Fleetwood Mac: The Pious Bird of Good Omen [BLUE HORIZON]

Why you'll love it

This 180g Blue Horizon reissue restores the original 1969 running order. It gathers Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac at their bluesy best, including the instrumental "Albatross" and the original "Black Magic Woman."

This edition

• 180g vinyl
• Original 1969 track sequence

About the album

Long before Rumours, Fleetwood Mac were a hard-gigging British blues band led by guitarist Peter Green, and the title of this compilation comes straight from Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, where the albatross is "the pious bird of good omen."

Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label put out the band's first four non-album UK singles, and this album gathers them with their B-sides: the dreamy instrumental "Albatross," Green's own "Black Magic Woman," a heartbreaking "Need Your Love So Bad" and "The Big Boat." Jeremy Spencer's slide drives "I Believe My Time Ain't Long," Danny Kirwan joins on side two, Christine Perfect adds piano, and two tracks feature Chicago bluesman Eddie Boyd with the band behind him. Mike Vernon produced, with John McVie on bass and Mick Fleetwood on drums.

Rolling Stone's Album Guide called it excellent, and Team Rock put it among the 20 greatest blues albums of 1967 to 1970. Nearly every guitarist we know has tried to play "Albatross" in the shop; very few have managed to make it sound as calm.

Also at Kops: more Fleetwood Mac on vinyl · browse Blues

Tracklist

Listen

On Blue Horizon (cat# BHZ90018-1), a reissue of the 1969 compilation.