Editorial Review:

Album Description:
Double disc retrospective of their early Columbia years, 1968-1970. 31 tracks, including previously unreleased studiojams & alternate versions of studio cuts from 1968-1970. 15 of the tunes have never been released in any shape or form; all feature the classic line-up of Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, John McVie & Danny Kirwan. Comes packaged in a lavish CD-sized hardback gatefold digipak 'book'. 1998 Receiver Records release. The full title is 'The Vaudeville Years Of Fleetwood Mac - 1968 To 1970'.

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Disc 1:

1. Intro/Lazy Poker Blues - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
2. My Baby's Sweeter - Fleetwood Mac, Dixon, Willie
3. Love That Burns - Fleetwood Mac, Adams, Clifford
4. Talk to Me Baby - Fleetwood Mac, James, Elmore
5. Every Day I Have the Blues, Pt. 1 - Fleetwood Mac, Chatman, Peter
6. Jeremy's Contribution to Doo Wop - Fleetwood Mac, Spencer, Jeremy
7. Every Day I Have the Blues, Pt. 2 - Fleetwood Mac, Chatman, Peter
8. Death Bells - Fleetwood Mac, Hopkins, Lightnin'
9. (Watch Out for Yourself) Mr. Jones - Fleetwood Mac, Spencer, Jeremy
10. Man of Action - Fleetwood Mac, Spencer, Jeremy
11. Do You Give a Damn for Me - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
12. Man of the World - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
13. Like It This Way - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny
14. Blues in B Flat Minor - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
15. Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight - Fleetwood Mac, Spencer, Jeremy
16. Although the Sun Is Shining - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny
17. Showbiz Blues - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]

Disc 2:

1. Underway - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
2. The Madge Sessions, No. 1 - Fleetwood Mac, McVie, Christine
3. The Madge Sessions, No. 2 - Fleetwood Mac, McVie, Christine
4. (That's What) I Want to Know - Fleetwood Mac, Spencer, Jeremy
5. Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
6. Love It Seems - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny
7. Mighty Cold - Fleetwood Mac, Pomus, Doc
8. Fast Talking Woman Blues - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
9. Tell Me from the Start - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny
10. October Jam, Pt. 1 - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
11. October Jam, Pt. 2 - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny
12. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) - Fleetwood Mac, Green, Peter [1]
13. World in Harmony - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny
14. Farewell - Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan, Danny

Rating: - Fleetwood Mac's 'Let It Be'
On 'The Vaudeville Years of Fleetwood Mac 1968 - 1970', Peter Green, Danny Kirwin, Jeremy Spencer, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie present some compelling parallels With The Beatles. In the late 1960's, for example, both band's were going through the throes of tumultuous change. While Fleetwood Mac would survive, their metamorphosis would be every bit as dramatic musically as the caterpillar's evolution into a butterfly is anatomically. And while Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac was generally thought of as a blues-rock combo, their diversity was, in actuality, every bit as multi-faceted as was the diversity in The Beatles, as these two discs of studio-outtakes, alternate versions, and live tracks vividly demonstrates.

Disc one is, in my opinion, the weaker of the duo, but that is primarily due to my interest in Fleetwood Mac as a contemporary, electric blues-rock band with flairs of psychedelia. Disc one opens, on the other hand, with five traditional electric blues pieces, two slow-tempo numbers (#2 & 3), two hard rocking selections (#1 & 4), and a mid-tempo closer. While each composition is worthy of inclusion, the recording quality leaves much to be desired. The fidelity on each track is limited, and there are occasional fade outs and crackling which leaves you with a circa 1940 musical experience. The opening tracks are followed by Jeremy Spencer's five track parody which Fleetwood Mac considered offering as an EP to accompany 1969's 'Then Play On', but the liner notes say their record company thought it was "wank". For the most part, it is. Spencer presents himself as the fictitious Milton Schlitz, hosting a radio show that mimics Doo-wop, black and piano blues clubs, and mainstream psychedelic rock. Only track nine, featuring Spencer and Mac as the Orange Electric Squitters, works.

The remainder of disc one, and the whole of disc two, make this release a treasure of buried 1960's rock masterpieces. The alternate versions of well-known Fleetwood Mac tracks, such as 'Man of the World', 'World In Harmony', 'The Green Manalishi', and the live version of 'Oh Well', are all worthy renditions. Jeremy Spencer offers up two catchy throwback selections, 'Someone's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight' on disc one (with Spencer sounding like a 1950's version of Bruce Springsteen'), and a version of 'Mighty Cold' on disc two. Danny Kirwin offers firy blues rock on disc one with 'Like It This Way', and a beautiful acoustic version of 'Although the Sun Is Shining'. On disc two Kirwin presents another shining acoustic moment with 'Love It Seems', and his own throwback tracks, '(That's What) I Want To Know' and 'Tell Me From the Start', featuring Kirwin as teeny-bopper whiz-kid.

