Fleetwood Mac and Fleetwood Mac (boy this is going to get confusing!) are separated by only eight years but on the face of it they are worlds apart. The former is a British blues-rock classic with the superlative guitar playing of Peter Green whilst the latter is a AOR dream of soft American styled rock. Surely the only thing they share is the eponymous titles?
Firstly they both have the same rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie; solid as a rock and as regular as a heartbeat. With this as a foundation not much can go wrong. So far, so obvious.
The 1967 release may be steeped in blues but it also has pop moments. 'My Heart Beats Like A Hammer' may be a blues track but its riff has one eye on the pop charts. Similarly the blast through Elmore James' 'Shake Your Moneymaker' doffs its cap to the future Mac. Not that it knew that then. But if it did it would.....if indeed it had a hat to doff. Errr moving quickly on...
Once you get past the glossier production of the 1975 release other similarities reveal themselves. They is very much a blues tinge to some of the tracks. 'World Turning' has its roots firmly planted in a blues riff. Not dissimilar to an earlier Mac classic 'Oh Well'. And if the beautiful 'Landslide' isn't a blues song at heart then I don't know what is. OK that maybe stretching the point but I think I've made my case.
It does, however, start me wondering exactly at what point does a band stop being the band it started out as and become something else? Is it all in the name? Is only one original band member all it takes to keep on rockin' under the same banner? Pink Floyd, The Pretenders, R.E.M. and The Rolling Stones have continued beyond their original line up. Heck even Bananarama managed to soldier on without Siohban Fahey. Although they were never the same after she left. Allegedly. Ahem.
Fleetwood Mac, though, have taken line-up changes to new heights and changed band members more often than I change my socks. Which is a lot. Honestly. They've had, at the last count, sixteen band members. Add to that the fact that a number of them have left and re-joined several times and you have a recipe for confusion. It must've got confusing with some members wondering whether they were on their way in or way out of the band. Who knows. And does it really matter? Probably not. As long as the band continues to produce great music then they can call themselves whatever they like.
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