Fleetwood Mac Shake The Case Of The Blues

FLEETWOOD MAC-The Green Manalishi (With A Two Pronged Crown)/World In Harmony UK Reprise RS.27007 1970

Here in America Fleetwood Mac will always be associated with the 70's and all of the Colombian marching powder excesses and domestic partnership in a band gone wrong that go along with it, but as most of you know they began as an entirely different horse of an entirely different color. Bursting forth in 1967 their C.V. and line-up read like a Who's Who of British r&b and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers alumni. But by the late 60's their habit of electrified blues was shifting into different horizons with their 1969 #1 (U.K.) instrumental "Albatross" and it's follow up, the somber "Man Of The World" (#2 and their sole 45 on Immediate records).  1970 saw the release of today's subject, guitarist Peter Green's "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)", a UK #10 and subsequently Green's last record with the band before mental illness took it's toll and it's founding member moved on. Green later indicated that the number was about the evils of money and was written shortly after a nightmare about a green dog.

"The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)" is one of the heaviest and darkest records you will ever hear and even without knowing the background to Green's subsequent illness it's musical make up is pure bona fide musical doom. Plodding, heavy and full of layers of guitars it literally jumps all over the place with each new change as complex as the next with Green and guitarist Danny Kirwan playing their asses off.

UK picture sleeve c/o 45cat.com

The flip side "World In Harmony" is a haunting beautiful instrumental by Green and Kirwan that starts of with some harmonics with a melody not unlike the band's previous single "Man Of The World". Eventually it's somber mood picks up with a slightly menacing line coming in, but just briefly before reverting back to the lilting, gentle melody.

Both sides are available on a fairly comprehensive double Fleeetwood Mac CD "Love That Burns: The Blues Years" which is still in print.

Hear "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)":

https://youtu.be/kTvKaLW5bu8

Hear "World In Harmony":

https://youtu.be/RpQihKE86Q4