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Fleetwood Mac: Bare Trees

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Warner Bros. Music
Released: 1972
Time:
 37:16
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): See Artists...
Rating: *******... (7/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.fleetwoodmac.net
Appears with: Stevie Nicks
Purchase date: 2008.10.23
Price in €: 5,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s

[1] Child of Mine (D.Kirwan) - 5:09
[2] The Ghost (B.Welch) - 3:58
[3] Homeward Bound (Ch.McVie) - 3:20
[4] Sunny Side of Heaven (D.Kirwan) - 3:10
[5] Bare Trees (D.Kirwan) - 5:02
[6] Sentimental Lady (B.Welch) - 4:35
[7] Danny's Chant (D.Kirwan) - 3:16
[8] Spare Me a Little of Your Love (Ch.McVie) - 3:44
[9] Dust (D.Kirwan) - 2:41
[10] Thoughts on a Grey Day (Mrs. Scarrot) - 2:03

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Mick Fleetwood - Drums, Producer
Danny Kirwan - Guitar, Vocals, Producer
Christine McVie - Keyboards, Vocals, Producer
John McVie - Bass, Photography, Cover Photo, Producer

Peter Green - Guitar
Bob Welch - Guitar, Vocals
Jeremy Spencer - Guitar, Vocals

Martin Birch - Engineer
Lee Herschberg - Remastering
Bob Hughes - Engineer, Remixing


 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s

1972 LP Reprise 2080
1987 CD Reprise M2-2278
1987 CS Reprise M5-2278
1990 CD Reprise 2278

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", ahaunting, 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.



Arguably the first consistently strong album Fleetwood Mac ever recorded - all the way back into the Peter Green/Jeremy Spencer era, the Mac's albums had previously consisted of individual moments of brilliance in a sea of uninspired filler - 1972's Bare Trees is also the album where the band finally defines its post-blues musical personality. Low-key but less narcoleptically mellow than 1971's sleepy Future Games, Bare Trees is a singer/songwriter album in the traditional early-'70s style, backed up with just enough musical muscle to keep from sounding like weedy soft rock in the manner of Bread or Cat Stevens. This is the one Fleetwood Mac album on which singer/guitarist Danny Kirwan is the dominant figure, writing five songs to Chistine McVie and Bob Welch's two apiece. Impressively, all three writers get off a small masterpiece on side two; McVie's "Spare Me a Little of Your Love" sounds like a dry run for the string of hits she would start writing with 1975's Fleetwood Mac, and it's her first really good pop song. By comparison, Kirwan and Welch's best songs are all-time career highlights. Kirwan's "Dust" combines a gentle, gliding melody with resigned, melancholy lyrics and his most memorable chorus. Welch's "Sentimental Lady" was, of course, his first solo hit in its 1977 re-recorded version, but this original take is far superior, and one of the great lost pop songs of the early '70s. Outfitted with a terrific vocal melody, hooks galore, and an impressive tremolo guitar solo, "Sentimental Lady" is perhaps a little trite lyrically, but it's a heartfelt and lovable tune regardless, and the best thing Fleetwood Mac did in the years between "Albatross" and "Over My Head." The rest of the album is less magical, but the instrumental "Sunny Side of Heaven" and the downright funky "Danny's Chant" are impressive in their use of atmospheric arrangements and so point toward the subtle but effective production choices that would make Fleetwood Mac and Rumours among the most listenable albums of their time. Bare Trees isn't in that league, but it shows that after five years of false starts and failed experiments, Fleetwood Mac were finally on their way.

Stewart Mason - All Music Guide



Fleetwood Mac's last two records, Kiln House and Future Games, have between them provided me with perhaps a hundred hours of enjoyment. And that's the ultimate test of a record's worth. Personally, I was never interested in early Fleetwood Mac, the British blues band; but this Fleetwood Mac has little in common with that group except for the name and the rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. The closest thing I can think of to the kind of music the new Mac plays is the moody rock of the middle-period Beatles. Kiln House is similar to Beatles '65 in its dual concerns with vintage rock 'n' roll and muted, romantic pieces. Jeremy Spencer took care of the former area, while Danny Kirwan extended the style best represented by McCartney's "I'll Follow the Sun."

