Mr. Wonderful [Extra tracks]

Following only 7 months after their explosive debut and afforded the luxury of a gatefold sleeve, Fleetwood Mac's second studio album "Mr. Wonderful" was released in September 1968 on Blue Horizon Records S 7-63205 in the UK (in stereo only). The American equivalent was issued in February 1969 on Epic Records BN 26446 and was called "English Rose" - it had different artwork and a much-altered track run. This CD version reflects the UK LP - and is slightly expanded.

Here's the breakdown - the original 12-track album track list ran as follows (41:51 minutes):

1. Stop Messin' Round (Peter Green and C.G. Adams song) [2:21 minutes]

2. Coming Home (Elmore James cover) [2:41 minutes]

3. Rollin' Man (Peter Green song) [2:54 minutes]

4. Dust My Broom (Elmore James cover) [2:53 minutes]

5. Love That Burns (Peter Green and C.G. Adams song) [5:04 minutes]

6. Doctor Brown (William Glasco cover) [3:46 minutes] (End of Side 1)

7. Need Your Love Tonight (Jeremy Spencer song) [3:29 minutes]

8. If You Be My Baby (Peter Green & C.G. Adams [3:53 minutes]

9. Evenin' Boogie (Jeremy Spencer song) [2:42 minutes]

10.Lazy Poker Blues (Peter Green & C.G. Adams song) [2:36 minutes)

11. I've Lost My Baby (Jeremy Spencer song) [4:18 minutes]

12. Trying So Hard To Forget (Peter Green & C.G. Adams song) [4:51 minutes] (End of Side 2)

This 16-track 2004 reissue at 56:27 minutes is "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969" version from the 1999 6CD Box Set - now issued as a stand-alone disc. The additional bits are that Track 1 has some studio chatter before the take [extended to 2:36 minutes], tracks 2 to 12 are exactly the same, while the following are BONUSES added on...

13. Stop Messin' Round (Takes 1, 2 and 3 with False Starts/Previously Unissued) [4:32 minutes]

14. Stop Messin' Round (Take 5 - Master Single Version/Remix) [2:47 minutes]

15.I Held My Baby Last Night (Elmore James/Jule Taub cover) [4:26 minutes]

16. Mystery Boogie (Jeremy Spencer song) [2:51 minutes]

Note: Track 14 is longer than and different to the album version of "Stop Messin' Round" that opens the LP

Musically, "Mr. Wonderful" only half works for me - it feels like a poor-man's version of the debut (the USA "English Rose" compilation LP has a far better track run). Also over half the album - tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11 do 'not' feature Peter Green at all (and suffer for it), while the others appear to be hijacked by Jeremy Spencer's obsession with Elmore James to a point where "Doctor Brown" and "Need Your Love Tonight" sound exactly like the same song repeated literally one after another. It's not that the album is bad - it just somehow lacks something. The last song, however, redeems things a bit - it's "Trying So Hard To Forget" and has Peter Green on Guitar with label mate DUSTER BENNETT on Harmonica - just the two of them - and it's a peach.

The bonuses turn out to be excellent too - especially the two previously unreleased Jeremy Spencer tracks - the very slow blues of "I Held My Baby Last Night" and the jaunty boogie-guitar instrumental of "Mystery Boogie". And as with the box set, the remastered sound is exceptionally good - blasting out of your speakers with all the power of the band live in the studio.

As a stand-alone disc, it's great value for money - I'd say BUY IT! And then go for numbers 2 to 5 listed below as well...they're all magical in their own way. Or just buy the Complete box set - it's got so much great stuff on it anyway - 99 tracks, 33 of which are previously unreleased- and it will allow you to sequence both "Mr. Wonderful" and "English Rose" as separate albums.

PS: For those wishing for more, the Blue Horizon label Fleetwood Mac UK albums are:

1. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (1968)

(original album, known as "Fleetwood Mac" in the USA)

2. Mr. Wonderful (1968)

(original album, as above)

3. The Pious Bird Of Good Omen (1969)

(compilation of non-album 7" singles, their B-sides, collaborations and other rarities)

4. Blues Jam At Chess (1969)

(original 20-track 2LP set often referred to as a Various Artists compilation.

Its full credit is to: Fleetwood Mac, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Shakey Horton, J.T. Brown, Guitar Buddy

(Buddy Guy), Honey Boy Edwards, S.P. Leary. Originally a 2LP set on release, it was broken into 2 volumes

for the "Complete" box set and renamed "Blues Jam In Chicago Volume 1" and "Blues Jam In Chicago

Volume 2". It is ONLY these singular re-sequenced releases that are available today.)

5. The Original Fleetwood Mac (1971)

(although released in '71, this LP has recordings from August 1967 through to October 1968, all of which

were previously unreleased at the time)

PPS: I've reviewed about 20 of the excellent Blue Horizon CD reissues - see LISTMANIA for a full list

Many people felt dissappointed by "Mr. Wonderful" after the sublime first album. But in interviews Peter Green has stated the purpose of the album was to recreate the sound of a south side chicago blues club.Raw and rough, the album does just that. Some fantastic guitar(surprised?), and some great off-color lyrics too.The horns are sloppy and perfect for the songs done on this album. What would "love that burns" be without the subtle horns riffing away in the background? The same can be said for the rocking "stop messing 'round".And it's easy to see why BB KIng himself thought so much of Peter Green. His economical playing is spot on. I still get chills listening to this. Jeremy Spencer does his Elmore James thing to perfection and you just want to get up and dance to this. And a beautiful acoustic "trying so hard to forget" lets you down easy at the end.Not subtle, but it wasn't supposed to be.

Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green in the time they played good blues. Alternating lively songs with slow ones they are good and have feeling. This album is one of the titles I like most.