget LA's own jam band king, LITTLE FEAT. They're really the "third school" in today's jam band circles.

Originally Posted by slipkid

That aside, I love the Allman Brothers Band. It's great Youtube has some Duane era performances online. There's a "Dreams" from 9/70 that is just stellar. I also like the current lineup with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks on guitar, easily the best tandem since Duane was alive. The Live at the Beacon DVD is a must own.

I wouldn't say "easily"...those early 90's days with Dickey Betts & Warren Haynes were pretty damned special. Warren was definitely channeling Duane during his first stretch with the band (89-97) his tone and attack changed quite a bit by the time he came back in '99 after his full time stint in Gov't Mule. And, those two years with Dickey Betts & Jack Pearson (97-99) were really awesome, as well...you gotta check out Jack's work (nothing "official" ever released, just a bunch of high quality live bootleg stuff.) Butch Trucks was even quoted as saying, "Had Duane lived, he'd be Jack Pearson"... strong words! There are some performances of "Dreams I'll Never See" & "Liz Reed" with Jack Pearson that some have said are the best versions ever performed. To each their own..."Dreams' was definitely Duane's slide statement and set the bar pretty damned high. (I'm not fully on the Derek Trucks bandwagon yet...yes, he's a great slide player even at his young age, but, there's still some fine tuning he lacks to my ear...he's ahead of the curve, maturity wise, but still gets a tad "out of control" at times.)