Original Mac satisfies appetite

Spencer Patterson

Friday, July 11, 2003 | 8:37 a.m.

Artist: Fleetwood Mac.

Title: "Live in Boston, Volume One."

Year of release: 1999 (Snapper Music) (recorded in 1970).

Tracklisting: "Black Magic Woman," "Jumping at Shadows," "Like it This Way," "Only You," "Rattlesnake Shake," "I Can't Hold Out," "Got to Move," "The Green Manalishi."

No sooner had I exited MGM's Grand Garden Arena on Friday than I had the overwhelming urge to hear a bit more Fleetwood Mac.

I know what you're thinking: How much Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham could one man possibly need in a single night? But in this case, the band whose disc I popped into my CD player when I got home resembled the band I had just seen onstage in name only.

The Fleetwood Mac presented on "Live in Boston" is the original Mac, the blues-rock outfit founded by guitarist Peter Green in 1967. The three volumes (each CD is sold separately) are culled from Green's final U.S. tour with the band in February 1970, just before he quit.

If you're looking for an introduction to the early Mac, Volume One of the Boston set is the best place to start. The CD's eight tracks present the five Brits -- Green, Danny Kirwan, Jeremy Spencer, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood -- in their fullest live glory. The band's studio output pales in comparison.

The disc opens with a scorching take on "Black Magic Woman," and it's no Santana cover. It's not widely known, but Green actually penned the song, later taken into the upper reaches of the U.S. singles charts by Carlos & Co.

Also included are two of Green's greatest jamming vehicles: "Rattlesnake Shake" and "The Green Manalishi." Though both stretch far past the 10-minute mark ("Rattlesnake" clocks in at 24:38), the styles of guitarists Kirwan, Spencer and Green are dissimilar enough to keep the music fresh throughout.

Kirwan and Spencer contribute lead vocals as well, the former on "Like It This Way" and "Only You," and the latter on a pair of Elmore James' covers, "I Can't Hold Out" and "Got to Move."

But it's Green -- a guitar hero every bit as respected as Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page at the time -- who leaves the most lasting impression. Listen to his dreamy "Jumping at Shadows" and you'll understand why fans of the original band have never truly embraced Buckingham in the lead guitarist role.

As the story goes, Green's decision to leave the Mac was prompted by a bad acid trip in Germany later in 1970. The guitarist has rarely been heard from since, leaving his former band in the hands of Fleetwood and McVie, both of whom have proven extremely capable of sustaining Fleetwood Mac's legacy for the next 30-plus years.

Note: The music on "Live in Boston" was previously released on several haphazard compilations, under such titles as "Cerulean" and "Jumping at Shadows." These 1999 reissues restore the original running order and offer tremendous improvements in sound quality.