Albatross

Today's song holds a special significance to me. In my own personal mythology, my dad introduced me to this song a long, long time ago, and has been a favorite of mine ever since. I was originally planning on playing this on his birthday, back on December 30, but I took an extended break, and his birthday came and went. That was 4 weeks ago today, so this could be an ok day to bring it back out again. This song is by the British blues band Fleetwood Mac, which really is a very different band than the Fleetwood Mac most Americans are familiar with. Sure, the rhythm section is the same with Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie (the Mac in the band name) on bass, but the rest of the band is very different. They started out with three guitarists who also sang: Jeremy Spencer (slide guitar), Peter Green, and Danny Kirwan, but none of those three were present for the megasuccess of the 70s. However, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that I prefer this earlier version - with strong, solid blues and rock. And then there is Albatross. This instrumental has the innate ability to soothe my soul - and today I hope it soothes yours as well. Especially my dad. Because he's a pretty special guy.