Fleetwood Mac - The Very Best Of (2002)

This is a stripped-down single-CD equivalent to the U.S. Reprise double-disc set of the same name issued in 2002. And for a single CD it does a fair job of covering the major touchstones in the history of a band with a four-decade legacy -- or, at least, of Fleetwood Mac's two best-known incarnations, as a mid- to late-'70s pop/rock outfit and a late-'60s blues-rock band. Of course, given the popularity of the '70s-'80s version of Fleetwood Mac, they're represented first out of the gate, and in profusion, and there isn't even an attempt made at chronological sequencing. Although the original incarnation of the band doesn't get much room here, at least it is acknowledged in the form of three tracks, "Black Magic Woman," "Albatross," and "Man of the World." That's more than the group's middle years -- featuring Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, and Christine McVie across half a dozen albums -- get from the 21 songs here. The CD utilizes the most recent masters for each song, and so the sound is excellent, and the annotation is thorough and enjoyable, but one does still come away wishing that the makers had found room for a track or two from, say, Mystery to Me or Bare Trees.~The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac [1-CD] Review by Bruce Eder