01	Coming Your Way						03:47
	02	Closing My Eyes						04:55
	03	Show-Biz Blues						03:54
	04	My Dream						03:33
	05	Underway						02:54
	06	Oh Well						09:02
	07	Although The Sun Is Shining						02:25
	08	Rattlesnake Shake						03:30
	09	Searching For Madge						06:58
	10	Fighting For Madge						02:48
	11	When You Say						04:32
	12	Like Crying						02:24
	13	Before The Beginning						03:26

Released in 1969 - their third album.
Lineup:
Peter Green - guitar
John McVie - bass
Mick Fleetwood - drums
Danny Kirwin - guitar

Christine Perfect (later McVie) apparently sat in on keyboards.


Date of Release Oct 1969

This Peter Green-led edition of the Mac isn't just an important transition between their initial blues-based incarnation and the mega-pop band they became, it's also their most vital, exciting version. The addition of Danny Kirwan as second guitarist and songwriter foreshadows not only the soft-rock terrain of "Bare Trees" and "Kiln House" with Christine Perfect-McVie, but also predicts Rumours. That only pertains to roughly half of the also excellent material here, though; the rest is quintessential Green. The immortal "Oh Well," with its hard-edged, thickly layered guitars and chamber-like sections, is perhaps the band's most enduring progressive composition. "Rattlesnake Shake" is another familiar number, a down-and-dirty, even-paced funk, with clean, wall-of-sound guitars. Choogling drums and Green's fiery improvisations power "Searching for Madge," perhaps Mac's most inspired work save "Green Manalishi," and leads into an unlikely symphonic interlude and the similar, lighter boogie "Fighting for Madge." A hot Afro-Cuban rhythm with beautiful guitars from Kirwan and Green on "Coming Your Way" not only defines the Mac's sound, but the rock aesthetic of the day. Of the songs with Kirwan's stamp on them, "Closing My Eyes" is a mysterious waltz love song; haunting guitars approach surf music on the instrumental "My Dream"; while "Although the Sun Is Shining" is the ultimate pre-Rumours number someone should revisit. Blues roots still crop up on the spatial, loose, Hendrix-tinged "Underway," the folky blues tale of a lesbian affair on "Like Crying," and the final outcry of the ever-poignant "Show Biz Blues," with Green moaning "do you really give a damn for me?" Then Play On is a reminder of how pervasive and powerful Green's influence was on Mac's originality and individual stance beyond his involvement. Still highly recommended and a must-buy after all these years, it remains their magnum opus. - Michael G. Nastos

1. Coming Your Way (Kirwan) - 3:47
2. Closing My Eyes (Green) - 4:50
3. Showbiz Blues (Green) - 3:50
4. My Dream (Kirwan) - 3:30
5. Underway (Green) - 2:51
6. Oh Well (Green) - 8:56
7. Although the Sun Is Shining (Kirwan) - 2:31
8. Rattlesnake Shake (Green) - 3:32
9. Searching for Madge (McVie) - 6:56
10. Fighting for Madge (Fleetwood) - 2:45
11. When You Say (Kirwan) - 4:22
12. Like Crying Like Dying (Kirwan) - 2:21
13. Before the Beginning (Green) - 3:28

Big Walter Horton - Harmonica
Fleetwood Mac - Producer
Mick Fleetwood - Drums
Danny Kirwan - Guitar, Vocals
Jeremy Spencer - Guitar, Vocals
John McVie - Bass
Martin Birch - Engineer
Peter Green - Guitar, Vocals
Dinky Dawson - Sound Consultant

1988 CD Reprise 2-6368
1970 LP Reprise RS-6368
Reprise 9000
1969 Reprise 6368
1990 LP Reprise 6368
1988 CS Reprise M5-6368




Oh Well
Composed By Peter Green
Performed By Fleetwood Mac
Length 8:56
Appears On Then Play On [1969]


