by Richie Unterberger
Fleetwood Mac's debut LP was a highlight of the late-'60s British blues boom. Green's always inspired playing, the capable (if erratic) songwriting, and the general panache of the band as a whole placed them leagues above the overcrowded field. Elmore James is a big influence on this set, particularly on the tunes fronted by Jeremy Spencer (&Shake Your Moneymaker,& &Got to Move&). Spencer's bluster, however, was outshone by the budding singing and songwriting skills of Green. The guitarist balanced humor and vulnerability on cuts like &Looking for Somebody& and &Long Grey Mare,& and with &If I Loved Another Woman,& he offered a glimpse of the Latin-blues fusion that he would perfect with &Black Magic Woman.& The album was an unexpected smash in the U.K., reaching number four on the British charts.