Since Spencer left, the band has been forced to re-orient itself somewhat: Kirwan has become the sole focal figure, and this central role has forced him to deal in the visceral as well as the moody areas. But Kirwan had already shown on Kiln House that he was well equipped to handle both. His "Jewel Eyed Judy," "Tell Me All the Things You Do," and "Station Man" are among the best examples of the soft-hard rock song, with their lovely, silky vocals and smoking guitars. If Kiln House holds up somewhat better than the gentler Future Games, Kirwan's dynamic songs are at least as responsible as Spencer's presence on the former album.

Bare Trees falls somewhere between the last two Fleetwood Macs; that is, it hits harder than Future Games, but its concerns are much more introspective than those of Kiln House. Kirwan has written two melancholic, really elegiac songs based on the bittersweet poem of an elderly woman, "Thoughts on a Grey Day," that closes the album. The first song, "Bare Trees," its title suggested by a line from old Mrs. Scarrot's poem, moves along exhilaratingly, even though its lyric is a metaphor of age and approaching death; perhaps it's the acceptance of the cycle that gives the music a hopeful, almost happy feeling. The second, "Dust," is a great deal more somber, but it retains Kirwan's deft melodic touch, manifesting itself in both the sighing vocal and in the guitar lines that sweep softly alongside it. "Dust" sets the stage for the poem, which is similar in effect to the "Voices of Old People" track on Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends. The group has thoughtfully preceded the poem with about 15 seconds of silence, sufficient time to pick up the tone arm if you're not in the mood.

The rest of Bare Trees isn't nearly so melancholy, nor is it structured to conform to the theme Kirwan has developed. Christine McVie's two songs, "Homeward Bound" and "Spare Me a Little of Your Love" (which sounds like a hit single to me), make it clear that she's become a fine songwriter and a persuasive vocalist–she's somewhere between Sandy Denny and Dusty Springfield, and there's no doubt that she could make it on her own. Bob Welch's two contributions, however, don't approach the power of "Future Games." His "The Ghost" and "Sentimental Lady," while not unattractive in themselves, are the weakest tracks on the album. Both are trite.

As before, it's Danny Kirwan who makes the difference. There's nothing on Bare Trees to equal "Station Man" and "Jewel Eyed Judy," but, aside from "Dust," Kirwan's songs here rock much more than his Future Games material did. He really lets loose on "Danny's Chant," which features tough-guy electric guitar sounds purely for their own sake. His "Child of Mine" is a lyrically disjointed but musically forthright rock 'n' roll song. And Kirwan's instrumental, "Sunny Side of Heaven," shows off his unique electric guitar style to good advantage. Like most outstanding guitarists, Kirwan gets a sound that is more plainly human than mechanical. His guitar tone is piercing but tremulous–powerful but at the same time plaintive, especially in the upper ranges.

With his multiple skills, Kirwan can't help being the focal point. It is his presence that makes Fleet-wood Mac something more than another competent rock group. He gives them a distinctiveness, a sting. He makes you want to hear these songs again.

BUD SCOPPA - Jun 8, 1972
Rolling Stone
 

 L y r i c s


Child Of Mine

Little child of mine
You'll be lovin' like your little Mother did
Heard it somewhere before
I won't leave you no not like my Father did

Heavy country blues keep a rockin'
K-k-k-keep that soulbeat a-sockin'
Heavy country blues keep a rockin'
K-k-k-keep that soulbeat a-sockin'

I miss you again
I let the sunlight through my eyes
I won't cry
I miss you again
I let the sunlight through my eyes
I won't cry
Little child of mine
You'll be lovin' like your little Mother did
Heard it somewhere before,
I won't leave you, no not like my Father did
Heavy country blues keep a rockin'
K-k-k-keep that soulbeat a-sockin'
Heavy country blues keep a rockin'
K-k-k-keep that soulbeat a-sockin'

I miss you again
I let the sunlight through my eyes
I won't cry

I miss you again
I let the sunlight through my eyes
I won't cry

I miss you again
I let the sunlight through my eyes
I won't cry

I miss you again
I let the sunlight through my eyes
I won't cry


The Ghost

Hold on
Until the ghost appears
That day is gonna last for years
Strange wind, is gonna blow through town
Lightnin' is gonna strike us down
Blue hills, are lookin' good to me
I go there, when I'm fast asleep
Ghost town, and the desert wind
Strange sounds, at the worlds end

