Peter Green
Reprise 6346
1970
I was very sorry to see that Peter Green had died. He was one of my favorite guitarists in rock. My admiration was entirely based on his work with the band he founded, Fleetwood Mac. I have a few of his solo albums (mostly on CD) which are fine but uninspired for the most part. This is my favorite of his solo records. It was his first solo album and sounds little like his recordings with Fleetwood Mac. I was extremely disappointed when I first bought it but I've since come to admire it. I was expecting more of blues/hard rock sound like his previous work, but the album consists of a series of jazzy instrumental jams with a dash of funk. It reminds me of late period Jimi Hendrix and I would not be surprised if that was an influence on Green's approach to the record. The record gets off to a strong start with "Bottoms Up" which is my favorite track. Supported by a heavy bass riff from Alex Dmochowski, Greens cuts loose with smoking hot guitar runs. The jam lacks direction but it is full of energy and I find it extremely stimulating. The track goes on for slightly over nine minutes but I still think it fades out too soon. "Timeless Time" is far more subdued. Green's solo is lovely although it sounds tentative. Side one concludes with "Descending Scale" which sounds like jazz fusion. The song opens with Dmochowski laying down staccato bass riffs while Zoot Money delivers bursts of kinetic piano riffs as Green unleashes a noisy almost discordant guitar frenzy, before the song slows down for an extended interlude of interwoven bass and guitar noodling reminiscent of the Grateful Dead that is moderately engaging to me if I am in the right mood. The song picks up steam near the end as the piano rejoins the action before the jam is clumsily cut off to end the side. Side two opens with "Burnt Foot" which starts promisingly with a compelling riff from Dmochowski which unfortunately evolves into a drum solo from Godfrey MacLean that I find as tedious as most drum solos. The song comes back to life with the rest of the band rejoining for some heavy riffing that produces some of the most satisfying music on the album for rock fans. "Hidden Depth" is a meandering return to jazz fusion with lyrical guitar runs from Green that display his characteristic grace and fluidity. Side two concludes with the title track which offers up more jazz fusion. It opens with the most frenetic and chaotic musical passages on the record with noisy, yet majestic guitar work from Green before settling into a languorous quiet jam that drifts aimlessly before being abruptly cut off to the conclude the album. If I wanted to demonstrate to someone the brilliance of Peter Green, this would certainly not be the album to start with (I would pick the live recordings of Fleetwood Mac at the Boston Tea Party from 1970.) However when I heard that Green had died, this was the album I reached for. I am generally not a big fan of recorded rock jam sessions (aside from Jimi Hendrix), I think they are more appropriate for concerts. However this one appeals to me for a variety of reasons. Mostly I am drawn to it because Green's playing is so vibrant and dynamic, it is often a very exciting record despite the unstructured format. Also as much as I love the early Fleetwood Mac, it is interesting to hear Green in a different context playing with more jazz oriented musicians. Furthermore I find the record has an immediacy and intimacy that I don't find on his more commercial records. Finally I think it represents the final flowering of Green's genius. He recorded it on the verge of his descent into debilitating mental illness. I have only heard a few of his post-illness albums but none of them even approach the inspired playing on this record. It has a poignancy and wistfulness to it because it makes me wonder what he might have achieved if he had not been damaged by drugs and mental illness. It was this poignancy that drew me to this record when I learned that he had died. Like his contemporary Jimi Hendrix, Green's recorded output of essential recordings was rather small but they burn all the more brightly because of the intensity of the relatively brief period that their creators flourished. Recommended to fans of Jeff Beck's "Blow By Blow."
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