Fleetwood Mac BARE TREES

Fleetwood Mac: Danny Kirwin, Bob Welch (vocals, guitar); Christine McVie (vocals, keyboards); John McVie (bass); Mick Fleetwood (drums).
Fleetwood Mac's massive pop success often overshadows the group's origins as one of the premier English blues bands of the sixties. Mac's 1972 album, BARE TREES, found the group searching for a new direction, having lost both of their stellar lead guitarists--Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer--to the excesses of the '60s rock lifestyle. Joined by new guitarist/vocalist Bob Welch and bassist John McVie's wife Christine on keyboards and vocals, Fleetwood Mac reinvented itself as a more pop-oriented rock band.
The real star of BARE TREES is guitarist/vocalist Danny Kirwan, who contributes the gorgeous guitar instrumental "Sunny Side of Heaven" and "Bare Trees," a funky rocker that was a massive FM radio staple throughout the seventies. It was new guitarist Bob Welch, however, who wrote and sang the modest hit "Sentimental Lady," a haunting, romantic ballad that remains one of Fleetwood Mac's finest moments. Christime McVie's "Spare Me A Little Of Your Love" hints at Fleetwood Mac's future direction. BARE TREES is a rewarding, well-crafted album that stands on its own merits rather than the Fleetwood Mac legend.

• Genre: Rock
• Format: Vinyl