Search - Fleetwood Mac :: Shrine 69

Got dem blues?

running_man | Chesterfield Twp., MI | 03/12/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Most Fleetwood Mac discs from the Peter Green era feature a wide divergence of musical genres, given the varying interests of Green, Danny Kirwin and Jeremy Spencer, but this January, 1969 performance at the 4,000 person capacity Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles is deeply rooted in the blues. The band was playing a warm-up set for Frank Zappa that evening, from which sound engineer Stuart "Dinky" Dawson has culled nine tracks totaling just over forty minutes. I don't consider the opening "track", 'Tune Up', to be a legitimate number as it is, literally, the band tuning up before being introduced.



Fleetwood Mac's 'Shrine '69' can be divided into three segments. In the opening trio of songs, each of the band's guitarists takes a turn performing a traditional blues track. Peter Green opens with the classic, slow-tempo, slightly funky blues sounds of 'If You Be My Baby'. Danny Kirwin, not generally known for his blues compositions, offers up 'Something Inside of Me', and third guitarist Jeremy Spencer follows that with a rendition of James Williamson's 'My Baby Sweet'. Green delivers some guitar leads straight from the gut on the first two tracks, while Spencer's smooth slide guitar graces the third.



The middle segment features three Peter Green compositions, beginning with the familiar, rich and lofty 'Albatross', which Green introduces as "our latest single". Track six, 'Before the Beginning' indulges us in more of Green's blues, with lead guitar runs that seem to make welling tears audible. The final song in this trio is 'Rollin' Man' a jumpin' blues-rock number with a fat, fuzzy lead guitar from Green and a great foundational bass hook from John McVie that drives the tune. It's a five and one-half minute workout that breaks into a raging blues guitar fest for the last two minutes or so.



The closing segment features three covers, the first being James Lane's salacious 'Lemon Squeezer'. It's a bit comical that Amazon reviewer Steven Stolder finds 'Great Balls of Fire' to be the provocative song here, when Green is offering up lyrics like "I'm gonna ride you on the floor, ride you on the bed, ride you lovely Mama, till this thing turns cherry red" on 'Lemon Squeezer', while Jeremy Spencer only uses the word "screw" on 'Great Balls of Fire'. Spencer adds a decent (but uncredited) mouth harp to 'Lemon Squeezer'. Squeezed between the squeezer and the balls of fire is a fantastic seven minute rendition of Willie John's 'Need Your Love So Bad', rendered fantastic by Green's towering lead guitar runs and heartfelt vocals.



A number of people reviewing this disc cite the weak fidelity of the recording as a significant problem. I don't believe the acoustics of the exposition hall, the low-key nature of many of these songs, or the 2-track Ampex recorder being used to document the show could ever add up to a crisp recording. Also, since the recording is decades old, there are a few noticable drop-outs scattered among the selections. But all-in-all the recording quality is certainly not a reason to avoid this release. If you enjoy traditional electric blues, you should find 'Shrine '69' an interesting performance to hear. The artwork is a little strange, but certainly not out of character for the late 1960's.



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Portrait of the artist

J KRUZ | BKLYN NY USA | 11/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The quality of this recording, while a bit weathered and lackluster in spots, does not overshadow the greatness of the performance.This was my first experience with Peter Green's Mac, and when I first heard this, I realized what all the fuss was about. This performance is at times, scary. Makes me wonder what might have been had the three ill-fated guitarists on this disc not lost their marbles. This disc is stronger than the Tea Party discs, although those are essential too."

Heart Rending

Meho Midjich | Evanston, IL | 10/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I gave this cd 5 stars. It is not well recorded or preserved. It is ridiculously uneven with several weak tracks. BUT THE GEMS! Absolutely nothing I've ever heard from Peter Green or anyone else beats "Need Your Love So Bad". His playing and singing have opened my heart and sent streams of tears down my face countless times. This performance ALONE would rate this cd 5 stars. But, there's the haunting beauty of "Before the Beginning". Out from the muffled recording comes Green's soaring guitar reminding me of how much he influenced Santana. Just beautiful. Also, there's a scalding version of "If You Be My Baby" that has a brief "dropout". All three of these tracks are "flawed" in some way. Yet they are among the best things I've heard in almost 40 years of listening to music. The power of Green's playing overcomes all, much as is the case with the blues in general. Who complains about the "quality" of Robert Johnson's recordings? This is the BLUES. Its music that MOVES people. If you want slick, pass on this. If you want to experience the most incredible combination of intensity and tenderness, GET THIS CD!"