AMG EXPERT REVIEW: "Oh Well" was a major British hit single for Fleetwood Mac, reaching number two in late 1969, and was arguably the best track the band cut in its original incarnation, when guitarist Peter Green was the band's principal creative force. Although it's a classic hard rock song (at least for its first half), it actually isn't all that well known or frequently heard on the radio in the United States, though its reputation has risen with the passing of time. The first half of "Oh Well" is a grinding hard rock song, but one whose constant changes of tempo and probing lyrics set it far above many other loud blues-rock songs past and present. The spindle of "Oh Well" is a coiling, rapid blues guitar riff, not much different from what you might have heard from many mid-20th century Delta bluesmen. It was quickly seconded and counterpointed by a much louder, spikier electric guitar riff, which tortuously ascended the scale until it reached a tense, piercing high note that came to a dead stop, like an omen that judgment day was at hand. Green's brief sung lines during the verses were also grave in mood, seeming to reflect a low self-esteem and offer questions about the purpose of existence that couldn't be easily answered. The instruments took a break while Green sung those lines, only to come back with a vengeance to the main riffs when he took a breather. It's those riffs, especially the ones peeled off during the instrumental break, that have made the song viewed by some critics as of a piece with early blues-hard rock-heavy metal crossover records, like the ones by Led Zeppelin. For many listeners (particularly British singles buyers, as the 45 split the track into two different parts), this first, vocal half of the song was the only one they were familiar with. However, it's essential to hear the second, instrumental half of the track (as you can on the Then Play On album, without any interruption between the halves) to appreciate the full magnificence of the recording. While sticking to the same key and somber mood, this second half is almost totally different from the first, much as the instrumental second half of Derek & the Dominos' "Layla" is both different from and complements what has come before. It's almost a classical piece, with seductive though melancholy blends of Spanish-like acoustic guitar strumming, low sustained electric guitar notes, medieval-sounding recorder, cello, and piano. The tempo speeds up and mood becomes more portentous as it draws to the end, but this section is for the most part placid, coming to appropriately melodramatic resolutions in which the percussion booms softly and the recorder trills get more pensive and hopeful. Though the different parts might seem incongruous, "Oh Well" melds them together brilliantly, creating an epic that stands as Green's finest achievement as a composer. His peer Jimmy Page certainly recognized its merit, as he covered the song on his 2000 Live at the Greek concert album with the Black Crowes. - Richie Unterberger







Then Play On

Format : Domestic CD
Released : 09 Sep 1969
Label : Reprise
Charts Peak : US #109, UK #6 (Oct 1969)

Mick Fleetwood
Peter Green
Danny Kirwan
John McVie
Jeremy Spencer



The most diverse and accomplished album by the Peter Green-led lineup. Features some wrenching, introspective originals that draw from both blues and progressive rock, highlighted by the doomy British hit single "Oh Well." (Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)




The best Mac album!
Reviewer: Slim Morrison (oasen@excite.com), musician February 10, 2003

My opinion is that "Then play on" is Fleetwood Mac's totally best album of everyone. It has got EVERYTHING. For the first i would like to say that i'm not at all into the Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham-era.. my favourite guitarist/singer in Mac is Danny Kirwan, who i think did a fantastic work on the "Then play on" album. Remember, he was just a young bloke when it was recorded, it must have been a hard job to do for him, making the half of a record. I rate "Coming your way" as his finest song (together with "Dust" from Bare Trees) and one of the finest of all Mac songs. His guitarplaying is also outstanding on the "Madge" songs.. Peter Green does fantastic things too, "Oh well" and "Before the beginning" is some of then. I think "Then play on" shows the best sides of both Kirwan and Green.




