His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond

Bob Welch | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: One Way Records Inc
• ASIN: B00009YXAI
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,155 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Oh Well, Pts. 1-2

2. Future Games

3. Revelation

4. Miles Away

5. Hypnotized

6. Emerald Eyes

7. Bermuda Triangle

8. Angel

9. Silver Heels

10. Sentimental Lady

11. Ebony Eyes

12. Hot Love, Cold World

13. Precious Love

14. Church

15. Like Rain

Editorial Reviews

Full Title - His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond. Ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist/vocalist/songwriter & platinum solo recording artist Bob Welch went into the studio & re-recorded songs from the early years of Fleetwood Mac as well as his solo hits. The result is

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Real nice try, but no cigar, September 13, 2003

By 

J. Collins "Paradise Bar & Grill" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond (Audio CD)

I'll admit some skepticism to the idea of an artist 'updating' their own catalog, particularly when the original music has withstood the test of time (and changing tastes) well. I think this is true of Welch's tunes as they appear in various FMac and solo recordings, though as Welch states in his interesting liner notes, today's technology DOES show the limitations of those analog originals. Welch's aim with this recording seems two-fold: he re-creates hundreds of sonic details from his older tunes, while fashioning new arrangements or instrumentation. He also plays every instrument you hear in this collection.

So, given good intentions, ample talent, and a songlist that includes both hits and great Welchian nuggets, how could this album possibly go wrong ? For my part, it's entirely a matter of execution. While there are some great self-covers I'd gladly play over and over, there are at least as many sour listening experiences. And though this album is mixed with richer sound than any other in Welch's repertoire, the added musical dynamic casts his singing voice in poor light.

I'm not a vocal purist, but I am a realist...and when Welch claims (again, in his liner notes) that his voice has never sounded better, I must respectfully disagree. In this context it doesn't matter if he can hit all the right notes if he's singing with a stuffed nose. I don't mean that as a dig, and will freely admit that a few of his vocals here ("Revelation," "Bermuda Triangle," "Angel") are among his best. But elsewhere his nasal tone is simply grating.

The updated arrangements are hit and miss. To my ears, his FMac tunes fare best: "Revelation" kicks and cooks, "Hypnotized" is given a light jazzy feel and deep rhythmic pulse, "Bermuda Triangle" is actually danceable in this take, and "Angel" never sounded this good. But Welch's stylistic re-treads of "Miles Away" (with it's annoying big beat syndrum), and "Ebony Eyes" (think cheesy 80's new wave synth) are uninteresting genre experiments that do nothing for the songs. Welch's most familiar solo hits, "Sentimental Lady" and "Precious Love" are all but unlistenable in these versions. Kudos to Welch for his attempt to re-create Lindsey Buckingham's arrangement for the former, but the track sounds flat and tinny. "Precious Love" is my pick for worst song here...his multi-tracked vocals are out of time (not to mention relentlessly nasal), and the backing track is so homogenized that it sounds like it was lifted from a Karaoke collection.

I've been following Welch's music for about 25 years, and with a couple of exceptions ("Silver Heels" and the new track, "Like Rain") I wouldn't change the tune selection if I were making my own compilation of the originals. Such a collection would easily get five stars from me, not to mention a prominent spot in my CD rack. This disc is problematic for me in a number of ways that I think are worth mentioning to other longtime fans. Most will probably buy this album any way, and I hope they find at least as many gems as I have. But if you're a newbie, or just looking for Welch at his best, I'd suggest you look elsewhere.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good album but I like the originals better, December 30, 2004

By 

D. Goodyear "dgoody53" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond (Audio CD)

After listening through twice, I have to say that for the most part, I prefer the original versions of most of these songs. Maybe that's just because I had the old Fleetwood Mac albums and listened to them only a few hundred times! However, I am all for Bob's getting these songs back out there because they're good and should not be forgotten. And the one new song (Like Rain) is very good also! So I really do highly recommend this album.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Retrospective yet original, this CD will surprise you, July 24, 2003

By 

Dutchdummy (Fountain Valley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond (Audio CD)

A labor of love from Bob Welch, this CD contains all new re-recordings (except for the last track) of his best known songs, from his days in Fleetwood Mac to his solo career. Once you get over the urge to compare the tunes to the originals, you'll be surprised at how much you'll appreciate the artistry and subtle differences that are incorporated into the songs. Among the highlights for me were 'Oh Well, Part 2' (wonderful and evocative guitar work), 'Revelation' (cool vocals), 'Precious Love', and 'Like Rain', an original composition that I consider to be the CD's gem. The lush arrangement, affecting lyrics, and velvet-like vocals of the latter make a statement that Bob Welch's best songwriting days are not yet behind him. In addition to the aforementioned songs, you'll also hear new arrangements for old classics such as 'Hypnotized', 'Sentimental Lady', and 'Ebony Eyes'. The joy and reflection that Bob Welch obviously felt while making this CD show through.

Check out the liner notes as well- there are 16(!) pages of liner notes written by Bob Welch, amounting to a mini-history of his career, as well as detailing the inspiration behind some of his songs.

This CD is a must for Bob Welch and Fleetwood Mac fans, though it deserves consideration by anyone who appreciates well crafted and melodic songs.