by Thom Jurek
It's been nearly 33 years since Jeremy Spencer, the slide guitarist and vocalist in the original Fleetwood Mac, walked into silence, obscurity, and cult mystery -- not unlike his bandmate Peter Green, who returned to active recording before Spencer had. Precious Little was licensed to Blind Pig from the Bluestown Records label in Norway. This isn't some stodgy codger trying for one last blast of fame before he goes out into the long good night. In fact, Precious Little is an effortless, relaxed presentation of the blues through the fantastic voice and stellar guitar playing of a bona fide British bluesman. One might complain that this set is perhaps a bit too laid-back, but that complaint is small when taking in the communication that's happening between Spencer and his Norwegian blues band in a studio that has the old mixing board from Stax! The material is a mixture of originals and covers that Spencer plays either on his National Steel with a humbucking pickup or one of his fine electric guitars. The warmth in his voice and the ease of his playing is that of a master musician. Opening with &Bitter Lemon,& Spencer and band stroll through the laid-back shuffle that immediately introduced his slide playing backed by a second electric guitarist, Espen Liland. Slippery, hushed, yet firm, his approach is deft. His humor is authentic and gratifying. The electric slide comes out on &Psychic Waste,& and the firm conviction in the grain of his voice is anything but novel; it's an exhortation to responsibility. The cover of Elmore James' &It Hurts Me Too& is one of the most laid-back, jazzy versions ever recorded. The quiet authority that Spencer displays in his vocal delivery is startling. ... Read More...