Peter Green

It's extremely hard to think of any band that completely pivots lineups and stylistic approaches, and then turns out well—unless of course you're Fleetwood Mac. Formed in the U.K. as a hard-edged British blues combo in the late '60s, the troupe eventually gradually morphed into a polished pop/rock act over the course of a decade, and in the process, became one of the most influential American bands of the '70s. In The Many Faces of Fleetwood Mac, we will go down the rabbit hole to explore the lesser known side of the band and also to review the work of most of its 18 past and current members. To complete our journey, we will enjoy the band live during one of their most popular concerts of their half-a-century career. The stellar artwork and remastered sound, The Many Faces of Fleetwood Mac if the most recent addition to our 40-plus collection and for sure will be an essential part of your pop-rock collection.

This three-disc box set from Sony gathers up the first three long-players from Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac. Released in 1968, Fleetwood Mac (often referred to as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) was a blues-rock juggernaut that stayed on the U.K. charts for nearly 40 weeks, while that same year's Mr. Wonderful beefed up the band's already meaty sound with a full horn section. Appearing in 1969, Pious Bird of Good Omen offered up a collection of B-sides and singles that were recorded between 1967 and 1968.

Of the numerous British blues-rock bands to spring up in the late '60s, the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation was one of the better known, though solid reception on tours did not translate into heavy record sales. Musically, the group recalled John Mayall's Bluesbreakers during the 1966-1967 era that had produced that group's A Hard Road album, though with a somewhat more downbeat tone. The similarities were hardly coincidental, as the band's founder and leader, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, had been in the Bluesbreakers lineup that recorded the A Hard Road LP. Too, bassist Alex Dmochowski would go on to play with Mayall in the 1970s, and guitarist Jon Morshead was friendly with fellow axeman Peter Green (also in the Bluesbreakers' A Hard Road lineup), whom he had replaced in Shotgun Express.

Awesome US pressing, including "Oh Well"
This Peter Green-led edition of the Mac isn't just an important transition between their initial blues-based incarnation and the mega-pop band they became, it's also their most vital, exciting version.