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Polar bear with carrot

Monday, March 20, 2017

Jewel Eyed Judy



I have been listening to a lot of early Fleetwood Mac lately. They could be so good. A band that has seen its share of bad luck. They talk about Badfinger winning the all time rock tragedy prize but Fleetwood Mac had more than its fair share of tsoris.

Danny Kirwan
Peter Green flipped out on acid, Spencer joined the Children of God cult, Danny Kirwan, who is singing here, breaks down and becomes an alcoholic, Bob Welch commits suicide.

I was never a huge Buckingham/Nicks fan so I won't even go into that incarnation but the early stuff was great. There were other guitarists that had a cup of coffee with the band, including Dave Mason, Rick Vito, Bob Weston and Billy Burnette. They didn't make much of a dent.

Peter Green is an amazingly lyrical player who deserves all the accolades he gets but I myself am inexorably drawn to the underrated Kirwan and Welch. The band had such a lovely sound during their tenure.

Bob wrote this fabulous song for his solo album before FM did their version.

7 comments:

Blumoon said...

I was just listening to fm/buckingham. Part of the soundtrack of my 2nd cross country trip in in 1976.

Victoria Roberts Art Assemblage said...

I agree with you about the early Fleetwood Mac. They could be really amazing. When Buck/Nicks joined they had moments, and I do like Christine McVee but for all intents and purposes they became a pop band with some better than average musicians behind them.

Anonymous said...

Fleetwood Mac begins and ends with Lindsey Buckingham.

Knowing that he cannot read or write music is amazing, but someone else who shared the same distinction said at the time of their induction into a certain songwriters Hall
of Fame that the award should be given to someone who could actually put it all down
on paper. They were...........the Beatles.

Emergefit said...

Green's Mac was my favorite. Welch, ok. Buckingham.... oy.

Blue Heron said...

I totally agree. I love Christine too, all the way back to the Stan Webb days. A regal voice.

Blue Heron said...

We saw them at the Forum last year, Roy. Totally pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Saw them at the Shrine Aud. in LA a couple of times in late sixties. Peter Green was a great blues guitarist, but I agree with you that Danny Kirwan was a special guitarist and not just a back-up to Green.

Right up there with Clapton's Abbey Road licks, Kirwan's solo's on Station Man and Jewel Eyed Judy are incredible. Amazing that the music critics did not catch on and appreciate Kirwan's unique Les Paul sustain style.

Welch was also an incredible guitarist, especially on Bare Trees. Jeremy Spencer was one of the first English rockers to play the blues with an electric rock n' roll slide guitar sound.