STACK NZ Nov #68

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By Graham Reid

FLEETWOOD MAC

Sweet Sweet Action!: The Ultimate Sweet Story Secondhand prog-rock vinyl is usually in mint condition; secondhand glam always damaged beyond repair. The reason? Prog albums were for home-play on headphones; glam albums were trashy party animals who just wanted to dance all night. Sweet were one of the great glam-rock bands who ticked

Four FromThe Famous Five

off eight UK number ones, enjoyed the services of legendary if formulaic songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, and also had the glitter'n'colour look of Bowie-T.Rex. But more of it. Sweet were simple, party-time fun celebrating youth, dancing and freedom from the concerns of adulthood which would come soon enough. And even now when you listen to their simple but widescreen songs – either on the double CD here or the terrific DVD of previously unseen concert and television footage – you can't help but smile at the cheerful, unpretentious inanity of it all. Sweet looked back to simple but effective '50s rock'n'roll ( Little Willie , Peppermint Twis t) but also extended on into disco (their later Love Is Like Oxygen ). If you can't dance to Little Willie , Blockbuster , Ballroom Blitz and others here, check your pulse. You might be dead. Or worse, listening to prog on the headphones.

Then Play On (1969) The third album as a British blues band, the last with legendary guitarist Peter Green, and the first with guitarist Danny Kirwan (they played together on the instrumental hit Albatross ). Here they were stretching

beyond blues covers ( Closing My Eyes ) and the version to get is the 2013 remastered and expanded edition (with Oh Well , The Green Manalishi and World in Harmony ). It's Mac, Jim. But not as you know it. Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974)

Californian guitarist Bob Welch was an important five year-conduit between the group's British blues to American pop-rock sound (although wasn't acknowledged when they were inducted into The

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998). He convinced them to come to the US and introduced them to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. For this album Mac were a four-piece, Welch was peaking as writer/player, and Christine McVie stepped up with great songs. A much ignored cornerstone in their catalogue.

Fleetwood Mac (1975) We presume you have the follow-up Rumours (50 million copies sold) but this was where global success started. Welch left and in came Buckingham and Nicks, so with Christine McVie the group now had three

The Incredible String Band Wee Tam & The Big Huge In the late '60s this multi- instrumental duo wove together British folk, exotic world music instruments, mysticism, Biblical phrases, esoteric tripped-out nonsense and much more into a colourful, confusing, eccentric tapestry. Nothing like them before, nothing like them since. Producer Joe Boyd – who worked with early Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, REM and dozens of other interesting artists – considers recording The Incredible String Band one of his greatest achievements. A strangely delightful double from hazy 1968.

The Beatles 1+

excellent writers, two female vocalists, and in singer Buckingham, an innovative guitarist-writer. It sprung Rhiannon , Landslide and Say You Love Me (among others). The start of the most successful phase of their long career. Tusk (1979)

I f you already have the Beatles CD compilation 1 from 15 years ago, the inducements here are the two additional Blu-ray/DVD discs of remastered, digitally enhanced live footage, promo clips, studio performances and early videos. Feel the excitement of Beatlemania, thrill to A Hard Day's Night , see John and Paul obviously stoned as they mime hits in 1966, watch them get psychedelic in Strawberry Fields Forever , sing along with All You Need Is Love , clench your fists during the electrifying Revolution , observe them pulling apart . Comes with a 127-page book, plus an audio commentary by McCartney and Starr. Essential.

After you've sold 50 million of Rumours you get to make an adventurous, different, sometimes edgy and extremely expansive double album. Helmed by Buckingham who had his ear on New Wave and punk,

Tusk – which took over 18 months to record and cost about US$1 million, the most expensive album ever to that point – sprung hits (notably Nicks' sublime Sara ) but mostly pushed back the slick and successful sound in favour of a leaner Mac attack. Stands up well. Further Listening So many albums, so many phases to consider... Cheaters will go for the comprehensive four CD box set 25 Years; The Chain . For more from Graham Reid visit www.elsewhere.co.nz

NOVEMBER 2015

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