A truly classic, experimental Mac extravaganza
Reviewer: John Fitzgerald, Human resources staff database assistant March 21, 2001

Although "Tusk" is often thought of as the Mac's most experimental release, I think
"Then play on" must certainly rank up there as at least one of their most experimental
albums, if not the most. Not only is it shockingly different to their previous long players,
there's also very little mainstream here. the songs included are either their hardest rocking
songs or their mellowest that they have ever recorded depending on which one you're
listening to yet you never know what's coming next and that's the key to a classic
experimental record. I'd recommend you get the CD as it includes the two songs from the
original pressings of the album "My dream" & "When you say" which are Danny Kirwan
tunes. The former is an unusual and pleasant instrumental number. It's the more instantly
likable of the two. However, the latter does grow on you with each listen. These were
replaced on vinyl in 1977 with the (virtually) complete "Oh well" but disc listeners can
now enjoy all of these on one five inch silver laser platter. In order for "Oh well parts 1 &
2" to make musical sense together, the last five seconds needed to be trimmed off the fade
of side one to properly splice the two parts together to create the classic lengthy epic.
Those fans of "The Madge sessions" from "The vaudeville years" compilation will notice
there are still some snippets on "Searching for Madge" & "Fighting for Madge" that one
can still only hear on this release. "Coming your way" & "Rattlesnake shake" are lean
rockers by Danny and Peter respectively while "Before the beginning" is the closest thing
you will find to mainstream on this record but even then, you'll be on the edge of your
seat with this yearning number. "Show biz blues" is the nearest to their previous blues
recordings but even then, it's a surprising country blues with an irresistible new (for them
at the time) guitar sound and "Underway" beautifully (and aptly) starts the jamming ride.
The absence of Jeremy Spencer seems to have had a strangely positive effect but he made
up for past indulgences on his wonderful debut solo album. This has deservedly been
called a landmark recording. How correct they are.







This album was originally released in the U.S. without the song Oh Well. It was later released again with Oh Well added and When You Say and My Dream removed. The listing above is for the latest CD version. To complicate matters the original British vinyl release contained two additional songs, One Sunny Day and Without You.




Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On

Member: Hippy Pants
Date: 11/19/2003
Format: CD (Album)

Fleetwood Mac have been around in some incarnation for decades, and although this isn't pure prog, let me point out a few reasons for its inclusion. I'll admit, it doesn't fit into the mold of pure prog a la King Crimson's In The Court Of.., and others. But I think it is a seminal album that helped lead to the gateway of progression, the way the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's album and others, did.

Fleetwood Mac had grown out of the blues roots of the John Mayall band, and early on sort of stayed within the parameters of being a blues band. But when Then Play On was released in 1969 things seemed to change. It seemed there was more experimentation going within the rock world. Psychedelia was in full bloom and all kinds of genres were being ingested and reinvented. Granted the Mac still held close to their guitar, blues-based roots, but indeed also something else was aborning.

Then Play On opens with "Coming Your Way" which has a sort of Mideastern, ethnic feel to it probably due to the side guitar. "My Dream" and "Underway" are two instrumentals that sound almost like they were surf music inspired, and wonderful little transitory pieces. These two numbers lead into the infamous nine minute opus "Oh Well." If you have not heard this song, you're in for a rock treat. It issues forth like a wild beast, but changes into something midway through, and includes many other instruments--sounding orchestral. And here is where we see some aspects of early progression: rock integrated with piano and flute, and some melodic orchestral elements that all combined into one unified song.

"Although The Sun Is Shining" is a nice, subtle English ballad, followed by the fierce guitar oriented, "Rattlesnake Shake." "Searching For Madge" and "Fighting For Madge" again enter into shades of progression again. Starting out with a rousing guitar jam, and then stops cold as a spoken voice calls out, "Madge? Madge?" only to start up again, even more furious than before, very reminiscent of Cream musically in some aspects. Then they throw in another left hook, more beautiful orchestration, and again they play on.

"Before The Beginning" ends the album on a high somber note--bluesy and almost melancholy. Then Play On was a landmark album for Fleetwood Mac, innovative and highly original in its concept. Whether or not one would classify it as prog or perhaps a predecessor of the genre, I guess is a mute point, but the fact that it's a high watermark is indisputable.


~Dave


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