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List Price: $29.99 | | Label: Castle Music UK
Salesrank: 736231
Released: August 14, 2007 |
| Our Price: $67.00 |
| Used Price: $70.48 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
Two CD set. In the Summer of 1966, when Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, nobody had heard of him. When he quit, exactly 12 months later, he was already being hailed as a potentially greater guitarist than Clapton. He promptly formed Fleetwood Mac with former Bluesbreakers John McVie & Mick Fleetwood and slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer, later adding a third guitarist, Danny Kirwan. This compilation concentrates on Mac’s Blues sessions, recorded between 1967-70, showcasing Peter Green’s talents as a singer, songwriter, and a simply devastating guitarist. It acts as a ‘fly on the wall’ documentary of the band as these are largely outtakes, alternate takes, and unreleased cuts from their first three albums. During this period Peter also guested on a couple of albums by the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band and made several home recordings with Duster Bennett, the veritable one-man Blues band. Several of these sides are included to complete a unique package. Castle. 2007
Jumping at Shadows: The Blues Years Reviews:
peter is god 
2009-08-31 - peter green is the best this cd i bought even though i own all the individual records it has many rare tracks but as a whole its like a best of and a great introduction very unique a fan should own as well as a neofite peter green could sing play and write the best of the brits better then every other guitar god put together
The good stuff
2009-05-30 - This is the one Fleetwood Mac album that cover's Green's playing from all angles. It's lean on the "Jeremy Spencer plays Elmore James" cops which are a essential in the general scheme of things. But the party here is about Green. It's a great overview to his playing. The sound quality does vary (bass heavy at times), but the rewards are so great that it's hardly an issue.
Good music, bad recording 
2005-12-12 - Music was very good, but ythe recording levels varied trememdnously from song to song. Some of the recordings were so bad, there was rattling from interference. I thought I blew my speakers. Changed to a new CD and everything is fine. Can't recommend.
Too much mediocrity drags down the best material 
2005-02-18 - This collection appears to be an attempt to bridge the gap between the casual Fleetwood Mac fan who didn't know they ever played blues...and the obsessives who feel the Blue Horizon box set represents the pinnacle of the band's achievement. While the box set is overkill on a nuclear scale, two discs is still more than really needed to get the best of Green together when a CD can hold 80 minutes of material.
Here, You get material previously found on the "Mr. Wonderful","Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac", and "Then Play On" albums, some period singles, and some tracks heard in different versions on the double disc "Fleetwood Mac Live in Chicago".
The material that best acquits itself is usually the tunes the band wrote for itself. "Oh Well","Jumpin' at Shadows" and "Black Magic Woman" are revelatory here in live versions, revealing that most of the Green era's magic came in concert, not in the studio. "World in Harmony" proves to be one of the more tuneful and interesting instrumentals the early unit put out. "Green Manalishi" is tough and an early version of the single "Man of the World" sounds crisper here. (Presumably, the master for the single has deterioarated over time..it sounds very hissy.) 2 of the songs also found on "Live in Chicago" ("Talk to me Baby" AKA "I Can't Hold Out","Like it This way") sound better in more guitar oriented versions without the piano/horn clutter.
On the 2nd disc, highlights are "Blues in B Flat Minor" (this later became "Before the Beginning" on "Then Play On"), slide workout "Coming, I'm Coming" and "Stranger Blues" in a live rendition with plenty of screaming slide from Jeremy Spencer. "Rattlesnake Shake" is also great.
Unfortunately, Spencer is mostly responsible for the disc's lowest points (overbearing vocals on Elmore James' "The Sun is Shining" and Otis Rush's "I Have to Laugh"). The live cut of "Coming Your Way" from "Then Play On" suffers from a poor vocal mix. Many of the blues chestnuts covered by the band here are just not inspiring.
The set also is missing several important recordings from the Green era, 2 time single hit instrumental "Albatross", Kirwan's "Although the Sun is Shining" and "Like Crying", and Spencer's take on James' "Dust my Broom".
Had those been added to the highlights above, you come out with a 5 star 15 track overview. But as released, it tends to make the case AGAINST Green era Mac. The best Peter Green era CD is still "Then Play On".
Music wonderful -- sources lacking
2004-03-27 - The music of course is wonderful; my complaint is with Castle reissues in general; why is it that Rhino does such a great job listing recording dates etc., but on Castle reissues one is left to guess? There are so many versions of early Fleetwood Mac songs available, it would be nice to know which is which.
