Fleetwood Mac - Bare Trees (1972)

Dan:

Bare Trees was the first Fleetwood Mac album that I heard in its entirely, thanks to the deejay who played it as a noontime album on Zeta4 in Miami. That was about 1978, at least six years after its release. Bare Trees features what I later judged to be the best Fleetwood Mac lineup: Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Danny Kirwan, John McVie, and Bob Welch. Overall, it was their sixth full album, following Future Games and preceding Penguin. As I said in the post for Future Games, this was my preferred era for the band - not their most popular, just their best. 

The band's formula for this era was to emphasize the songwriting of Christine, Kirwan, and Welch. This was a formidable trio of composers who knew how to write songs that fit the band's instrumental and vocal strengths. Every song hits the sweet spot, but I'm especially fond of Christine's "Spare Me a Little of Your Love," Kirwan's "Child of Mine," and Welch's "Sentimental Lady." The pace is generally relaxed but never dull or repetitive. There are no side-length jams or epic suites; songs are all in the 3-to-5-minute range. The two guitarists (Kirwan and Welch) never get into each other's way or try to show each other up. Bare Trees stays with the formula, except for the closing "Thoughts on a Grey Day," which is a two-minute recitation by an older woman named Mrs. Scarrot. She's not a bandmember, but somehow her recorded voice captures the wintry spirit of the album (as does the cover art).

Steve:

I first heard Bare Trees when I was in college in the late 80s, around the same time I discovered Then Play On, Kiln House and Future Games (see my commentary on Future Games elsewhere in this blog). Unlike those other two albums, I was already familiar with at least a couple of songs: Christine McVie's "Spare Me a Little of Your Love" and Bob Welch's "Sentimental Lady", which I'm sure Dan played a lot when I was younger. I still think of them as highlights on this fine release.

As Dan pointed out, this album seems to make a point of being concise and avoiding lengthy tracks that were more common on Future Games. While I admire the restraint, and the songwriting definitely benefits, a part of me thinks the album is too short, that it's over too soon. Take a track like Danny Kirwan's "Sunny Side of Heaven" - a 2-3 minute instrumental that is probably the prettiest piece of music Kirwan ever had a part in. This transcendent track could easily be stretched out to 7 minutes and I would be even happier. Likewise, his "Dust" is another lovely, ethereal piece that seems to end almost as soon as it begins.