Fleetwwod Mac have been on the go since 1967 but which line up was the best.

 

Was it the 1960's version with Mick Fleetwood, John McVie,Jeremy Spencer and Peter Green. They had hits like Albatross, Black magic woman etc.

 

Or the mid 1970's to 1980's line up of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham their album Rumours is still one of the biggest selling albums of all time spending 450 weeks in the top 100.

 

I admit to liking both line ups, musically I think both versions were different.

 

Which did you prefer, or maybe neither?

the peter green years were imho easily the best... after that they picked up some bints and created boring aor....

I haven't heard that much by the original Fleetwood Mac, mainly just a few of the singles. I like what I've heard and perhaps I should try to hear some more. I like some of the 70s / 80s AOR version, Rumours was the high point, I still like that album. Then Tango In The Night a decade later, that too was OK though nowhere near as good.

 

But really, for the 60s and 70s/80s groups it's like two groups that just happen to have the same name. Are there any other groups who have undergone a radical change in musical style without undergoing a name change? And I don't mean the Beatles 1962 and the Beatles 1970... that was a progression. For Fleetwood Mac it was like they disappeared for a few years and came back as a completely different group.

I much prefered the 60s line-up featuring Peter Green

 

Right from the blues of Black Magic Woman and Need Your Love So Bad to the rockers of Oh Well and Green Manalishi

 

Albatross is one of my alltime favourite instrumentals.

 

On the later lineup does anyone remember Christine McVie with blues band Chicken Shack (she was then called Christine Perfect).

She sang lead on their 1969 hit I'd Rather Go Blind.

 

 

I haven't heard that much by the original Fleetwood Mac, mainly just a few of the singles. I like what I've heard and perhaps I should try to hear some more. I like some of the 70s / 80s AOR version, Rumours was the high point, I still like that album. Then Tango In The Night a decade later, that too was OK though nowhere near as good.

 

But really, for the 60s and 70s/80s groups it's like two groups that just happen to have the same name. Are there any other groups who have undergone a radical change in musical style without undergoing a name change? And I don't mean the Beatles 1962 and the Beatles 1970... that was a progression. For Fleetwood Mac it was like they disappeared for a few years and came back as a completely different group.

 

There was Pink Floyd. They were originally a psychedelic pop group in 67/68 with hits such as Arnold Layne, See Emily Play and Point Me To The Sky.

They then came back mid-70s after the death of Syd Barrett as a rock band with Dark Side Of The Moon which features the massive US hit Money.

Edited May 29, 200817 yr by Euro Music

Are there any other groups who have undergone a radical change in musical style without undergoing a name change?

 

Pantera - First album was girly, Motley Crue-esque Hair Metal with an image to match, then in the early 90s with the advent of bands like Soundgarden, Fear Factory, Tool and Alice In Chains, they suddenly shifted into a more Hard-edge Extreme Metal style, and the image was more goatees, tats, piercings and shaved heads...

Whitesnake - Early stuff was kind of like Deep Purple-style heavy blues-rock (not surprising seeing as how David Coverdale was in Deep Purple), then in the ealy 80s, Coverdale moves out to LA, hires in Steve Vai, starts hanging out with models and voila, Whitesnake turn into poodle-permed, LA Glam Metal/AOR/FM RAWWWWK.... The contrast in styles shows most contrast between the two versions of "Here I Go Again" which were recorded...

The Cure - Early stuff is Post-Punk, quite avant gardeist, then later they start doing stuff like "Love Cats" and start appearing on TOTP....

U2 went from post-punkers inspired by Joy Division to a huge stadium act with, well, very little inspiration.

 

As for Fleetwood Mac, there's no point in listening to their second incarnation...yuck.

U2 went from post-punkers inspired by Joy Division to a huge stadium act with, well, very little inspiration.

 

Yeah, "Boy", "October", "War", "Unforgettable Fire" - great albums.... Then......PISH.....

 

Oh...and Simple Minds did the same. Seemed to be the fashion back then.

I'm afraid Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie & Lindsey Buckingham era Fleetwood Mac are guilty pleasures of mine.......

 

 

However, It is a no brainer as they just do not compare to the brilliance when Peter Green led the band. (So sad that he joined Sly Stone & Syd Barrett as a creatively brain dead artist thanks to drugs/acid.) I mean their best song The Green Manalishi could be a Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin track:

 

Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (1970)

 

Little wonder the likes of Judas Priest & Nirvana have covered this track.

 

Well the all British Fleetwood Mac, & the later 1970's Fleetwood Mac, are really

2 totally different Groups, in style/sound etc. BUT - I LOVE both of them.

 

The Music that each came out with was fine to my ears.

Edited May 30, 200817 yr by zeus555

Fleetwood Mac - Green Manalishi (1970)

 

Little wonder the likes of Judas Priest & Nirvana have covered this track.

 

to me... that tracks the best they ever did.... love it.

I liked the stuff of heard from the Peter Green era, but my fav was the 2nd incarnation.

Rumours and Tango In The Night are both great albums imho.

 

I liked the 2003 comeback album too.