This CD serves as a pretty good compilation of the brilliant Peter Green-led incarnation of Fleetwood Mac (there is no way that one disc can do this band justice, IMO), but the sound quality is just terrible, particularly on some of the cuts taken from "Then Play On" such as "Rattlesnake Shake" and "Oh Well". The other cuts only sound decent by comparison with these muddy yet harsh travesties. The question is, will the record companies ever give this music the treatment it deserves? If high fidelity were a pre-requisite to enjoying this music, no-one would be writing five-start reviews, which brings up an ironic reality: it is the inherent high quality of the musical performances themselves that make it possible for the record companies to keep repackaging them in different combinations and different cover art without bothering to address the poor sound! This is disgusting but not surprising. Still, for those who cannot afford to buy multiple CD's and who have yet to experience this music, it's a recommended purchase. Britain has produced alot of fine guitar Players in the blues and blues-rock veins, but there is something special about Peter Green: a unique blend of world-weariness, spiritual transcendance, ballsy sexuality and lyrical, reflective introspection. There are very few other blues guitarists who approach Green's emotional depth and refined melodic sensibility let alone who match it... only Otis Rush and Duane Allman come to mind. Clapton? Page? Mick Taylor? Paul Kossoff? They all did some great stuff, but Green is in a whole other category in my view. If you've never heard this music, and are a fan of great guitar playing, then by all means, pick this up. Just don't expect pristine fidelity.

...and kudos to Sony UK for having done such a fine job. While the 6 CD box The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969 contains the complete contents of the albums Fleetwood Mac, Mr. Wonderful, The Pious Bird of Good Omen, Blues Jam in Chicago (alternately known as Blues Jam at Chess and Fleetwood Mac in Chicago 1969) and The Original Fleetwood Mac, this compilation goes beyond those albums to Then Play On ("Oh Well," here broken up into two tracks, the A- and B-sides of the single; and "Rattlesnake Shake") and the band's Immediate singles "Man of the World" and "The Green Manalishi" (one of my favourite tracks of the Peter Green lineup), plus adding Chicken Shack's recording of "I'd Rather Go Blind" (pointing the way towards the later lineups of Fleetwood Mac, with Christine McVie) and a remix of "Albatross." I rather felt that remix to be unnecessary--nice, but unnecessary. I agree with other reviewers that other tracks could have been included instead, but there you go.

Either way, you finally have the tracks from Then Play On without massive amounts of tape hiss (such as is audible throughout the whole of that CD, a situation Warners has yet to rectify, 20 years on), plus a whole series of thoroughly essential tracks from this first (and IMO, best) edition of Fleetwood Mac, all together on one disc. The only other way to manage this is to buy the individual albums--thankfully, all are in print and available on CD--and create your own mix at home, something not all of us have time to do. Again I say, kudos to Sony for pulling this particular feat off.

Since other reviewers have already addressed the casual and curious fans of the original Fleetwood Mac, let me speak to those of you who are more serious followers of the genius of Peter Green that now find yourselves on the rocky road of foraging through the many repackaged recordings of the early band.
First and foremost:
this disc represents the one and only place you will find tracks from the Mac's labels; BLUE HORIZON, WARNERS /REPRISE and their intermittent shortlived stint with the doomed English label, IMMEDIATE all in one place.
Most of these songs have appeared in sometimes differing versions on other compilations, but these are the final studio mixes. AND digitally remastered for the first time! Thank you, Sony International.
I'd begun to think Green's final mixes of the two songs from the IMMEDIATE sessions(Man Of the World, Green Manalishi) would never make it to disc. Well, here they are.
Yes, there should of been a couple of tracks here that aren't;Love That Burns(Blue Horizon)Before the Beginning, ShowBiz Blues(Reprise) but alas! the Jeremy Spencer material is kept to a minimum and Danny Kirwan has just two cuts(the splendid blues track, Something Inside Of Me and the rare, interesting Dragonfly)so, I won't complain.
Nothing from the Live in Boston series(Jumping at Shadows)appears here but that no doubt, is due to another licensing snafu with the owner of those tapes(SNAPPER MUSIC?)
In any case, these tracks are pristine sounding remasters and the fact that Sony put up the $$$ to compile these recordings from the various labels is a good sign for the future. For a huge fan of Peter Green like me(you?), just having Man of the World and especially Green Manalishi here in their final mixes(my old vinyl copy is toast), is enough to purchase the disc.

This is an interesting compilation, but is marred by some bizzare choices of material. There are at least two glaring omissions - for some reason that I can't comprehend, two of Green's most beautiful, haunting and personal songs, "Jumping at Shadows" and "Show-Biz Blues," are omitted. If the last two tracks had been dropped, these could easily have been included.

It's not clear to me where this set is directed. Fans of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac will already own most of this material, and novices would be much better served by picking up the classic "Then Play On" and disc one of the three "Live in Boston" discs on Snapper (and then following up with the next two).

This seems to me to be a missed opportunity - only three stars, I'm afraid.

A superb compilation and excellent recording .... having not heard some of these classics for decades...its like meeting up with old dear friend...fantastic.....heaven on a disc !