Peter Green Splinter Group
"Destiny Road"
(Snapper)
Here's a non-revelation if there ever was one; Peter Green has got the blues. Known for his fiery guitar work with the original Fleetwood Mac thirty years ago, Peter Green has somehow survived the personal problems (drugs, breakdowns, etc.) that have long plagued his career. With several self-imposed exiles from making music under his belt, Green's comeback with The Splinter Group in 1997 was the source of both speculation and celebration. For the man who replaced Eric Clapton as the guitarist in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and wrote classic songs like "Black Magic Woman," fame has never been an easy thing. Reclusive and elusive, Green's 1998 comeback album, "The Robert Johnson Songbook," found the singer-guitarist on slightly shaky legs but still brimming with a love and appreciation for the blues. On his new CD, "Destiny Road," Peter Green (along with guitarist Nigel Watson) leads the band in the most democratic terms possible. Performing an Elmore James cover, a Steve Winwood song and only one of his own compositions, Green leaves the bulk of the songwriting to his bandmates. Green's own contributions can be found in his smoky harmonica style, his subtly stinging guitar lines and his mellow-yet-mysterious vocal performances. Yes, The Splinter Group are a talented bunch, but without Peter Green at the helm they would be another bar band in search of a song. Instead, Nigel Watson, bassist Pete Stroud, drummer Larry Tolfree and keyboardist Roger Cotton have been miraculously elevated to an extremely focused blues group that scorch like smokestack lightning and shine like gold. Green's hazy demeanor lends itself to the slow, insidious barrelhouse rocking of the "Madison Blues" while his guitar style blends effortlessly with that of his expressive counterpoint, Nigel Watson. While Green's lead guitar work does not burn quite like it did when he led Fleetwood Mac, The Splinter Group's work ethic compares admirably with their blues-rocking predecessors. "Destiny Road" is an understated album whose treasures come slowly to the listener. If you're looking for flash and pomp posing with lots of blues-cum-rock guitar dramatics, go elsewhere. If you're looking for the essence of the blues and twelve earnest performances from a truly tragic bluesman whose returned from obscurity, try taking "Destiny Road."
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.