Then Play On

And now we come to the third album proper. Released in September 1969, the band members to feature on this record are Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood - Jeremy Spencer was still in the band but chose not to contribute on this album, except for some piano playing on Oh well, which was only added to the album later after becoming a hit single. I'll have to do the Greatest Hits to review that song as I'm only concentrating on the original UK vinyl version of this album here. For anybody waiting for the Stevie Nicks stuff, in the words of one of her songs, "It's a real long way to go", but there is plenty of great stuff to discover along the way as I have done myself.

This was their first album with the Reprise label, owned by Warner who the band remain with to this day. Previously they were with Blue Horizon, which I probably should have mentioned before (sorry about that, I'm new to this reviewing game). The two songs featured on English Rose did not appear on the US version of this album and they're criminally left off the CD too, which messes with the track-listing and includes Oh well (and generally gave me a headache - why not keep albums as they were originally intended?). At 14 tracks it's their longest album so far.

Kirwan's Coming your way is a strong start, showing that the band are still blues influenced but now more progressive rock based. The guitar solo at the end of the song is addictive and will have you rocking. On Closing my eyes, Peter Green manages to pre-date Bill Withers' Ain't no sunshine by two years and there are definite similarities, not only to the theme of the song but also to the tune of the verses. This is a real heart-wrencher and Green's haunting vocals touch the heart like you wouldn't believe. One of a few lost gems on this album.

Fighting for Madge is the first of two instrumental jams on the album and is 2:49 minutes of the band letting their hair down, which is no bad thing. When you say was later that year recorded by Christine Perfect (McVie) for her debut solo album, which I intend to get to eventually. Danny Kirwan wrote the song and it's another fine example of his composition and vocal skills. Green's Show-biz blues harks back to the first album (only released the previous year), and then there's Kirwan's pleasant enough, though not jaw droppingly spectacular, instrumental, Underway.

One sunny day sounds magnificent on here. Although the US got it first it one hundred per cent belongs on this album. I would go as far as to say that this is one of the best things the band had done to that point, although there are some more belters to come on side two. It certainly proves Danny Kirwan to be an underrated songwriter in the vein of Peter Green, Ray Davies and even Lennon and McCartney on some tracks.

Though there are some gems on side one, side two is easily the better of the two. Although the sun is shining picks up the proceedings and is another Kirwan winner, and another heart-wrencher. Green's Rattlesnake shake is a feast of bluesy rock and roll, and sounds like another leftover from the first two albums. Like One sunny day, Without you definitely belongs on this album and, like Green's Closing my eyes, is Kirwan yearning and pining for a lover that is no longer with him.

Jam #2 on this album is Searching for Madge, which has been moved to be alongside Fighting for Madge on the CD. At nearly seven minutes long this is a whole banquet of musical styles - blues, good old rock 'n' roll, prog-rock, orchestral music and even a hint of classical. This is followed by a proper instrumental, Kirwan's My dream, which is just lovely. It's the tunes that hit singles were once made of and you can imagine the Shadows doing this at the time, I could happily sit and listen to this for ages. A million times better than Underway, this is almost as good as Albatross.

You then get a long giggle on the original album, and then the final Danny Kirwan track, Like crying, which is another guitar based piece of brilliance and another lost gem. This is the beauty of listening to old albums, you

discover some real hidden classics which the majority of people will never hear, which links us neatly to the absolutely brilliant final track. Before the beginning is Peter Green at his absolute finest, a bluesy ballad where he sounds like a tortured soul and he is pouring his heart out like it's nobody's business. It really gives me goose-bumps to listen to it and could be his way of saying goodbye to a band that started out as his, but this was sadly to be his last studio album with them - you haven't quite seen the last of him yet though.

Then play on, then, is a far cry from their debut and a defining chapter in the ever evolving story of Fleetwood Mac. Danny Kirwan proves he is going to be an asset to the band (until his shock firing three years later) with his well crafted songwriting skills, jaw dropping vocals and brilliant guitar playing. Here we have a diverse mix of musical styles, with blues still very much in the frame but different rock styles having crept in and now taking centre stage.