FleetwoodMac's "Then Play On" ; Best remaster??

IMHO, this is a great record that never sounded great. None of the digital versions that I own touch the original UK vinyl, which was nothing special, itself.

One thing to be aware of - there are two versions out there. The original has a bunch of Danny Kirwan tracks which were later deleted on re-issues in favor of Peter Green's last hurrah, "Oh, Well". The Kirwan tracks are great and "Oh, Well" is available elsewhere (compilations), so I'd tend to look for original track list - which probably offers the best sound quality, anyway.

Another note - The "Oh Well" that Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac does on live records is only the first (rockin!) section of the song, It omits the strange Spanish flavored acoustic section and the finale. Again, worth owning IMO, but not the whole story.

Marty

Marty, I guess early Mac fans will have to lobby for a quality remaster of "Then Play On" Not sure today's version of the band will merit any record company to take the original master tapes (which might sound like crap)to produce a re-issue. They would rather keep pushing crap like "Daughtry" and "has beens" from American Idol into the limelight. Thanks for the information.

I have three LPs (two with "Oh Well), one without. With "Oh Well", "Fighting for Madge" shows up on side two. There are no "lost" Kirwan songs.

As a young teenager "Then Play On" was my first experience with different versions of albums with the same name. (The Grateful Dead's "Aoxomoxoa" was the second). I remember having to get the record store clerk to open the record and look at the label to determine which version of the album I was getting.

I've heard stories about the Kirwan vs. Green songs and how the album was patched together. Not all version have "When You Say" or the longer "Madge" jam, if I recall. BTW, Danny Kirwan was an excellent guitarist and very neatly complemented Peter Green's fretwork. Also a good song writer. Groups bearing the name Fleetwood Mac always seemed to have talented guitar/song writers. McVie and Fleetwood must know where to look.

Onhwy,

That version of the band also included Jeremy Spencer who is a fabulous slide player. It was a three headed guitar monster.

Marty

BTW While Kirwan retired decades ago (evidently he had mental health issues that may or may not have been acid related), Jeremy Spencer is going strong after 50 years. His new album is really good.

Mt 10425

Per Onhwy's post, "When You Say" is omitted from at least one US release and Madge is sufficiently truncated to fairly be described as a different song . But I do concede that that doesn't constitute "a bunch" per my first post. Faulty memory.

Mea Culpa.

Marty

i can't speak to recording quality (my recollection is that it was an average 60's production), but "then play on" is arguably the best ever brit blues album; a standard that cream, savoy brown, etc. could only dream about. "o well" and "rattlesnake shake" are well-revered classics, but if you dig deep, there's some really brilliant tracks--"closing my eyes" is one of the greatest you've never heard.
agree 100% with onhwy on danny kirwan--fantastic player and songwriter; check out his stuff on "bare trees" and "future games;" though he apparently disappeared thereafter.