Add to these quality moments the most daunting of Fleetwood Mac endeavors from the late-1960's, the glorious composing and performance skills of Peter Green. He offers Rolling Stones style slide blues on 'Do You Give a Damn For Me' and 'Show-biz Blues', and an excruciatingly slow blues track on disc two, 'Fast Talking Woman Blues' (an oxymoronic title given both its tempo and its lack of lyrics). But Green really shines on several instrumental jams featured on disc two. The opener is a 16+ minute Green instrumental composition, but not your typical Fleetwood Mac jam, being much more laid-back and psychedelic in tone. 'The Madge Sessions - 1' follows, a 17+ minute workout replete with up-tempo, inspired guitar duels between Green, Spencer, and Kirwin, and a wealth of catchy hooks. Tracks ten and eleven on disc two rock steady also, with 'October Jam - 2' being more anthemic than anything else in the set. Together, the 'October Jam's total about seven minutes.

The book-like digi-pac features lengthy liner notes, numerous band photographs and media clippings, and information on the tracks offered, although the running times are not listed anywhere, and no lyrics are offered. Nevertheless, it's an impressive collection of rarities from the band's first peak. If you're not familiar with early Fleetwood Mac, you could get a fine overview of the band with this purchase, but the lifelong Fleetwood Mac aficinado could similarly find much of interest, and collectibility here. The only danger might be getting more than you want, but that's the kind of problem we need more of when it comes to CD's.

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Rating: - most of the tracks should have stayed unissued!!!
I read other reviews and bought this on their recommendation as we are Peter Greene fans. Although a few were good I am not sure the price is worth skipping the rest. Spencer never was funny and these cds prove it again. As my old man says there is a good reason the studios never issued the unissued songs that are coming out today.

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Rating: - wonderful coda of the Peter Green years
Receiver Records (UK) has done Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac fans an immeasurable favor by compiling on two discs demos, unreleased versions, and unreleased songs from the final days of the Fleetwood Mac Phase I, the Peter Green years. This set is loaded with standout tracks from beginning to end. Among the most memorable are an unissued version of "The Green Manalishi" (the final Peter Green era single, a haunting tale of his inner demons), an unissued version of "Man of the World," (the first post-Blue Horizon single, and the only Fleetwood Mac release on Immediate Records), and an unfortunately short alternate version of "Oh Well," (the standout track from "Then Play On"). There are several previously unissued instrumentals which allow the band to show its playing prowess, and a 16 minute version of "Underway" which has nary a dull moment. The 52-page booklet is full of info and photos. This compilation displays the awesome talent of the band and how far Peter Green had come in his composing skills. It also, however, brings sad thoughts of how he suffered, and gives pause for thought as to how much more beautiful blues the band was capable of. This is quite possibly the best Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac release ever and is a must for any fan of British blues, Peter Green, or Fleetwood Mac. Clocking in at more than 140 minutes one would be hard pressed to find any shortcoming in this set.

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Rating: - Postscript to Then Play On
After sitting in the vaults for some 30 odd years, the studio outakes that led to the U,S. ground breaking lp, Fleetwood Mac's Then Play On, have finally made it to fans ears. The 2 CD box set is full of the energy that made the U.S. lp. It's worth it, by the way, just for four songs: Oh Well (alternate version), 13 takes to perfect Show Biz Blues, a Mississppi Delta/Texas songster parody by Jeremy Spencer called Death Bells, and a full mix of Madge. For those of you who revere Peter Green as having been Fleetwood Mac's best guitarist, please treat yourself to this 'Mr.Wonderfully' packaged set. My only regret is that I missed them at this time period when they headlined Newark, NJ Symphony Hall with added guests Savoy Brown and Chicken Shack. Christine Perfect McVie would soon replace the departing Peter Green in the 'Big Mac'. Christine was in the Chicken Shack lineup at the time. As a sidenote, you can view this Fleetwood Mac lineup on VHS video from 1969 and catch Peter Green in the Green Manalishi song from Playboy After Dark.

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Rating: - "Then Play On," Deconstructed
In 1969 Fleetwood Mac was in top form, with the five members at the peak of their powers and full of innovative ideas and gorgeous tunes. This line-up produced one of the world's best albums, "Then Play On" -- and then unfortunately the band began to come apart at the seams. Too much talent, too strong of personalities, too much fame too soon, the strain of repeating earlier successes; it's a story often repeated in the music world. But for that year, this band was definitely 'it.'

"Then Play On" included several edited jams, hinting at more material left on the cutting room floor. It's taken 30 years, but here at last are those full-length, unedited (16:12 and 17:14) pieces of British blues history. For someone who has worn out three copies of TPO it's a series of relevations hearing the full versions.

One revelation is realizing just how good a drummer Mick Fleetwood was. You can hear him leading the band through their collective improvisations by constantly changing the tempo, mood, dynamics and timbre, while still managing to remain rock-solid. Never bombastic (like many drummers of the day), he even knew when to lay out, when Green, Spencer and Kirwan began laying down the lullabies of angels. This is true leadership, true genius.

I guess there's other material on this set too -- wonderful stuff it is too -- but for me, that half hour from TPO is worth any price of admission.