Peter Green
, the leading light of the earliest incarnation of
Fleetwood Mac
, died on July 25, 2020, just five months after his friend and bandmate
Mick Fleetwood
held a star-studded tribute concert to the legendary guitarist.
Fleetwood
held his celebration just in time: days after this February 25, 2020 show, the global concert industry shut down in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Large-scale concerts like this were a rarity in 2020 and 2021, so it's nice that
was able to give
Green
the kind of party he deserved, especially while he was still alive. As a recorded document,
Celebrate the Music of Peter Green
does stand on its own, even if the backstory may be needed in order to fully appreciate the music. Often, this lengthy album features straight-ahead covers of old blues songs -- versions that are performed with aplomb and passion yet don't offer much in the way of new arrangements. The record tends to be more compelling when it touches upon the outer edges of
's music, as when
Billy Gibbons
and
Kirk Hammett
pummel "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)," or when
Pete Townshend
eases into "Station Man," or when
David Gilmour
glides through "Albatross." These are the moments that make this record something a bit more than a very good blues-rock album and into a fitting tribute to a visionary guitarist. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine