"The Alternate Collection" by FLEETWOOD MAC – Six Albums Presented As 'Alternate' Versions, Each with Different Artwork and Including Only Alternate Tracks Taken From The Deluxe And Super Deluxe Edition Box Sets Issued Between 2013 and 2020 – 'The Alternate' Albums Are "Fleetwood Mac" (1975), "Rumours" (1977), "Tusk" (1979 2LP Set), "Live" (1980 2LP Set), "Mirage" (1982) and "Tango In The Night" (1987) – Band Featured Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood (November 2022 UK/WORLDWIDE Warner/Reprise Records 6CD Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Card Sleeves and Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot Remasters - A 'Record Store Day' 2022 Limited Edition) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...What Makes You Think You're The One... "

 

Now this is a very clever reissue – a Record Store Day Limited Edition from April 2022 that came out in both 6CD and 8xVINYL Formats, was then made available to the public at large in November 2022 and is still on general sale here in mid 2023.

 

However, the true die-hard FLEETWOOD MAC fan might look at this 6CD mini Clamshell Box Set and consider it a waste of time as they will already own the Super Deluxe LP-Sized variants of all six albums. But the six original LP-Sized Multiple-Format Box Sets issued between 2013 and 2020 would have put you back hundreds of quid (and still can/do) – which makes this little nugget currently languishing unloved and forlorn on Amazon in 2023 for a paltry 30-quid (new and shrink-wrapped) frankly a bit of a deal and a wee belter.

 

Presented here as The Alternate of "Fleetwood Mac" (1975), "Rumours" (1977), "Tusk" (1979 2LP Set), "Live" (1980 2LP Set), "Mirage" (1982) and "Tango In The Night" (1987) - "The Alternate Collection" looks great, sounds great (Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot Remasters from original tapes, two outstanding Engineers Rhino of the USA has used for over four decades now) and most of all – it plays great - offering punters a different and strangely satisfying listen to overdone F Mac territory. To the details and runthroughs...

 

UK and WORLDWIDE released 25 November 2022 - "The Alternate Collection" by FLEETWOOD MAC on Warner/Reprise Records R2 671020 / 603497842209 (Barcode 603497842209) is a 6CD Limited Edition Clamshell Box Set that plays out as follows (LB = Lindsey Buckingham on Lead Vocals, CMcV = Christine McVie and SN = Stevie Nicks):

 

CD1 "The Alternate Fleetwood Mac" (43:22 minutes):

1. Monday Morning (Early Take, LB Vocals) [Side 1]

2. Warm Ways (Early Take, CMcV Vocals)

3. Blue Letter (Early Take, LB Vocals)

4. Rhiannon (Early Take, SN Vocals with Spoken Lead-In)

5. Over My Head (Early Take, CMcV Lead Vocals)

6. Crystal (Early Version, LB Lead Vocals)

7. Say You Love Me (Early Version, CMcV Lead Vocals) [Side 2]

8. Landslide (Early Version, SN Lead Vocals, LB on Guitar)

9. World Turning (Early Version LB and CMcV on Duet Lead Vocals)

10. Sugar Daddy (Early Take, CMcV on Lead Vocals)

11. I'm So Afraid (Early Version, LB on Lead Vocals)

The original album (Tracks 1 to 11) of "Fleetwood Mac" was released August 1975 in the UK on Reprise K 54043 and in the USA on Reprise MS 2281.

 

CD2 "The Alternate Rumours" (41:28 minutes):

1. Second Hand News (Alternate, LB and SN on Lead Vocals) [Side 1]

2. Dreams (Alternate, SN on Lead Vocals)

3. Never Going Back Again (Acoustic Duet, LB and SN on Duet Lead Vocals)

4. Don't Stop (Alternate, LB and CMcV on Duet Lead Vocals)

5. Go Your Own Way (Alternate, LB on Lead Vocals)

6. Songbird (Alternate, CMcV on Lead Vocals)

7. The Chain (Demo, SN on Lead Vocals with Different Lyrics) [Side 2]

8. You Make Loving Fun (Alternate, CMcV on Lead Vocals)

9. I Don't Want To Know (Early Take, LB on Lead Vocals)

10. Oh Daddy (Alternate, CMcV on Lead Vocals with SN on Backing Vocals)

11. Gold Dust Woman (Early Take, SN on Lead Vocals)

NOTES:

The original album (Tracks 1 to 11) of "Rumours" was released February 1977 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56344 and Warner Brothers BSK 3010. It reached Number 1 on both the UK and USA charts and is one the biggest selling albums of all time. When "Rumours" was reissued (once again) in January 2013 as a 3CD Expanded Edition - CD1 of that release contained the only Non-LP track from the sessions called "Silver Springs" (originally the B-side of the January 1977 45-single "Go Your Own Way") as a Bonus Track. CD3 of that Expanded Reissue also had "Silver Springs (Early Take)", but unfortunately it is not included as a Bonus Track here when it could have been.

 

CD3 "The Alternate Tusk" (79:47 minutes):

1. Over & Over (2 April 1979, CMcV on Lead) [Side 1]

2. The Ledge (13 March 1979, LB on Lead)

3. Think About Me (18 February 1979, )

4. Save Me A Place (18 October 1978)

5. Sara (10 March 1979)

6. What Makes You Think You're The One (24 February 1979) [Side 2]

7. Storms (2 June 1979)

8. That's All For Everyone (20 October 1978)

9. Not That Funny (19 May 1979)

10. Sisters Of The Moon (12 November 1978)

11. Angel (2 April 1979) [Side 3]

12. That's Enough For Me (29 September 1978)

13. Brown Eyes (20 September 1978 with Lindsey and Peter Green)

14. Never Make Me Cry (8 February 1979)

15. I Know I'm Not Wrong (2 November 1978)

16. Honey Hi (11 October 1978) [Side 4]

17. Beautiful Child (9 October 1978)

18. Walk A Thin Line (6 April 1979)

19. Tusk (19 July 1979)

20. Never Forget (29 June 1978)

NOTES:

Tracks 2, 5 and 10 first appeared on the March 2004 2CD Remaster of "Tusk" and were Previously Unreleased at the time

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 to 9 and 11 to 20 first appeared on the December 2015 3CD Expanded Edition of "Tusk" and were Previously Unreleased at the time

Track 13 features Peter Green, founder member of Fleetwood Mac in the 60ts

The original album (Tracks 1 to 20) of the double-album "Tusk" was released October 1979 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 66088 and in the USA on Warner Brothers 2HS 3350. It reached Number 1 in the UK and No. 4 in the USA LP charts.

 

CD4 "The Alternate Live" (72:11 minutes):

1. Second Hand News (Live, 21 October 1981) [Side 1]

2. The Chain (Live, 20 May 1980)

3. Think About Me (Live, 24 August 1980)

4. What Makes You Think You're The One (Live, 23 August 1980)

5. Gold Dust Woman (Live, 29 August 1977)

6. Brown Eyes (Live, 22 October 1982)

7. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) (Live, 18 May 1977)

8. Angel (Live, 20 May 1980)

9. Hold Me (Live, 21 October 1982)

10. Tusk (Live, 24 August 1980)

11. You Make Loving Fun (Live, 19 May 1977)

12. Sisters Of The Moon (Live, 21 August 1980)

13. Songbird (Live, 21 August 1980)

14. Blue Letter (Live, 20 May 1977)

NOTES:

The original 18-Track double-album "Fleetwood Mac Live" was released December 1980 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 66097 and in the USA on Warner Brothers 2WB 3500. It reached No. 31 in the UK and No. 14 in the USA LP charts.

"The Alternate Live" however is only 14-Tracks and represents a radical re-working of the song line-up in that none of the original 18 appears on it. Also, while the bulk of the original December 1980 2LP set was recorded on the "Tusk" Tour of 1980, the songs for "The Alternate Live" were recorded between May 1977 and as far ahead as October 1982 – two years after the released "Fleetwood Mac Live" 2LP set. The above 14-Track line-up is therefore all new and first appeared on the April 2021 Super Deluxe Edition of "Fleetwood Mac Live". I have included recording dates in the entries above (they are not on the card sleeve) and some copies of the Record Store Day CDs reputedly had 'hidden tracks' at the end of the disc - these versions do not.

 

CD5 "The Alternate Mirage" (47:55 minutes):

1. Love In Store (Early Version, CMcV on Lead) [Side 1]

2. Suma's Walk [aka "Can't Go Back", Instrumental] (Outtake)

3. That's Alright (Alternate Take, SN on Lead)

4. Book Of Love (Early Version, LB on Lead)

5. Gypsy (Early Version, SN on Lead)

6. Only Over You (Alternate Version, CMcV on Lead)

7. Empire State (Early Version, LB on Lead) [Side 2]

8. Straight Back (Original Album Version, SN on Lead)

9. Hold Me (Early Version, CMcV on Lead)

10. Oh Diane (Early Version, LB on Lead)

11. Eyes Of The World (Alternate Early Version, LB on Lead)

12. Wish You Were Here (Alternate Version, CMcV on Lead)

NOTES:

The original album (Tracks 1 to 12) of "Mirage" was released June 1982 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56952 and Warner Brothers 9 23607-1 in the USA. It peaked at No. 1 and No. 5 on the US and UK LP charts.

 

CD6 "The Alternate Tango In The Night" (42:03 minutes):

1. Down Endless Street [Side 1]

2. Special Kind Of Love (Demo)

3. Seven Wonders (Early Version)

4. Tango In The Night (Demo)

5. Mystified (Alternate Version)

6. Where We Belong (Demo)

7. Juliet (Run-Through)

8. Isn’t It Midnight (Alternate Mix)

9. Ooh My Love (Demo)

10. You And I, Part I & II (Full Version)

NOTES:

The original 12-Track vinyl album "Tango In The Night" was released April 1987 in the UK on Warner Brothers WX 65 (925 471-1) and Warner Brothers 9 25471-1 in the USA. It peaked at No. 7 and No. 1 on the US and UK LP charts. Like CD4 (the Live album) – the track list here is again altered with some key songs like "Big Love" missing and replaced by other tunes.

 

When you undo the shrinkwrap and its two stickers (Box Set Title sticker and a Record Store Day Exclusive one in Embossed Silver) – you notice there is no booklet or inlay - which is a damn shame. However, the six sleeves are fabulous – five singles while the live one is a gatefold and the only one that veers away from the artwork of the original LP. The rear artwork is another outtake photo and the Alternate Album artwork has the details but of course in the case of the CDs, the typeface is so small you can’t read it. However, another seriously tasty touch is that each CD comes with a protective polythene inner so they don’t get scratched being pulled out of the tight card sleeve. "The Alternate Fleetwood Mac" even has Penguin logos hidden on the inside of the card sleeve – nice.

 

The Remasters are obviously the ones done by DAN HERSCH and BILL INGLOT for the Six Super Deluxe Edition Box Sets and don’t let the words (Early Take) or (Alternate Version) make you think of less than stellar quality. The Audio on "Landslide" on the 1975 set is simply Stevie singing while Lindsey picks out an Acoustic and it is hair-raisingly gorgeous – clean, crisp, virtually hissless but not with suppression – just there. That is quickly followed by the shuffling "World Turning" where Lindsey lets rip with the band and frankly you may dig this softer version of the album more than the released version after a few listens. When you played "Second Hand News" which opened Side 1 of the "Rumours" opus, it always felt like a poor choice to me. Here this "Second Hand News" is rough around the edges yeah, but it has an urgency that the finished version somehow lacked.

 

The "Rumours" and "Tusk" material is the same Audio-wise – sharp, clean and beautifully remastered – try "Save Me A Place" – so damn good. To hear Christine McVie shimmer-singing with such tenderness on her piano to her own "Songbird" while LB strums along on an acoustic guitar – it is achingly gorgeous – and you understand so completely why someone at Warner Brothers and Rhino thought the Alternate Album idea a winner everyone needs to hear. Dig those different lyrics sung by Stevie on "The Chain" – it is good – but the finished version they did arrive at is the real winner. "You Make Loving Fun" is a full-band powerhouse of magic – gorgeous audio – that Funky keyboard sound – SN providing subtle chorus backing vocals – LB and his brilliant guitar solo almost identikit to the finished version. It does seem like a damn shame that "Silver Springs" – the Non-LP B-side to "Go Your Own Way" – which was put on as a Bonus Track on the CD reissue of "Rumours" in the Box Set – was not used in the same way here as there was/is an Alternate of it and it would have made the Alternate "Rumours" all the more amazing.

 

I honestly had not expected much from the entirely new configuration of a 14-song "Live" but if anything – you can now feel the sheer force of the band as a unit when they tear up nearly seven-minutes of "The Chain" (gatefold card sleeve is a nice touch as is the word 'live' written on the inside flap). And you have to remember that there is only Buckingham on Guitar – no rhythm or second to give it extra muscle – and yet when the Bass Break happens and Buckingham launches into that final trashing guitar crescendo – the Mac sound like they're going to storm into your living room with bovver boots on. Stevie Nicks gets to shimmer in that way only she can with "Gold Dust Woman" – Mick Fleetwood keeping the beat rock solid. 

 

Not to be outdone, you can so hear why the lovely Christine McVie was so important to them – her songs mellowed - exuded joy - "Brown Eyes" from "Tusk" and the fabulous "Hold Me" from "Mirage" are brought alive as they launch into those gorgeous joined-at-the-hip vocals (Daisy Jones and The Six ahoy). Nice touch too to go at "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)" from the Peter Green days of 1970 - a rare bit of old fart rocking. Somehow Buckingham makes Manalishi sound like an angry "Rumours" outtake. The beauty of the melody to "You Make Loving Fun" is still there, but a muddled stadium sound does for it - the live version from 1977 sounds a little too much like a good bootleg recording rather than a worthy inclusion. And on it goes to the sophistication of the two 80ts albums...

 

There are niggles I know - not having "Big Love" there - not having a booklet to give context - or even 'The Alternate Rumours' having its title on the rear of the card sleeve when it should have been on the front - no "Silver Springs". But these are minor points. Overall, this is a very cool Mac Box Set in a rather tasty run of them.

 

"I wanna be a star...I don't want to be a cleaning lady... " Stevie says into the microphone as she starts the mesmerizing "Sara". Well - all of you are because when you built your house even the formation of its walls rocked. A great reissue for both fans and the curious alike, and one I will return too often...