The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band - Blue Again! (Hypertension) Before their early ‘70s West Coast makeover, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac were the future of British blues. Hits like “Albatross”, “Black Magic Woman”, “Oh Well” and “The Green Manalishi” had put them at the forefront of a scene that was on the verge of major world-wide success (see Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Cream, etc.). In 1969, a combination of massive external pressures, mental breakdowns, drugs and a religious cult put paid to Mac Mk1 (Mac Mk2 would shrug off the problems, regroup and, half a decade later, go onto world domination with the Rumours album - but that’s another story). It’s to Mac’s early years that Fleetwood’s Blues Band look to, and Blue Again! revisits many of the great songs from that period. Recorded live in St. Louis in February of this year, the band, fronted by Rick Vito on guitar and vocals, rip through versions of “Rattle Snake Shake”, “Love That Burns”, “Shake Your Money Maker” and several other classics from the period, together with a clutch of Vito’s own songs. It’s a solid enough collection, with some genuine ‘back of the neck’ moments, though I imagine being there on the night would’ve been even better. www.hypertension-music.de Rob F. Next