What albums are the very best of Fleetwood Mac

[David]

I know Then Play On gets the biggest share of love from the pre-Welch era (followed perhaps by Dog and Dustbin). But my favorite from that time is English Rose, a mongrel album that just keeps dumping great material on you, even though it doesn't all (and isn't meant to) hang together sonically. Maybe that's its power: it's a shimmery kaleidoscope of slow blues, burning blues, pumping blues, and Moody Blues (Kirwan's Something Inside of Me) that fills your ears with variety and passion. It feels like the soundtrack to a gritty Sixties documentary.

I'd also have to dump my favorite Welch-era album, Penguin, on my top list. Most everyone says they love all of Mystery to Me; well, I love all of Penguin, especially Did You Ever Love Me, which, had it been recorded for the 1975 album, would have been an even bigger hit than Say You Love Me in Fleetwood Mac's catalog.