Pre-Fleetwood Mac dinner

A few good friends got 4th row center seats for Fleetwood Mac last night here in Charlotte. Amazing concert BTW. Last time I saw them was in 1979 in Honolulu. Have not dropped a beat with Christy back.

Anyway, we met up for an early pre-dinner at BLT in the Ritz. Mostly American theme as it seemed apropos.

2002 Piper Heidsieck Rare
Once you get past the uber bling label this is one great pure champagne. Mostly chardonnay this expresses white fruits, a touch of lemon and layers of complex flavors. Wonderful acidity and mineral. 94

2010 Kister Stone Flat Chardonnay
This is a wonderful Kistler. Big fan of the vintage across their offerings. Rich but great acid and mineral for super balance. Some orange/tangerine with hints of spice. A complete wine. 94

1997 Staglin Napa Cabernet
This showed really nice holding up well. Not really exciting but nice dark fruits with the classic Rutherford dustiness on the finish. Drink up. 91

1996 Peter Michael Les Pavots
I have found the later vintage PM reds to express more oak then I like but the was showing none of that. Classic Cali meritage on the nose and palate. Still fresh yet tannins fully resolved. 93

1995 Dalla Valle Cabernet
Wow! The nose is pure Paulliac. Cedar and leather. Really dark color. Fresh as can be but drinking in a perfect place. Hints of spice and tannins softly coat the palate. Not sure it will get better but not likely going downhill in the near future. 95

Sweet wonderful you,
You make me happy with the things you do,
Oh, can it be so,
This feeling follows me wherever I go.

I never did believe in miracles,
But I’ve a feeling it’s time to try.
I never did believe in the ways of magic,
But I’m beginning to wonder why.

Well done, Kelly! I’m sure I would have enjoyed the dinner more than the show.

Oh Well…

Exactly!

with or without Lindsey Buckingham this tour?

I have had this a few times over the years and it never showed well. I thought it died early but maybe it was only my bottles that died.

We saw Fleetwood Mac last month in Cleveland. Great Concert!! Lindsey Buckingham was awesome!

Pre-concert wine was not memorable…but the concert was.

With! He kind of stole the show with his guitar riffs.

Neal, FM has a special place in my heart. Rumours kept my sanity when I was under the ocean for 3 months.

Nicely done, Kelly. Fleetwood Mac is not my generation, but along with the Stones, Doors and The Who, FM is one of my all-time favorites bands. I had box tixs to this event in Orlando, but a senior partner, the guy that hired me 22+ years ago, asked nicely. It’s his generation, so I handed over the tixs. Man would I have loved to try that '95 DV. Loved the run from '91-'95.

You are a good man Robert

I waver between the '94 and '95. I never got the extra mojo from the Maya. But that may be Because I find the CS more old world in style.

Nice notes Kelly, didn’t know there were more of us from Charlotte on here!

Peter Green and Danny Kirwan jamming on Oh Well part one. Berserkers check out Oh Well part two, it is one complex arrangement, and about as good a compliment to a sophisticated Cabernet as there is in music. Let me also recommend Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971), and Bare Trees (1972), all pre stardom. I do enjoy the work of Stevie and Lindsay as well.

I wouldn’t say that it’s all that complex, but “Oh Well Part 2” remains the only piece of “rock” music I’ve ever heard on a classical music radio program. It’s basically a Peter Green solo project - the only instrument he didn’t play was the recorder, played by his girlfriend.

Be sure to check out the Peter Green-era band’s live work on YouTube. With few exceptions, their best work was live rather than in the studio, and fortunately much of that can now be heard on YouTube. It will become clear why Green is still widely considered the best blues guitarist ever to come from the UK.

He may be correctly considered the best (a matter if taste), but I doubt one could claim he is widely considered so. Maybe the best Jewish blues guitarist to ever come from the UK.

Still, I am a huge fan.

I prefer the pre Nicks-Buckingham era. Possibly because I’m old enough to have been totally over saturated with their music back in the day.

Sorry I wasn’t there, I would have brought this:

I play the guitar a little bit. Very few guitar players are known for a certain style to play. Clapton, Hendrix and Green and in the younger generation Knopfler, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Vai come to mind. Green´s style to play is known as Greeny amongst guitar players. He influenced a whole generation of blues players. If you achieved this your place in Rock/Blues history is safe. His tone was and is famous.

Here is someone who explained it pretty well

BTW. I saw Peter about 10 years ago with a Band called Splinter Group. It was so sad to see Peter barely playing the guitar. He obviously lost a lot due to LSD and Mescaline abuse. He was a shadow of his own. It would have been better to remember him as he was during the Mac period. When I left the concert I was silent and sad for the rest of the evening.

Jurgen, although I am (reasonably) sure the acid didn’t help him, Peter Green has fought mental illnesses his entire life. His schizophrenia is not the result of his misspent youth. It is sad indeed.

Neal,

I know that Peter was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I know two people personally who had serious mental problems after using LSD extensively. I am not sure if the LSD caused the schizophrenia in the case of Peter but LSD can cause it. At least this is what I am told. I never heard that Peter had mental problems when he was young and sober but maybe I am not completely informed.

Anyway. As you said – it was very sad to see Peter in this shape. He was my hero and I still remember him as the person with the magic touch on the guitar. He was not the player with the unbelievable technique like Van Halen but a tone that touched my soul as almost no other guitar player.

Sorry Kelly for my off topic post.

Regarding Peter Green - BB King said “He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.”