And then the winds start to blow
And the fire comes scorching down (yeah)
And then the sky dissapears
In the cloud with an awfull sound (yeah)
And when you can't hold out
Then you run to the underground

Just a blue star
Hanging out in space
Earth town is a lovely place
Strange winds coming from the sky
Lovers gotta say goodbye

And then the winds start to blow
And the fire comes scorching down (yeah)
And then the sky dissapears
In the cloud with an awfull sound (yeah)
And when you can't hold out
Then you run to the underground

Look out before the ghost appears
Look out before the ghost appears
Strange winds


Homeward Bound

I want to sit at home in my rockin' chair
I don't want to travel the world
As far as I'm concerned I've had my share
But times more precious than gold
I don't wanna see another airplane seat
Or another hotel room
The home life to me seems really neat
I just wanna unpack for good

Buy me a ticket homeward bound (homeward bound)
Buy me a ticket homeward bound (oh homeward bound

Well it all seems the same when you've done it before
There's no difference in the style
There's no end insight or my own front door
I'll be a stay at home for awhile
So I'll have another drink and a cigarette
Just to console myself some how
It's not too bad if you can forget
I've just got to find a way somehow

Buy me a ticket homeward bound (homeward bound)
Buy me a ticket homeward bound (oh homeward bound

Buy me a ticket homeward bound (homeward bound)


Sunny Side Of Heaven

Instrumental.


Sentimental Lady

You are here and warm
But I could look away and you'd be gone
Cause we live in a time
When meaning falls in splinters from our lives
And that's why I've travelled far
Cause I come so together where you are

And all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
14 joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

Now you are here today
But easily you might just go away
Cause we live in a time
When paintings have no color, words don't rhyme
And that's why I've travelled far
Cause I come so together where you are

And all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
14 joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

You are here and warm
But I could look away and you'd be gone
Cause we live in a time
When meaning falls in splinters from our lives
And that's why I've travelled far
Cause I come so together where you are

Yes and all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
14 joys and a will to be merry
And all of the things that we say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

Well sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one


Danny's Chant

Instrumental


Spare Me A Little Of Your Love

Why not lie here in my arms
And listen to the night
You must know you have certain charm
And I feel the time is right

So spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)

Now I know that I feel much more
Oh in every single way
And it's not the same as before
It gets stronger everyday

So spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)

Now I know how the sun must feel
Every time it shines
And now I know this is real
And I want you to be mine

So spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little (just a little bit)
Spare me a little of your love (of your love)

Just a little bit


Dust

When the white flame in us is gone
And we that lost the world's delight
Stiffen in darkness.
Left alone
To crumble in our separate night
When your swift hair is quiet in death
And through the lips corruption thrust to still the labor of my breath

When we are dust, when we are dust
When we are dust, when we are dust

When your swift hair is quiet in death
And through the lips corruption thrust to still the labor of my breath

When we are dust, when we are dust
When we are dust, when we are dust

When the white flame in us is gone
And we that lost the world's delight
Stiffen in darkness
Left alone
To crumble in our separate night
When your swift hair is quiet in death
And through the lips corruption thrust to still the labor of my breath

When we are dust, when we are dust
When we are dust, when we are dust


Thoughts On A Grey Day

I thank my God
For perfect love and peace
I'll hold her tight
And always
Mine forever
Love, love
So great
So divine
Trees - the grey day has changed everything
It's beautiful, just beautiful
So beautiful this first grey day is ours
My loving child
By grace of God we live, my child,
And love
I crawl to my knees, my dear love
Will you promise to kiss
My perfect healing hands
And fingers
And make a promise to me you will always obey
My each command and never, ever fail me
You'll be mine forevermore
The sun is here
My love
My love
My sun
Our sun complete.
God bless our perfect, perfect grey day
With trees so bare, so bare!
But O so beautiful, so beautiful!
The grey and blue sky
The world is here
Ours, just, justing, just ours
Our own
Hold us tight
I am yours, just a dream
And go on dreaming
May this joy of ours
Never ever cease
My love, my love
Pregnant sweet
Love is tender

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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